For now, it's not about the war on terrorism, abortion or gay marriage.
The issue stoking outrage among thousands of conservatives across the country is runaway spending. And that's why they chose Wednesday – tax day, April 15 – to hold "tea party" rallies nationwide.
Dozens of tea party rallies are being planned to oppose the Obama administration's fiscal policies. At least 10 rallies are being planned in the Metroplex. Gov. Rick Perry is scheduled to attend the Fort Worth rally at LaGrave Field.
"It's a day to get together with fellow patriots all across the state of Texas," Perry said in a YouTube video about the rallies posted last week. "Let them know what you think about the bailouts, all this stimulus, all this runaway spending going on in Washington, D.C."
The rallies are the most visceral display of a growing frustration among conservatives over President Barack Obama's approach to the economic crisis. Though the multibillion-dollar bailouts started under President George W. Bush, the opposition from conservatives has grown stronger as Obama has increased the public stake in troubled banks and other private industries while continuing to pursue expensive campaign promises like healthcare reform.
"It doesn't take a Ph.D. in economics to know we've been living beyond our means," said U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Surfside, who plans to attend a rally in Seabrook. "Most people are looking around and thinking who are they going to blame the most. I think there's plenty of blame to go around."
Paul has been speaking out about fiscal discipline for over 20 years. He focused his presidential bid last year on the issue and gained a small but passionate group of supporters around the country. In recent weeks, some have assumed that Paul and his supporters were behind the Tea Party movement, he said.
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