By RON FOURNIER
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON – The tea party is making a lot of noise, but the angry-at-government movement has yet to establish itself as a force that can determine the outcome of November’s congressional elections. The key could be forging alliances with GOP candidates, but tea partiers in nearly every state are leery of that if not downright opposed.
“The day there’s an organized tea party in Wisconsin,” says Mark Block, who runs tea party rallies in the state, “is the day the tea party movement dies.”
The Associated Press reviewed tea party chapters across the country, interviewing dozens of local organizers as well as Democratic and Republican strategists to produce a portrait of the movement to date – and its prospects for tipping congressional elections this fall. Though it’s far too early for any long-term verdict on the tea party – even defining what short-term success would be for its members can be a challenge – the AP found that: