Reading the TEA leaves

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Organizers of two "TEA Party" rallies in Medford today have taken great pains to portray the event as nonpartisan and not aimed at President Obama and majority Democrats. Don't believe it for a minute.

The parties — TEA stands for "taxed enough already" — are clearly designed to appeal most to conservative Americans who believe the new administration and Congress are leading the nation in the wrong direction. There's nothing wrong with that; vocal opposition to the policies of those you didn't vote for is a proud tradition in American politics.

Just don't let organizers portray this as something it isn't.

Web surfers looking for information about the TEA Party movement can find links urging them to send tea bags to Obama and members of Congress to express their opposition to higher taxes and growing deficits. This clever gimmick is called "teabagging": "Teabag Obama on Twitter!" "Teabag Obama on Facebook!"

And then there's video of a protester in an earlier rally holding a sign that reads, "Teabag liberal Dems before they teabag you!"

The movement is clearly designed to channel the anger and fear many Americans feel about the massive spending bills aimed at stimulating the economy and restoring the devastated credit market. That, too, is perfectly legitimate. We share their concerns about the rising deficit and doubts about whether the rescue effort will work.

National organizers have taken pains to distance themselves from the Republican Party — even declining a request by Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele to speak at an event. But that hasn't stopped Steele and the RNC from jumping aboard this bandwagon for the ride.

A recent e-mail from Steele to GOP supporters urges them to e-mail virtual tea bags to the White House and Congress.

"Your participation in this project is vital to holding the Obama Democrats accountable for their destructive higher-tax and spending policies," Steele wrote.

Not only are TEA Party organizers less than candid about their motives, their constituency is not quite the enormous groundswell they claim to represent.

The national Web site has a splashy graphic reading "Silent Majority No More!" and "Revolution is brewing at a city near you!"

Majority? As it happens, Gallup's annual April poll on taxes found that more Americans think the amount of federal income tax they pay is "about right" than think it's too high — 48 percent to 46 percent — only the second time in 40 years that's been the case.

Of course, Gallup notes that most Democrats in the poll said their taxes are about right, and most Republicans say theirs are too high.

Closer to home, Oregonians planning to participate in today's events because they think they are overtaxed might want to think again.

While Oregon ranked 10th among all states for total tax burden 30 years ago, its ranking has steadily slipped over the years, helped along by voter-approved tax limitations and the unique "kicker" requirement that the state return tax money when revenue exceeds projections. This year, Oregon ranks 26th by one measure, 41st by another.

Happy tax day, everyone.

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