This week I was invited by Republican Party of Florida Chairman Dave Bitner to attend a meeting in Orlando with leaders of the Tea Party in Central Florida.   The meeting was the idea of Chairman Bitner to further open up the lines of communication with Tea Party activists and GOP members.  The conversation and input from these folks was instructive and important to the national dialogue that is going on about the future of America.

I found Tea Party leaders to be intelligent, enthusiastic patriots who have had enough of business as usual in politics.  Their central focus is the excessive and bloated Federal government and politicians who do not live within the guiding principles of our Founding Fathers.  There was also much talk about the problems of State government and the need to reign in spending.  I told them that in many respects the Tea Party (not to be confused with the Tea Party political party which is a shell created by leftist activists designed to siphon votes) is one of the best things to happen to the Republican Party since Ronald Reagan.  The Tea Party, which is a political movement, has breathed life into the GOP and held Republicans accountable for their votes in Congress and in the Florida Legislature.

These Americans who have organized the Tea Party movement nationwide understand what is at stake:  our constitutional form of government & democratic free enterprise system that has given the United States the greatest standard of living in the world.

Our Republican Party is committed to working with the Tea Party towards the goal of electing Conservatives who understand the proper role of government.   Towards this aim the key concept must be: Unity in 2012!