Tea Party Movement fears that ‘worst elements’ might take over

Tea party groups battle racism claims

Movement fears loss of moderates if ‘worst elements’ take over

	A protester wears an American Revolution-era flag and an Obama picture during the Tea Party Express rally in Washington, DC.
Brendan Smialowski / Getty Images File

By Amy Gardner and Krissah Thompson

updated 1 hour, 40 minutes ago

As several states with active "tea party" groups prepare to hold important primary elections this month, the movement is struggling to overcome accusations of racism that are tinting perceptions of this loose network of conservatives.

"We don't want the worst elements to take this over," said Brendan Steinhauser, campaign director for FreedomWorks, a national group that helps coordinate tea party activists. "If they do, the tea party loses independents, it loses moderates, it loses people who don't tolerate this. Being a racist is one of the worst things you can be in this society. No one wants to be labeled this."

The challenge is made tougher by one of the defining elements of the tea party movement: No one person controls it. There is no national communications strategy. And incidents of racist slogans and derisive depictions of President Obama continue to crop up, providing fuel for critics who say the president's skin color is a powerful reason behind the movement's existence.