Tea time in the U.S.

March 02, 2009

When you're boiling water to make some tea, the water doesn't immediately hit a rolling boil. It all starts with one bubble. That's what the "tea parties" last Friday were – that first bubble leading to a full boil.

On Friday, I drove to the capitol building in Lansing, Mich., which is only about 30 miles from where I live, to attend one of the "tea party" protests that sprouted up as the result of Rick Santelli's terrific rant on the floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange.

At the Lansing event, I snapped a few photos and talked to some of the protesters, many of whom seemed unaware that they were in direct defiance of the new rules following the coronation of Jan. 20 that suddenly rendered dissent unpatriotic. the rest