Divided Tea Party Could Miss Opportunites in Fall

Tennessee's tea party activists are hoping to expand their influence with the fall election, but the various groups around the state could be too divided to have much of an effect.

The Tennessean reports tea party groups hope to pick off a few members of the state legislature, with the idea of reshaping its leadership. But the groups have not agreed to which members to go after. Nor have they settled on a slate of candidates to support.

The situation in Tennessee may also indicate a broader problem for the tea party movement.

The grass-roots groups have been able to spark a debate about debt and taxes but have sometimes struggled to turn that passion into something more concrete.