Tea Partiers make their ambitions clear: They want to take over the GOP.

Kennedy famously reminded South America in 1961 that, "in the past, those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside."

I happen to think that this lesson is one which should have been learned by the current Republican party, especially when I hear statements like this one:

MATTHEWS: Matt, how about third party? What about the Tea Party? Sarah Palin is kind of hard to read. She is fascinating. Let‘s face it, we‘re all fascinated with her, because she‘s exciting as a political figure right now. But she‘s talking third party. I mean, she answered the question of Lars Larson. Maybe it just came to mind, but she said, yeah, I might go third party, something like that. Would you guys knock off an incumbent Republican by going third party? You know how the vote splits. Split the right, the Dem wins.

KIBBE: The better way to do it is to take over the Republican party. Frankly, that‘s what our goal is. We need to replace the Republican establishment with fiscal conservatives that are actually willing to cut spending.

For years the Republicans have ridden on the back of these fringe nut groups, appealing to religious loons and the Sarah Palin wing of the unhinged; making promises regarding abortion and many other things on which they never had any intention of delivering.

Now that lunatic fringe are rising up and attempting to swallow them whole. They deserve no sympathy. They brought this upon themselves.

Tags: Republicans, tea parties, Palin, lunatic fringe