From a Grass Roots Tea Party, a PAC Blooms

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The first press conference at the first National Tea Party Convention broke news about something that is not affiliated with the Tea Party movement -- much. Confused? So were reporters and some activists on Friday afternoon.

Mark Skoda, media director of the convention, announced the formation of Ensuring Liberty Corporation (ELCORP), a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, and its soon-to-be-established political action committee, the Ensuring Liberty PAC.

The PAC would allow people in the Tea Party movement and anyone else to contribute money that would be used to fund key races across the country. Ensuring Liberty "will endorse, support and elect," Skoda said. Candidates would be vetted on their adherence to "First Principles" (fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, less government, states' rights and national security), though Skoda insisted the new group was "not attempting to replace or copy the Republican National Committee."

The corporation, Skoda said, would "counter the fragmentation that exists today," while remaining "distinct and separate from the Tea Party movement." It would solicit the support of Tea Party activists; Tea Party groups around the country would maintain their independence.

Skoda is chairman of the Memphis Tea Party and will be president of Ensuring Liberty. He emphasized the "heartland" appeal of a corporation based not in Washington or New York, but Memphis, with initial interest in competitive political contests in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. When asked if Ensuring Liberty would take money from large corporations, he said it would. "This is a democracy."

The announcement would seem to place Tea Party organizers right in the middle of the established political system even though some grass-roots activists are more interested in launching a third party or remaining independent from the two major parties. But conventioneers Jim and Tricia Eskes of Atlanta, at least, wanted to hear more about Ensuring Liberty.

Jim Eskes said he would get online and investigate. "On the face of it, it's a good thing," he said, with "normal people with normal jobs, not the political elite."

The difference between established PACs and ELCORP would be its commitment to "transparency lacking in too much of the political process today," said Skoda. When asked to name the other four board members, Skoda said he wasn't ready yet, but would make the names available in a week.