@Thomas,
Maybe I am using the word "Tea Party" too loosely then.
There is a large number of American theocrats running around with Tri-corner hats, guns and "Don't tread on me" flags. These are the same people who are electing representatives at a federal and state level who are passing laws on forced vaginal probes, opposing the construction of mosques and shutting down abortion clinics.
If I can't call these people "Tea Party" zealots, then what is the name for them? The have a significant impact in some state legislatures and have a inordinate amount of leverage in the House of Representatives.