12:00 AM CDT on Monday, April 12, 2010

By TOM BENNING / The Dallas Morning News
tbenning@dallasnews.com

WASHINGTON – With the battle against health care legislation behind them, Tea Party activists are looking ahead to the next stage for the loosely organized and generally anti-government movement.

Texas leaders of Tea Party groups hint that their true success will hinge less on "headline-grabbing" rallies and more on direct involvement in politics, such as developing citizen candidates, holding community forums and focusing on local elections.

"It is obvious that standing around with a sign in your hand is not enough," said Felicia Cravens, founder of the Houston Tea Party Society.

One of the first opportunities to send a new message comes this week: Tax Day. The group's April 15 activities, which tie back into many Tea Party groups' core beliefs about fiscal responsibility, will draw hundreds of thousands of participants in person and online.

Nearly 30 North Texas Tea Party groups will gather at QuikTrip Park in Grand Prairie on Thursday for the Lone Star Tea Party. Similar celebrations will be held across Texas – including an Austin event where former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will participate in a forum about the lessons learned from the "Contract With America," the movement that propelled Republicans to election success in 1994.

Organizers said that the events would retain a festive atmosphere, but that there will be an increasing focus on informing voters about getting involved in politics at several levels.

"We need people to focus on their local community," said Ken Emanuelson, co-founder of the Dallas Tea Party. "That isn't quite as exciting as some of the national issues, but what happens at city hall or the school board has a huge amount of impact on our lives."

Said Greg Holloway, co-founder of another group, Common Sense Texans: "Rallies are great, but let's get to the election box."

Those who can't attend the celebrations in person will able to participate online. One group, the Online Tax Revolt, is expecting nearly 200,000 people to virtually march on Washington with various government leaders, including Dallas Republican Rep. Jeb Hensarling, and interact with rallies in the nation's capital.

Beyond the emphasis on voter awareness and core fiscal issues, Tea Party leaders said immigration was likely the next national issue to capture the attention of the movement at Tax Day and future events.

"It really depends on what Obama does next," said Ryan Hecker, a national coordinator for the Tea Party Patriots. "That is what our focus is going to be."

Tea Partiers have debated how much their groups should address social issues, such as abortion. And some national groups want events to focus on protesting sweeping immigration legislation that Congress may take up this year.

Texas organizers said immigration has a big impact on state and local governments, and that the issue would resonate with their groups.

"In Texas especially, immigration speaks to two of our core principles: rule of law and national sovereignty," said Emanuelson, the Dallas leader. "An awful lot of our folks would be wary of an immigration reform proposal."


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