Tea party ending tour in capital it loves to hate

[April 20, 2010]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- Tea party activists are ending a cross-country tour in a place and on a day that inspires much of their discontent.

The place is Washington, and the day is Thursday: the April 15 deadline to file federal income taxes.

The Tea Party Express tour wraps up at Washington's Freedom Plaza with an 11 a.m. rally. Local events are also planned in Oklahoma, Ohio and other states.

Tea party protesters opened their tour nearly three weeks ago with a Nevada rally that drew at least 9,000 and heard from one of the few politicians embraced by the conservative, anti-tax movement, Sarah Palin.

Palin also starred at a tea party gathering of 5,000 on Wednesday in Boston but is not scheduled at the finale. Radio host Neal Boortz is among the listed speakers.

[Associated Press]

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