Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah!

Patriots!

We are thrilled -- no, strike that, try "honored" -- that two national coordinators from the Tea Party Patriots are flying to Redlands next week just to address our membership!

Gregg Cummings and Maria Acosta are flying cross country because the Redlands Tea Party Patriots is viewed as one of the most active Tea Party chapters in the US. They will discuss a variety of topics ranging from tea party history and impact to fostering membership to media messaging. Their time on stage includes audience Q&A.

The national coordinators are paying their own way, so we can "repay" them by going to www.teapartypatriots.org and registering. By signing up, you will have access to members-only information as well as resources ranging from training seminars and videos to the ObamaCare toolkit and talking points. Please enroll and consider sending $25 -- the amount that gets you a membership card with your name so you can brag about how you are a "card-carrying member" of the Tea Party Patriots! (And imagine the joy on liberal faces when you flash that!)

Local tea party leaders are invited to a closed-door session with Gregg and Maria at Mill Creek beginning at 3 p.m. The public will not be allowed in until 5:30 p.m.

We can't get too far into our newsletter without celebrating Mike Morrell's stunning election victory to the California senate last Tuesday! Mike won more than 60 percent of the vote in a five candidate field -- an amazing feat in any political race. Liberals are quaking in their Birkenstocks at how their base failed to even vote for their candidates. Like the conservative victory in the Florida special election a few weeks ago, Mike's victory in state senate district 23 is a sign that the 2014 election is a great opportunity for the Tea Party movement and the conservative cause to save America and the principles that made her great, free and prosperous.  But that is not going happen if we wait for someone else to do something.  The Redlands Tea Party Patriots knocked on more than 1,500 doors thus far this year supporting Mike Morrell and other candidates we recommend. Thank you to all of our great patriot volunteers.   

Historically, we have not been happy with coverage of the Redlands Tea Party Patriots in the Redlands Daily Facts.  For examples, the Facts did not cover our well-attended meetings this year, which included Tim Donnelly in January (246 people), Mike Alexander in February (125 people) and in March, (202 people) for our candidate forum. Recently, we met with Toni Momberger, editor of the Facts, as well as Frank Pine, managing editor of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, which supervises the Facts as well as the San Bernardino Sun.

Hopefully, we will see more balanced coverage in the future. Toni agreed to run a picture of our meetings. That is an improvement and a step in the right direction.  If you want give Toni your opinion, comments, criticism or support, her e-mail address is toni.momberger@inlandnewspapers.com.

Since we're handing out emails -- here is our new email that goes to all cabinet members: cabinet@RedlandsTeaParty.net

We are continuing to collect signatures for three petitions that could be political game-changers on the 2014 ballot. They are voter ID, awarding California's 55 Electoral College votes proportionately rather than winner take all, and protecting our Second Amendment rights. We are on track to meet our goal of collecting 2014 signatures for each. We will again have petitions at the Thursday meeting.

We will also have them outside the next gun show in Ontario on May 3 and 4. To volunteer for that event, contact Ly Kou (who does the work of three ordinary patriot activists!) at: CallToAction33@yahoo.com 

The media ssssooooo loves to claim the Tea Party movement is dead (when they are not blaming the Tea Party movement for every problem in Washington) -- so come out Thursday and show them that we are not just alive -- but ready to kick butt in 2014!