After the tea party

Columnist Jane Chastain has a few suggestions for how to keep the pressure on politicians in both parties now that the tea parties are over.

A sampling:

Don't listen to what your representatives say. Monitor what they do. It's easy. Each year the nonpartisan National Taxpayers Union Foundation releases a report card on Congress. One came out just last week. It is the only one to utilize EVERY roll call vote that affects tax, spending and regulatory issues. If you can read down and across, you will know immediately if your representatives should be retained. Most should not!

And another:

To be absolutely fair, since 1996, there have been few opportunities to vote on anything that would reduce federal spending. To put that another way, our presidents (both Republican and Democrat) have failed us, our congressional leaders (both Republican and Democrat) have failed us, and most of the people we sent to Washington to represent us have failed us.

And still another:

Don't put your faith in a political party. Do not make donations directly to a political party. Do not give to a party's congressional or senatorial committee. The only purpose of these committees is to keep their members in power, no matter how bad they are or how they vote.

Do support worthy candidates, but make your donations directly to those candidates who pledge to abide by the principles in which you believe. Also, make donations to political action committees that back candidates (without regard to party) who support these principles.