Tea Party aims to change the political system from within

Here at the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville, there are no plans to turn the movement into a third party. Rather the group’s aims to channel its following into “a force to be reckoned with in the traditional party structure.”

Mark Skoda, convention spokesman and leader of the Memphis Tea Party, fired up the crowd this morning at the Gaylord Opryland Resort telling them the time is prime for conservatives to regain seats in Washington.

“Barack Obama was indeed our Pearl Harbor for the conservative movement,” he said.

Skoda, who said he’s “a declared Republican, but conservative first,” said it’s time to go after big government Washington legislators one at a time. “What we need now are another 40 Scott Brown’s,” he said.

The convention, which begun last night, is hosting a sold-out crowd of 500 attendees. Speakers today include former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore and World Net Daily founder Joseph Farah.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is set to headline to event tomorrow night.