Former presidential candidates Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., and businessman Herman Cain, during the taping of a radio show at the Barley House, Tuesday, May 31, 2011 in Concord, N.H.
The Tea Party is attempting to put together a rally for the evening before the Republican National Convention in Tampa, featuring appearances by Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain.
On the "Unity Rally 2012" website, organizers wrote that "tea party activists and like-minded organizations are uniting" to "rise above our disagreements and rivalries for the good of the movement."
In addition to former presidential candidates Bachmann and Cain, other scheduled speakers include Dustin Stockton of Tea Party.net, and Judson Phillips of Tea Party Nation.
Among the sponsors for the event is Cain's "Solutions Revolution," the former GOP candidate's project to keep alive his "9-9-9" economic plan, in which the country's tax policy includes a 9 percent income tax, a 9 percent corporate tax, and a 9 percent sales tax.
The rally could be held in a parking lot outside Raymond James Stadium, according to the Tampa Bay Times, though it appears details have not yet been finalized.
A map on the site appeared to show that hundreds of tea party supporters had already signed up to attend.
Update, 12:54 p.m.:
Organizers have not responded to requests for more information, but a rally fundraising email provides a clue about how important this event could be for the Tea Party.
The lengthy email from TeaParty.net reads, in part:
WE HAVE TO SHOW THE REPUBLICAN PARTY THAT THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN CONNECT WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IS THROUGH THE TEA PARTY! So the evening before the Republican convention the American people are going to show up and remind them who is in charge, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE…
We are currently working with other organizations to assemble a who's who of conservative politics to participate… but this event isn’t about any one organization, it is about our movement pulling together. Every conservative organization and activist is encouraged to promote this event as THEIR event.
The stakes are incredibly high. If we turn out tens of thousands our movement will survive, if we flop it will be all the establishment/media needs to ban us to political obscurity.
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Elizabeth Flock is a staff writer for U.S. News & World Report. You can contact her at eflock@usnews.com or follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
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