Inside the Tea Party

The loose conglomeration of conservative activists known as the Tea Party has rocked the political landscape in recent months, appealing to voters disenchanted with the big-spending policies of the Bush and Obama administrations. They say they're mad as hell, though some pundits see them as simply mad. After shocking upsets in GOP primary races in Alaska, New York, and Delaware, among others, no one's dismissing them anymore. Still, nailing down exactly what the Tea Party stands for and who runs it isn't easy. Sarah Palin's and Glenn Beck's tweets and teary theatrics serve as valuable spiritual fodder, but in a decentralized movement that has been compared to a starfish, here are 10 movers and shakers you should know about, some in the public eye, some in the shadows.