Feds to Return Power to States--Influence of Tea Party in New Congress--the 112th

HUFFPOST banner, "TEA PARTY FURY: Activists Already Angry With GOP Leaders As New Congress Begins" - links to N.Y. Times A13 (bottom of "National" dress page), "As New Congress Begins, Actions of G.O.P. Leaders Anger Tea Party Activists," by Kate Zernike: "Just a month ago, Tea Party leaders were celebrating their movement's victories in the midterm elections. But as Congress wrapped up an unusually productive lame-duck session last month, those same Tea Party leaders were lamenting that Washington behaved as if it barely noticed that American voters had repudiated the political establishment. ... 'Do I think that they've recognized what happened on Election Day? I would say decisively no,' said Mark Meckler, a co-founder of Tea Party Patriots. ... 'The Republicans, frankly, have been a disaster' ... Tea Party leaders scoffed at the Republicans' greatest victory from the lame-duck session - the extension of the Bush tax cuts as part of a compromise with the White House. Instead, Tea Party leaders complained that Republicans had abandoned a push for a full repeal of the estate tax. ... Incoming Tea Party lawmakers said they would push for drastic cuts to federal agencies whose functions they believe would be better handled at the state level, like the Department of Education." http://nyti.ms/eQlsH5