Ross defends the tea parties:

...here we are in the sixth year of the Iraq War, and all those anti-war protests, their excesses and stupidities notwithstanding, look a lot more prescient in hindsight than they did (to me, at least) when they were going on. So if you're inclined to sneer and giggle at the Tea Parties, keep in mind that just because a group of protesters looks ragged, resentful, and naive, that doesn't necessarily mean they're wrong to be alarmed.

They're absolutely right to be alarmed about the deficits and debt. But the alarm should be judged in relation to the seriousness of their proposals to confront it. And those, alas, are so far unserious. When the tea-party movement offers a specific manifesto for bringing the country back to fiscal balance with no tax increases, I'll take them seriously. Until then ... I just hope you all feel better today.