Tea Party Star Leads Movement On Her Own Terms

he National Tea Party convention is on Thursday -- though it's probably more accurate to call it a Tea Party convention, not the  Tea Party convention.

But despite the convention, questions remain for the fledgling movement: Where is it heading? And can the Tea Party become a unified organization?

Liberty Belle: Rising Tea Party Star

Keli Carender, blogger, teacher and star of the movement, organized some of the earliest Tea Party-style protests -- before they were even called Tea Party protests. As far back as February of 2009, Carender held a rally against the economic stimulus package in downtown Seattle.

She built a following, and by Tax Day, she had more than 1,000 demonstrators in downtown Seattle. Dressed as Alice in Wonderland, Carender took the stage and channeled Janis Joplin with her rendition of "Obama, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz." The song was YouTube gold.

But her most viral video came last August during the health care town hall protests. In this one, Carender is at a microphone, holding up a $20 bill, challenging Democratic Congressman Norm Dicks of Washington to come get it...