House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is wrong about the “tea party” movement. During an interview recently, Pelosi, D-Calif., claimed that the Republican Party has hijacked the movement. Pelosi recognizes that the “tea party” mobilization has attracted many Democrats, as well as Republicans. Her contention is that the GOP somehow is manipulating the campaign to gain power for the Republican Party. And Pelosi continues to refer sarcastically to “tea party” supporters as the “astroturf” movement. She refuses to admit that it is a true grassroots campaign. It has become clear that “tea party” advocates are aware of the potential for being used by establishment politicians. That explains their reluctance in many areas to endorse any candidates, including Republicans, for public office. That, in turn, has frustrated many GOP officials. We suspect Pelosi understands the fallacy of her comment.