Howard Dean 'Gasps' at Tea Party Movement; Floridian Responds

Former national Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean downgraded the tea party phenomenon the other day, saying:

"It's the last gasp of the 55-year-old generation and not the first gasp of the new generation. ... This is the last gasp of the generation that has trouble with diversity and the new generation doesn't."

The 62-year-old Dean, who hails from that oh-so-diverse state of Vermont, drew this riposte from Florida tea partier Phil Russo (age 29):

"The tea party movement never claimed to be something new. To the contrary, we say the same things Washington, Jefferson, et al., said. Only when we say it we are 'radicals' and 'extreme.'"

Touche.