Tea Partiers, Save One, Celebrate Rick Scott's 'Grass-roots' Inauguration

With the possible exception of Everett Wilkinson, the following comment summed up the hopes and aspirations of tea partiers on Inauguration Day:

"This beautiful day gives hope to all Floridians that a new day in government will bring a bright future for generations to come. Today, the hard work paid off for grass-roots groups across Florida when Rick Scott was sworn in as our 45th governor."

Robin Stublen, a tea party leader from Punta Gorda, went on to call Scott's election "rewarding and humbling" -- a sentiment no doubt shared by many tea partiers who were instrumental in Scott's victory over GOP favorite Bill McCollum in the party's primary.

A lone party pooper may be Wilkinson, the Palm Beach Gardens tea party activist who shamelessly heckled Scott during the candidate's appearance at the South Florida Water Management District headquarters and waged futile legal battles with the Florida TEA Party over the use of the tea brand.

Once highly regarded in tea party circles, Wilkinson's antics alienated fellow activists and marginalized his standing in the movement.

While McCollum and Stublen were at Scott's inauguration at the Capitol, Wilkinson was nowhere to be seen.