You are aware that the.TEA Party is an anagram for Taxed Enough Already right ? This was the simple message that was so attractive to such a diverse crowd. But as with all crowds some saw opportunity for power and money (recurring theme in politics) and thus the attempt to fashion an actual party from the movement. And so ended a perfectly good movement.
Regarding the.pilgrims, it was perfectly normal for there to be favored sects of the government in the old countries so why would you expect any different here ? And this only insured that religious freedom would be engineered into America when its time came.
Greed is mit the exclusive domain of the commercial world... the government has an insaiasble appetite for other peoples money.