By Dana Matas, Oct. 4, 2009

Since the very first handmade protest signs surfaced back in February, many have been wondering, "Who is leading the Tea Party Movement?" Is it the Republicans or the Independents? Is it Sarah Palin or Ron Paul? Is it this group or that group?

What even the most active of Tea Party enthusiast may not realize is, you need not look any further than your own bathroom mirror to see that the real leader of the Tea Party movement is you. In other words, it is every taxpayer who waves a "Don't Tread on Me" flag or who helps to organize a Tea Party. It is the mom who picks up the phone to call her Representative demanding her family be represented. And it is every individual speaking out for the first time, not just about their dissatisfaction with the other party, but their own party as well.

The Tea Party Movement is of the People, by the People and for the People. It is the individual's declaration of independence from the politicians and the special interest groups who've sold out the American people in exchange for their own self-serving pursuits. Our collective quest to restore and strengthen our freedoms and the values that founded this country are what keep us moving in lock-step with one another--not any one group or dynamic mouth piece. Thus, any politician or group proclaiming to be "the" leader of the Tea Party Movement either:  a.) doesn't get it; or b.) is looking to exploit our frustrations.