Tea Party still seen as a factor in 2012

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (UPI) -- A panel of political analysts said the Tea Party was still alive and kicking as 2011 drew to a close and would remain a significant force in U.S. politics.

The Washington pundits said on ABC's "This Week" that the Tea Party had established itself as a force to be reckoned with, even among so-called "establishment" Republican leaders.

"The Tea Party takeover of Congress has utterly transformed the Republican Party, and it's fascinating," said ABC Senior Political Correspondent Jonathan Karl. "This is a movement that helped fueled the election win in 2010 for Republicans. It was basically a reaction against President Obama."

Ed Gillespie, former head of the Republican National Committee, said the Tea Party crowd was actually reinforcements for traditional Republicans on Capitol Hill. "My view of the Tea Party folks is, where you been?" he said. "We're thrilled to have you here. This is the fight we've been fighting. Let's go."

Conservative Washington Post columnist George Will cautioned that GOP presidential candidates could overreach in the coming year, particularly Newt Gingrich who has been challenging the authority of the courts. Will called the strategy "an attack on the rule of law" that had was in line with Franklin Roosevelt's notorious attempt to "pack" the U.S. Supreme Court during the New Deal era.