Happy 5th! Tea Party Vows to Upend Establishment

The Tea Party movement marked its fifth anniversary Thursday with vows to route President Barack Obama and the GOP establishment.

The Tea Party Patriots, one of the major grass-roots groups, gathered hundreds of members and prominent speakers for a Washington celebration in which they directed their animosity at the political status quo.

Members said they stand ready to use their clout to challenge both the president and Republican leaders this year.

Tea Party members, who helped Republicans capture control of the House in 2010, made it clear they don't like what the GOP has done to their conservative agenda of limited government, free-market policies and what they consider fidelity to the Constitution.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, drew a rousing response when he told the crowd he was "absolutely convinced we are going to repeal every single word" of Obamacare.

Speakers at the event described Obama as an emperor, radical and socialist whose administration has abused its power.

They railed against the Internal Revenue Service's audits that target conservatives and other political groups on the right as well as the NSA surveillance as an intrusion on Americans' privacy.
 
Members of the Tea Party Patriots pressed for broader congressional investigations of the IRS and the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans. They argued the administration is involved in a cover-up and greater oversight is necessary.

Meanwhile, another Tea Party favorite and possible 2016 candidate, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told the group it also needs to offer a happy message.

Republican primaries this election year will be a crucial test for the movement.

Tea Party backed candidates are challenging Republican candidates in many states, including Kentucky, Kansas and Mississippi.