Contact: Bob Sturm, 703-396-6974; after 6 PM Eastern & on weekends, Bob Sturm, 703-307-8176; Vi Shields, 703-906-6542; ConservativeHQ.com  

MANASSAS, Va., Feb. 23 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following is a statement by Richard A. Viguerie, Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, on his editorial "A Fourth Leg For Conservatives' Big Table" at Investor's Business Daily today describing the Tea Party Movement as an historic, independent fourth leg at the conservative movement's big table.

"Coming on its one year anniversary, much is being written about the phenomenon called the Tea Party Movement; some accurate, and some fantastical. At its core, it is a revolution of fed-up middle-class Americans, and a response to political arrogance.

"For over three decades, the conservative movement consisted of three legs: (1) limited government/fiscal restraint, (2) national defense, and (3) traditional-values conservatives. However, many of the conservative movement's leaders became an appendage of the Republican Party. Not so with the Tea Party Movement, which puts principle above loyalty to politicians.

"The Tea Party Movement developed independently from the conservative movement, but is a natural ally to the cause of small, limited, constitutional government. The Tea Party has started where the conservative movement once did, as outsiders to the political establishment.

"The Tea Party Movement is now the fourth leg of the conservatives' big table. It not only brings millions of new people to the political process, it also brings more energy, enthusiasm and excitement to politics than we've seen in the last 100 years.

"I have been working and waiting 50 years for this populist, principled and constitutional groundswell against big government and the quasi-socialistic, crony capitalistic establishment institutions that have been abusing power and trust at the expense of hard-working Americans, their children and their grandchildren.

"In just one year, the Tea Party has become the fastest-growing political movement perhaps in history. It is getting bigger by the day, and efforts by the political and media establishment to denigrate it merely fuel it. I expect more defeats in primaries this year than ever in history.

"Most big-government incumbents would be well advised to follow Senators Bayh, Dodd and Dorgan and voluntarily retire, or the revitalized conservative movement led by Tea Partiers will enforce retirement this November."

NOTE TO EDITORS: Richard A. Viguerie pioneered political direct mail and has been called "one of the creators of the modern conservative movement" (The Nation magazine) and one of the "conservatives of the century" (The Washington Times). He is the author of Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other Big Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause.