For GOP, Embracing Tea Party Presents Risk, Opportunity

From Tax Day to health care town halls to the 9/12 march, the tea party movement has made its anti-tax, small-government message part of the national discourse. But because of some rabble-rousers among them, they've also gained a reputation as political pariahs -- a group of fiscal conservatives to watch, but not necessarily call friends.

Now, as the 2010 midterms approach, the GOP faces a question: Should Republicans embrace the tea partiers? In Florida, the National Republican Senatorial Committee has endorsed Gov. Charlie Crist for the open U.S. Senate seat. FreedomWorks, one of the groups behind the tea parties, has instead backed former state House Speaker Marco Rubio.

In the video below, NationalJournal.com talks with Rubio and FreedomWorks about the movement. And tea partiers from Pennsylvania and Virginia talk about their outlook on politics and what’s next.