Before she lost her Senate race, criticizing the GOP candidate was considered tea party heresy. Now she's barely permitted to speak at rallies.



In the tea party, one day you're in, and the next you're out:



Former U.S. Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell will not speak at a tea party event featuring former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in Indianola, Iowa, this weekend, an organizer told Washington Wire. "I made a mistake," said Ken Crow, president of Tea Party of America. "I assumed there was an open slot and there wasn't."Monday night, Mr. Crow told Washington Wire that Ms. O'Donnell would appear. Tea Party of America's cofounder, Charlie Gruschow, said the group withdrew Ms. O'Donnell's after receiving numerous "emails from a lot of tea party folks that were very disappointed that she would be speaking."

And then? You're in again:

Former Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell will speak at a tea party rally Saturday in Iowa after organizers Tuesday night reversed themselves again and re-invited her, CNN has learned.



What do I take from all the drama?

Validation.

When O'Donnell emerged as a Delaware Senate candidate, a lot of people, myself included, voiced doubts about her fitness for office, and suspected that permitting her to be a spokesperson would be more trouble than it was worth. But she was embraced by the grassroots. They boosted her to a primary victory over a moderate Republican. Folks who criticized her were labeled turncoat RINOs (for critics on the right) or liberal elitists (for critics on the left).

