[Lemon:] They travel from states across the American west to rally in a tiny Nevada desert town for one reason: to send a message to Washington. Tea Party activist descended today on Democratic Senator Harry Reid's hometown of Searchlight to protest his role in advancing President Obama's agenda. He kicked off the new nationwide bus tour and to hear from Alaska governor former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Delivering a verbal smack down of Democrats, liberals and all things big government.
[Sarah Palin, Former Alaska Governor:] Washington has broken faith with the people that they are to be serving. That's why here in Searchlight and across the country we're sending a message to Washington. It's loud, and it's clear, and in these upcoming elections, we're saying that the big government, big debt, ObamaPelosiReid's spending spree is over. You're fired.
[Lemon:] And from Searchlight, the Tea Party Express headed off for its next stop tonight, which is Las Vegas, and the CNN Election Express is there. Beautiful bus. You'll recall that CNN Election Express was our mobile election bureau during the 2008 presidential campaign and it's back on the road again. Our Jessica Yellin is onboard. So, Jessica, I know, you weren't driving. You were just onboard. Probably can't reach the pedals, right? But you're at the next stop for the tea party.
[Yellin:] No. They won't let me hear the driver.
[Lemon:] So, listen, you're doing a good driving up front when it comes to informing the American people. So next stop for the tea party. What's going on now?
[Yellin:] They move on to Henderson, Las Vegas, for a smaller gathering, and they're going to keep taking this across the country, stopping in the districts of vulnerable Democrats that they want to target for defeat. They have become very organized quickly as a political movement that's using its power to encourage voters to vote Democrats out of office. And their biggest symbol, the rallying cry right now is defeat health care reform. More than anything else, this one issue has seemed to crystallize their anger at all the issues you've mentioned. There's too much government intrusion in their lives that they believe the media isn't listening to them, because otherwise this wouldn't have passed, and that the elites, as they call it in Washington, don't respect their opinions. There's such fury that this bill passed, that has really galvanized their movement and put these people into action in a very substantial way Don.
[Lemon:] Yes. And we heard Sarah Palin, and you know, we've heard all day long the reporters talking about the issues there, and what's going on? Big government, big government.
[Yellin:] Right.
[Lemon:] So you mentioned, you know, what threw hem there. Is there something that we haven't heard? Tell me something I don't know. What was the one thing that really got the crowd going the most today?
[Yellin:] Something you don't know. OK. Well, the thing that got the crowd going I have to say was just Sarah Palin's arrival. They love her. She's such a rock star. But something you don't know. How about this? There is a U.S. Senate candidate running right here in Nevada as a tea party candidate that the movement won't recognized, that is being denounced, and they called on him not to vote for him. He shares their values. He says he stands for smaller government, less spending, all of it, but they say he's not recognized. They don't know him. He hasn't been to their meetings. He hasn't been to their tea parties, and so they don't want people voting for him. So it's beginning to sound much more like a traditional political organization, where you have to be one of the team to get the endorsement of the team. They deny that. They say they're just they don't want him as one of them but on their ticket. But it is an interesting development.
[Lemon:] And conservatives think they have question there. They think he's going to throw a whole monkey wrench into the process, because Harry Reid is in trouble there, and I think another candidate might throw a monkey wrench into it. So, Jessica, thank you. You told me something I didn't hear a little bit about.
[Yellin:] Yes.
[Lemon:] Thank you for explaining it. And I'm glad they don't like you near the driver sit there. We appreciate it, Jessica Yellin.
[Yellin:] OK. Good to see you.
[Lemon:] Threat, vandalism and vicious rhetoric. Sarah Palin tells the tea party to reload, but then denies it a call to take up arms. Where should public officials draw the line when it comes to incendiary speech? That discussion coming up next.