Sarah Palin readies for Boston Tea Party

The eyes of local political activists of all stripes will be focused on Boston Common this Wednesday as Sarah Palin comes to town for the second to last stop of the Tea Party Express nationwide tour. The rally, organized by the Greater Boston Tea Party, will include speeches by local talk radio hosts Todd Feinburg of WRKO and Michael Graham of WTKK.

In 2009 over 1,000 people were estimated to have attended the tea party on Boston Common during tax week. They were treated to speakers like State Senator Bob Hedlund, Chip Faulkner of Citizens for Limited Taxation, and libertarian activist Carla Howell who when combined don't have the star wattage of Palin. With her headlining the event attendance is expected to be much higher.

Recently elected Senator Scott Brown, who received a major financial boost from tea party activists around the country, is not attending the event.

There is a push for people to disrupt the events by bringing signs like "I Obey the Chip in My Head!" and "Glenn Beck for Pope!" The Boston disruption event, mostly organized through Facebook, doesn't appear to have much traction: their web page only has 30 fans. UPDATESince this story was posted the Facebook group now has 50 fans as of noon.

Boston isn't the only place in Massachusetts where there will be tax protests this week. The Worcester Tea Party is hosting a tea party in Lincoln Square on Thursday. Howell, who is heading up a ballot initiative to cut the state sales tax in half, is slated to speak in Worcester. The Greater Lowell Tea Party has scheduled a tea party in Lowell on Thursday at City Hall Plaza.