MY BONE IS STICKING OUT OF LEG
This used to happen to me from time to time. When I was younger.
Anyway, I think the first two pieces of advice are good for anyone in public office. Give us the bad news. Confront it. Also, don't be afraid to tell people to tighten their belts if austerity is in order. We're not good at being gracious losers, but having unreasonably optimistic politicians does more harm than good. And attacking business is good only for getting the anti-corporate base out to vote. They were going to vote anyway. If you want to swing the swingers, you have to try to work with them.
I'm not sure about misjudging the tea party. I've been hearing that term for a couple of years now and I still don't know exactly what it means. I heard, initially, that they were for fiscal responsibility and restraining government largesse, and I thought, that sounds good. So I tried to look up Iowa Tea Party to find out where and when they hold meetings, but to no avail. Now, I think it's just a loose, unaligned movement. They get lots of bad press, but I'm convinced that the press knows no more about them and their agenda than I do, so that doesn't much matter. At this point I'm not even sure there's really a tea party. I think it might be like The Great Pumpkin or The Tooth Fairy. Bottom line: if you plan on expanding government, the best thing you can do with those who want to contract it is argue your points logically and politely. You may not win any converts, but then again you may. And you also have to show a willingness to listen to those with whom you disagree.
