The left, the media, and yet others are using a range of derogatory language to attack the Tea Party. Though these titles never seem to stick (i.e. Racists), it makes you wonder if the attacks are a reflection on some ignorance by the left.
A terrorist is a "non state actor" (that means someone not in an official capacity) who uses fear (initiated by some violent action) to extract some objective that seeks to destroy the "State".
The politicians who are aligned with the "Tea Party" were elected. They have a believe system. They advocated that believe. They were elected by a majority of their district. Now elected, they seek to reduce government spending, which is the basis of the platform that they were elected on. They used the political process, US constitution, and other legal means to achieve a legislative objective. They did not get everything they wanted. Compromise was reached.
The left should admire the will of those that elected these Representatives to Government and learn from their success rather than ridicule them.