Angry Americans: Tea Party partisans rock Searchlight.

The Tea Party’s “Showdown in Searchlight was touted as something of a “Woodstock for conservatives.” Woodstock, Woodschlock.

In the hours I spent winding through the crowds, it was obvious these folks were very anger over the direction their America is going.

As devoted conservatives, they blame the current administration almost to the exclusion of the previous profligate Bush years. In several interviews I heard people say they are so sick of President Obama and the Democrats that they miss President George W. Bush, who started an unjustified war and also heaped billions on Wall Street scalawags. But he was more their kind of guy, it was obvious.

The bottom line: Saturday’s showdown in Searchlight was a rousing success for the Tea Party Express and its followers. The conservatives are angry, reminiscing about the old days, calling the Democrats socialists and worse, and – this is the important point – motivated enough to get off the couch and go to the polls in November.

That is, of course, the greater meaning of the Tea Party movement: Getting out the vote for conservative candidates, most of who are Republican.

I'll have some more blog notebook items Sunday from the Tea Party event, including one photo that's pretty fun.

My favorite moment of the rally is still the entrance of U.;S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle on the back of a purple Harley Road King. Sweet ride, Mrs. A.

Meanwhile, read my column about Saturday’s event in Sunday’s Review-Journal.