Above the Fold Ale: Sharron Angle joining Utah Tea Partiers for a rally against ObamaCare Saturday.---

Break out the scrubs, faithful conservatives. This Saturday the Tea Party will party as only a Tea Party can, with an evening devoted to bashing health care, Barack Obama, Democrats and even some Republicans. The event is from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Utah State Capitol fountain (in the plaza in the center of the complex) and organized by the Doctors Tea Party.

The headliner is Sharron Angle, who is trying to unseat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in Nevada. Angle has made seemingly non-stop headlines since she won the party's nomination in June for her political positions, most of which are not even mainstream Republican.

She will share the bill with a Utah's own Tea Party general, Rep. Carl Wimmer, the executive director of the Association of American Physicians & Surgeons, Dr. Jane Orient, and Cherilyn Eagar, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate this year. The AAPS, for the record, is a "non-partisan" group of medical professionals whose website is pretty much devoted to their opposition to ObamaCare.

Angle is also hosting a Saturday morning fundraiser at the Grand America for her race against Reid.

As most political junkies (i.e. my readers) know, Angle is one of the ... um ... most entertaining Tea Party candidates and one of the first people point to when they argue that the Tea Party is significantly damaging the Republican Party. She's also one of the last, as Salon's Steve Kornacki (Disclosure: I have written for Salon and worked with Kornacki) writes this morning. Primarily, he argues, the Tea Party has only hurt the Republicans in 2-4 states that are generally swing states to begin with (New Hampshire, Nevada, Kentucky) and the Tea Party candidate embodies the "kooky stereotype of a Tea Party adherent." Even in those states, the Tea Party candidates have close races in what should be Republican romps. Yes, it may prevent the Republicans from seizing the Senate, but not much else.

He points to multiple Tea Party-backed candidates that are actually going to win easily, including Utah's Mike Lee. And let's not forget two of the strongest Tea Party leaders, Sarah Palin and Jim DeMint. Palin keeps building credibility by backing surprise winners in states like Delaware, while DeMint is now being talked about as a potential 2012 presidential candidate. In other words, this movement isn't a flash in the pan. They will continue to wield influence because mainstream Republicans facing 2012 or 2014 challenges from more conservative challengers (hello, Sen. Orrin Hatch) will have to begin pandering to the Tea Party crowd to save their skins.

Political Pocket Rockets: Gov. Gary Herbert faces a new line of questioning, this time about his security team helpingtweaked by UDOT executives. Craig Frank changes seats at the dinner table, but it's still the same crowd and same food. Sim Gill raising big money, no doubt because of supporters his son. Also, that I-15 contract was given after scoring like this. (Disclosure: @RachelTachel is CW's copy editor.)

Utah Beer: Not everyone follows the laws for HOV lanes, which is shocking because Utahns follow every other traffic law so well. Greenhouse gas rules may tighten, even if climate change is a made-up liberal conspiracy.

Leisure Time Lager: Top 10 censored stories for 2009. A great profile of Jon Stewart.

Josh's Java: I like fermenting stuff. I have two batches of home brew waiting to be bottled, and a 5-gallon batch of cider made from our backyard apples bubbling happily right now. This weekend, I may try fermenting milk. Apparently, it's good for you.

Weekly Weizen: Cool, local rock poster artists. This weekend's best live music. True TV: It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia returns!

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