Sarah and the Nashville Sound

Going back to Nashville, thinking about the whole thing

Guess you gotta run sometimes

Maybe I'm a fast train rolling down the mountain

Watching all my life go by.

From "Nashville" lyrics

The first national convention of the Tea Party Nation, otherwise known in the vernacular simply as Teabaggers, has been scheduled for Nashville and if you can come up with more than $1,000 for basic $549 admission plus hotel expenses in February in this troubled economy you will be eligible to attend the keynote speech by Sarah Palin. You might also be lucky enough to prompt her to autograph Glenn Beck's forehead and draw a dark mustache on a photo of a grimacing John McCain.

Although Rep. Michele Bachmann, of Minnesota, seems to be getting equal billing for the event in Grand Ole Opryland, don't let that fool you. The Nashville Sound for the three-day event (Feb. 4-6) will be the echo of Sarah Palin juicing up the troops for a mad dash against Democrats and so-called moderate Republicans. As the song says, Guess you gotta run sometimes. Unless she flames out upon striking the earth's atmosphere, she's running.

Knowing these flapping geese, I'd guess the convention will take names, addresses and bank accounts of the loyalists on hand while staging a show trial that the networks will be duty-bound to breathlessly report. Beck will need an extra ecstasy of it all. George Will may even return to bow ties and look still more troubled.

The big question is, what will the GOP do about the silliness of it all? President Obama and the Democrats are used to hearing this sort of thing. But so-called moderate Republicans will have to explain to constituents why he or she is not part of the Teabagger Revolution. Although the Democrats are showing some wear and tear despite their majorities in Congress, the divisive Teabaggers could become their greatest source of energy.

Got to get off the train here , folks, and wait for the album.