Full episode
417: This Party Sucks
Act One

Patriot Games

Rich Carlson and Tom Swenor, two best friends in Michigan, got so fed up with the political process in the country, they decided to form their own Tea Party chapter in Petoskey, Michigan. But as election season revved up and push came to shove, Rich and Tom had very different ideas about how to advance a conservative agenda. In the end, their idealism, their jobs and their friendship have suffered the consequences. This American Life producer Ben Calhoun tells the story. (34 minutes)