The sound of one teabag clapping

According to a story The New York Times posted just minutes ago, U.S. Representatives Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) have officially canceled their appearances at the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville, which begins next week. They withdrew based on recommendations from the Congressional Committee on Standards, which voiced concerns about where (the large amount of) money generated by the for-profit convention will end up. Read more here. Former Gov. Sarah Palin, who, to be certain, is no longer an elected official like the two women above are, is still scheduled to be the keynote speaker in Nashville and hasn't made any statements indicating she has second thoughts about her appearance. A long, detailed article on the convention's woes by Mother Jones gives the impression that she might end up speaking to a half-empty room (or, for you optimists out there, a half-full one). Read that extended piece, here.