House Republican leader John Boehner called the "tea party" protests Saturday a legitimate "political rebellion" that is the result of pushback against Democrat spending. He called the "tea party" protests Saturday a legitimate "political rebellion" that is the result of pushback against Democrat spending. The recent protests were just the latest in a series of public displays of voter outrage, dating back at least to April, when simultaneous so-called tea parties were held around the country. A FOX News poll conducted from Sept. 15 to 16 found that the majority of Americans -- 65 percent -- think opposition to Obama's policies is based on honest disagreements while 20 percent said it is motivated by racism. Obama said Friday that he believes angry criticisms about his health care agenda are driven by an intense debate over the proper role of government -- and not by racism.