The 'Patients First' rallies held last week in protest of Pres. Barack Obama's health care reform plan demonstrate a growing skepticism about the federal government's designs for a near complete overhaul of one-fifth of the nation's economy. The rapid collapse of the "cash for clunkers" program is also a reminder of politicians' continuing inability to predict the cost of public benefits, and their ready willingness to let populism drive the push for even more spending.

What makes a grassroots protest authentically "grassroots"? When is a political rally a genuine expression of citizen concern and not a thinly-veiled front for evil out-of-state interests?

Americans for Prosperity, a center-right grassroots organization currently focusing on encouraging responsible energy policy, has announced that it is opening shop in Colorado with its 22nd chapter. The effort is being headed up by social conservative Jim Pfaff, a former president of the Colorado Family Council known and praised for his ability to make nice with social libertarians.