Pope and Anti-Pope

A leader of the National Tea Party Federation has announced they are expelling Mark Williams and his "Tea Party Express" from the movement, after he published a "satirical" letter wherein the "coloreds" complained to Abraham Lincoln that slavery was better than having to think for himself (this was hardly an isolated incident for Williams).

And while that is very much a good thing, who knows who has authority to expel whom? Is the National Tea Party Federation the real movement and the Tea Party Express the splinter? Or vice versa? I have no idea. Williams' group is still leading the charge for Sharron Angle -- maybe somebody can ask her which wing of the movement she represents.

UPDATE: This Steve Benen post demonstrates some of the shuffling of Williams' affiliations in the wake of the controversy. His roles have definitely been reduced across the board, but he certainly hasn't been cut out of the movement entirely.