Americans' opinions shift like weather, making it difficult to predict rain and elections.

National polls sometimes capture the mood of the country, but are not entirely reliable. When they are consistent, however, they might be worth taking seriously.

Current polls put President Obama's approval rating at about 49 percent. Congress gets about 18 percent approval.

The most recent CBS News/New York Times Poll says about 20 percent of respondents are aware of the Tea Party Movement and many are not sure of its stances. But, 20 percent recognition would be a great achievement for the 1-year-old grassroots, nonpartisan educational and service organization.

Other entities -- with their towering hierarchies -- are more recognizable -- but growing numbers of Americans are flooding into the Tea Party daily.

Leaders of the various Tea Party groups around the country are bombarded by questions about the purpose of the movement and why it is not more active politically. The answer is that the movement is powered by ALL Americans and ballots have not been set.

The First Coast Tea Party has carefully crafted its mission and puts it on its Web site for all to see:

"The First Coast Tea Party's mission is to promote the principles of our founding fathers - individual liberty and responsibility, limited government and moral leadership.

We believe our mission statement speaks to ALL Americans.

The Tea Party Movement strives to embrace the concerns of ALL Americans, to focus on the issues, to inform the electorate of the activities of "our" government and to share ideas on how to restore our country to a constitutional footing intended by our founding fathers.

Those Americans who participate in the Tea Party Movement are free thinkers and individuals who want to be a part of "their" government, regain their liberties and fulfill the God-given promises set forth in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

The Tea Party Movement places no labels on anyone and is open to all who share our mission and want to have a voice in America's future.

We are a nonprofit, grassroots group comprised of Americans of all walks life who contribute their individual skills to the effort.

Our primary tools are personal conversations, letters, rallies, visits to the offices of elected officials, telephone calls, discussion groups, educational and informational sessions, media coverage, news releases and independent Tea Party groups.

We are NOT affiliated with any political parties or interest groups and do not - as a group - support any political candidates.

The First Coast Tea Party, founded by Jacksonville, Fla., residents Billie Tucker and Carole McManus, is powered by participants who volunteer sincerely in the movement.

We are patriots who believe elected officials are sworn to serve the country and their constituents transparently. They should be motivated by a desire to preserve and protect America and to uphold the principles that assure ALL Americans of their constitutional rights, including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

We are proud to be Americans and firmly believe in its youth and its future."

The First Coast Tea Party is working to inform ALL Americans.

The First Coast Tea Party is preparing information for voters when the final candidates are known at filing deadlines.

The First Coast Tea Party is open to ALL Americans and stands on the foundation of our founding fathers.

"We are built on the Constitution and want to regain the proper perspective intended," said cofounder Tucker. "'We the People' should speak and our elected officials, servants of the people, should hear our voices."

The Tea Party wants to inform and educate Americans to the daunting task ahead -- restoring our country to its moral, God-inspired roots.

The pied pipers of Washington D.C.'s White House and Capitol Hill are leading the nation down some barren paths and the Tea Party Movement is asking Americans to "Stand Up" and be heard.

The movement is comprised of volunteers from all walks of life and blessed with many skills to energize the resurgence of this great nation. The resurrection apparently must come from grassroots America and not bloated Washington, D.C.

The White House and Congress would have you believe in their political priorities and urgencies, but the long-term solutions will take more than cosmetics and sound bites on TV.

The American people loudly are telling the government pipers that the "emergencies" are:

1. Jobs

2. The economy

3. Health care

4. National security

5. Medicare

6. Social Security

7. Medicaid

And there are many others.

But what we have now is a White House that wants Americans to believe its "stimulus" plan has resolved economic and job problems, so we must rush to approval of a patchwork healthcare "reform" plan.

How can Americans afford any health plan without jobs?

Why is President Obama on the road demonizing insurance companies, which now are also banks, after meeting behind closed doors with them?

Why does it take so much arm-twisting and political muscle to pass cobbled healthcare legislation that is opposed by most Americans?

Whose fate rests squarely on November's midterm elections?

National opinion polls can only forecast the weather, but voters armed with ballots can answer that question.