Right, it makes no sense that a straw that breaks the camels back for tea partiers is cuts to government pensions.
Perhaps, but how many benefit eligible members of the Tea Party movement would react favorably to a plan to reduce or eliminate the Social Security or Medicare entitlements in favor of more affordable benefits (e.g. limiting Social Security and Medicare spending to dedicated taxes raised).
This is the great dilemma of our time. Even the well intentioned and patriotic have been co-opted by the welfare state. And resolving this is not going to be easy or pretty.