As the Tea Party supporters descend on Washington to protest the federal government for being, well, the government, virtually all of them will ignore the very real case of “taxation without representation” that exists right here in Washington, the District of Columbia. The residents of the District of Columbia who will greet, serve, drive and protect the tea partiers do not have true representation in Congress.

In Fiscal Year 2009, 20 states paid less in federal income taxes than the District of Columbia. Yet, residents of those states have two U.S. senators and at least one congressional representative representing their interests. D.C. is ultimately under the authority of Congress.

Can you imagine their reaction if the tea partiers were denied the right to vote for their senators and representatives? (They wouldn't have to inflate their numbers for those protests.)

As the DCist pointed out, hopefully the tea partiers will stop by the Wilson Building on Pennsylvania to see the “tax ticker” - an electronic billboard that lists the amount of federal taxes paid by DC residents.

Because the tea party supporters certainly aren't getting information about DC's very real case of taxation without representation from Fox News or the GOP-backed Tea Party Express that Fox has relentlessly promoted in all its versions.

Yesterday while discussing the Tea Party Express' stop in Boston, Fox reporter Carolina Shively said, “The idea is the same from the Boston Tea Party, too, 237 years ago, that they're being taxed by a government they feel they have no say in.”

They feel they have no say in the government - even though they do.

Meanwhile, the 600,000 residents of the District of Columbia actually have no say.

True “taxation without representation.”

Somebody should throw a tea party for us.