(CNN) -- As Tax Day approaches, Tea Party activists are uniting to voice the message they've been honing for more than a year: It's time to reduce the size of government, honor the Constitution and return to fiscal responsibility in Washington.





The Tea Party Express' third cross-country tour brings activists to Boston, Massachusetts, on Wednesday, before culminating with an anti-tax rally at the nation's capital on Thursday.





The "Just Vote Them Out!" tour has weaved through areas represented by vulnerable Democrats, bringing thousands to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's hometown in Nevada on its opening day. The tour's other top target -- Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan -- announced his retirement the same day the tour was in his turf.





Tea Party favorite Sarah Palin was the top draw at the Boston event. Republican Sen. Scott Brown, whose winning Massachusetts campaign was infused by the Tea Party, turned down his invitation to the event, although his office said he wished the rally success.





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So far, the movement's success is in the eye of the beholder.





Tea Party activists running for office have yet to make much impact in the Republican primaries, and Stupak rejected the notion that the Tea Party played a role in his decision to step down.





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But House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer admitted Tuesday that the protests and rallies by the Tea Party across the country are having an impact on lawmakers' decisions about running for another term.





"Do I think that negative atmosphere that's been created by the Tea Party and by others certainly goes into the thinking of members? I think it does. I think you honestly have to point out that it does," Hoyer said.





Hoyer: Tea Party having an impact





The Tea Party developed last year in protest to what its supporters saw as overspending in Washington -- by Republicans and Democrats -- following the stimulus bill, the bank bailouts and President Obama's budget.





Fueled by anger at the government and fear of where the country was headed, it grew from dozens to hundreds of loosely linked groups.





Until recently, there had been little movement toward coalescing as a formal party.





Last week, a broad coalition of national and regional Tea Party groups announced the formation of the National Tea Party Federation.





Tea Party movement attempts to unite?





Tom De Luca, a professor of political science at Fordham University, said while Tea Party activists have affected the national agenda, the larger impact has been on the Republican Party.





"It's energized the hardcore base of Republicans who tend to share a lot of Tea Party ideas, but on the other hand, it's going to bring to the floor a split that has been in the Republican Party for quite a long time," De Luca said.





That split pits the more conservative elements of the party against moderate Republicans. At the Southern Republican Leadership Conference last weekend, a Tea Party member voiced a concern to former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum that the moderate Republicans -- and not conservatives -- would end up on the ballot in November.





"Go beat them," he told the attendee. "That's what elections are all about. I encourage candidates to run," Santorum said, adding the GOP must focus its energy on electing conservative candidates in the Republican primaries.





Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minnesota, said last week that the Republican Party and the Tea Party are in the process of merging.





Bachmann: GOP and Tea Party movement are 'merging'





If the Tea Party pushes Republicans further to the right, however, it could hurt them in November, De Luca noted. Centrist voters would likely favor a Democrat over a far-right Republican, he said.





Republican Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour pleaded with conservatives at the conference to stick together as the elections near.





"The Democrats' fondest hope is to see Tea Party or other conservatives split off and have a third party to split the conservative vote,"
What is having effect on whether lawmakers will seek re-election? What says Steny Hoyer? When does the Tea Party Express wind up the tour? What is Hoyer's first name?
protests and rallies by the Tea Party "Do I think that negative atmosphere that's been created by the Tea Party and by others certainly goes into the thinking of members? I think it does. I think you honestly have to point out that it does," Thursday. Steny
question: What is having effect on whether lawmakers will seek re-election?, answer: protests and rallies by the Tea Party | question: What says Steny Hoyer?, answer: "Do I think that negative atmosphere that's been created by the Tea Party and by others certainly goes into the thinking of members? I think it does. I think you honestly have to point out that it does," | question: When does the Tea Party Express wind up the tour?, answer: Thursday. | question: What is Hoyer's first name?, answer: Steny