Foes of tea party movement to infiltrate rallies

[candyman]

So when are we going to start learning lessons here? When a president gets into office he is dealing with the problems of MANY presidents that came before him. Will he screw up? Yes he is a human and a politician so it is unavoidable.

I would support the Tea Party openly but I am afraid that just like many well intentioned groups of old there are people out there that are determined not to let it stay on the path...they would be content to take ANY sort of opening possible to continue the growth of hatred and racism through their own twisting. That is how it remains...not because of the people that "are" but because of the people that push them to be...we all have the seeds they just need to be started by someone or something.

Good job Tea Party opponents...if you accomplish anything it will be driving more people over the edge which will widen the ever growing barrier. I hope you feel good about taking a small fraction and feeding in the hate needed to swell its numbers. You thought you had a problem before and you are on the path to making it much worse. You are almost to the point where you cause anti-racist or anti-hate groups to just give up because in your blind stupidity you toss their names into the list of evil groups.

I think its time for me to break out my skinhead gear once more and call my friends up...this is getting out of control...

[Msterbeau]

"Economic Freedom" is code for "Let us rape the land, take advantage of people and make as much money as we can at everyone else's expense."

[Simon Bar Sinister]

"Economic Freedom" is code for "Let us rape the land, take advantage of people and make as much money as we can at everyone else's expense."

...like the self-described Tea Party member that owned the mine in West Virginia that blew up last week.

[candyman]

"Economic Freedom" is code for "Let us rape the land, take advantage of people and make as much money as we can at everyone else's expense."

That doesn't just apply to the large businesses and corporations even though some people would like to think of it that way. You actually do have to make money at someone else's expense because people just don't hand you money for a service that does nothing or that you didn't perform.

The economic freedoms gave at least a little support to small businesses in the automotive and machinery businesses...not much but enough. Now its just a free for all against them...I guess if people are too stupid to understand the costs of owning a vehicle and maintaining it which means paying for parts, and labor if they can't repair it themselves, means that there should be more restrictions on how small shops do their business...

[Simon Bar Sinister]

and it's not going to work.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Opponents of the fiscally conservative tea party movement say they plan to infiltrate and dismantle the political group by trying to make its members appear to be racist, homophobic and moronic. Jason Levin, creator of http://www.crashtheteaparty.org, said Monday the group has 65 leaders in major cities across the country who are trying to recruit members to infiltrate tea party events for April 15—tax filing day, when tea party groups across the country are planning to gather and protest high taxes.

"Every time we have someone on camera saying that Barack Obama isn't an American citizen, we want someone sitting next to him saying, 'That's right, he's an alien from outer space!'" Levin said.

Tea party members said the backlash comes from ignorance.

"They can't actually debate our message and that's their problem," said Bob MacGuffie, a Connecticut organizer for Right Principles, a tea party group that also has members in New York and New Jersey.

The tea party movement generally unites on the fiscally conservative principles of small government, lower taxes and less spending. Beyond that the ideology of the people involved tends to vary dramatically.

Levin says they want to exaggerate the group's least appealing qualities, further distance the tea party from mainstream America and damage the public's opinion of them.

"Do I think every member of the tea party is a homophobe, racist or a moron? No, absolutely not," Levin said. "Do I think most of them are homophobes, racists or morons? Absolutely."

The site manifesto says they want to dismantle the Tea Party by nonviolent means. "We have already sat quietly in their meetings, and observed their rallies," the site said.

Another tea party organizer said the attempt to destroy the movement was evidence its message is resonating. "We've been ignored, we've been ridiculed. Well, now they're coming after us," said Judy Pepenella, a co-coordinator for the New York State Tea Party. "Gandhi's quote is one we understand: 'First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.'"

umm, yeah...

http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/04/13/tea-parties-infiltrated-by-evil-nazi-socialist-kenyans-wingnuts-lose-their-sht-over-harmless-prankster/

[Hellion]

Calling someone a crack-r is racist as well,where is that considered ok.

other than that lets see how far the Tea Party Movement goes.

[creatureofthenyte]

Are you fucking kidding me?

HERES ONE ARTICLE

Tea Party Protests: 'Ni**er,' 'Fa**ot' Shouted At Members Of Congress

Preceding the president's speech to a gathering of House Democrats, thousands of protesters descended around the Capitol to protest the passage of health care reform. The gathering quickly turned into abusive heckling, as members of Congress passing through Longworth House office building were subjected to epithets and even mild physical abuse.

A staffer for Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told reporters that Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) had been spat on by a protester. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a hero of the civil rights movement, was called a 'ni--er.' And Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was called a "faggot," as protesters shouted at him with deliberately lisp-y screams. Frank, approached in the halls after the president's speech, shrugged off the incident.

But Clyburn was downright incredulous, saying he had not witnessed such treatment since he was leading civil rights protests in South Carolina in the 1960s.

"It was absolutely shocking to me," Clyburn said, in response to a question from the Huffington Post. "Last Monday, this past Monday, I stayed home to meet on the campus of Claflin University where fifty years ago as of last Monday... I led the first demonstrations in South Carolina, the sit ins... And quite frankly I heard some things today I have not heard since that day. I heard people saying things that I have not heard since March 15, 1960 when I was marching to try and get off the back of the bus."

"It doesn't make me nervous as all," the congressman said, when asked how the mob-like atmosphere made him feel. "In fact, as I said to one heckler, I am the hardest person in the world to intimidate, so they better go somewhere else."

Asked if he wanted an apology from the group of Republican lawmakers who had addressed the crowd and, in many ways, played on their worst fears of health care legislation, the Democratic Party, and the president, Clyburn replied:

Story continues below

"A lot of us have been saying for a long time that much of this, much of this is not about health care a all. And I think a lot of those people today demonstrated that this is not about health care... it is about trying to extend a basic fundamental right to people who are less powerful."

UPDATE 6:55 PM ET: Rep. Emanuel Cleaver's office released the following statement:

For many of the members of the CBC, like John Lewis and Emanuel Cleaver who worked in the civil rights movement, and for Mr. Frank who has struggled in the cause of equality, this is not the first time they have been spit on during turbulent times.

This afternoon, the Congressman was walking into the Capitol to vote, when one protester spat on him. The Congressman would like to thank the US Capitol Police officer who quickly escorted the others Members and him into the Capitol, and defused the tense situation with professionalism and care. After all the Members were safe, a full report was taken and the matter was handled by the US Capitol Police. The man who spat on the Congressman was arrested, but the Congressman has chosen not to press charges. He has left the matter with the Capitol Police.

This is not the first time the Congressman has been called the "n" word and certainly not the worst assault he has endured in his years fighting for equal rights for all Americans. That being said, he is disappointed that in the 21st century our national discourse has devolved to the point of name calling and spitting. He looks forward to taking a historic vote on health care reform legislation tomorrow, for the residents of the Fifth District of Missouri and for all Americans. He believes deeply that tomorrow's vote is, in fact, a vote for equality and to secure health care as a right for all. Our nation has a history of struggling each time we expand rights. Today's protests are no different, but the Congressman believes this is worth fighting for.

UPDATE 7:48 PM ET: The Buffalo News reports that Rep. Louise Slaughter's district office in Pine View, New York, was vandalized on Saturday.

Sometime early this morning, someone threw a brick through the front window of her Pine Avenue office.

The damage was discovered about 12:30 a.m., city police said.

The brick put a hole in the outer-most window at the office at 1910 Pine Ave., but did not damage a second interior window, police reported. A piece of broken brick believed to have caused the damage was found at the scene.

Damage was estimated at $350.

UPDATE 8:57 PM ET: The Associated Press reports that Capitol Police arrested the man who spit on Cleaver, but the Congressman won't press charges.

AND ANOTHER

Although the Tea Party is not really a party, members have garnered attention. Mostly conservative, some consider it a splinter group off the Republican Party. None of their candidates were able to unseat incumbents in the last Texas primary, but they are still making their presence known.

Many in the movement have tried to distance themselves from the extremists, according to Kenneth Vogel of Politico. “The condemnations mark a more forceful response and indicate a keen awareness of the damage that being linked to them could do to the tea party brand,” Vogel said.

Not all threats are being linked to Tea Party members, although many Tea Partiers were outside the Capital when racial slurs and insults were yelled towards Congressmen entering the building.

Right after the House vote there was a threat against President Barack Obama made on Twitter. The FBI is currently investigating this threat and other threats made against Congresspersons who voted in favor of the bill.

Windows were shattered at Democratic offices in New York, Arizona and Kansas. A brick was thrown through the window of the Democratic Party office in Rochester, New York.

A Tea Party member is being accused of posting the address of Representative Tom Perriello’s brother online. A gas pipe was cut at the brothers house and there may have been a letter sent to the brother’s house.

In Missouri a coffin was placed on the front lawn of Representative Russ Carnahan.

Bart Stupak has received many messages including death threats. The FBI is investigating these threats along with the threats made against and Rules Committee Chairwoman Louise Slaughter. There was a message left for her saying that snipers were being deployed to kill the children of those who voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Adam Brandon, a spokesman for FreedomWorks, says this can be problematic for the Tea Party movement, whether or not they made the threats. “If the movement gets tattooed as at all sympathetic to those (racist and homophobic) views, I won’t want to be involved in it anymore,” Brandon said. “It’s very distracting not only to our side but also to the debate and the country.”

AND ANOTHER

The backlash: Reform turns personal

March 24, 2010 04:51 AM EDT

Reps. Louise Slaughter and Bart Stupak have received death threats.

A tea party participant published what he thought was Rep. Thomas Perriello’s home address and urged disgruntled voters to “drop by” for a “good face-to-face chat.”

Vandals broke windows at Slaughter’s office in New York and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’s office in Arizona.

And angry voters are planning to protest this weekend at the home of Steve Driehaus — who’s already seen a photograph of his children used in a newspaper ad published by reform opponents.

The vitriolic health care debate has become personal — too personal, say House Democrats who voted for the bill and now find not just themselves but their families in the cross hairs of opponents.

Slaughter, a Democrat who chairs the House Rules Committee, said a caller to her office last week vowed to send snipers to “kill the children of the members who voted yes.” Her office reported the call to police, who were dispatched to provide protection for Slaughter’s grandchildren. She has also been in touch with the FBI and U.S. Postal Service inspectors, who intercepted a letter en route to her home in upstate New York.

Stupak, the Michigan Democrat whose last-minute compromise on abortion guaranteed passage of the bill Sunday, said callers have left messages for him saying, “You’re dead; we know where you live; we’ll get you.”

“My wife still can’t answer the phone,” Stupak told POLITICO on Tuesday. The messages are “full of obscenities if she leaves it plugged in. In my office, we can’t get a phone out. It’s just bombarded.”

Stupak, a former police officer, said he’s not fazed by the threats or by the prospect of protests at his district office this weekend. “I’ve looked down barrels of guns,” he said. “I’ve talked my way out of it.”

But Democrats said their political opponents go too far when they bring members’ families into the fray.

Driehaus, a Democrat from Ohio, was outraged last week when a group called the Committee to Rethink Reform used a photo of him and his two young daughters in a newspaper ad urging him to vote against any health care reform bill that included federal funding for abortion. Both the group and the newspaper — the Cincinnati Enquirer — apologized for including Driehaus’s daughters in the ad.

“I’m very protective of my family, like most of us,” Driehaus said Tuesday. “There is no reason for my wife and kids to be brought into any of this. If people want to talk to me, if people want to approach me about an issue, I’m more than happy to talk about the issue, regardless of what side they’re on. But I do believe when you bring in a member’s family, that you’ve gone way too far.”

Driehaus faults Republicans for providing encouragement to the most extreme opponents of reform. Last week, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) warned that anti-abortion Democrats would suffer politically if they voted for the health care bill; he singled out Driehaus, saying he “may be a dead man” and “can’t go home to the west side of Cincinnati” because “the Catholics will run him out of town.”

“Mr. Boehner made comments about me and my predicament when I go home which I felt were wildly out of bounds for his position and very irresponsible, quite frankly. He’s from next door. That’s not helpful. That’s irresponsible,” Driehaus said.

Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said, “The leader does not condone violence, and his remark was obviously not meant to be taken literally. He is urging Americans to take the anger they’re feeling and focus it on building a new majority that will listen to the people.”

No one condones death threats against members or their families, but not everyone is apologetic about taking complaints about health care reform straight to the homes of members.

Mike Troxel, an organizer for the Lynchburg Tea Party, posted what he believed to be Perriello’s home address on his blog this week, sarcastically urging other tea partiers to stop by and “say hi and express their thanks regarding his vote for health care.”

The address turned out to be the home of Perriello’s brother — who has four children — but Troxel told POLITICO he didn’t intend to remove it from his blog. “If they would like to provide me with the address of Tom, then I’d be more than happy to take it down,” he said. “I have no reason to believe it’s not his house.”

A fellow tea party blogger said he thought it was fine for Troxel to post Perriello’s home address. “They have our home addresses,” said Kurt Feigel, who complained that protesters had little choice but to go to Perriello’s home because Perriello’s office doesn’t “respond to e-mail; they don’t respond to letters; they don’t respond to us showing up at his office. So what am I going to do?”

Perriello said his family doesn’t want him to be afraid. But when asked if he was scared anyway, the Virginia Democrat replied: “Whatever.”

“I’ve lived in Sierra Leone for two years, where the life expectancy is 34 years old. If the worst thing that happens is that special-interest groups spend millions of dollars against me and my most ardent opponents organize against me, it’s hardly a ‘cry me a river’ moment — as long as people act civil and within the law.”

Others are less sanguine.

C.J. Karamargin, a spokesman for Giffords, said staffers in the Democrat’s district office were “a little bit shaken” Monday when they arrived at work to find the glass front door shattered and covered in plywood.

Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) said he had to change his personal cell phone number after a Republican gave it out to health care opponents.

And Rep. Dennis Cardoza, a Blue Dog Democrat from California, said he’s gotten physical threats over health care reform.

“There are some folks that identified themselves as being members of the tea party [who] called, [and] my staff has gotten to know their names over time, and they have been very loud and very ugly,” Cardoza said.

With the House vote behind them, Democrats hope to show voters that health care reform won’t wreak the devastation opponents predict — and that tempers will cool as a result.

Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) said he’s already getting 95 percent fewer calls since Sunday’s vote.

“The real problem is the people who are calling and talking about a revolution and overthrowing government,” he said. “They can be angry. We’re all for that. But when they talk about taking over the government, the leadership has to do its part to stop that.”

AND ANOTHER

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen’s office will contact federal law enforcement authorities about a threat the campaign received through its Web site Monday night, a Cohen spokesman said.

The e-mail, which was labeled “Your TV comment” and sent from someone who claimed tea party affiliation, was sent via the contact form on the Cohen for Congress Web site, said spokesman Rick Maynard.

Laced with expletives, the e-mail said, in part, “... If our tea parties had hoods, we would burn your ass on a cross on the White House front lawn.”

This holds particular relevance because Rep. Cohen is Jewish and Jews were once a main target of the KKK.

---------------------

COTN--Don't you dare say there are no racists in the GOP.

You have a tea partier threatening to string up a Jew and lynch him.

BUT OF COURSE THIS ISNT RACIST AT ALL

OR THIS

OR THIS

WELL OKAY BUT AT LEAST THE TEABAGGERS DON'T MAKE OPEN THREATS

Quick note to COTN and Gaf

COTN--Personally you're good people and COTN, you're the knda guy everyone likes, but I think with all the right wing talk you listen to and read, you can't see flaws among your ranks blatantly present.

Gaf--I don't represent most people, nor did I claim to, but using inflated numbers doesn't mean everyone is sitting at home wishing Reagan would rise from the dead and

minimizing and denying the hatemongeing doesn't mean it's not there.

The majority, NOT ALL, but a majority of the people elected Obama for a reason.

I'm sorry you can't see that.

Mr. Eternal Sir,

Thank you very much for the compliment; I appreciate it.

As Mr. NightGaunt has eloquently pointed out in his post,

Both of those incidents were discredited and were proven that they did Not take place.

I seem to notice that the Democrats are accusing the Tea Party of hate-mongering, yet most if not all of the hate-mongering, and trash talk is coming from Democrats; I think that is an obvious flaw.

Edited April 13, 2010 by creatureofthenyte

[candyman]

Wow I love how those signs are considered to be factual evidence. The first three could be anyone and anywhere and the last one, well, I don't see the name or face of Obama on it so where is the racism again? Oh yeah and shouldn't the third one down have grape kool-aid instead of pink? ...yep...I said that...

Oh and eternal I would suggest to some of the people that are "appalled" with the Tea Party actions or are opposed to the Tea Party to check on what some people affiliated with their side have done to our troops. Two of my friends who were Marines had their funerals protested and not just by that stupid church group, the rest of them have been spit on at bars, been called baby killers at bars (none of them are in combat related jobs), Travis woke up to find his house covered in graffiti, and the list goes on with the stupid shit...

I guess what I am trying to say is that if we are going to keep taking this down by grade levels...don't dish it if you can't take it...I believed I learned that one in 5th grade...

Edited April 13, 2010 by candyman

[Msterbeau]

That doesn't just apply to the large businesses and corporations even though some people would like to think of it that way. You actually do have to make money at someone else's expense because people just don't hand you money for a service that does nothing or that you didn't perform.

The economic freedoms gave at least a little support to small businesses in the automotive and machinery businesses...not much but enough. Now its just a free for all against them...I guess if people are too stupid to understand the costs of owning a vehicle and maintaining it which means paying for parts, and labor if they can't repair it themselves, means that there should be more restrictions on how small shops do their business...

Nope, it applies to any size business. It goes without saying that if you aren't providing a useful service you aren't going to be in business for long. That said, do you really think you need to screw someone over to make a buck? Asking for money is not the same as "At someone else's expense."

[Msterbeau]

yet most if not all of the hate-mongering, and trash talk is coming from Democrats; I think that is an obvious flaw.

Evidence?

[creatureofthenyte]

Evidence?

Mr. Jason Levin at crashtheteaparty.org

Saying that he thinks Tea party members, are racist, homophobes, and morons.

Pretty much almost anything and everything that comes out of Bill Maher's mouth.

[candyman]

Nope, it applies to any size business. It goes without saying that if you aren't providing a useful service you aren't going to be in business for long. That said, do you really think you need to screw someone over to make a buck? Asking for money is not the same as "At someone else's expense."

I know it applies to any size business...thats why I said "That doesn't just apply to the large businesses and corporations" unless you didn't read that part.

And no I never said you needed to screw someone over...but simply charging someone labor on an oil change has turned into that NOT because we are charging them unfairly but because people that don't know shit about the business have decided they know what should be used, charged, and how it should be done hence all the regulations. I was used the word expense because you are working on their expense because they are paying the costs of parts and labor (which should not mean that you have to perform a rush job) and because, remember I am just using the auto shop as an analogy here, you are often making money off of someone because they didn't take care of the car in the first place or don't bother to learn to perform simple repairs that could save them money.

For the second time today don't put words in my mouth...if I really mean what you said then why the fuck to I forget the labor charges on jobs shorter than 3 hours in exchange for a 12 pack of beer? Why do I always clean customers vehicles inside and out free of charge? Since the word profit has suddenly become evil it really doesn't matter how you say it people just assume you are screwing them over...well my customers don't...

[the eternal]

It's OK Torn... Eternal and the others that oppose the Tea party can't actually debate our main points so they are trying to discredit us.

That’s a great tactic.

Make lots of noise.

Attack.

Then, when called on your tactics, you say you just want to talk issues.

The funny part is, is that most of the criticism of the Tea Partiers is NOT the issues, it’s their tactics.

In fact, this thread is all about a group formed to subvert the TPers to draw attention to their more radical elements.

Look, if all these people did was sit around and talk about the issues, no one would know what the hell the Tea Party is.

As a matter of fact there are zillions of conservative think tanks out there doing that.

What the Tea Party Movement is doing that is different is swooping in a time when there is economic unrest,

tapping into the anger and exploiting it for political gain.

And as Nightgaunt said, it has built so much momentum so fast by changing from a grassroots group to an astroturfing group.

(If it even was grassroots in the first place—I’m not being snarky—There are serious concerns that it NEVER was grassroots)

ASTROTURFING EXPLAINED---political, advertising, or public relations campaigns that are formally planned by an organization, but designed to mask its origins to create the impression of being spontaneous, popular "grassroots" behavior.

The term refers to AstroTurf, a brand of synthetic carpeting designed to look like natural grass.

You see those commercials with down home-y people,

in a faded pair of Wranglers (Levis are too fancy)

in the middle of a cornfield

and a concerned yet warm look on their face

“I don’t know much about nuthin, but when I hear Congress say they want to tax these widdle mom and pop bidnesses like

ADM and Aetna and change the laws so that MI, the only state in the country that prevents you from suing big Pharma companies for putting out drugs they know may kill people,

I jus' think, Aw Shucks the last thing we need now is more taxes and more lawsuits.

If you like Puppies and lollipops more than taxes and lawsuits, please call your Congressperson or Senator and tell em to vote NO”

Paid for by People that like Puppies more than Taxes and Lawsuits (a wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer, ADM and Aetna)

Here's another definition of Astroturfing---Tea Party brought to you by FreedomWorks

The Tea Party movement has been supported physically and financially since its inception by a FreedomWorks, a conservative group that wants to put in power GOPers that Subscribe to these philosophical tenants:

Fundamental Tax Reform to scrap the federal tax code and institute a flat tax;

Dismantle guaranteed benefits of Social Security and replace it with large Personal Retirement Accounts (PRAs) dependent on the market—how’s that been going lately ;

Tort Reform to end lawsuits against doctors and corporations;

School Choice which takes away money from already starving public schools and gives some people vouchers that don’t fully cover private school;

Push for pro-growth regulatory and trade policy changes---ie DE-regulation; and

Welfare Reform to throw people off the rolls

FreedomWorks is run by Dick Armey, former US rep of Texas, FOB (Friend of Bush), and one of the Architects of the “Republican Revolution” in the early 90s when they took a majority in Congress.

He helped form the Contract With America with his buddy Newt Gingrich, another huge supporter of the Tea Partiers

Note even the new mantra--Contract FROM America is almost identically named

He’s ALSO been investigated for sexual harassment after grabbing all his female staffers, and subsequently had a nailbiter of a re-election against upstart Steve Largent. That same year, Gingrich was forced to resign from the House after heavy Republican losses in the midterm elections.

So now the big hitters from the early 90s that were thrown out of office in the late 90s as the American public decided they’d rather Clinton screw the intern, then risk the GOP screwing the rest of us, ARE COMING BACK!!!.

THIS IS THEIR COMEBACK

Contract with America Part Deux.

"THIS TIME IT'S PERSONAL! That's why we used the word FROM"

A grassroots revolution completely backed, organized, and funded by the same people, natch the SAME Republicans,

who lost favor a decade ago for the same ideas they’re shoveling now as leaders and backers of the Tea Party Movement.

This maneuvering has been done for generations, but rarely as effectively as they’ve done it.

The timing is right. A few good "market conditions" for a Tea party.

---Unemployment is high

---The Democrats and the moderate Republicans supported a bailout of the corporations

(which IMHO would have been acceptable IF moronic wall street heavy-hitters like Bush’s Treasury Sec’y Henry Paulson and Obama’s Timothy Geitner actually had the balls to put restrictions and conditions on the money.

Oh that's right. All the CEOs are Geitner and Paulson's best friends---Well we don't want to piss off our golfing buddies do we)

---And the Tea Partiers are taking astroturfing one step further, having a 24-hour network backing and watching their move.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t remember reading about NBC sponsoring the 60s civil rights movement--

as FTPNN does(Fox Tea Party News Network).

Maybe I missed the part in history class where Walter Cronkite declared that the hippie movement was the most important action for the people since Jesus walked the earth, and told everyone to follow his twitter which gave a running update for every time Allen Ginsberg got a blowjob.

AND the BEST part--- The Fox Tea Party News Network doesn’t trouble itself with correct information.

ONLY 2 PERCENT of people that support the TP movement know that Obama lowered their taxes---TWO PERCENT!

There WAS one other problem Tea Party man Dick Armey was investigated for.

In 2009, FreedomWorks launched a campaign against health care reform proposals, accusing the Obama administration of attempting to "socialize medicine"

Apparently, FreedomWorks strategy was to disrupt and shut down the August 2009 town hall congressional meetings on health care reform by

“scaring real Americans with increasingly paranoid and kooky lies about health care and then providing a script for how to express that fear.”

At many of the town halls Democratic "members of Congress have been shouted down, hanged in effigy and taunted by crowds" in an apparent organized effort to rattle the congresspeople presiding over the meetings rather than to seek a compromise solution to health care reform.

Oh, and did I fail to mention that Dick Armey,

---key man in the GOP in the 90s and beyond,

---a primary architect of the GOPs Contract With America,

---founder of FreedomWorks

--one of the main organizations backing this “spontaneous, grassroots” movement is ALSO

a senior policy adviser for DC-based lobbying firm DLA Piper,

whose recent and/or current clients include "pharmaceutical maker Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, ...

health care provider Metropolitan Health Networks, AND

the pharmaceutical firm Medicines Company,"

ALL entities that might have benefitted financially from seeing health care reform defeated.

Dick Armey's concurrent posts with both FreedomWorks and DLA Piper became particularly controversial in light of the $1.3 MILLION

DLA Piper received in 2009 from the pharmaceutical company Medicines Co.

In fact the American Council of Life Insurers, paid DLA Piper $100,000 shortly before,

FreedomWorks in a “spontaneous, grassroots effort” lobbied to deregulate life insurance.

Which brings me to MY main issue with the Tea Party Movement.

No, it’s not the fact that it’s funded by the right wing machine.

No, it’s not the fact that it’s being used to lobby to defeat regulation that would lead to kickbacks to an elite number of its supporters.

No, it’s not the fact that it’s spreading misinformation and lies through its literature and its biggest mouthpiece, The Fox Tea Party News Network.

No, it’s not even the fact that it’s a naked power grab for the people who were kicked off their pedestal 10 years ago in an attempt to retain their (and the GOPs) former glory

It’s the fact that despite Gaf saying that the naysayers are unwilling to engage in debate and discussion,

that is EXACTLY what the Tea Party members have been doing over the past year.

Their takeover of town hall meetings where well-meaning politicians WANTED to have a discussion is despicable.

They prevented any meaningful discourse on the subject in their effort to obliterate and defeat it.

The racism and ignorance that they have tacitly allowed to flourish is disgusting.

Nightgaunt and I can debate whether some of the incidents in question above happened. (Which is fine. He's been the most reasonable, balanced person to talk yet)

BUT,

It is NOT in question:

----That a Tea Partier threatened KKK-like actions against a Jewish Congressman representing a Black district in Tennessee

And in case not everyone is up on their Klan history, they lynched Jews back in the day too!

-----That Bart Stupak and several other Democrats have received death threats as a result of their support of the Health Care bill

-----That members of Representative Anthony Weiner’s office staff have had a stream of hostile encounters with tea partiers roaming the halls of Congress. In addition to mockery, protestors left a couple of notes behind. One letter asked what Rahm Emanuel did with Weiner in the shower, in a reference to the mess around ex-Rep Eric Massa. It was signed with a swastika. The other note called the congressman “Schlomo Weiner,” among other hate-filled words

-----A tea party participant published what he thought was Rep. Thomas Perriello’s home address and urged disgruntled voters to “drop by” for a “good face-to-face chat.” (It was his brother's house)

-----Rep. Louise Slaughter, a Democrat who chairs the House Rules Committee, had office windows smashed in and a caller to her office last week vowed to send snipers to “kill the children of the members who voted yes.”

AND ON AND ON AND ON

WHICH IS NOT SURPRISING

Some Tea party organizers have stated that they look to leftist radical Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals for inspiration.

Protesters have also appropriated left-wing imagery;

the logo for the 9/12 March on Washington featured a raised fist design that was intended to resemble those used by pro-labor, anti-war, and black power movements of the 1960s.

In addition, the slogan "Keep Your Laws Off My Body", usually associated with pro-choice activists, has been seen on signs at tea parties.

This movement is employing the same wild thuggish tactics that the anarchists endured constant ridicule for on The Fox Tea Party News Network, when they used to stage protests at the WTO summits in the 00.

Gaf, can you, with a straight face say that you are all for dialogue, when the Tea Party Patriots web site circulated a memo instructing its members to "Pack the hall. Yell out and challenge the Rep’s statements early.

Get him off his prepared script and agenda.

Stand up and shout and sit right back down."

The memo continued, "The Rep should be made to feel that a majority, and if not, a significant portion of at least the audience,

opposes the socialist agenda of Washington."

To say one thing and have a movement that in its actions does the complete opposite,

and takes protest to a new level of thuggery is disingenuous at best,

and outright abhorrent at worst.

1) it's *not* ok - name calling isn't allowed on the board, and the term "tea-bagger" is an obvious insult. it needs to stop.

2) debating the main points of the tea party movement is what I'm trying to get back to, as opposed to the rhetoric that seems to be flying around.

I think this could be an interesting discussion.

1. Teabagging.

Since it bothers all of you so much, I won't say it again outside the sexuality forum, but the simple fact is, many of the people in the movement

PROUDLY called themselves teabaggers, had signs talking about teabagging, and wear paraphenalia with teabags on them.

This isn't a case of calling a Black person a n*gg$#.

They were teabagging and proud!

It was only after so many people pointed out that Kyle sucking Cartman's balls was ALSO teabagging, that they withdrew from it entirely.

In fact, one of the first recorded tea party actions was on January 19, 2009, when Graham Makohoniuk, a part-time trader and a member of Ticker Forum, posted a casual invitation on the market-ticker.org forums to "Mail a tea bag to congress and to senate". The idea quickly caught on with others on the forum, some of whom reported being attracted to the inexpensive, easy way to reach "everyone that voted for the bailout."

2. TA'S need to Debate the Tea Party--the "real focus" of this thread

Hey guess what?

This thread was about a new group infiltrating the Tea Partiers to highlight how extreme their tactics are.

And my post was about, um , well, highlighting how extreme their tactics are

So, in actuality, I WAS staying on topic when I made my original post, and I DO think that if we let them act as they have, they will splinter the Grand Old Party (because don't fool yourselves here, this is almost an entirely Republican group) and the independents will be turned off from their ways.

---------------

And yet Gaf brings up a good point.

How can anyone outside the party faithful, let alone a large percentage of Americans support a group that acts as the Tea Party Movement does?

How can Americans feel this way?

Because they’re angry.

Because they’re angry at Bush (who is amazingly absent in the protests over runaway spending despite presiding over the fattest govt ---In contrast Clinton shrank the size of govt while in office)

Because they’re angry at the giveaways to banks and other financial firms

Because they’re out of work.

Because they want things better.

And they voted for Obama because they wanted change.

And he did next to nothing.

He didn’t act swiftly as promised.

He was so obsessed with bi-partisanship on Health Care Reform, so obsessed to get that one senator, one congressperson, that he negotiated and waited and waited for compromise on the other end.

He was so nervous about gridlock that he signed an economic stimulus package that had needless crap thrown in, much of it from some of his party members

He was so afraid about pissing off the financial community that was going to deliver his recovery, (and IMHO is finally starting to happen) that he didn’t put any constraints on any of the people he was giving all of our money to. Except the auto industry, which I can say is also starting to turn around as well. Last month was a good one for the industry---even for Toyota.

People want decisive action.

They want things to happen.

The same American majority that the GOP and the Tea Partiers want you to believe hated "Obamacare" like it once they're told what it does.

The same American majority that the GOP and the Tea Partiers want you to believe hates big govt demands better govt oversight of the financial industry.

And they're not afraid of taxing the rich.

I'm sorry I can't buy into that theory that "we can't tax job creators!"

Because, as of late, they have not been job creators.

They have been wasteful, risk-taking job reducers, who stuff their pockets with fat bonuses while denying a record number of loans and shipping jobs overseas.

And Paulson and Geitner convinced Bush and Obama to write them blank checks.

And that pisses me off. It pisses everyone off.

But we don't need a Tea Party.

We don't need to look out for the people who make so much money, that they comfortably live on their INVESTMENT income, which in poor people's speak, is the big wads of cash that is so much more than what they need that they gamble the extra money from their paychecks on Dow Jones which makes them even more money--enough to live on without even touching the $$$ they get from their job.

INVESTMENTS-----It's a second job they never have to spend a second working at.

Yeah, a little extra taxing on the fat cats is not going to kill them. I sure won't lose sleep.

But any extra expenses WILL kill many of us.

That's why I'm happy to recieve the Obama tax cuts that only 2& of Tea partiers know about.

That's why I'm happy that health care will be provided, so our emergency rooms are not clogged up,

and that people's ailments will be detected early so major diseases will be prevented.

And that's why I'm hoping that as the Tea Partiers continue to make uglier and more egregious displays of indecency,

that Obama will continue this new decisiveness and when November comes, the people that are fed up with where this country has been going will see the difference between change and blind rage.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

Eternal... you are using so much misinformation. I see what your tactic is though, throw so much information at us that we can't possibly respond to all of it. I'm just going to respond to some main points...

Freedom Works and Gingrich got involded in the Tea partys months after the Tea party protesters were holding rallies.

The idea of a flat tax is a Libertarian idea that existed way before the Tea party. Not a republican idea.

Socoial Security is broken and needs reformed. The Democrats and Republicans in Congress have been ignoring this problem for years. It's getting worse. This year, years before it was predicted to happen, SS started collecting LESS than it pays out.

Smart Tort Reform to control lawsuits against doctors and hospitals to control costs. The largest operation cost for Doctors and Hospital is malpractive insurance. The average family practice pays $200,000 toward insurance premiums every year. That cost is transfered to Patients as it is. Why are you so opposed to doing something that would actually lower the cost of health care?

School Choice is working everywhere it's been implimented. My kids are good examples. School Choice allows my kids to go to an A rated school rather than a D rated.

Push for pro-growth regulatory and trade policy changes because if we don't grow our economy will collapse. It's called economics.

Welfare Reform to get people back to work so that they can take care of themselves rather than liing thier whole life living off the system rather than using the system in times of real need.

There were no "tea bagging" signs or jokes are any of the rallys until Rachel Maddow and the hacks at MSNBC spent day after day making tea bagging jokes. That was a term used against us that some decided to embrace rather than give power to by fighting it.

Yes, we know about the 2% tax cut. We also know about Obama's $1trillion in new taxes that get passed on to consumers.

in closing.. It's called Protesting. I know it freaks you out that someone other than left wing activists are protesting... learn to deal with it. It's our Right and we are finally choosing to take advantage of that Right. We tried just writing letters to our congress people and getting ignored. WE are going to keep standing up and shouting until we get listened to.

BTW.. I have to ask... How can you as a proud Jewish man support Obama witht he way he is treating Isreal?

Edited April 14, 2010 by Gaf The Horse With Tears

[Nightgaunt]

And as Nightgaunt said, it has built so much momentum so fast by changing from a grassroots group to an astroturfing group.

(If it even was grassroots in the first place—I'm not being snarky—There are serious concerns that it NEVER was grassroots)

I was out demonstrating in the early days. It was most definitely grassroots. There was no central planning, no "Tea Party Express". It took time for the GOP to infiltrate, although they started their efforts very early on. It was primarily a bunch of people who wanted to put an end to the Federal Reserve, opposed the "banker bailout", and were angry about Congress passing legislation that curtailed our freedom in the wake of 911. You saw just as many anti-Patriot Act signs as anti-bailout. I can only speak for the rallies that I attended, but they were composed primarily of those that didn't buy into the false "Left/Right paradigm" and had awakened to the fact that the People were getting assfucked six ways from Sunday, no matter who happened to be slouching around the Oval Office. Whether or not the forces of evil were trying to slither their way in at the time is immaterial to me, because I believe we did some good. I was part of a small group that explained to an interested policeman how the Federal Reserve system worked. Seeing his jaw drop made it all worthwhile. We were achieving our goal of waking people up to the fact that they were being scammed. Now we've got Sarah Palin running around saying all the right things, but the fact remains that she's John McCain's good buddy. The same John McCain who voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the "banker bailout"), the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act of 2006, and voted in favor of warrantless wiretapping. I'm disappointed by the Tea Party takeover, but not surprised. I say let it go, and move on. The truth does not need an official organization to back it up.

A brief note on racism accusations: I have been told time and time again that I am an anti-Semite because I oppose international banks running our economy. The first time I heard this I was really confused. It's been explained to me that it's because Jews are associated with banking. People actually invoke a stereotype in order to paint me as a bigot. I suspect that this kind of thinking is one of the sources of claims of racism against Tea Partiers.

[phee]

To simplify my viewpoint...

(Kind of in the Avery Brooks from American History X kind of way)

Does this make anybodies life actually better?

[Nightgaunt]

Does this make anybodies life actually better?

Are you referring to the group planning to infiltrate and destroy the Tea Party movement, or DGNers discussing it?

[phee]

Are you referring to the group planning to infiltrate and destroy the Tea Party movement, or DGNers discussing it?

I am talking about the Tea Party and those mentioned in the original post

(The tea party to me seems **MY OPINION...** to be something that is not very constructive but more focused on disruption)

[phee]

I am talking about the Tea Party and those mentioned in the original post

(The tea party to me seems **MY OPINION...** to be something that is not very constructive but more focused on disruption)

I think the Tea Parties existence is one of the things that helped get the Democrats back into the game... in other words, it seems to have backfired...

[Nightgaunt]

I am talking about the Tea Party and those mentioned in the original post

(The tea party to me seems **MY OPINION...** to be something that is not very constructive but more focused on disruption)

Agreed, and I think you've done a great job in succinctly making the point. Neither the Tea Party nor the agents provocateur working against it are doing anyone any good. This is not to say that disruption cannot be employed in a constructive manner. Imagine the country we'd be living in had the Civil Rights movement never disrupted the status quo. I just want to point out the difference between effecting change and sitting on your hands so as not to rock the boat.

Edited April 14, 2010 by Nightgaunt

[candyman]

I am talking about the Tea Party and those mentioned in the original post

(The tea party to me seems **MY OPINION...** to be something that is not very constructive but more focused on disruption)

Not to say that the Tea Party is doing it in the proper manner, and I am also not saying that they are not, but disruption is the whole point of the matter. You can't pit yourself against someone or something but wait for it to finish its goals before you attack if those goals are what you are going against...it would be like waiting until someone completely invaded your lands before you decide to raise an army or even declare war.

[phee]

Agreed, and I think you've done a great job in succinctly making the point. Neither the Tea Party nor the agents provocateur working against it are doing anyone any good. This is not to say that disruption cannot be employed in a constructive manner. Imagine the country we'd be living in had the Civil Rights movement never disrupted the status quo. I just want to point out the difference between effecting change and sitting on your hands so as not to rock the boat.

Exactly...

The kind of disruption that the Tea Party causes seems to be NOT HELPFUL. (I am not commenting on all of it's members or what it's original ideals are) But now with Sarah Palin and the activities of the extremists that have ALREADY infiltrated the Tea Party (And I am not talking about the silliness of those mentioned in the article trying to stop the Tea Party) I am talking about the Tea Party members that actually think they are doing good by posting the signs and images that have racist/violent overtones and undertones, these people are damaging what may have at one point been a constructive or positively disruptive movement by making it something ugly...

What I do find interesting is the fact that in both instances... those involved seem to be having the opposite effect that they were intending. The Tea Party when it was taken over by the extremist right wingers ... the Palins and Birthers and Racists...(or at least when they started getting the most attention from the group) practically got the healthcare bill passed by looking so messed up and making the alternative look so much more appealing. On the other hand those mentioned in the article who are trying to cause trouble for the Tea Party are actually helping it...

IRONIC.

[IsleofRhodesEnt]

as a side note, I am posting this

Sarah Palin's "extremely lush" contract

Gotta love it when people that are supposed to protest waste and over-expenditure of money have ridiculous contracts.

This is one of the problems I have Gaf. While I thank you for the effort in clarification, the origions of what you were fighting, and what it has turned into seems to have become different things.

[Nightgaunt]

Exactly...

The kind of disruption that the Tea Party causes seems to be NOT HELPFUL. (I am not commenting on all of it's members or what it's original ideals are) But now with Sarah Palin and the activities of the extremists that have ALREADY infiltrated the Tea Party (And I am not talking about the silliness of those mentioned in the article trying to stop the Tea Party) I am talking about the Tea Party members that actually think they are doing good by posting the signs and images that have racist/violent overtones and undertones, these people are damaging what may have at one point been a constructive or positively disruptive movement by making it something ugly...

What I do find interesting is the fact that in both instances... those involved seem to be having the opposite effect that they were intending. The Tea Party when it was taken over by the extremist right wingers ... the Palins and Birthers and Racists...(or at least when they started getting the most attention from the group) practically got the healthcare bill passed by looking so messed up and making the alternative look so much more appealing. On the other hand those mentioned in the article who are trying to cause trouble for the Tea Party are actually helping it...

IRONIC.

This Jason Levin guy (who has ties to Obama's "Coffee Party") is calling for people to "exaggerate the group's least appealing qualities". He also says, ""Do I think most of them are homophobes, racists or morons? Absolutely." So does this mean that the provocateurs are going to be holding up racist and homophobic signs? Are they planning on shouting "the N word"? If so, then I think we need to take just as hard a look at these people as Tea Party members who might spout bigotry. I don't think they should be let off the hook just because they claim to be pursuing some kind of "higher ideal". I thought the Coffee Party was formed to counter the Tea Party by coming up with reasonable counter arguments, not by setting it up to take a fall by staging "false flag" events. I hate what the Tea Party has become, but the tactics that this "Crash the Tea Party" movement is talking about employing seems to me to be even more despicable. I think we should be outraged at either group if they're espousing bigotry or violence, regardless of "noble intent". The end does not justify the means. Ever. So, I don't see how the crashers are actually helping the Tea Party (not that they deserve any kind of "help").

I haven't seen any hard evidence of bigotry at Tea Party events. I've seen a lot of media spin and hatchet jobs that end up getting retracted or disproven. Are there individuals who identify themselves as "Tea Partiers" who are also "racists, homophobes, or morons"? Absolutely. I know some. Some are members of my extended family, to my shame. This doesn't necessarily mean that the organization as a whole is racist. I may not like what they now stand for, but I don't think ad hominem attacks are the way to go in expressing that disagreement. That's the lazy and stupid way out.

In the final analysis, Phee, you said it best: "Does this make anybody's life actually better?" I think we can all agree that the answer is a resounding "NO". What can we do about it? What can we, as individuals, do to make people's lives better? We're doing one thing right now: talking about it; identifying the problems. Maybe some thought should be given to starting our own grassroots movement, putting our money where our mouths are, as it were, and start publicly cutting through the bullshit with our own manifesto based on things we can agree on, regardless of party affiliation. Just a thought, but I'd be open to sitting down and discussing the formation of such an organization.

[candyman]

Exactly...

The kind of disruption that the Tea Party causes seems to be NOT HELPFUL. (I am not commenting on all of it's members or what it's original ideals are) But now with Sarah Palin and the activities of the extremists that have ALREADY infiltrated the Tea Party (And I am not talking about the silliness of those mentioned in the article trying to stop the Tea Party) I am talking about the Tea Party members that actually think they are doing good by posting the signs and images that have racist/violent overtones and undertones, these people are damaging what may have at one point been a constructive or positively disruptive movement by making it something ugly...

What I do find interesting is the fact that in both instances... those involved seem to be having the opposite effect that they were intending. The Tea Party when it was taken over by the extremist right wingers ... the Palins and Birthers and Racists...(or at least when they started getting the most attention from the group) practically got the healthcare bill passed by looking so messed up and making the alternative look so much more appealing. On the other hand those mentioned in the article who are trying to cause trouble for the Tea Party are actually helping it...

IRONIC.

It is a really shitty instance isn't it? Started out with good intentions but everything went south for reasons we can only speculate on.

It saddens me though at the amount of outcry why words and signs are used against politicians by "right-wing nuts jobs" and everyone stereotypes the protester...however when there is ridicule against soldiers returning home, smokers, and hell even our hunting groups on occasion there is NOTHING except for maybe a small blurb in the media...and we can NEVER blame the left for any of this...these groups almost ALWAYS deserve it...but yeah the ridicule is nasty and is the most common but there are physical attacks that occur more often then they should.

Like I said in another post it is time to call the skinheads back into action...political extremism is best countered with anti-political extremists...these boots are made for stomping!