Foes of tea party movement to infiltrate rallies

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

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.'"

[phee]

You got me....

I am a spy.... this is actually me.... I was looking for an excuse to dress like this:

[the eternal]

I agree. They can't beat a group that's already beating themselves.

I don't like this new group.

I don't like the "Everybody hold hands and talk" mantra of the coffee party, because I think it'll lead even less action than we have already.

I think it's best for the teabaggers to get bigger and splinter the GOP, so the democrats can win in November.

As much as Gaf wants to talk about the one attack on a conservative (as the only real substantiated threat)

and the one Black man with a gun protesting Obama

and the one this and the one that

it's becoming clear that they are exceptions to the rule.

The teabaggers and its view of radical and racist depictions of Obama are like the Vaticans view of pedophilic priests.

---Feign outrage and disdain for those viewpoints while

---attacking the other side for their nerve in "whining" about "alleged" death threats and "alleged" racist and ignorant protest signs and slogans despite there being video footage of it.

---And covering up for the fact that there is a sizable minority of angry white males (and females)

that can't stand that an intelligent black man is President.

Meanwhile the mainstream of the teabagging party, while not openly racist or lacking the grammatical skills of a 4 year old

are still so rabid and unpredictable that they will prove to turn off the moderates and independents and split the Republicans, so no matter how hard the Dems try, they still won't lose control of Congress.

Besides, no matter how much teabaggers like to claim they speak for the American people, by and large...they don't.

[phee]

An opinion about the Tea Party + Some other stuff. (NSFW)

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

I agree. They can't beat a group that's already beating themselves.

I don't like this new group.

I don't like the "Everybody hold hands and talk" mantra of the coffee party, because I think it'll lead even less action than we have already.

I think it's best for the teabaggers to get bigger and splinter the GOP, so the democrats can win in November.

As much as Gaf wants to talk about the one attack on a conservative (as the only real substantiated threat)

and the one Black man with a gun protesting Obama

and the one this and the one that

it's becoming clear that they are exceptions to the rule.

The teabaggers and its view of radical and racist depictions of Obama are like the Vaticans view of pedophilic priests.

---Feign outrage and disdain for those viewpoints while

---attacking the other side for their nerve in "whining" about "alleged" death threats and "alleged" racist and ignorant protest signs and slogans despite there being video footage of it.

---And covering up for the fact that there is a sizable minority of angry white males (and females)

that can't stand that an intelligent black man is President.

Meanwhile the mainstream of the teabagging party, while not openly racist or lacking the grammatical skills of a 4 year old

are still so rabid and unpredictable that they will prove to turn off the moderates and independents and split the Republicans, so no matter how hard the Dems try, they still won't lose control of Congress.

Besides, no matter how much teabaggers like to claim they speak for the American people, by and large...they don't.

The National Polls done by Gallop, CNN and other leading pollers say you are wrong about who and what the Tea party is. Have you not seen them?

28% of the US population are active members of the Tea Party. 48% of the US population support our cause with only about 40% opposing it. 40% of them us (the Tea Party) are either Democrats (13%) or Independants (27%). The characteristics of Tea Party supporters in age, sex, education, income and race, follow the characteristics of the nation as a whole and only vary by a few points.

And can you stop with the term teabaggers? I'm not referring to you in degragatory terms and I would apprciate it if you stopped doing it to me.

You confusion seems to be that you think that you speak for the American people.

Read this. It might help to shield your eyes from the light your Messiah is throwing off and let you see the real world. or this Juan Willans: Tea Party Anger Reflects Mainstream Concerns

You might note the differnce in my numbers and his about the size of the Tea party. His number, the smaller ones, were from polls in Feb. My numbers, the larger ones, were from polls last week. The Tea party is growing and growing in support.

Edited April 13, 2010 by Gaf The Horse With Tears

[Msterbeau]

28% of the US population are active members of the Tea Party.

Your statement is misleading. The 28% number is of people who show some level of support for the organization. That's very different than "active members".

http://www.gallup.com/poll/127181/Tea-Partiers-Fairly-Mainstream-Demographics.aspx

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

An opinion about the Tea Party + Some other stuff. (NSFW)

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=jvsMFN9P8AU

You know whats funny about that... the title. Passing Health care did not "Boost" Obama. The 10% boost in approval Clinton predicted Obama would get when it passed... did not happen. If fact, it went the other way.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

Your statement is misleading. The 28% number is of people who show some level of support for the organization. That's very different than "active members".

http://www.gallup.co...mographics.aspx

Keep reading more of the polls.

[candyman]

What I really love about roller coasters is that you can get off after the whole ordeal and it doesn't get any worse...unlike this situation.

Fight hate with hate...now we are finally stooping down to the level of retarded tribes/clans in Somalia and other countries like that. They assume that you assume so then they assume something but maybe this is all wrong because maybe they didn't assume and now your assumption made you look like and asshole so now you counter by assuming that they assumed you would try to trick them into an ignorant assumption and...FUCK!

When you are yelling at someone that is also yelling, even if it is something bad or stupid, you don't tend to hear just how badly you sound like a fucktard because of all the yelling...so maybe shut the fuck up and watch the show.

Actually all of this makes me very happy...maybe all the stupid people will finally find out why peace and all that happy fun stuff will never come to be...we are out for BLOOD and when we get it THAT is OUR peace.

[creatureofthenyte]

That's the problem with the Democrats;

They know the tea party is catching on and growing, and instead of actually debating the issues, they would rather name-call and trash talk.

It would be nice if the Democrats would remember that this is the UNITED states of America.

That Levin guy thinks the tea party members are racist,homophobes, & morons.

How many Republicans & Independants do you hear doing name calling like that ^ at all these days ????

That's right; Zero.

[taysteewonderbunny]

Yeah, I don't care who does it in what party, but fighting dirty is wrong for two reasons: 1) it's fighting where logical discourse should prevail, 2) it's dirty, and not in the fun way.

I don't agree with the Tea Party whose major aim seems to be just being disagreeable and disgruntled about everything without coming to consensus on any alternative that doesn't include dismantling functioning government. To me, it appears to be anarchism in new clothes. If ever a more solid and directed voice assembles in the party, I will debate it or join it depending on the strength or validity of the argument offered. Since I haven't felt compelled by any such yet, I leave well enough alone.

I am sorry, Gaf, that others can't do the same. Maybe they feel particularly pricked by some of the barbs the Tea Party's constituents have been throwing. I guess rudeness begets rudeness. Yet, it is too bad that so few have learned to turn the other cheek. Where your party does encounter more adult behavior, please give it its due.

[the eternal]

That's the problem with the Democrats;

They know the tea party is catching on and growing, and instead of actually debating the issues, they would rather name-call and trash talk.

It would be nice if the Democrats would remember that this is the UNITED states of America.

That Levin guy thinks the tea party members are racist,homophobes, & morons.

How many Republicans & Independents do you hear doing name calling like that ^ at all these days ????

That's right; Zero.

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.

[torn asunder]

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

eternal, you've been asked not to use this term, as it's obviously derogatory in nature. i'd like to stress this point - please stop using it in this discussion.

and people, let's try to stop using generalities here, and discuss the actual topic. this seems to be degrading into a big pile of stereotype-bashing. let's play nice, ok? show a little respect, or stop posting in this thread.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

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. It's not working and it's driving them crazy.

Torn, go to an actual rally and listen to the speakers... talk to the peopel there. Yuo will be surprised at how nice and polite everyone is and I will be you will find you agree with much of what the speakers have to say.

[torn asunder]

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. It's not working and it's driving them crazy.

Torn, go to an actual rally and listen to the speakers... talk to the peopel there. Yuo will be surprised at how nice and polite everyone is and I will be you will find you agree with much of what the speakers have to say.

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, if we could stay away from all the knee-jerk reactionary conclusions/statements. in that spirit, i'm going to quote your original post below, after i make one last comment...

3) i'm not much of an active politic, but i'll see what i can find online, regarding the *message* of the tea party, as opposed to the wildly varying personal belief systems the members seem to have. unfortunately, one has to take personal beliefs into account, especially if those beliefs are close-minded, or hate-centered. and i'm not saying that as a blanket statement about tea party members at all, but a party has to be careful not to become associated with such, if they want to be taken seriously. it only takes a few bad apples to turn a barrel, so to speak, you know?

gaf posted the following in his OP - let's discuss/debate these items. gaf, since you seem to be the resident tea party "spokesman/expert", (for lack of a better term) would you mind elaborating on these, so we have some "meat" on the bones of this topic?

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.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

A few good places to start...

Contract from America

What we want is Fiscal responsibility from our Government, the Freedom the Constitution says we have and the Federal Government to do it's job.

[torn asunder]

for people who don't want to clicky-the-linky!!

[IsleofRhodesEnt]

hehe...teabaggers....now thats funny.

your right, Gaf....I can't argue any of the main points of the Tea Party movement.

Let me explain what I see, so that way you can understand where lies my problem, Gaf. It's not ignorance....it's the fact that it all seems to be more against Obama and not against the actual problem. They have the "other most controversial" figure from the presidential race to draw attention to themselves...and what does she want to do? Roll them into the Republican party.

They claim to be against the insane and uncontrolled spending of money by the US Goverment, but how many of those signs carry the image of our former President, who is one of the main reasons we are in this current slump (which, since Obama has taken office, has gotten a little better economically...I have noticed more jobs being posted recently then in years past...more "help wanted" signs, etc)?

I mean, if you can show me more media of this group then just the "largest Anti-Obama" group, then maybe some other consideration can be given, but for now, their own actions and choices show them to be little more then an Obama hate group.

and you can post all the links you want about what they are SUPPOSED to be about...but there is way too much pointing in other directions.

[Nightgaunt]

Eternal, that incident where the tea party fellow allegedly spit in the Congressman's face and there were supposedly cries of "the N word" has been discredited. The video of the event has been analyzed and there was not a racial epithet to be heard. The Congressman claimed to have been spit on, but what actually happened was that he got right in the protester's face while he was chanting and a little bit of spittle unintentionally landed on him. Not that it matters, people are going to believe what they want to and the idea of provocateur action never crosses their minds. The Tea Party movement (at least the main and most vocal part) has been taken over by the Republican party and the situation has become yet another distraction from what's actually going on in government. Instead of addressing concerns about the Federal Reserve and the $28 trillion* (and growing) bank bailout, it has now been reduced to good little Republicans and good little Democrats arguing, apparently now, about space aliens. The issues that the Tea Party was founded upon have become buried. Mission accomplished, Uncle Sam. Great job. Meanwhile, we're losing our livelihoods while the offshore private banks turn record profits and gain ridiculous amounts of control over a government that is supposed to be of, by, and for the People.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled Divide & Conquer, already in progress.

*That's about 2 1/2 times the yearly gross domestic product. Your taxes have to pay that back. With interest. We have to pay back 2 1/2 times more money than is actually in circulation. Do I need to say it again?

Edited April 13, 2010 by Nightgaunt

[IsleofRhodesEnt]

Eternal, that incident where the tea party fellow allegedly spit in the Congressman's face and there were supposedly cries of "the N word" has been discredited. The video of the event has been analyzed and there was not a racial epithet to be heard. The Congressman claimed to have been spit on, but what actually happened was that he got right in the protester's face while he was chanting and a little bit of spittle unintentionally landed on him. Not that it matters, people are going to believe what they want to and the idea of provocateur action never crosses their minds. The Tea Party movement (at least the main and most vocal part) has been taken over by the Republican party and the situation has become yet another distraction from what's actually going on in government. Instead of addressing concerns about the Federal Reserve and the $28 billion (and growing) bank bailout, it has now been reduced to good little Republicans and good little Democrats arguing, apparently now, about space aliens. The issues that the Tea Party was founded upon have become buried. Mission accomplished, Uncle Sam. Great job. Meanwhile, we're losing our livelihoods while the offshore private banks turn record profits and gain ridiculous amounts of control over a government that is supposed to be of, by, and for the People.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled Divide & Conquer, already in progress.

The Tea Party did enough of their own burying as well. Their members were/are not policed very well, and it's not like the goverment handed them those pickets....thats their choice of expressing themselves....and it seems that is more of a problem then this "Goverment coverup of the Tea Party's ideals".

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

What we are fighting against is this...

Income falls 3.2% during Obama's term

Real personal income for Americans - excluding government payouts such as Social Security - has fallen by 3.2 percent since President Obama took office in January 2009, according to the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis.

For comparison, real personal income during the first 15 months in office for President George W. Bush, who inherited a milder recession from his predecessor, dropped 0.4 percent. Income excluding government payouts increased 12.7 percent during Mr. Bush's eight years in office.

"This is hardly surprising," said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, an economist and former director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. "Under President Obama, only federal spending is going up; jobs, business startups, and incomes are all down. It is proof that the government can't spend its way to prosperity."

According to the bureau's statistics, per capita income dropped during 2009 in 47 states, with only modest gains in the other states, West Virginia, Maine and Maryland. But most of those increases were attributed to rising income from the government, such as Medicare and unemployment benefits.

Two of the most populous states in the country reported dramatic declines: Per capita income in California dropped 3.5 percent to $42,325; in New York, the drop was 3.8 percent to $46,957.

"The evidence from New York and California reinforces a basic lesson: Where government gets too large, prosperity suffers. Let's hope that the Congress learns this lesson before it is too late for the country as a whole," said Mr. Holtz-Eakin, who also served as chief economic policy adviser to Sen. John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign.

On the campaign trail, Mr. Obama often derided Mr. Bush for what he said were dramatically falling incomes for workers.

"American families, since George Bush has been in office, have seen average family incomes go down $2,000," Mr. Obama said in a September 2008 speech on the economy in Green Bay, Wis.

The bureau, which doesn't compile statistics on "family" income, reported that per capita income rose during Mr. Bush's two terms, from $29,159 to $32,632 (using 2005 dollar values as a base). During Mr. Obama's 15 months in office, per capita income has dropped nearly 1 percent to $32,343.

Economists agree that Mr. Obama inherited a severe recession, although some dispute that it is the "worst since the Great Depression," as Mr. Obama often asserts. Still, the dropping numbers show that the $862 billion stimulus package has not turned the tide on dropping incomes.

[Nightgaunt]

The Tea Party did enough of their own burying as well. Their members were/are not policed very well, and it's not like the goverment handed them those pickets....thats their choice of expressing themselves....and it seems that is more of a problem then this "Goverment coverup of the Tea Party's ideals".

Government coverup? What? I'm talking about the Tea Party being co-opted by the likes of Sarah Palin & Company. Oh, I get it. I forgot that anyone who talks about real issues is a conspiracy theorist-unamerican-racist-terrorist.

The Tea Party did not start out as an anti-Obama circle jerk.

All this GOP-inspired nonsense didn't start until the GOP jumped on the bandwagon and turned the Tea Party movement into a platform from which to spew rhetoric. The Tea Party was not "policed" because it was a grass-roots movement. The cries of racism and violence did not start until the GOP officially got on board. Which side do you want me to come out for? Do you want me to be a Republican or Democrat here, because I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to imply with your statement.

[Destroit]

They claim to be against the insane and uncontrolled spending of money by the US Goverment, but how many of those signs carry the image of our former President, who is one of the main reasons we are in this current slump (which, since Obama has taken office, has gotten a little better economically...I have noticed more jobs being posted recently then in years past...more "help wanted" signs, etc)?

Clinton? I haven't noticed his face on many of the signs. I will say I feel bad for the mess his dysfunctional cabinet left for that Bush guy to clean up though. Sets up an ENTIRE housing market to crash, because he was so concerned with being politically correct and giving everyone handouts equally, and just walks away...the nerve! And all because he was President in the 90s and knew the system wouldn't start to crash until the next guy got into office (which is...well...what Obama is seemingly doing with all of his strategies and this new Health care Bill. The fact that it doesn't go into effect until 2014 doesn't send up any red flags to you?)

Clinton? I haven't noticed his face on many of the signs. I will say I feel bad for the mess his dysfunctional cabinet left for that Bush guy to clean up though. Sets up an ENTIRE housing market to crash, because he was so concerned with being politically correct and giving everyone handouts equally, and just walks away...the nerve! And all because he was President in the 90s and knew the system wouldn't start to crash until the next guy got into office (which is...well...what Obama is seemingly doing with all of his strategies and this new Health care Bill. The fact that it doesn't go into effect until 2014 doesn't send up any red flags to you?).

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

[Destroit]

Sooooo...I haven't said much about the TEA Party Movement as I haven't had the time being a student and worker. I have the ENTIRE summer off, so aside from MANFAST, guess what I'm doing?!

Especially after reading this...RIGHT out of the Health Reform Bill

"for any taxpayer whose household

15 income is within an income tier specified in the

16 following table shall increase, on a sliding scale

17 in a linear manner, from the initial premium

18 percentage to the final premium percentage

19 specified in such table for such income tier:

VerDate Nov 24 2008 12:44 Mar 18, 2010 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 C:\TEMP\HCEARA_001.XML HOLCPC

March 18, 2010 (12:44 p.m.)

F:\P11\NHI\RECON3\HCEARA_001.XML

f:\VHLC\031810\031810.115.xml (463129|15)

4

‘‘In the case of household income

(expressed as a percent of

poverty line) within the following

income tier:

The initial premium

percentage is—

The final premium

percentage is—

Up to 133% 2.0% 2.0%

133% up to 150% 3.0% 4.0%

150% up to 200% 4.0% 6.3%

200% up to 250% 6.3% 8.05%

250% up to 300% 8.05% 9.5%

300% up to 400% 9.5% 9.5%’’; and"

How is an increase supposed to cost less for Americans? This whole thing is ridiculously plain as day. I will admit, I haven't read the health care bill until now. I'm sick of all the "he said she said" stuff so I'm getting down to it and reading it MYSELF (as should all of America). I'm not proud it took me this long, but at least I'm doing it. And reading it is actually CONFIRMING my fears...not dispelling them .

All for health care I don't even want...makes me so angry. Makes me mad that things that are preventative such as obesity and emphysema from smoking will be paid for with my tax dollars. People should take personal responsibility in their lives, not fuck everything up and wait for Daddy Govt to come along and fix the problem. What...are we all children again?

Makes me mad that my hard earned hours, EARNED from SACRIFICING my very limited life-time hours, are going to go to support some asshole that decided McDonald's everyday was a well balanced diet and exacerbated the situation by sitting on his/her ass. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT. I go to the gym and keep myself healthy...why should I be FORCED to pay for you if you do not?

And why SPECIFICALLY target rich Americans? They're BAD people because they have more money? They should be persecuted for being goal-oriented and attaining those financial goals? Does everyone even know wtf this leads to? I take it there's not a lot of Mike Judge fans here...I suggest everyone go and rent Idiocracy, view it, and return here THEN see if you're still for all of this excessive spending "designed to save us from ourselves".

And NO...we shouldn't TARGET poor people either. But they're already suffering...MANY (I won't say ALL or even MOST as I'm not sure to the numbers) got themselves in that position in the first place. So let's piss off the ENTIRE population trying to "save" a sector of it from itself? That's the solution...? To steal from people? Awesome

Health care should be for people either A) Willing to pay for it or B) With congenital conditions beyond their control. Everyone else needs to have a savings set aside for an emergency, pay for their OWN health care, and to eat their veggies .

And after all this bullshit we've now resorted to "the other team" (there should be NO TEAMS) having an TEA-impostor sit next to actual TEA party members spouting off things to try and make us look crazy. WTF. Honestly? It's so immature I can't even believe I read it.

Well then I'm a homophobic racist who thinks Barack Obama is an ALIEN, you guys, ALIEN FROM KENYA-OUTER-FUCKING-SPACE .

Edited April 13, 2010 by Chernobyl