Only 30 people attended a tea party rally in South Carolina. Gov. Nikki Haley spoke at the event but was not enough to draw a crowd. Columbia Tea Party chairman Allen Olsen blamed Donald Trump pulling out of the event for the lack of attendance. When a fake presidential candidate is needed to get tea partiers excited then you know there is a problem for Republicans. This is the base Republicans need to bring out to beat President Obama. The tea party base is showing its cracks.
Yep, it is the Left that has a fetish for violence against their political opponents. Oh wait! That is the Democratic Party mascot the donkey getting filled with bullet holes. This item is sold at the online conservative gift shop the Patriot Shop. Many Tea Party and anti-Obama items are sold at the online store. It is fair to say the store's target survey marker audience is not Huffington Post readers.
A news report of a Moveon.org member being attacked by Rand Paul supporters. The angry mentality of the Tea Party activists has gotten out of hand. A group of men attack a defenseless woman is the epitome of cowardliness.
Lest there be any doubt, if I were a resident of Delaware, I would vote for O'Donnell. That is because she is far preferable to her "bearded Marxist" opponent. But O'Donnell is, nevertheless, a lousy candidate. I'm sorry, but politics is not about snatching random people out of the crowd and making them one of 100 United States Senators. Those who seek high office need to be qualified as leaders. They must be thoughtful and intelligent; they must have accomplishments in the public, or, better yet, the private sphere.
Christine O'Donnell has none of the above qualities. If the best we can say about her is that her "dabbling in witchcraft" is excusable, I rest my case. She will be a laughingstock for the next six weeks, I fear, and then will be clobbered in the general election. Whether this is better or worse than having Mike Castle as a Senator is a legitimately debatable point. But I don't see how any conservative can deny that it would be better if the Republican Party had nominated a stronger and more qualified conservative to represent Delaware in the Senate.
Never before in my blogging life have I seen any person or issue nudge Power Line even slightly to the Left. Though I love how he'd still vote for her regardless, if he lived in Delaware. When you sleep with the dogs, I guess it's awfully tough to rid yourself of dem fleas.
I'm 'Shocked' To See Racist Signs At Tea Party Rallies
Fox News and Republicans will tell you they never ever see racist signs at Tea Party rallies. Conservatives apparently can't see obnoxious signs that stand 20 feet tall. It reminds me of the scene from scene from Casablanca. Inspector Renault was "shocked" to find out there was gambling going on in Rick's Café Américain.
Woman Attacks Obama Supporters At 'Restoring Honor' Rally
Via Jezebel: at the "Restoring Honor" rally, a female Tea Party supporter attacks two men wearing Obama T-shirts. The woman tears a sign that said "Re-Elect President Obama." She then proceeds to shove the other Obama supporter. She then yelled, "No signs."
The woman was referring to Glenn Beck telling his fans not bring sign. Beck knew the Tea Party crowd would bring signs that would be embarrassing to him. The woman fails to have a basic understand of the First amendment or the fact that the two men are not Beck followers. The First amendment allows these men to bring signs and protest. The fact that this woman doesn't respect make me wonder if she truly wants to restore honor.
We saw this at the townhall meeting last year. Can we officially say the obnoxious behavior by members of the Tea Party is an intentional campaign tactic. Dave Weigel posted a video of a tea bagger supporter of Bill McCollum being being disruptive. I am no fan of Scott but it does a disservice to voters if they spend more time ignore tea baggers.
There is nothing like a Tea Party anthem. I am not sure if that is a good a bad thing.
American Idol contestant Krista Branch wrote I Am America to express her twin passions of conservatism andcheesy synthesizers. It would be easier to rally wingnuts everywhere if the song did not sound like the 80s new wave band Berlin.
Via Paddy: Tea Party supporters of Alaska Senate candidate Joe Miller march with automatic weapons at a rally.
Another fun fact about Miller: he declared that extending unemployment benefits is unconstitutional.
“The unemployment compensation benefits have gotten -- first of all, it's not constitutionally authorized,” Miller, R-Alaska, said on ABC/Washington Post’s “Top Line.” “I think that’s the first thing that's gotta be looked at, so I do not favor their extension.”
It wasn't declared in the Constitution that Alaska is a state. By your logic Mr. Miller that would mean Alaska isn't a state. If Miller bothered to read the Constitution he would know Congress has the power of the purse. His conservative views may disagree with unemployment benefits. Saying Congress authorizing unemployment benefits is unconstitutional is not founded in fact. If the requirement for any Congressional legislation is it must be inexplicably stated in the Constitution then it would be impossible to pass legislation. Conservatives may think that is grand until airplanes don't fly, highways don't get repaired and things start shutting down. Miller's argument is profoundly stupid and should be treated as such.
I sat in a restaurant and overheard Tea Party activists complain that the Black Panthers rigged the election for Obama. Tea baggers then complained that people thought they were racist.
Observations: none of the Tea Party activists were young. One woman was wearing a Glenn Beck 9/12 Project T-Shirt. They actually seemed like decent people. Just very passionate and poorly informed.
Tea Party Billboard Compares Obama to Hitler & Lenin
The North Iowa Tea Party in their infinite wisdom decided to rent billboard space to hang this masterpiece of wingnuttery. Wonkette reports the billboard was taken down after British blogs posted pictures of the billboard. I'm guessing the North Iowa Tea Party is afraid the British is going to get Red Coats to bust up their Tea Party. In the most unconvincing case of spin in the history of spin; NITP member Bob Johnson told the Des Moines Register that the billboard was not meant as an insult to President Barack Obama. That is about as convincing Whoopi Goldberg's claims that Mel Gibson is not a racist.
“It is not disrespectful to Mr. Obama. It’s a statement on his policy,” said Bob Johnson, co-founder of the North Iowa Tea Party. “It’s a statement on his policies.”
There is nothing more respectful than comparing Obam to Adolf Hitler and Vladimir Lenin. That doesn't pass the laugh test. This kind of Tea Party idiocy will turn people off the same way PETA members attacking fur coat wearers with spray paint will. Bush comparisons to Hitler didn't stop Bush from winning a second term. The Tea Party is only helping Obama's political prospects longterm.
Republican Party of Duval County Post Obama Nazi Picture
The Republican Party of Duval County sent out e-mails to promote the July 2 Tea Party at the Jacksonville Landing. The Duval GOP posted this picture of President Barack Obama dressed as a Nazi on their Facebook page.
Tea Baggers and Republicans saying offensive things about Obama is nothing new. Republican fundraiser Al Austin sent out an e-mail about how hysterical it would be if the United States military assassinated Obama. In Southern California, Chaffey Community Republican Women sent out an e-mail of a mock Obama dollar bill with racist intentions. Tampa Bay area Tea Party activist David McKalip made national news by sending out a photoshopped e-mail of Obama dressed as a witch doctor. McKalip served as a fundraiser for the Marco Rubio campaign.
The Republican Party of Duval County would not see anything wrong about posting the Obama Nazi picture on Facebook because many Republicans share the same racist views as Tea Party protesters. Former Hillsborough County Republican Party chairman David Storck sent this e-mail out the day of the 2008 general election.
THE THREAT: HERE IN TEMPLE TERRACE, FL OUR REPUBLICAN HQ IS ONE BLOCK AWAY FROM OUR LIBRARY, WHICH IS AN EARLY VOTING SITE.
I SEE CARLOADS OF BLACK OBAMA SUPPORTERS COMING FROM THE INNER CITY TO CAST THEIR VOTES FOR OBAMA. THIS IS THEIR CHANCE TO GET A BLACK PRESIDENT AND THEY SEEM TO CARE LITTLE THAT HE IS AT MINIMUM, SOCIALIST, AND PROBABLY MARXIST IN HIS CORE BELIEFS. AFTER ALL, HE IS BLACK -- NO EXPERIENCE OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS -- BUT HE IS BLACK.
There is more to the e-mail but I thought I spare readers the pain.
Roger Ailes had the brilliant idea that a highly partisan conservative infotainment network would be a financial boom. The next stage in the infotainment evolution is conservative celebrities pretending to be political activists that care about the betterment of America. Don't believe me? Fox News host Glenn Beck admitted as much to Forbes. Journalist Lacey Rose asked Beck his feeling about politics.
"I could give a flying crap about the political process," Beck said.
The Fox News crying machine informed Rose that is company Mercury Radio Arts strickly a for-profit venture.
"We're an entertainment company," Beck told Rose.
A New York Magazine article on Sarah Palin and the Tea Party movement details the money to be made off of angry and poorly informed activists. A truly dedicated public servant would have stayed on as Governor of Alaska. Sarah Palin is not that person. Palin was received an offer for a reality show and a book deal. Palin decided to resign.
We aggressively and responsibly develop our resources because they were created to be used to better our world... to HELP people... and we protect the environment and Alaskans (the resource owners) foremost with our policies.
Palin will never get hired as a speechwriter. However, her celebrity has helped her earn $12 million, during the past 12 month. For that kind of money, it is easy to see why Palin left her $125,000-a-year job as Governor.
Palin bashed Obama for his lack of executive experience. Palin resigned as Governor in her first term. A politician serious about governing and becoming president would not have done what Palin did. Palin knows she is worth more as a brand than in public office.
An amazing part of the Palin article of big-name conservatives counting money, after a Tea Party rally.
After the speech, Sal Russo, a former Ronald Reagan aide and conservative operative whose PAC runs the Tea Party Express, invited me onto the tea-party bus. The coach was luxuriously appointed, with soft carpeting, mood lighting, and mirrored walls. A large flat-screen hanging from the ceiling was tuned to Fox News. We eased into a plush leather couch next to some of the conservative celebrities who travel along with the tour. A young woman named Bethany Owens was sitting at a small table, pulling bills from a leather satchel. The 20-year-old daughter of black conservative entrepreneurs William and Selena Owens, Bethany had spent the morning at her parents’ booth selling books and CDs, like her mother’s title The Power Within a Conservative Woman ($9.95) and her dad’s motivational CD Answers Beyond the Rhetoric ($19.95). Bethany began stacking up bills, doling them out like a Vegas dealer.
“One hundred, two hundred, three, four, five hundred,” she counted. “Ugh! I gotta start over.”
“Five, six, seven, eight, nine hundred. Okay, that’s $3,300,” she said, piling bills into neat rows.
“Are there corn dogs here, somebody?” yelled Melanie Morgan, a blonde conservative talk-radio host sitting nearby. Just then, Russo informed her that he’d heard Palin had agreed to speak alongside Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh at Morgan’s upcoming charity event for the troops, which would mean more care packages. “Oh my God! This is fabulous. Sal, brilliant. I could cry I’m so happy,” she said. “That’s gonna be so many hundreds of thousands of dollars more.”
Charge angry people to tell them what they want to hear. As a business model it is brilliant. The good news is the Tea Party movement will fail because it is built on xenophobia and greed. The message will ultimately fail. The Tea Party crowd that do get elected will ultimately crash and burn. We have already seen how Marco Rubio has used his Republican Party of Florida credit card. You can't preach fiscal conservatism when you are looking to make a buck off people.
The Tea Party strategy of terror and intimidation continues. Teabaggers plan to protest in front of the the home of Senate Parliamentarian Alan Frumin. The role of the Parliamentarian is to advise the Preciding Officer (Which can be a member of the Senate or Vice-President) on the Standing Rules of the United States Senate. The Parliamentarian does not make policy. He merely advises the Senate or their rules of procedure.
That hasn't stopped the Tea Party activists from posting Frumin's address online. Sen. Kent Conrad told Fox News threats have been made against Frumin.
"The irony here is that he has people threatening him, but here's a guy who's held against us," Conrad said, referring to Frumin's ruling Wednesday night that will effectively send the bill back to the House because of minor changes.
The Tea Party blab on about how they support the Constitution. The Constitution states the Senate selects their officers. Frumin was appointed by both political parties.
Except for the Vice President, the Senate elects its own officers. The President pro tempore is usually the longest-serving member of the majority party. Other elected officers include a chaplain, secretary of the Senate, and sergeant at arms, who are not senators.
The Tea Party doesn't care about the Constitution. President Obama lowered taxes. These sociopaths just want to get their hate on.
The Tea Party movement as reacted to the passage of health care reform with insanity. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told The Hill that there is in security.
"Any member who feels themselves at risk is getting attention from the proper authority," Hoyer said during brief remarks on Wednesday.
The FBI is investigating a severed gas line, at the house the brother of Rep. Tom Perriello. The Lynchburg Tea Party anonymously posted the address of Perriello brother on their blog. The blogger mistakenly believed Rep. Perriello lived at the address. The blogger urged teabaggers to pay the Congressman a visit. That is a sure invitation to trouble.
“Just in case any of his friends and neighbors want to drop by and say hi and express their thanks regarding his vote for health care,” the author writes. “I personally believe it’s so important for representatives to remain fully grounded and to remember exactly what it is their constituents are saying and how they are telling them to vote. Nothing quite does that like a good face-to-face chat. It has a much more personal touch to it.”
I have had commenters post addresses and death threats at people on this blog. I have always deleted those comments. I could care less if commenters diss me. Putting people's personal information that might endanger a person is something I have never allowed on this blog. There is zero excuse for the actions of the Lynchburg Tea Party bloggers.
Nigel Coleman is one of the two people responsible for posted the address. Coleman was unapologetic of his actions.
According to the Politico Web site, when Coleman learned that the address actually belonged to the congressman’s brother, he responded on a blog: “Do you mean I posted his brother’s address on my Facebook? Oh well, collateral damage.”
The other person who posted the address is Mike Troxel. Like Coleman, Troxel showed an equal lack of sensitivity. Troxel refuses to take the address off the blog. Troxel will only take it down if he has Rep. Tom Perriello.
“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.”
Coleman and Troxel have been informed that Perriello's brother has received a threatening latter and a cut gas line. Yet, they refuse to delete their posting of the home address. These men are aware they are endanger the lives of the Perriello family. These are not freedom loving patriots. They are sociopaths.
"We wanted people to go by and talk to their congressman," Coleman said.
Previously, Perriello's brother was "collateral damage." Now Coleman wants a friendly chat. Amazing how an FBI investigation can change one's disposition.
A caller on Rep. Louise Slaughter's voice mail threatened to use "snipers" against her. Slaughter also had a brick thrown through her district office window. It is obvious some nutcase is attempting to stalk Slaughter. The threat against her is serious.
Tea Party protesters called Congressman and civil right legend "nigger." Several members of the member heard Tea Party protesters chant the word to the Black Caucus. Bill O'Reilly claims there is no proof. O'Reilly failed to bring any eyewitnesses to his show. Fox News helped create the Tea Party movement. How long will Fox News be able to explain away the militia mentality of this movement remains to be seen.
Conservatives love to complain about how liberal the media is. They fail to mention that the right-wing has their own media. Check out the only media outlets that have been giving press passes for the Tea Party convention.
Tea Party Nation has received hundreds of requests for press credentials to cover this convention. Everyone from a small town newspaper in Iowa to Fox News has asked for press credentials. We have had requests from Canada, England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Norway, Croatia and Japan. We have been hard pressed to accommodate all of these requests and do not have the space or resources to support the entirety of the press corp. Indeed, we have asked the hotel if they would be willing to provide a press room during the convention. However, given these practical limitations, we have approved the following press organizations:
Fox News
Breitbart.com
Townhall.com
The Wall Street Journal
World Net Daily
World Net Daily thrives in Obama birther conspiracy theories. Fox News hired George W. Bush's cousin John Ellis, whom was relaying election results to Bush on the night of the 2000 election. Ellis was involved in calling the election for Fox News. The conservative cable network was the first to call the election for Bush.
The Tea Party does not represent the American center. The fact that the Tea Party gave a media pass to World Net Daily over respected media services is proof.
Rev. Jess Jackson said, "You can’t vote against healthcare and call yourself a black man." A strange anti-health care ad has people looking into the camera saying, "I guess I am racist." The filmmaker responsible for the ad is Ray Griggs. The target of Griggs ad is white people that feel oppressed by black leaders, such as Jesse Jackson. The Democratic Party no longer pays attention to Jackson. The people that would respond to Griggs ad are not going to be seen in civil right marches singing We Shall Overcome.
The problem with the ad is anti-health care reform Americans are looking into the camera declaring themselves racists. I understand the statement is meant as sarcasm. (Barely.) Many others will not. Republicans publicly lament why black people do not join the GOP. Look no further than this ad. This ad will appeal to the most conservative Republican voters. The ad isn't going to make young Americans want to change their voter registration.
Side note: I understand the ad is not sponsored by the RNC. People can be against the health care reform bills in the House and Senate and not be racist. There can be an intelligent dialogue about the pros and con of health care reform. Unfortunately, conservatives have resorted to fearmongering. Tea Party protesters holding signs of President Obama cutting Uncle Sam's throat is racist and unacceptable.
The conservative movement does not care if it is viewed as racists. Conservatives will argue the mainstram media is too PC. These true believers are attempting to purge moderate Republicans. The tea party movement cost the Republican Party a New York Congressional seat. Republicans astroturfed a movement they now can not control. The stupidity of it really should not amaze me.
I thought this was an archive photo of the 1969 Woodstock concert. I have never seen a bigger crowd than this tea party protest in Washington DC. This must be the right of center majority I hear so much about.
Photo by Edward Favara
