Write A Caption: Tea Party Edition

Will someone please get the tea party spell check.

Alice In Wonderland: Tea Party Edition

I always found the Mad Hatter annoying. I now know why.

Tea Bag People

Republican strategist Mary Matalin accidently calls the Tea Party "tea bag people." Her husband James Carville can't contain his laughter. Cable news is is why the Daily Show will never run out of comedy material.

Hat tip to GottaLaff.

Washington DC Tea Party Protest

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.

Quote of the Day

"Glenn Beck is such a logical thinker."

Tea Bagger, at the 9-12 protest in Washington D.C.

Pushing Rope Is 'part of the government-controlled press'

Untitled from sarahposner on Vimeo.

The American Prospect's Sarah Posner asked an elderly female tea bagger why she was carrying an Israel flag. The woman said when America supported Israel she has been blessed and America has suffered when she hasn't given Israel support. Posner asked the woman to cite an example. The lady was stumped. Another female tea bagger told her to refer to Israeli expert Rush Limbaugh. The highlight is when the women tell Posner she is "part of the government-controlled press."

All this because a female tea bagger couldn't back her statement about Israel. These people are poorly informed.

Tea Bagging Express Hits Washington D.C.

Stephanie Taylor is photographing the tea baggers in Washington D.C. The tea baggers aren't even trying to keep it classy. A tea bagger carries a sign saying,


"OBAMA
MORE CZARS
THAN THE
USSR"


I explained before, the czars were not socialists. The last czar Nicholas II was executed in Siberia by the Vladimir Lenin led Bolsheviks. No czars existed in Russia when the Soviet Union formed. Glenn Beck and the tea baggers need to open a history book.

Another tea bagger sign:


OPPRESSIVE
BLOODSUCKING
ARROGANT
MUSLIM
ALIEN


The media needs to stop ignoring many tea baggers oppose President Barack Obama out of racially intolerance. It doesn't matter how many times the allegations against Obama are fact-checked. Tea baggers are going to continue Obama was born in Kenya and has a secret Muslim agenda. These people have a faith-based belief Obama is the anti-Christ. Reality isn't going to change their views.

Side note: no media reports of the White House denying Obama is a bloodsucking vampire. If Obama wasn't a vampire why doesn't Robert Gibbs come out and refute it. This is a job for the investigative skills of Power Line.

Update: Sarah Posner finds a sign equating Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Nazis.

The Differences In How Obama & Frank Deal With the Right

Evidence that Barack Obama still doesn't get it. White House Press Sec. Robert Gibbs said the President believes Charles Grassley, Olympia Snowe and Mike Enzi are working "in good faith" on health care reform. The last time Obama praised Grassley, The Senator said Democrats were advocating euthanasia.

“You have every right to fear. You shouldn’t have counseling at the end of life, you should have done that 20 years before. Should not have a government run plan to decide when to pull the plug on grandma.”

Enzi wrote an op-ed in USA Today against Obama's plan.

According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, a government-run component would actually increase health care spending, cause millions of people to lose the care they like and have, and add trillions to the national debt.

For millions of Americans, the government-run plan would turn into a bureaucratic nightmare, with the efficiency and customer service of the Department of Motor Vehicles or the IRS. Washington bureaucrats would literally decide whether patients would live or die by rationing newer, more expensive therapies.

A CBO report found only 9 million would switch to the pubnlic option. One of the cost savings not calculatyed by CBO is hospitals spent $35 billion in uninsured care. Hospitals paston this cost is passed on to the insured. Preventive and more insured care will lower costs.



Snowe argued in favor of Americans continuing to pay for overpriced insurance.

"If you establish a public option at the forefront that goes head-to-head and competes with the private health insurance market ... the public option will have significant price advantages," Snowe said. But this was her argument against making the public option available as soon as the bill becomes law.

Grassley, Enzi and Snowe will never back a public option. Democrats know this. Obama continues to court the right out some bizarre need for their personal approval. It is disturbing.

Rep. Barney Frank has the correct idea. A female tea bagger referred to health care reform as a "Nazi policy" and held a photoshop picture of Obama as Hitler. Frank asked, "What planet do you spend most of your time."

That is the way to deal with the nutcases. Obama wants to win their approval and feels the progressive base is not important. The result is Senate Democrats abandoning health care reform. Great strategy, Mr. President.

New Video of Kathy Castor Townhall Meeting

Embedded video from CNN Video

CNN has a new video from inside the Kathy Castor health care townhall meeting. The video makes it obvious how disruptive the tea baggers were. The video shows tea baggers pushing to get inside. Seating was limited due to fire marshall rules. The tea baggers nearly started a riot. This nonsense has to stop.

Tea Party Protesters Channeling Joe McCarthy

The Huffington Post has photos of tea bagging protests from across the country. The protesters hold signs of President Obama on an enemies list with al-Qaeda, Iran, North Korea, liberals and the mainstream media. These protesters are channeling Joe McCarthy.

After several largely undistinguished years in the Senate, McCarthy rose suddenly to national fame in February 1950 when he asserted in a speech that he had a list of "members of the Communist Party and members of a spy ring" who were employed in the State Department.[4] McCarthy was never able to prove his sensational charge.

In succeeding years, McCarthy made additional accusations of Communist infiltration into the State Department, the administration of President Truman, Voice of America, and the United States Army. He also used charges of communism, communist sympathies, or disloyalty to attack a number of politicians and other individuals inside and outside of government. With the highly publicized Army–McCarthy hearings of 1954, McCarthy's support and popularity began to fade. On December 2, 1954, the Senate voted to censure Senator McCarthy by a vote of 67 to 22, making him one of the few senators ever to be disciplined in this fashion. McCarthy died in Bethesda Naval Hospital on May 2, 1957, at the age of 48. The official cause of death was acute hepatitis; it is widely accepted that this was exacerbated by alcoholism.

Photo by Erica Slead

There were also birthers amongst the protesters and anti-immigration signs.

Photo by Erica Slead

The protesters were bused in by Patients First. The group is funded by Americans for Prosperity. The founders of AFP millionaire Art Pope and billionaire David Koch. Patients First is a well-managed astroturfing movement. The people drawn to the protests are the most extreme conservatives. If they really equate Obama to al-Qaeda then explaining

Gun At Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Townhall Meeting

A tea bagger protester dropped a gun at a health care townhall meeting. Staffers for Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords called law enforcement.

“Yelling and screaming is counterproductive,” she told the Sierra Vista Herald at a Congress on Your Corner event last week. There, one visitor dropped a gun at the meet n’ greet held in a Douglas Safeway, her staff says.

That has aides, who called police to the event, concerned for her safety.

“We have never felt the need before to notify law enforcement when we hold these events,” said spokesman C.J. Karamargin.

The tea party protesters are not part of the mainstream. Their behavior is scary and counterproductive. I don't believe President Obama has the political courage to take the tea party movement on. Obama left health care reform up to Congress and that has been a disaster. The President avoided being placed in the political fray and let conservatives spread misinformation about health care.

The protests are getting increasingly violent. Obama hasn't once said, "Enough is enough." Why is he afraid of condemning a movement that seeks his political destruction? If Obama isn't willing to fight for health care then he had no business dragging the Democratic Party into this.

Write A Caption: Tea Bagger Edition

A Florida tea bagger protesting for her right to pay for more expensive health care. This woman is proudly protesting against getting anything for free.

Gift certificates? Pure socialism.

Free movie tickets? Only if you are a supporter of terrorism.

Conservatives across America are valiantly standing up for rising health care insurance. These freedom fries loving Americans know, insurance increases of 10 percent to 30 percent a year is in their economic interest during a recession.

Florida Democratic Party Statement on Health Care Protests

Eric Jotkoff of the Florida Democratic Party released a statement on last night's violent protest against the Kathy Castor health care townhall meeting.

Enough is enough! First Florida Republicans used riots to stop the recount and make George W. Bush President. Now they're trying to use the Republican mob rule tactics to stop efforts to reform our broken health insurance system and obstruct President Obama’s efforts to bring change to Washington. That’s why tonight we are saying, ‘Enough is enough!’

Not only do Florida’s Republican leaders such as Gov. Charlie Crist, AG Bill McCollum, and Rep. Bill Young need to immediately denounce their party’s tactics, but they also need to apologize for the violence that was witnessed today in Tampa. If they don't they will be equally as guiltily as the protesters starting these fights.

Two reported fist fights broke out at the event. Police were called in to maintain order. Many tea party protesters banged on windows and doors. The protesters failed to realize fire marshall rules will not let a venue by seated beyond capacity.

The event organizers left a door open. The idea was that people who could not get seats could hear Castor speak. At 1:40 in the video, a woman warns the protesters to either stop shouting down Castor or they would close the door. Notice the edit at the 2:06 mark. What is not shown is a man in a green shirt obstructing the organizers. The video only shows organizers pushing the man away from the door. The man resisted and had his shirt ripped. A police officer can be seen keeping another man away from the door. The second man has a more severely ripped shirt.



A vlogger confirms organizers had to remove a man from the doorway to close the doors. Check the video. Notice the tea baggers banging on the doors. How civil of them.

Tampa Tea Bagger Townhall Meeting Madness

The Tea Party actuivists were bound to get out of hand. Rep. Kathy Castor and State Representative Betty Reed hosted a health care townhall meeting. WTSP reports how law enforcement had to stop a near riot.

As the building filled to capacity, angry protesters stuck outside began to scream, yell, and chant. At one point, those trying to get inside began banging on windows as Tampa Police officers quickly spread out guarding all entrances.

10 Connects photojournalist Kevin Carlson, currently inside the meeting reports at least one fist fight breaking out inside. Some other journalists remain outside.

Police were called in to handle the civil unrest.

UPDATE 7:13pm

Police on bullhorns are trying to break-up the crowd outside the building on 1002 E. Palm Ave.

Many in the crowd are refusing to go.

A Talking Points Memo reports his experiences of the townhall meeting.

I was at the riot/townhall tonight since it was about half a mile from my house and I'm always down for a freak show. I also attended the April 15th tea bag party down the street. This was the same audience, very old and very white (half the minorities I saw were in the media, literally). They did indeed close the doors--I stayed outside because I wasn't about to be trapped in with the nutters for three hours. They started to chant "move it outside" and were infuriated about being somehow left out. I heard some people make the comparison that if they can't run a meeting how can they run healthcare? (Is this the next meme?) It never ceases to amaze me seeing medicare recipients holding up signs saying "Just say no to government run healthcare" and there was plenty of that.

I left before I saw any actual violence, but certainly believe it. The few pro-healthcare people who were there received an impressive amount of boos and name calling. "Get a job, buy your own insurance!"

Lots of recording devices out by nearly everyone. Uninformed people with cameras stoking hate amongst each other. These things are designed to get footage to get more people mad to get more footage.

Medicare and Medicaid recipients protesting about government involvement in health care. Many of the protesters organized through the 9-12 Project. The Tampa Tribune describes the 9-12 Project activists.

Chants were popular. When Castor first tried to speak, the crowd drowned her out by repeating, "You work for us.'' Other chants included "Tyranny, tyranny,'' and "Read the bill, read the bill.''

A crowd of 200 or more moved from the building's entrance to the windows outside the room where the meeting was being held. They held up signs and chanted. Some of the messages on the signs were: "Read the bill'' and "No to socialist health care.''

Several of the protestor's signs bore an image of Obama with his face painted as the Joker, an image that drew protests of racism locally when it appeared on a Web site thought to be associated with the Pinellas Republican party.

Tea Party members disturbed a townhall meeting, compared President Obama to a homicidal supervillian and two reported fist fights. Does anyone believe these tea baggers "read the bill"? Many of these people receive some form of government health care and are protesting (what they preceive to be) government health care. The ignorance of these people are staggering.

These are the same people that labeled Obama a Muslim and terrorist during the campaign. Simple fact-checking would have proven these accusations to be bogus. The tea baggers do not care about that. Do the tea baggers believe private insurance are more important than the 47 million Americans without health insurance. Do the tea baggers get misty eyed and hearts beat loudly over the quarterly earning reports of pharmaceutical companies? Have all of them read Milton Friedman? The answer to these questions not very likely. The tea baggers are angry for the sake of being angry.

Update: Tea baggers in the meeting shout down Rep. Castor. TBO.com has the video. of tea baggers in the meeting shout down Rep. Castor. The tea baggers aren't interested in hearing what Castor has to say. They want to shout at her because it makes them feel good. Screw the people that want to hear what their Congresswoman has to say.

Update: This charming tea bagger admits he is an asshole. He calls people communists and tells them to get on welfare. He goes on an xenophobic rant and tells a woman to go back to her country. He claims his ancestors came on the Mayflower. He turns on the charm by yelling "Heil Hitler." Does anyone think this guy "read the bill."

Write A Caption: Tea Bagging

For personal reasons I rather not have a conservative tea bag me.

Quote of the Day

"This change, my friends, is being delivered in a teabag, and that's a wonderful thing."

Michael Steele, addressing RNC state party chairs.

Obama Mocks Tea Baggers

President Barack Obama notes Fox News and teabaggers would rather have badly marketed protests than serious discussions on policy.

Quote of the Day

"I'm here today as a fellow Amereican. Whose parents were born in a country that lost itself to socialism. My parents lost their country to a government. I will not lose mine to a government.

Marco Rubio, at a tea bagging protest comparing the United States to Fidel Castro's Cuba. This is same Rubio that attempted to raise the state sales tax and said shifting the tax burden from property owners would benefit laborers.

He went on: "And I'm telling you that this property tax cut will create $6-billion in disposable income. And what that means in real terms is that people who now mow their lawns will hire someone to do it. ... People who now maintain their own pools will hire someone to do it. ... And that helps the working class. ...

"The more disposable income there is, the faster the working class can join, can grow into the ranks of home ownership, can send their kids to college, etc. I know. I was raised on disposable income."

The response from callers to the Jim Defede Show was swift.

"The working people are what built this country," said a caller named Cliff. "We didn't live off handouts, which is what he's suggesting. ... It's a typical Republican (attitude), looking down their noses at the average guy."

Robert, another caller, took issue with increasing the sales tax.

"Most working-class people are just struggling to survive and their solution is the most regressive form of tax there is? This is unbelievable. Trickle-down economics was disproven. ... I work my tail off every day just to make ends meet, and if they raise the sales tax, that's going to be coming directly out of every little bit that I earn. It's just going to make it even more expensive to live here, not less."

Rubio claims conservative trickle down economics will balance the budgets at states and the federal level. Rubio was Florida House Speaker and the state budget is in heavier debt now. I find it hysterical Rubio can talk about lower taxes and balanced budgets with his record. Draining the Lawton Chiles Endowment is not bold leadership. Alex Sink warned Gov. Charlie Crist the trust fund money must be repaid. Rubio didn't flinch at leaving a bill for the next legislature. Rubio has no credibility to complain about President Obama running up a debt. He did the same thing in Tallahassee.

Side note: property taxes are a problem and other sources of revenue need to be found for schools.

Power Line Tea Bagging Comedy

I wrote previously how the tea bagging protests received underwhelming numbers. The astroturf movement was created by Fox News, Newt Gingrich, Dick Armey and corporate friends of the GOP. An April 2 Fox News poll found only 32 percent willing to attend tea parties. Conservatives should have learned from the Harriet Miers nomination. All credibility is gone once a cause becomes a national punchline.

Power Line blogger Scott Johnson vents his anger by unleashing a comedy masterpiece. Money quote.

The star hosts of CNN and MSNBC news shows have notoriously derided the tea party demonstrations around the country with reference to the practice of teabagging (which I had never heard of before they brought it up).

It gets even better. Johnson accuses Rachel Maddow of sexually practicing tea bagging. Johnson doesn't explain how Maddow would perform the deed with her lesbian partner. Has Johnson heard about lesbians? Seriously.

There is something funny going on here, if not exactly where Cooper, Maddow and Sullivan find it. Cooper is widely reputed to be homosexual. Maddow and Sullivan are of course public homosexuals. It is funny in an ironic sort of way that these folks choose to disparage the tea party protesters from somewhere inside the homosexual subculture. Why not just call the protesters girly boys and let everyone in on the joke? Or would that spoil the fun?

Johnson thinks only homosexuals engage in tea bagging. That is silly. I like to see Johnson's reaction when he finds out what ass to mouth means. His parents obviously never had that talk with him about sex. Poor boy.

I find it interested the Power Line bloggers don't know what tea bagging means. These bloggers used to have the online names Hind Rocket and Big Trunk. This is the last conservative blog that should be defending the Right against the Left's use of the words tea bagging.

Astroturfing

People that follow the FOP are familiar with the term astroturfing. It is a bogus political movement that was actually conceived corporate sponsors of the GOP. In this case Fox News. Longtime lefty journalist William Greider perfectly described astroturfing.

Greider: "Grassroots program that involves the instant manufacturing of public support for a point of view in which either uninformed activists are recruited or means of deception are used to recruit them."

Nancy Pelosi called out the tea bagging miovement as astroturfing.

What we want is a new direction. In fact, in the President's initiative - in the Recovery and in the Budget - 95% of the American people get a tax cut. This is a tax cut for the great middle class. This initiative is funded by the high end - we call call it astroturf, it's not really a grassroots movement. It's astroturf by some of the wealthiest people in America to keep the focus on tax cuts for the rich instead of for the great middle class.

Astroturfing can also be done for political campaigns. The McCain campaign was attempting to get Hillary Clinton supporters. The group P.U.M.A. (People United Means Action) pretended to be Democratic. P.U.M.A. founder Darragh C. Murphy is a longtime Republican contributor.