Origin of the Tea Parties & Media Biases
By SusanUnPC on April 16, 2009 at 9:15 AM in Media Bias, Media Handling of Story, Tax Day
Though critics will probably try to write the tea parties off as partisan publicity stunts, they’re really a post-partisan expression of outrage.
In this video, Instapundit’s Glenn Reynolds, a professor and cogent blogger, gives the real history of Wednesday’s tea parties on C-Span. Of Note: Reynold’s op-ed, “Tax Day Becomes Protest Day: How the tea parties could change American politics,” quoted above, was the Wall Street Journal’s most-read story Wednesday. But, beyond rare outlets like the Journal and Fox News, the tea parties weren’t given much regard by the media.
Another thing: My oh my, what a difference a day makes. Wednesday night’s Anderson Cooper 360 was far more muted, and Christiane Amanpour hosted in Mr. Cooper’s stead. If I were a higher-up at CNN, I would have had some words with Mr. Cooper following his sexually graphic language and inappropriate laughter on Tuesday night’s show.
Wednesday’s discussion led by Ms. Amanpour was much more sober, with the tea parties and attendees treated respectfully. I inferred that a MESSAGE had been delivered to the CNN host and panel to dial it down.
I haven’t checked MSNBC’s programming today and doubt that NBC’s morally and ethically rudderless leadership would care what its hosts did. But it’s good to see that CNN cleaned up its act somewhat.
::::::::::::::::::
Here are some snippets from Dr. Reynolds’ wildly popular WSJ op-ed, “Tax Day Becomes Protest Day: How the tea parties could change American politics“:
Today American taxpayers in more than 300 locations in all 50 states will hold rallies — dubbed “tea parties” — to protest higher taxes and out-of-control government spending. There is no political party behind these rallies, no grand right-wing conspiracy, not even a 501(c) group like MoveOn.org.
[...]
We saw a bit of this in the 2004 and 2008 presidential campaigns, with things like Howard Dean’s use of Meetup, and Barack Obama’s use of Facebook. But this was still social-networking in support of an existing organization or campaign. The tea-party protest movement is organizing itself, on its own behalf. Some existing organizations, like Newt Gingrich’s American Solutions and FreedomWorks, have gotten involved. But they’re involved as followers and facilitators, not leaders. The leaders are appearing on their own, and reaching out to others through blogs, Facebook, chat boards and alternative media.
The protests began with bloggers in Seattle, Wash., who organized a demonstration on Feb. 16. As word of this spread, rallies in Denver and Mesa, Ariz., were quickly organized for the next day. Then came CNBC talker Rick Santelli’s Feb. 19 “rant heard round the world” in which he called for a “Chicago tea party” on July Fourth. The tea-party moniker stuck, but angry taxpayers weren’t willing to wait until July. Soon, tea-party protests were appearing in one city after another, drawing at first hundreds, and then thousands, to marches in cities from Orlando to Kansas City to Cincinnati.
As word spread, people got interested in picking a common date for nationwide protests, and decided on today, Tax Day, as the date. As I write this, various Web sites tracking tea parties are predicting anywhere between 300 and 500 protests at cities around the world. A Google Map tracking planned events, maintained at the FreedomWorks.org Web site, shows the United States covered by red circles, with new events being added every day.
The movement grew so fast that some bloggers at the Playboy Web site — apparently unaware that we’ve entered the 21st century — suggested that some secret organization must be behind all of this. But, in fact, today’s technology means you don’t need an organization, secret or otherwise, to get organized. After considerable ridicule, the claim was withdrawn, but that hasn’t stopped other media outlets from echoing it.
There’s good news and bad news in this phenomenon for establishment politicians. The good news for Republicans is that, while the Republican Party flounders in its response to the Obama presidency and its programs, millions of Americans are getting organized on their own. The bad news is that those Americans, despite their opposition to President Obama’s policies, aren’t especially friendly to the GOP. When Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele asked to speak at the Chicago tea party, his request was politely refused by the organizers: “With regards to stage time, we respectfully must inform Chairman Steele that RNC officials are welcome to participate in the rally itself, but we prefer to limit stage time to those who are not elected officials, both in Government as well as political parties. This is an opportunity for Americans to speak, and elected officials to listen, not the other way around.”
Likewise, I spoke to an organizer for the Knoxville tea party who said that no “professional politicians” were going to be allowed to speak, and he made a big point of saying that the protest wasn’t an anti-Obama protest, it was an anti-establishment protest. I’ve heard similar things from tea-party organizers in other cities, too. Though critics will probably try to write the tea parties off as partisan publicity stunts, they’re really a post-partisan expression of outrage. … (Readall.)
The term “post-partisan” is important. I don’t think that the vast majority of media had any clue that a lot of those attending the Wednesday events were disillusioned DEMOCRATS as well as many skeptical Independents.
As one of those disillusioned Democrats, I can tell you that I do not share the sentiments of many who attended the events. For example, I am in favor of a national health care plan.
But we have to be sensible. I am very worried by a highly inexperienced president — who’s never managed anything except a campaign — who’s embarked on a mad-hatter grab for everything under the Christmas tree at a time when our economy is very shaky and we have such high unemployment, which also means lower tax revenues which are needed to pay for all these grand plans.
I want some prudence. I want the underpinnings of our economy restored. I want new rules for Wall Street and banks. Then, and only then, can we take a look around at what else we can do.
That’s one reason why the “anti-establishment” tenor of these demonstrations also rings true to me.
Did you notice how the media were confused yesterday, trying to find some ideological moniker to hang on the groups? They missed the entire point of the protests.
One thing the media miss is that we feel estranged from our representatives to Congress. Have any of you called your senators’ and representatives’ offices lately? I did, to complain about Geithner’s “toxic assets” plan and the $1+ trillion it is sneakily going to cost taxpayers. When I asked the receptionist to read back what I’d said, she replied, “Is opposed to stimulus plan.” Irritated, I told her that that was NOT what I said, that I was specifically concerned about a very specific plan, and that I was a Democrat.
Ani told me that she’s received a similar brush-off when she’s called her representatives’ offices.
I am afraid that both the establishment and the media have not yet GRASPED the origins of our distress, our worry, and our anger. It is NOT all about taxes. It is NOT anti-entitlement programs. It is NOT rightwing.
But it surely is about making sure that these rescue plans first put taxpayers’ hard-earned cash in the hands of those who need it first and most: The unemployed, for example. (In my county, our unemployment rate is nearly 12%.) These days, there are very few jobs that would support a family, which makes unemployment compensation and, if possible, food stamps absolutely necessary. They also have a hard cold practical value in that unemployment and food stamps put money into the economy immediately.
I digress. But I am very concerned that these stimulus plans are mostly benefiting the big dogs and bypassing both small businesses — which are the engines that keep our economy going — and middle-class Americans. And it’s not about being unfair to small business and regular people. It’s practical. If we aid small businesses and average Americans, we will directly benefit our economy, and do it far faster. I think it’s called “common sense.”
The problem is that I can’t compress all of these feelings and points of view into a snappy saying on a rally sign. And the point I’m trying to make is that all of the people who were out on the streets yesterday also have many complex reasons for their concerns, and are far more than the ‘wingers that the biased media tried to portray them as.
(Release: November 13)
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Amazing. People can organize themselves.
Just because the far left has to wait to get its marching orders from MoveOn doesn’t mean that the rest of us (centrists and conservatives) aren’t capable of self-organizing.
Which makes yesterday all the more impressive.
It’s truly sad that most reports failed to point this out though.
I just checked the local newspaper. In this tiny area — the largest town has 19,000 residents — we had a turn-out of 400+. And it was the top story today.
I guess all of us “old timers” can use the internet to our advantage just like the Obot trolls. The big advantage we have is our cause is good and it’s noble. Good will win over evil every single time. Watch as it unfolds. All the crooks Obama hired, one by one, will fall like dominoes. It happens all the time. “You reap what you sow”…..
Exactly! Good will trump evil in this country. This is NOT the United States of Obama/Pelosi/Reid/Dodd/Frank, etc. I think it’s pretty clear that lots of folks are outraged and want those people GONE. Just think of how many people were at the Tea Parties, and how many had to work, etc. and couldn’t be there. I would double the numbers at least. And it’s just the beginning. People are energized now. Ready to fight for Lady Liberty, whatever it takes. America rules. Obama, you scumbag, nice try. But we’re not going to be CUBA any time soon, loser.
Susan,
Thank you so much for this story. I am thrilled to see so many people standing up and speaking out, reaching across party lines to voice their objections. Of course, more of this should have happened a long time ago — and I criticize myself with that statement because I certainly could have been more vocal years ago, too. But I guess it has finally reached critical mass.
I do not like being brushed off by my representatives. I will say, however, that my husband sent a heated letter to one of our Senators saying he would vote her out because of her blind vote for this stimulus bill and he got a VERY detailed response backing up her reasons for her vote. This was an absolute tome of a
letter — which tells me a lot of people are complaining and she is being called to account by many, otherwise she would not have taken the time to craft this thorough answer. Keep it up, folks. It’s starting to get through!
Politicians must be scared otherwise the compicit media wouldn’t be dancing circles around themselves to insult, mischaracterize and denigrate these protests.
I hope you are right that Anderson Cooper and his insolent compadres were taken to the woodshed by the higher ups at CNN. He, as well as Maddow, Shuster et al of MSNBC should be deeply ashamed — they all give the impression of fiddling while Rome burns.
I wonder how a protester who has just been laid off, with a family to feed, feels about being thus insulted and dismissed. I hope they sent and will continue to send loud complaints to these networks so that these well heeled, insultated commentators will be forced to find their manners.
Ani, great post. I am soooo happy about yesterday. I hope it’s the beginning of people rolling up their sleeves, acting in a non-partisan manner, and getting down to the business of restoring America’s greatness. I can’t WAIT until July 4th when the next wave of Tea Parties is scheduled. I predict double the numbers, or more, of yesterday. Keep it up folks. This was awesome.
The Tea Party Revolution
Finally, under Obama’s budget the national debt will double over the next five years, and triple over the next ten, to $17.3 trillion. The national debt as a percent of GDP will soar from 40% to a peacetime record of 82.4%, almost as large as the entire economy, and twice as high as when Reagan left office. If the economy does not recover permanently next year, as even the CBO assumes (not going to happen long term), Obama could even top the World War II record of national debt at 113% of GDP, spending mostly on welfare and entitlements, rather than on fighting the Nazis and Imperial Japan.
Does this sound like we’re “moving from an era of borrow-and-spend to one where we save and invest,” as Obama also said in his press conference last month?
Two signs from Yesterday’s Tea Parties:
1) Bush and Obama – Dumb and Dumber
2) Obamanomics – Trickle Up Poverty
We are so screwed.
The media are making a big deal out of Gov. Perry’s remarks at a Tea Party in Texas yesterday: “Gov. Rick Perry: Texas Could Secede, Leave Union.”
The media will be consumed by discussion of his statement today — it’ll suck all the oxygen out of the room — but he’s merely expressing disgust typical of a hell of a lot of Americans. I.e., it’s primarily a symbolic statement.
Again, the media will miss the larger point.
Good lord, they can bloviate about Governor Perry all they want. What they’re afraid of is that many Governors, not just Perry, are asserting their 10th Amendment rights. 20 states I believe. Good for them. I was so impressed by our forefathers for this amendment that limits the Federal Government’s intrusion into states’ rights. Guess they all knew we would have someone like the Fraud trying to destroy the very fabric of our country. Nice try, Fraud.
the Tea Parties, Governors asserting sovernity etc. It’s snowballing and no amount of trickery will stop it. They’re screwed now. So they can take their cheeto talking points and stick it.
But wasn’t it just delicious to see how MANY trolls were here yesterday? OMG I have NEVER seen so many morons on one blog in a day ever. Not once. Poor things, the Fraud is in trouble. Oh well. Take two aspirin, eat some cheetos, drink some Kool Aid and call us in the morning losers.
0bama and his army of Marxist bots are angry and bewildered. When 0bama arrogantly proclaimed “We won” he was defiantly boasting that he was going to do whatever he wants, and his impish worshippers believed they had the playground all to themselves. They’re angry that so many of us refused to chug the kool-aid, and they’re bewildered that they have to share the playground with commoners and decent folks, so they can’t have the perverted orgy they were looking forward to.
Yesterday’s tea parties remind me of the scenario of parents (the tea-partiers) returning home from a trip to find their teenagers (the 0bama-nation) having a kegger. The little devils are caught red handed! The adults at the tea-parties have now grounded 0bama and his little power intoxicated friends, and I think they should also lose their driving privileges, for eternity!
Yes, I was delighted to see so much troll activity. Things in Obamaland must be much, much worse than we know.
I bet all the Supermarkets across the country ran out of Hot Pockets yesterday.
roflol, Arabella. Hot pockets, indeed!
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/16/cable-anchors-guests-use-tea-parties-platform-frat-house-humor/
Here are some great comments on the CNN and MSNBC low brow humor.
Ah yes Susan…the media that elected the current president. I can only hope sincerely that people stir up Congress next year in the mid term elections by using their most powerful weapon…THEIR VOTE!
Texas is not the only state involved with sovereignty resolutions.
Texas secede, good riddance. Another failed state. Does that mean we get to send them a bill for the 11-plus trillion dollars Bush wasted on the Iraq war ? And make them answer once and for all to the lack of “tea parties” during his administration that got us to where we are today ??
Elizabeth the Troll..yawn. We’re past that nonsense now. Haven’t you heard? We’re doing something positive for our country. Try it some time.
You F**king Idiot
Texas had a gross state product of $1.09 trillion, the second highest in the U.S.
We could live without you..
Texas had a gross state product of $1.09 trillion, the second highest in the U.S.
We could live without you Elizabeth Bot
A bot ? Are you kidding ? From someone that didn’t vote for either Bush or Obama, for asking where THESE people have been the last 8 years ??
If the GOP can present some real conservatives in 2010 who will balance the federal budget and declare themselves “earmark free,” I’ll gladly forgive and forget — at that point.
The GOP hate here gets overwhelming sometimes. Nevertheless (and I will get called a “Republican Shill” again LOL) unless there are some balanced, centrist or conservative people put in Congress in 2010, this country won’t survive the loony far left and their nonsense. I didn’t vote for Bush or the Fraud either. I can only think of how much better my life would be with McCain and Palin. Maybe I wouldn’t wake up sick to my stomach every damned day of this nightmare from hell in the USSPelosi/Obama.
Nice try, Elizabeth. But you’re really stupid.
Texas is not bankrupt. That’s the very liberal state of California who’s going bankrupt, dear.
I can’t believe you trolls are so good at making yourselves look completely uninformed.
Don’t you have homework?
Oh dear!
Maybe Texas tea parties could do without Pols. Even though every native Texan worth his salt will proudly boast about secession rights, they don’t want to leave the union. They want to run it, but they don’t want to leave. Too bad Ann Richards isn’t around to lead.
Americans are no longer stupid about their Gov. They are becoming more up to date about the Gov. and what is going on. The days of folly by any politican are over, and many on the left fear losing power. Yesterdays smears and name calling were perhaps done out of fear by the left. Once you gain power, you have to keep it. And this was a glimmer of the future that they didn’t want to see. Perhaps if anything comes of this it will be a third party that gains power by actually listening to the people, and common sense solutions. I was a Dem. but I cannot relate to the far left or the far right. We need a middle ground where most of the people reside.
they originated from sane, logical people who are tired of having their pockets picked by government-PLAIN AND SIMPLE. Bush did it, Obama’s doing it, congress did it, it needs to STOP NOW.
We need to keep having Tea Parties and support new candidates that are fresh, bold, stand up for the constitution and know how to balance a budget.
The next round of Tea Parties is being scheduled for 4JUL.
The problem will grind to a halt if we can get rid of a lot of these criminals in 2010. Nancy Pelosi can’t destroy this country as easily if she’s the minority. And I think Dodd, Reid and all the other scum see the writing on the wall. I can’t WAIT to get this trash out of Congress. 2010 can’t come soon enough. By then we will at least be 1/2 way through the Fraud’s reign of terror too.
This is the most idiotic “protest” in history. Obama has CUT the tax liability of 95% of the American people. Only the top 5% will see any increase and that only to the 39% figure they paid during the Clinton administration. The tax rate for the top 5% was 50% during the Reagan administration, 60% during jFK’s term, and 71% when Ike was president.
Protestors are being conned by Dick Armey and Steve Forbes into protesting FOR the top 5%. Think, people!!! You are supporting the same people who receive the big bonuses. I realize it’s not fun to admit you’ve been conned but, YOU HAVE BEEN CONNED.
http://candidblogger.blogspot.com/2009/04/tea-party-scam-this-grass-has-no-roots.html
Yipppieeeee more trolls. Woot woot woot…The Fraudbama camp must be really fuming about our successful day yesterday.
Hey Fed Up.
How is my Paula Revere today?
As I was standing at the tea party with my sign hawking my pitchforks I noticed all the young regular people who obviously didn’t have lots of money like these supposed radicals on the right.
I saw folks from all walks of life and all backgrounds. The final speaker was an AA woman with a lot of class who had wished all her life for an AA president but not this one. I’m very proud that she saw beyond her race and voted based on the facts.
Hey Seattle!
I am great today. Finally a day of not being sick to my stomach for my country. Your pics are fabulous. Love the signs. How nice that an AA woman said what they should ALL say…Great to have an AA POTUS – Just NOT this azzhole.
XOXXO
IFU
Here here, they’re out in droves!
Here’s a link about the expected doubling of our taxes:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/15/walker.tax.debt/index.html
And, blast this idea to pieces please, within this link is the suggestion that a value-added-tax, VAT, is “inevitable” and revenue from it could be used to fund the healthcare plan:
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/obamas-tax-reckoning-2009-04-14.html
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/04/15/pelosi-astroturf/
Pelosi says the tea parties are not an organic grassroots movement.
And 95% will, too, get a tax cut.
You keep telling those fairy tales, Nancy.
They keep repeating this lie. News flash: only 50% of the population even pay taxes, and there is no way to sustain trillion $ deficits without tax hikes for everyone. They will just be “hidden” if necessary.
What drove me around the bend today was reading that Nancy was dismissing the tea parties as corporately orchestrated ASTROTURFING tactics. The unmitigated hypocrisy of accusing the Right of astroturfing after Axelrove perfected it last year during the primaries, infiltrating the internet with Clinton bashing and Obama-loving maniacs. That is why the Party lost me–the sanctimonious lies and hypocrisy. They are just as bad as Rove ever was.
Thanks for the post, Susan. This needed to be said. What is happening is inevitable. This is the growing of the bulge in the middle, the independents. The right wingers gave us 8 years of Bush and the left wingers are about to give us 8 years of 0bama. But the difference is due to his own shenanigans during the primary and GE and media’s odd (from most people’s view even those who have not kept up) behavior, people are sensing something is not right. It has not helped that 0bama has got on the wrong foot with helping his Wall street cronies who brought him to the WH. What prevented him from including something like a “small business rejuvenation plan” in his stimulus bill for the little people?
But I am astounded by the quickness of this reaction using the Internet. The self-organizing aspect of this will be of great interest to social networking researchers as it is to me. Vint Cerf is coming to our Univ. tomorrow. May be I should ask him about the Cybersecurity bill.
pm…correction…there’s no prayer in hell Obama will have 8 years. None. Look how pissed everyone is after three months. IF he makes it all four years, that’s it.
FedUp: I’ll make you a bet Obie has two terms. When you get in office by corruption, you don’t care about the people–or depend on them.
tek…I will bet you whatever you want…there’s NO WAY the Stoner in Chief stays for 8 years. Not even the most remote prayer. If we don’t legally do him in, his own owners will turn on him. I hear they already are unhappy with him. Bigger people than us will get him out of there. He never belonged there in the first place.
I intentionally wrote 8 years. Unless people wake up to what is going on and a better alternative candidate in 2012, he will sail through for lack of options — a credible Dem alternative candidate is unlikely and the Repubs are in disarray. We have to wait and see how this “battle of the bulge”
will take shape in the next year or two.
I agree with you, pm317.
Most sensible people throught there was no way in hell George Bush would get a second term either. I certainly didn’t want to believe it. Obama is here to stay for eight years unless there is a big shake up — which means a really appealing Republican candidate (who is no neo-con) or an Independent.
No Democrat is going to run against the incumbent. President Obama would have to be polling so badly by 2011/12 that he would bow out for some “health reason” or something — and since he is already running for re-election, it is doubtful that would ever happen. The party leadership would really have to be running horribly scared to change course.
I personally have a hard time believing that he will make it all four years.
He may get re-elected, but the Congress will certainly change.
I think Obama will be way to tired and bored to run again. He needs a new job, like King of the World.
Well, Obama can be King of the hospital Psych Unit where he belongs. But, King of the World?
We all know how it worked out for the last guy that wanted to be King of the World – in a bunker in Berlin.
Well, Obama can be King of the hospital Psych Unit where he belongs.
ROFLMAO…He really is one sick F**k.
That’s a really good point, pm. If the Far Left begins assessing and actually admitting the energy of these protests, the fact that the organizing power of the net threatens their own interests then the cybersecurity bill would be a perfect cloak to shut things down.
All in the name of “National Security.”
The enemy of the Far Left isn’t the Far Right. It’s the middle class.
The Far Left blows, but they can’t stop us. They can attack the net, and we’ll find another way. The more they pull this crap, the better. Gives us more reason to keep protesting and revolting.
HEY! I just posted what you sent the list. It was too good not to share.
I think their estimates of the number of tea parties held yesturday are probably inacurate because they are only counting the cities. I live in a rural area and I attended two parties in very small towns where there were about 200 at one, in a town with only one traffic light, and about 400 in a slightly larger town. These were organized at the last minute for those who couldn’t get to the larger cities. And in cold, steady rain, too. Both of these parties were just people standing at the intersections and holding signs up to the passersby. No speakers, just friendly people. They were also held after work hours, partly because that is when the most traffic goes through these little towns! I think this kind of thing is going to be the norm. I certainly hope so!
Some people are saying that there were 2300 Tea Parties, a way bigger number than say the 500 that were reported.
I think this is a good time to re-view “Meet John Doe.”
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4402466664505876862&ei=KFHnSf62JY3a-QGR1c3QAw&q=meet+john+doe&dur=3
PM 317 just e-mailed this to the writers’ list:
The Obama Democrats are turning out to be just like the Bush Republicans–no surprise. They’ll come to the same end because they have exactly the same tactics. No CHANGE here.
I helped organize the Cleveland Party. After we got people to sign up the Republican Party hacks tried to co-opt the event and take credit for it, we politely declined. The event was primarily attended by ordinary Americans who ad never demonstrated before.
We had over 5000 people attend according to police estimates, but all the local news media down played the event and reported as hundreds because it was obvious there were more than just a few dozen people there. http://clevelandteaparty.webs.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=5207319
I’m a veteran; believe in the Constitution, pro life, pro small government, pro fiscal responsibility so I guess that makes me a domestic terrorist in the eyes of the government. Well there goes the 1st amendment.
Politicians are parasites and Republican politicians are no different. But I am impressed at how the people are fighting back their usurpation. Good for you!
devildog — that is awesome!!! If I still lived in Lakewood, I would’ve joined your party for sure. Cleveland rocks!
Wow, No Quarter approvingly quotes yet another far-right wing website regarding the Tea Parties. Why oh why on earth would anything think the teabagging was strictly a GOP affair?
GOP? Ha! The GOP has been for the most part MIA on these issues. The Tea Party movement is the only thing in this country that actually IS bipartisan.
oh, just STFU. I am irritated by your mediocrity on this blog. If you don’t have the intelligence to understand what is going on around you, you would at least shut up to conceal your ignorance. Are you blind, stupid, which is it?
just remember that he is here because they are defending their savior. everytime something happens – obama is in trouble, or there is a protest – the bots swarm like flies to cheetos.
the events are bi-partisan, and are grassroots.
nothing these bots can say can change that. ignore them.
(and you know the answer to your question. ;O)
pm….It’s stupid. Period. This particular loser tried to tell me yesterday that the Fraud never insulted Joe the Plumber. ROFLMAO. Even though the Youtube video of it went viral and I have it in my personal cache. There do they GET these morons?
Marco Duato, You seem to have mixed up the Tea Party event based on the Boston Tea Party in 1773 with some other affair. You can read all about the Boston Tea party in any history book but basically there were no “Republicans” around at all.
It was the American colonists who didn’t like British rule and the Tories who were perfectly content with the tax policies of the Empire. So, a more apt description would be to put the Tea Party participants demanding taxation with representation versus Obama Tories who like things the way they are.
Barko-the-Troll is back. Stupid is as stupid does. How pathetic are the trolls, blogging from mommy’s basement, trying to smear great, patriotic, NON-PARTISAN events and turn them in to right wing extremist gatherings? Pitiful losers. Y’all are soooo terrified that the Fraud is done. Well, he is.
Just read that ABC had reported that “Obama did not know about the tea parties” and “was hosting his own event today.” Since he obviously has no idea what the tea parties were about I wonder what kind of “event” he has planned? And will there be Wagyu beef or St. Louis pizza?
You just knew Obama would have to do something passive-aggressive in response to the Tea Parties. I’m sure we’ll see him make an “innocent comment” about drinking tea while dusting off his shoulder with his middle finger.
He can’t help himself.
I guess he doesn’t care what thousands of Americans were protesting yesterday huh? He couldn’t be bothered. The disrespect that has been shown by the supposedly “enlightened” Left is once again Hypocrisy on Parade.
I would have had some respect for Obama had he acknowledged these troubled Americans and said something about it. He just plain doesn’t give a DAMN. What an azzhole.
Awesome post!
Did you happen to catch CNBC yesterday when they were attempting to make fun of the Tea Parties, but got the surprise of their lives when Rick Santelli (God Bless him!) was man enough to tell the truth and say that he was proud of them for doing that! (Also notice that he was not alone in his sentiments…watch the man in the background to his left give him the “thumbs up” sign when he says “it was great!”):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGes0yLCxbU
I was so blessed that so many people responded! I can’t even begin to imagine how many will be there for the 4th of July rallies! I pray that they will realize that it’s much more important than going away on vacations–they could attend one on their vacation, for that matter! We have to make a stand–it’s our last chance!!!
God bless you and GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Cynde
http://usurper-exposed.blogspot.com/
Legislators can’t operate under the flat rock of prosperity anymore as more people are losing their jobs or standard of living. When there was enough wealth to go around,legislative excesses in the form of wheelbarrows full of tax money going to a favored few who in returned kicked a percentage back could be overlooked. Not anymore. I just hope that Joe and Jill Sixpack’s awakening hasn’t come too late.
Why are any of you surprised that the pro-Obama media is painting this as the actions of a few right wing loons instead of what it truly is, a protest of the naked pandering of Washington to Wall Street in return for campaign cash at a future date.
yea.. about CNN cleaning up its act…
this clip of a CNN reporter at a tea party in chicago is absolutely sickening. here words are literally dripping with contempt and here treatment of the protesters in general is just appalling.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G3fvNhdoc0&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americasright.com%2F&feature=player_embedded
help.. i do not recognize my country anymore
Is that the vid where the CNN reporter instigates the crowd’s response with her sarcasm and provocative rhetoric, and then points to the crowd and says they’re all Fox News people?! I watched that as it unfolded, and I have to say I was disgusted with that “journalist.” She initiated her spot with the most hideous contempt, and interrupted one of the protest attendees, who was holding his child, and wouldn’t let him speak, and then insulted him.
PATHETIC.
But Cooper’s “teabagging” comment was really juvenile, and offensive. I won’t even watch those MSNBC frat-boys and girls so I don’t have to hear their offensive garbage or even look at them. With the exception of Scarborough for a bit in the AM, MSNBC doesn’t come on in my house.
It was the birth of a new era and BO is going to have post-partisan depression soon, I think.
Great post Susan, thank you. And great WSJ article.
The media who missed the point and tried to assign an ideological hidden agenda WANTED to do that. They intentionally didn’t want to report the news and that great citizenry that took place. They intentionally tried to confuse the story for THEIR HIDDEN AGENDA
So unlike the Demorats big rallies that are organized by Pacs and 501c’s.
One of the main organizers here spoke after the other guests spoke and SHE agreed also with former Democratic Senator Grubesic that we all can pretty much agree on about 90 percent of the issues.
I’m with you and Larry. We are being taxed to death and it’s not going to the people. When someone wants to compare just the employment tax to other countries, but don’t take in to consideration how much tax we are now paying on everything else. That’s not included in their figures AND, we don’t get anywhere near what those other countries receive for those higher taxes.
I think we should have a National Health Care. Health Care is a right. Then if people want to offer private insurance for others to buy additionally because they choose or can afford to for special services or the best of care, fine, they can have that choice. But it will improve insurance companies and expenses medical costs will drop dramatically
We need a fairer tax code. A single person making 40 K shouldn’t be taxed the same as someone making 250K and someone making 250 K shouldn’t be taxed the same as someone making 2 million.
And damnit, our taxes are supposed to be going for what it’s was intended, not making us payback their deals and special interests for getting them elected and staying in power.
Government was created for the people by the people to protect against wealth and the powerful, to be the middle of Business Interestest and the People, not to hijack our government for the the Powerful and Big Businesses Interests.
I had to laugh at an Ipod created on Headline news from a guy with broken english telling us we should be wanting to pay taxes because our roads are crumling and bridges are falling. HELLOOOO you putz? We’d LOVE the money go to our infrastructure, that’s the problem, it’s NOT. It’s going to keep Obama’s donors for the war machine happy and his big donors on Wall Street, Pharmaceuticals, Health Insurance Companies, Hedge Funds and Financers.
And Obama is worse than all others. His private fundraisers always showed what he wanted to do. He wanted to redistribute based on his own agenda. Give money to the low income and protect higher income and squeeze the heart and majority of people in the middle, so they have enough just to survive, and be the meal ticket for the poor, while the wealthy keep him in power.
THROW EVERYONE OF THESE BUMBS OUT IN THEIR NEXT ELECTIONS.
Registered Democrat. Support Tea Parties movement b/c they want to stop this Facist movement.
I agree about the CNN reporter in Chicago–she was very rude and digesting. Maybe she was that way because CNN actually stands for the Communist News Network.
Andersen really said a mouthful…
Foxwood, nice website!
[...] Sweepstakes & Contest List Directory added an interesting post on Origin of the Tea Parties & Media BiasesHere’s a small excerptToday American taxpayers in more than 300 locations in all 50 states will hold rallies — dubbed “tea parties” — to protest higher… [...]
[...] Originally Posted by goldendog I think for people to cloak their convoluted message around the lable of "tea parties" is also disingenuous. Bush handed the mess over to obama where is that in the "teaparty" message? Obama is trying to spend us out of a mess while Bush spent us into a mess. Where is that in the "teaparty" message. It isn’t there…they use that "lable" to attack unjustly which is also disengenuous. Why attack a person who can’t do anything? It makes no sense. So if I am in a lot of debt, the right thing to do is to spend more money I don’t have? Origin of the Tea Parties & Media Biases : NO QUARTER [...]