I have some good friends involved in the movement whom I respect, such as Michael Swartz from Monoblogue, however in my neck of the woods it is simply nothing more than a movement in the Republican Party of MD, which has very little power or influence since the rigged legislative district give all power to two-three counties.
Here is the post......
by Glenn Greenwald
There's a major political fraud underway: the GOP is once again donning their libertarian, limited-government masks in order to re-invent itself and, more important, to co-opt the energy and passion of the Ron-Paul-faction that spawned and sustains the "tea party" movement. The Party that spat contempt at Paul during the Bush years and was diametrically opposed to most of his platform now pretends to share his views. Standard-issue Republicans and Ron Paul libertarians are as incompatible as two factions can be -- recall that the most celebrated right-wing moment of the 2008 presidential campaign was when Rudy Giuliani all but accused Paul of being an America-hating Terrorist-lover for daring to suggest that America's conduct might contribute to Islamic radicalism -- yet the Republicans, aided by the media, are pretending that this is one unified, harmonious, "small government" political movement.
The Right is petrified that this fraud will be exposed and is thus bending over backwards to sustain the myth. Paul was not only invited to be a featured speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference but also won its presidential straw poll. Sarah Palin endorsed Ron Paul's son in the Kentucky Senate race. National Review is lavishly praising Paul, while Ann Coulter "felt compelled [in her CPAC speech] to give a shout out to Paul-mania, saying she agreed with everything he stands for outside of foreign policy -- a statement met with cheers." Glenn Beck -- who literally cheered for the Wall Street bailout and Bush's endlessly expanding surveillance state -- now parades around as though he shares the libertarians' contempt for them. Red State's Erick Erickson, defending the new so-called conservative "manifesto," touts the need for Congress to be confined to the express powers of Article I, Section 8, all while lauding a GOP Congress that supported countless intrusive laws -- from federalized restrictions on assisted suicide, marriage, gambling, abortion and drugs to intervention in Terri Schiavo's end-of-life state court proceeding -- nowhere to be found in that Constitutional clause. With the GOP out of power, Fox News suddenly started featuring anti-government libertarians such as John Stossel and Reason Magazine commentators, whereas, when Bush was in power, there was no government power too expanded or limitless for Fox propagandists to praise.
Below are some of the opinions shared on the MDLP's Yahoo Group.
Billy P. Wrote:"I remember Ron Paul just two years ago in the Republican primaries debate
being asked why he was even a Republican since he disagreed with their views
so much, and he responded that he didn't realize that being a fiscally
minded conservative who cared about the constitution had stopped being
something Republicans can identify with. This is the same party that pushed
through an unconstitutional war, were advocating wiretapping journalists and
other citizens, started the war on drugs, want to bring religion into state
schools and offices, wanted to restrict the liberties of homosexuals, and do
all of this and have the AUDACITY to claim they care about our
Constitution.
The Tea Party consists of people who honestly believe Obama is a Muslim and
from Kenya, think socialism and fascism are the same thing, probably
couldn't spell Constitution much less realize it contradicts half of what
they espouse, and are led by one of the most dishonest politicians of all
time who has been consistently exposed as both embarrassingly uninformed and
willing to lie and manipulate anything and anyone to garner support from
morons.
I was aghast when the Libertarian Party website linked to the Tea Party.
Look, if you're against excessive government spending, believe in people's
liberties above any political agenda, and have sane and reasoned criticisms
of Obama and the Dems, then there already is a party for you - the
Libertarian Party."
Bill B. Responded with this:
I have been a member of the Libertarian Party since the early 80s and participating in the Tea Party movement since April 2009. I don't know where you are getting your information about the people involved in the movement; but let me take your points one at a time.
The Tea Party consists of people who honestly believe Obama is a Muslim and
from Kenya,
I have NO reason to believe the president is not a Christian (or any objection if he WERE a Muslim). As to where he was born, I expect it was in Hawaii; but think he shot himself in the foot with all the reluctance to produce documentation.
..think socialism and fascism are the same thing,
I am well aware of the differences between the many forms of Statism and am opposed to each and every one of them.
...probably couldn't spell Constitution much less realize it contradicts half of what
they espouse,
I'll admit my spelling is not superb; but I do know how to use a dictionary. I am not aware of any position of the Tea Party movement that is contradicted by any part of the Constitution.
...and are led by one of the most dishonest politicians of all time who has been consistently exposed as both embarrassingly uninformed and willing to lie and manipulate anything and anyone to garner support from morons.
First off if you know ANYTHING about the Tea Party movement you know it is not "led" by anyone. If one of the coordinators of one of the many groups that make up the movement can be characterized as "dishonest", "embarrassingly uninformed ", "willing to lie and manipulate", and seeking to "garner support from morons" please identify this idiot. Whoever it is, he is not “the leader” of the Tea Party movement.
Billy P. then Responded:
"First, Let me apologize for being a little harsh and generalizing. I was
cranky after work, and politics bring out the worst in people. Obviously,
there are intelligent and nice people who got involved in the Tea Party
because of a concern over excessive government spending. But everything
I've seen from the movement suggest it's really about something far
different. I will explain where I am getting my information at some point
in the future. And the leader, who I realized is not the leader but a
figure who seems to be well-liked within the party, and also their speaker
at their convention, was Sarah Palin. I will explain some of my sources of
information later.
But let me ask you this simple question - isn't it a bit coincidental that
this Tea Party started a few months into the new administration? We had 8
years of an administration that ran an surplus into a deficit, spent, spent,
spent on war and special interests, and continually expanded the power of
the executive branch.
Where was the Tea Party then? Why did they decide big government was a bad
thing so soon after a new administration starts, and decide that the blame
should be shifted to a president who had been in office for a few months,
and not 8 years?"
Jason H. chimed in with:
Actually the tea-party domains were registered prior to the health care and bailout backlash.
Look at the back issues of UrbanSurvival.com for discussions of this interesting fact.
Then he dropped some more good points....
In case you googlefu is not as good as mine:
http://www.urbansurvival.com/blog/?m=200903&paged=2
So much of the news is pushed and shoved, this way and that, by largely
unseen forces, that it frightens me for the kind of country my children
will grow up in. Just another example of unseen hands? Go look up the WHOIS record on some of this seemingly “spontaneous” (city name) Tea Party web sites. You’ll find in some
cases that republicorp types are involved and that the site domain names were purchased in AUGUST 2008, which means the hidden hand is working
an agenda over on that side of things, too.
http://www.urbansurvival.com/blog/?p=1932
Remember that I told you the web URLs’s and “tea party” names and the strategy was set up a year earlier (mid 2008) by some old-line Republican Party operators?
Now the accounting is getting done, and
guess what? Millions of dollars donated by righteously angry Tea Party
suckers was spent on — you guessed it — paying the Republican
consultants that set up the scam in the first place.
Here’s the stuff on the Tea Party Express,
who managed to siphon off over two thirds of the donations right back into their own pockets as
“consultants” to the Tea Party “movement” Majority Of Tea Party Group’s
Spending Went To GOP Firm That Created It. ( http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/majority_of_tea_party_groups_spending_went_to_gop.php?ref=fpb )
Do not try to bend the Republican party. That is impossible. Instead only try to realize the truth. There is no reasonable Republican party. Then you'll see it is not the party that bends, it is only yourself.
Andrew P. has given the latest comment with:
Keep in mind there isn't one "tea party". If you join teapartynation.com or resistnet.com, they are outright hostile and hateful to anything that smacks of liberty and the free market. I joined myself and have never experienced such a group of ignorant and hateful people. Don't mention that Obama "and Bush" are responsible for the mess we're in now, they'll call you a Bush bashing troll. Don't speak of natural rights either, they don't know about natural rights or think it's only for gays or "faggots". Don't mention anything about cutting domestic and defense spending, only certain types of domestic spending may be cut. When I say don't mention it, I mean that they will ban you for speaking of any of these ideas. They will attack you personally, as well for any reason, they can dream up. If you let them know you live near DC, they will accuse you of being some kind of gov't bureaucrat who is against them. Another thing, don't
mention you're a libertarian and you don't support the "Great" Scott Brown. Also, close your ears to the nasty things and worse such as k----- Muslims, foreigners or immigrants. Yes, that's what I mean!! Someone said k---- them and didn't get banned. After their "volunteer" moderators ban you for your comments, there is no recourse. The leaders of the group won't respond to any complaints about any of this. They just want to be a bunch of hateful and ignorant people. Grassfire is the parent group of resistnet, which I used to think was a "legitimate" thoughtful group, not anymore.
Now, on the other hand, take teapartypatriots.org, (.com is a different group or site). Post or say anything you want within reason on the patriot's site and they won't have any problem with it. Say you're a libertarian, no worries.
So, obviously it's a mixed bag some are fraudulent, the patriots are okay. Take it for what it's worth, whatever that is supposed to mean?
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