MyDD :: Tea Party Palooza

Tea Party Palooza

by Todd Beeton, Wed Apr 15, 2009 at 04:10:39 PM EST

Today, as people are filing their taxes, maniacs around the country are gathering to protest the...errr..biggest middle tax cut in history, or something? Or is it the bailouts that began under Bush? Or perhaps that scary bogeyman big government spending? All? Either? No one seems to really know. But what is clear is that they are hardly a grassroots affair.

As First Read points out:

But let's be clear about one thing: These tea parties are hardly non-partisan events. While there's certainly a grassroots component here, these parties have been co-opted by a major America political party (the RNC's Web site allows for creating send-a-tea-bag post cards to Dem leaders) and an entire cable news channel (which has been promoting the events). The main Web site for the events today, Tax Day Tea Party, is funded by conservative groups, and a public records search shows it's registered to a conservative techie, Allen B. Fuller, who used to be a legislative correspondent for GOP Sen. Richard Shelby and who touts creating Web sites for Republican elected officials. Also reportedly involved in today's protest events are FreedomWorks, a conservative group founded by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, and Americans for Prosperity.

What's also clear is that these events are serving as an excuse for rightwing extremists to rally against President Obama in really ignorant and dangerous ways. This report from CNN is pretty stunning. Watch Susan Roesgen ask a guy over and over why he's calling the president of the United States a fascist. He has no answer. She also informs one teabagger that Illinois would actually get $50 billion from the stimulus and calls Fox News out for what they really are.

For the definitive takedown of the teabaggers, check out this Countdown piece from the other day:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

And check this out, the Philadelphia tea party protest only drew 300 people.

Also, up in Oregon, the Bus Project has a brilliant idea:

To steal a line from Oliver Wendell Holmes, on Wednesday patriots are paying for civilization. They deserve a cheerleader.
So the Bus Project and friends are going to the Post Office to cheer them on.
We'll be handing out "Thank You Cards" that show people how much good their tax dollars do. Their confidence is gonna be huge as we all remake our country for the future.

Yes, Joe Biden was right, paying taxes is patriotic.

Down here in SoCal, apparently the San Diego protest is corresponding with a marriage equality rally. We'll have someone on the ground to give a full report of the madness.

What other tea-baggery are you seeing?

Update [2009-4-15 16:24:1 by Todd Beeton]:More outright mockery of the teabaggers, this time by Anderson Cooper.

Tags: tea parties, fox news (all tags)

Permalink :: 10 Comments :: Post a Comment

Feigned outrage, completely grass roots (2.00 / 1)

but spontaneously organized by proffesionals and
one of the biggest media congolmerates on the planet.

Brought to you by the guys that actual created the problems these sad folks are outrage at?

Yes, Obama really made the last 8 years of the Bush admin wreck the economy!

Wow, it's so circular, and so absurd, I don't know quite how to get my head around it...

Support the separation of Church and State: Vote YES on WA R-71!

by WashStateBlue on Wed Apr 15, 2009 at 05:20:53 PM EST

Anderson Cooper is a riot (2.00 / 1)

It's hard to talk when you're teabagged.
OMG. I'm sorry but as an Adult this is just freaking hilarious to me.

I suddenly realize that I know way too much about porno for my own good. I'd better get myself a mistress or something...

Hmm... I know I'll get a married woman. They're the best kind. How about... my wife?
Woo hoo!

by Trey Rentz on Wed Apr 15, 2009 at 05:47:29 PM EST

Re: Tea Party Palooza (none / 0)

They are just tryin' to defend the "Consitution."

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/04/larg e_Tea2Web.jpg

by RichardFlatts on Wed Apr 15, 2009 at 07:40:24 PM EST

LOL! (none / 0)

Actually it almost looks like two t's there at the end, I read it as

The Consitutton...

Kind of like a Futton, something to sit on, but with original content!

Support the separation of Church and State: Vote YES on WA R-71!

by WashStateBlue on Wed Apr 15, 2009 at 07:52:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Tea Party Palooza (none / 0)

You think a $13 a week tax cut for middle class families is a big deal? Its crap pure and simple...it amounts to very little. Just shows how little liberals value our hard earned money....

by adb67 on Wed Apr 15, 2009 at 10:51:24 PM EST

Re: Tea Party Palooza (none / 0)

The Tea Parties were definitely hijacked by the hypocritical Republicans who have done an about face on government spending now that they were thrown out of power, but the impetus for the Tea Parties still came from ordinary Americans that are pissed off about the current situation in this country.

This is all about jobs and many people don't think the stimulus and huge spending proposed in the budget are going to create the jobs to get the economy going. Jake Tapper made a good point today when he asked about the January report that the administration put together that said we needed the stimulus or we were going to see +8% unemployment.

Now that we got the stimulus, we're at 8.5% unemployment! Unless that turns around, President Obama is toast. It won't matter what he does if people don't have jobs.

by tpeichel on Wed Apr 15, 2009 at 11:16:31 PM EST

Stop with the constant framing and paroting (2.00 / 1)

You can mock these people or you can discuss the real issues here.

1. Politics IS LOCAL. Reversing the direction of government from: Federal, State, Local, Citizen Back to: Citizen, Local, State, Federal.

2. Fair taxation: yes this means most at the rallies will pay more directly to the government(at least until spending is brought under control). In actuality though we are already paying indirectly. Didn't your dad ever teach you there is no such thing as a free lunch?

3. Fiscal soundness in Washington. When the Fed's goal is keep down unemployment instead of maintaining a stable dollar we are putting our currency at risk. The only solution we seem to be getting from Washington is to monetize the debt and continue the same programs as before the program.

People have been complaining about Bush's spending. DID YOU NOT SEE HIS APPROVAL RATINGS? Quit thinking it was because he was too libertarian. He spent and spent and spent. And it is just as hypocritical to blame Bush then support Obama as he follows many of the same policies.

I know I am a pain in the ass in some of you guy's eyes, but I just got this independent streak which I think much of our country has lost. I believe in citizen government and I believe in strong local government. I do not think it is a crazy idea that the Federal government is not the best place to "fix the country's problems" and it is the furthest from the people's input.

The constant attempt to frame the opposition's argument does nothing to strengthen your own. I may be wrong and maintain the freedom to change my mind, but calling people like me crazy does not help your case. Picking odd balls from a crowd is a weak position.

As far as the Blue Oregon article is concerned I am happy to pay my taxes to for "future leaders to receive an education, roads and bridges to be built and maintained, national defense, libraries and a whole host of other crucial things that keep our society". Just don't tell me the debate over "other crucial things" is over(it is an every expanding list). This is what we should be talking about. It is a sad fact is that the very things mentioned are often the first things who get their budget's cut. I would point out though that education, roads, bridges and libraries are local expenditures with national defense being the primary need for a federal government.

Again don't frame these people. Their positions are easily found on the Internet. Why continue with this attempt to make anyone for a smaller more localized government out to be some crazy guy? Isn't that what our country is founded on?

Talk. Listen. Discuss. It is our patriotic duty.

"There have existed, in every age and every country, two distinct orders of men - the lovers of freedom and the devoted advocates of power"

by Classical Liberal on Thu Apr 16, 2009 at 01:15:42 AM EST

Re: Stop with the constant framing and paroting (none / 0)

I think you make a fair point. Talk. Listen and discuss is our patriotic duty.

Follow me on Twitter.

by Charles Lemos on Thu Apr 16, 2009 at 03:49:36 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Stop with the constant framing and paroting (none / 0)

Good point, but...

...I am involved in my "local" Govt. I cannot see how it is more efficient or less corrupt than Washington. We (the townspeople) have the same complaints, just on a smaller scale. We do not feel MORE empowered arguing with the mayor, we feel more IMPOTENT when the mayor, who we know personally, still ignores us. This actually causes MORE problems because then there are assaults and firearms being brought into play. See some of Duluth, MN's antics over the last 10 years.

On the local level, a LOT of DAMAGE can be done in a few short years by a one term wonder. Local control is not the magic bullet to Federal excess, unless you or your ideas happen to be in charge at the time...and if YOU want to be in charge of your Govt, yes YOU personally, then run for public office!

by Hammer1001 on Thu Apr 16, 2009 at 11:00:18 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Stop with the constant framing and paroting (none / 0)

Well at least you can argue with the Mayor. Do you have a standing invite to talk with the President? First of all you get the government you deserve. Formulate your argument and speak at a local council meeting. No one is stopping you. If the town refuses to listen or bullies the opposition, than you can always foot with your feet. Look at New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. (Talk about cites which shrink the middle class)

Local control is the answer. When the federal government gives the local government money to spend it removes you from the loop. Trust me if your property taxes matched the expenses spent in your neighborhood you would pay more attention. All locales a different - That is the beauty of this great experiment we call freedom.

You say centralized government and I see plain vanilla everywhere. I hear local government and I see more flavors than Ben and Jerry's could ever invent. There is less chances of a people making a mistake at the ballot box that could cost us our freedom.(NO I AM NOT POINTING AT OUR PRESIDENT) If the Democratic Party(either party would work for this example) is the only party we can trust with the powers we give the Federal government, than we kind of lose our voice don't we?

There is overlap between the Democratic Party and Classical Liberalism. Call me a Republican(I don't really see it has a compliment or a put down.) Red and Blue are just the colors of the ties our politicians wear. Thoughts, Ideas, Principles are what should matter. We both want the same thing - to develop a more perfect union.

"There have existed, in every age and every country, two distinct orders of men - the lovers of freedom and the devoted advocates of power"

by Classical Liberal on Fri Apr 17, 2009 at 02:00:13 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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