Sandy Hook

Sandy Hook

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The rage is not about health care

President Obama could have proposed a tax rebate of $10,000 and the conservatives still would have gone stark raving mad. When the Health Care Bill passed Republicans and Tea Partiers turned into a raging sea of childishness, insanity, ugliness and stupidity.

Representative John Boehner went apoplectic chanting "Hell no, you can't." Frank Rich,  in a New York Times Op-ed piece, The Rage Is Not About Health Care, suggests Boehner "had just discovered one of its more obscure revenue-generating provisions, a tax on indoor tanning salons."

In a debate with David Ploffe on ABC's "This Week," Karl Rove frothed at the mouth and went on a non-stop tirade. Such antics have become less funny and less entertaining.

Republicans have shouted "you lie" and "baby killer" in House chambers, violating every rule of  decency and decorum. To steal a phrase from Joe McCarthy, Republican Congressional representatives have become Tea Party "fellow travelers."

For over a year Tea Party protests have attracted increasingly large crowds. They have grown louder, uglier, more threatening and more violent as time has passed. They have shouted racial and homophobic slurs at respected members of Congress and have thrown bricks through their offices - similar to a mini-Kristallnacht in 1938 Germany.

According to Rich, there was heated reaction when Social Security was passed in 1935 and Medicare thirty years later.  "When L.B.J. scored his Medicare coup, there were the inevitable cries of “socialism” along with ultimately empty rumblings of a boycott from the American Medical Association."

But there was nothing like this. To find a prototype for the overheated reaction to the health care bill...you have to look to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.... it was only the civil rights bill that made some Americans run off the rails. That’s because it was the one that signaled an inexorable and immutable change in the very identity of America, not just its governance.

That a tsunami of anger is gathering today is illogical, given that what the right calls “Obamacare” is less provocative than either the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or Medicare, an epic entitlement that actually did precipitate a government takeover of a sizable chunk of American health care. But the  explanation is plain: the health care bill is not the main source of this anger and never has been. It’s merely a handy excuse. The real source of the over-the-top rage of 2010 is the same kind of national existential reordering that roiled America in 1964.   

In fact, the current surge of anger — and the accompanying rise in right-wing extremism — predates the entire health care debate. The first signs were the shrieks of “traitor” and “off with his head” at Palin rallies as Obama’s election became more likely in October 2008. Those passions have spiraled ever since — from Gov. Rick Perry’s kowtowing to secessionists at a Tea Party rally in Texas to the gratuitous brandishing of assault weapons at Obama health care rallies last summer...

The election of a black president and a female House speaker, the appointment of a Latino to the Supreme Court, and a gay Congressional committee chairman "would sow fears of disenfranchisement among a dwindling and threatened minority in the country no matter what policies were in play."

In this writer's opinion, the Tea Partiers - just like the Birchers, the patriot groups, and other right-wing groups - have a serious case of paranoia. And racism - despite social scientists' claims to the contrary. Maybe they should have read the liberal blogs in the early days - especially those written by southerners.

The Tea Party movement is virtually all white. The Republicans haven’t had a single African-American in the Senate or the House since 2003 and have had only three in total since 1935.

By 2012, the next presidential election year, non-Hispanic white births will be in the minority. The Tea Party movement is virtually all white. The Republicans haven’t had a single African-American in the Senate or the House since 2003 and have had only three in total since 1935. Their anxieties about a rapidly changing America are well-grounded.

After the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, some responsible leaders in both parties spoke out to try to put a lid on the resistance and violence. The arch-segregationist (Richard) Russell of Georgia, concerned about what might happen in his own backyard, declared flatly that the law is “now on the books.” Yet no Republican or conservative leader of stature has taken on Palin, Perry, Boehner or any of the others who have been stoking these fires for a good 17 months now. Last week McCain even endorsed Palin’s “reload” rhetoric.

Are these politicians so frightened of offending anyone in the Tea Party-Glenn Beck base that they would rather fall silent than call out its extremist elements and their enablers? Seemingly so, and if G.O.P. leaders of all stripes, from Romney to Mitch McConnell to Olympia Snowe to Lindsey Graham, are afraid of these forces, that’s the strongest possible indicator that the rest of us have reason to fear them too.

In my very humble opinion the Tea Partiers and Beck and Co. are one thin hair away from being sedicious.  If we lived in a police state, as that monumental wonder Beck proclaims, everyone of those thugs would be in jail.

33 comments:

  1. But but, they don't hate the fact PO is a black man, I have heard them say this time and time again. They just don't like the intrusion of big government. The one I hate, is when some people I know have used the I have (type) friends here, so I cannot hate him because of that *sheesh*. Just a matter of time and the change happening, whether or not they want it to, most of these people just do not like it one bit. Here in California, we are already a minority majority state and I couldn't be happier about that. The one thing I do wish that would change though, make up of female and male in our elected officials. That is another comment for another day :)

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  2. great job L!! The reason I state for it not being about healthcare reform is because the bill is the same as Romneycare! When I stated that fact to neocon Nik, she went into a rage! They can't admit their racism.

    The dipshit filling in for Beck said the tanning tax was racist against light skinned folk, LOLOL!

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  3. well said. sharing my article about similar:
    The truth behind the Tea Party racism, Sarah Palin, anti-government violence and GOP accountability from a Christian perspective:

    http://democratdeal.blogspot.com/2010/03/carnage-along-path-rise-and-fall-of-tea.html

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  4. You said it Leslie, you know it's true, I know it's true, the Teabuggers and the Republicans know it's true, the big difference is they won't admit it, but nonetheless it's true.

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  5. That a tsunami of anger is gathering today is illogical, given that what the right calls “Obamacare” is less provocative than either the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or Medicare,

    Yeah, neither of those were promoted by the black guy in the White House. From everything I see, that's what it's all about, and it's eating them alive.

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  6. TnLib is absolutely correct. The "chief teabaggers" appeal to racists and homophobes. They are given a forum.


    I can't remember one idea for a realistic spending cut or idea that would shrink government from these people. it's the same cries of "socialism" and "Obama care" at each one.


    The movement is only about hatred of Obama and Democrats. Orchestrated by those that would exploit racists to get a big crowd.

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  7. "Understand, I'm a good Christian. I'm not racist but, you know, well, those niggers are just a little too pushy and they smell funny. Why don't they just go back where they came from?"

    Aaaaargh.

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  8. The Republiklan Party went racist about 30 years ago, and they've gotten a little more open about it with each successive cycle.

    The only people the Klanservatives fool anymore are themselves.

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  9. "They have grown louder, uglier, more threatening and more violent as time has passed. They have shouted racial and homophobic slurs at respected members of Congress"

    Prove it. Provide proof of the "violence" and "racial and homophobic slurs." Try providing evidence instead of a mindless rant.

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  10. JR: As usual, you're right on - except the GOP has been racist much longer than 30 years. I'm old enough to remember.

    Tom: I don't do research for others. Instead of listening to Beck and Co. for your information, broaden your horizons by visiting reliable news sources. That doesn't include Fox, Limbaugh and your right-wing blogs. There have been plenty of folks who said they heard the slurs.

    To impugn the integrity of honorable men like John Lewis and Barney Frank is mind-boggling. They are NOT like Boehner, Grassley, McConnell - lying is not in their vocabulary.

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  11. I happen to have done the research already:

    Quinnipiac poll of makeup of Tea Party:
    http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1295.xml?ReleaseID=1436

    Racial slurs:
    http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/3457015

    In any film or photo of a Tea Party gathering, you will have to look long and hard to find a black or brown face.

    John Boehner and Michael Steele agree:
    http://www.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2010/03/
    Invoking the blessings of God:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1Z-5dHGKw4

    Vandalism and threats aimed at Democrats:
    http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/22/pols.dems.vandalized/

    http://www.13wham.com/news/local/story/Health-Care-Reform-Le

    http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20001091-503544.html
    (These are real jewels. If you haven't heard them, they're must listening.)

    Tea party leader publishes address of Congressman's brother:
    http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34934.html

    Collateral damage:
    http://www2.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/local/crime/article/d

    Lynching and sexually mutilating President Obama:
    http://www.klewtv.com/news/84420877.html

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  12. There's weird sexual component to teabaggery as well. I'm writing about it in tomorrow's blog, and I certainly invite comments.

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  13. Having trouble getting comments to stick, just though I'd let you know.

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  14. K: Wow. Thanks. That's a keeper. Will stop by. I think, when the Tea "Baggers" heard what it meant they quickly changed the name to Tea Party. I always refer to the little buggers as just that.

    Holte: Someone else told me they were having problems. They also said they had to hit Preview in order to publish their comment. Don't understand why but will check my settings.

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  15. tnlib said: "To impugn the integrity of honorable men like John Lewis and Barney Frank "

    Last night I read news piece from October 2008, in which Lewis was ranting that the mere criticism of Obama's past association with Bill Ayers was racist. This is such an incredible stretch that it's fair to say that Lewis was flat-out lying. This fell under the "it's racist because I say it is" category. Lewis showed back then that he had no integrity.

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  16. (I like this comment format so mcuh better!)

    I love Frank Rich, but this column was too long and too wordy. The crux of what he had to say came about three-fourths of the way through – in the paragraph you quote about the black president, female speaker of the House, Latino Suprrem Court Justice and openly gay committee chairman. Rich says that when the Tea Party signs say, “Take our country back,” “these are the people they want to take it back from.”

    There is a delusional fringe in this country who believe it BELONGS to white Christians.

    The funny thing about Southern politics is that at one time or the other both parties were racist.

    BJ

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  17. dmarks: I'd bet this was a reaction to that stupid statement Palin made during the campaign. As events have demonstrated, Lewis was right, imo, and I thought so at the time.

    As I've said before, a person doesn't have to come right out and call someone a nigger to be racist. Blacks, in particular, and even a large group of whites, can see through this kind of inuendo quite easily.

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  18. BJ: Thanks. All I can say is that it is better than the horrid one column comment forms.

    Rich's piece is a bit long, which is why mine is. As it is, I had a hard time narrowing it down because I didn't think there was a paragraph that wasn't significant.
    I think he needed to substantiate the claims in the latter part by pulling the historical elements together and by reviewing them.

    I think a lot of us have wondered what the reaction - congressional and public - was to the passage of SS, Medicare and CR. We oldies may remember the latter two but younger people may not. I've tried to find something on the Internet but haven't met with much success. Rich has at his disposal a NY Times database that goes back for eons, so I was quite happy to read about all this. Plus it provides the 'proof" that all these righties are clamoring for - although they never seem t be able to back up their lies except with more lies.

    There are elements in the southern Democratic party who are racist. A few years back they were called Dixiecrats.

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  19. tnlib,
    Wanted to congratulate you on a well-written post. I don't agree with almost all of it, but I like reading what you have to say. I'll continue to take my racist, homophobic, mysoginist, (have I missed someone?) ass to tea party protests.

    I would simply say that you were right on one account. I do have a problem with color and it's the green that our government prints and spends at an incredible rate. I don't care about Ds or Rs, I am against big G. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

    As for seditious behavior, it's hard to reach that level. I suggest you read a book called "The Limits of Dissent" about an anti-war congressman from Ohio during the Civil War named Clement Vallandigham.

    Interesting case in government oppression of free speech. I don't think any of us want to go there.

    Three cases of government suppression of free speech should make all Americans cringe. The Alien and Seditions Acts of 1798 punished government critics by fining and jailing them. The Sedtition Act of 1918 punished a war protestor named Schenck with jail time. And Vallandigham. Each time the courts concurred with the jailing, sentencing, and censoring of free speech.

    Government is a very real threat to our rights. It must be monitored vigilantly.

    Thank you for the forum.

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  20. It's a fact that if we lived in anything close to a police state ....many of us would be in jail, beside's them for sure. I havent paid too much attention to these teabag's actually, only because they are not an alternative group as they proclaimed ... it's just kind of like fear paranoia shit and god/ gun's type shit, mixed in with some conservative thinking that isnt no longer conservative .... odd but true. I noticed that too .... I mean .... it look's like their all white folk's(?), kind of looked odd. I voted republican most of my life, even though I am liberal on some issue's, I never claimed any party, only because I dont agree with eother party entirely .... since I only have a choice to make my vote count of picking one or the other, that are all backed either way by corporate entities, I have to vote for the lesser of two evil's (even though you still end up with evil) (I just use term's like good/ evil to describe the story.... heh, heh, heh, heh, heh ... I dont actually believe in good/ evil spirit's etc). Anywayz ... these day's I am voting straight democrat, but for a reason .... and primarily because of the action's of Bush/Cheney who I also voted for, and that the republican's have let the corporate sector control everything totally, even more than the dem's. Frankly if McCain/Palin would have got elected .... we would be in horrible shape right now. Also it has gotten to the point oddly that the democrat's are actually showing to be more fiscally conservative ... at least not spending every damn thing on corporate interest's that are only invested offshore in foreign countries like Saudi's and China ... who actually own more of us than we realize .... and rightfully so, because we used them both as a crutch and owe them now handsomely. The right wing oddly these day's are selling out America unfortunately and have went against everything that they claimed they stood for at a time. Also the religious thing is just getting too much for me .... I am not against what folk's believe .... but I never did care for religion at all, I believe it is the source of all our problem's even. I really loathe getting caught up in all this political stuff, but it's become a reality so I have to deal with it. I almost feel like I am just argueing over a bunch of rich folk's .... and were led like cattle puppet's at time's. I will vote straight dem also because they are the only one's trying to make the ride to come smoother ... we will have much more problem's to come, believe me ... so what this administration is doing may be expensive .... but trust me .... we have not much choice, we are in worse shape than we realize because of year's of lack of regulatory reform in the corporate sector, and because of our corporate sponsored globalization .... I seen this coming year's ago .... posted about it since I started my journal.

    Thanx Ms.Tnlib! ....BTW ... love the Bluebonnet's photo! :)

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  21. Of course I agree with you, but I would like to dispute one claim you made- that "For over a year Tea Party protests have attracted increasingly large crowds."

    I have followed this closely, and have been to a number of tea parties. The attendance and enthusiasm peaked on the first tea party day- last April 15th. Both the attendance and (based on my observation) the enthusiasm have declined since then. This applies to local events and national ones. The September 12th Washington tea party managed to get about 70,000 people. That is really pathetic compared to antiwar protests, both in the Vietnam era and more recently, but it is still the best they can do. The last two Washington tea parties only managed to attract a couple of thousand people, and the largest tea party in months, in Harry Reid's home town, got 9,000. And you must remember that left wing protests have never had the financing, media promotion and backing of a major political party that the tea parties do.

    This movement is a spent force, and only the collaboration of the mainstream media enables them to seem to represent any significant number of American people.

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  22. Mr. L&OT! I've been wondering where you were. Figured I'd said something that blew the chalk out of your hand. ; ) You and I both know that to agree on anything would cause us to go into cardiac arrest and neither of us wants that - but we can still have fun and learn.

    I will read the recommended book. ITM, I urge folks to go to the First Amendment Center to review all the Supreme Court decisions re Free Speech from Schenk and on. Note Holmes' dissenting opinion in that same year in the Abrams vs. US case. This is an excellent timeline/review (short) of free speech cases.

    http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/analysis.aspx?id=21677

    To a livelier subject. Glenn Beck, although a recovering alcoholic, is very much a dry drunk. He gets high by making outrageous statements and by the subsequent fallout. It takes more and more absurdity to reach a high - just like it takes more and more booze to get the alcoholic high.

    I am not saying he's seditious at this point, but he's spinning so out of control it's just a matter of time before he crosses that little thin line - all in the name of getting that next high.

    Just to be nasty, I would like to add that the only person a drunk fools is himself. Sadly, that doesn't seem to be the case here.

    As always, I'm sincerely happy you stopped by. It is not important if people agree or disagree, just as long as they are civil, dammit.

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  23. RC: Fantastic comment. I like to hear what people's experiences and thinking have been to get them to the point they are now.

    The religion thingy has been very bothersome for me. I went to a HS nunnery boot camp run by Episcopal nuns and of course we were steeped in religious theory day and night. We couldn't move without having to genuflect. But we experienced a much broader approach than we see in the Bible thumpers and their so-called literal interpretations.

    I was fairly devout around that time and have gone in and out of phases and I'm still struggling. This past year has just about knocked me off my foundation. I just can't believe any God would subscribe to guns and hatred of one's fellow man. Not the God I grew to love anyway.

    I love the bluebonnets. Thanks to Lady Bird Johnson we see them all along the highways - not just in Texas but everywhere. God, she was such a lovely socialist.

    Thanks, RC.

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  24. Green Eagle: You are absolutely right. I thought when I wrote

    "For over a year Tea Party protests have attracted increasingly large crowds."

    I was off base and meant to edit it but by the time I got through I was pretty exhausted.

    Of course, you are absolutely right. Another good example was the "big" dog and pony show here in Nashville. The TP organizers said they had thousands of delegates signed up for it. When only 600 showed up the delegates became "leaders."

    BTW, they're having another one in Vegas sometime in July.

    The crowd figures for the protests in DC the day the HC bill passed is a good example of the wild imaginations of certain news outlets. 20,000 to 30,000 no less.

    In Nevada, we see the same inflated figures by Fox - 10,000 to 20,000. Geez.

    "And you must remember that left wing protests have never had the financing, media promotion and backing of a major political party that the tea parties do."

    March on Washington: 250,000. Woodstock: 150,000.

    "This movement is a spent force, and only the collaboration of the mainstream media enables them to seem to represent any significant number of American people."

    Totally, totally agree. I and my fellow colleagues in the media are absolutely furious with the laziness of the reporters and the gutlessness of the publishers.

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  25. President Obama's inauguration; a million.

    Threats and intimidation are the only clout these jokers have.

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  26. Truth, thanks for the inauguration stats - I was too lazy to look it up.

    I can't help but think of Pam and all the ugly vilification she received from her own "side" when she helped keep Shaw's blog up and running while Shaw was being treated for cancer and because Pam visits liberal blogs. It just boggles my mind and I shake my head in wonder. I'm sure these vile creatures consider themselves devout Christians.

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  27. R. Chimp said: "Frankly if McCain/Palin would have got elected .... we would be in horrible shape right now."

    Yeah, it would have been horrible. The nation's unemployment rate might have crept above the 6.7% level it was in November 2008. Perhaps even to the shockingly high level of 7% or so. Sure glad they were not elected, and this nightmare scenario never came to to pass.

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  28. tnlib,
    Thanks for the reply, but I'm really too old to succumb to peer pressure or the siren song of Glenn Beck. I know the difference between hyperbole and truth. Beck serves as a catalyst for citizen involvement. That's the lifeblood of democracy.

    Green Eagle,
    Thanks for your unbiased report. It's obvious you have your finger on the pulse of tea parties. The tea party scheduled in my area for next week will fill an arena on a week night. Around here only college basketball and minor league baseball get that kind of a crowd on a week night.

    Maybe I shouldn't waste my time on a spent force with a turnout like that. But I'll take my chances on being the only one to show up.

    BTW, most of the people I meet at these events are registered independents or some third party such as the Constitution Party. Politicians are routinely booed regardless of party.

    Only 9,000 in Searchlight? How many people live there? Somewhere around 700? What a terrible showing. Right, a spent force.

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  29. "Only 9,000 in Searchlight? How many people live there? Somewhere around 700?"

    http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/289821

    "
    A conservative blogger examined analysis of Tea Party members, citing CNN statistics declaring they are predominantly male, more college educated and higher earners than the general population at large, but not necessarily older or just from the South. A progressive blogger on ThinkProgress looked at the CNN statistics and relayed the same information as the conservative fellow, stating the following:
    Turns out that the “tea party” movement sweeping the nation is disproportionately composed of individuals who have higher-than-average incomes. It’s also disproportionately composed of men. And disproportionately composed of white people. And disproportionately composed of self-identified conservatives. And disproportionately composed of self-identified Republicans.

    "Tea Party supporters are likely to be older, white and male. Forty percent are age 55 and over, compared with 32 percent of all poll respondents; just 22 percent are under the age of 35, 79 percent are white, and 61 percent are men. Many are also Christian fundamentalists, with 44 percent identifying themselves as “born-again,” compared with 33 percent of all respondents."

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  30. In my very humble opinion the Tea Partiers and Beck and Co. are one thin hair away from being sedicious.

    I can't even find the hair.

    Superb post!

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  31. I hope I may be permitted the luxury of a reply to Law and Order Teacher, who says:

    "Green Eagle,
    Thanks for your unbiased report."

    You're welcome

    "It's obvious you have your finger on the pulse of tea parties. The tea party scheduled in my area for next week will fill an arena on a week night."

    Listen, back in the day, we could get thousands of people out in dozens of places around the country with two days' notice. I was heavily involved in the anti-Vietnam movement, and I have seen what a real popular movement looks and feels like. Deny it if you want, but the tea parties I have seen fall laughingly short of that. The press manages to ignore leftist demonstrations with hundreds of thousands of people in them. If it didn't suit the interests of liars like Fox News, these things would never even be heard of.

    "BTW, most of the people I meet at these events are registered independents or some third party such as the Constitution Party. Politicians are routinely booed regardless of party."

    They are, as far as I can tell, a bunch of ignorant, deluded right wing fanatics. If being too extreme for today's Republican party counts as being independent, then that's what they are. If they are booing Republican politicians, it is not because the Republicans are too far to the right; it is the exact opposite, and you know this perfectly well.

    And I remind you, I've been to lots of tea parties, so I'm not just parroting what I heard on other left wing blogs.

    And as for your turnout in Searchlight, Nevada, the Coachella music festival, out in the middle of nowhere, draws up to 100,000 people, and the Burning Man festival, really out in the middle of nowhere, in northern Nevada, regularly draws 45,000 or more.

    You've bought your own propaganda- one of the worst political mistakes you can make.

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  32. Green Eagle,
    Thanks for your well thought out reply. As for buying propaganda, that requires a sheep-like personality which is something I studiously avoid. Sorry to disappoint. The people who attend tea parties aren't the normal types who demonstrate. It would take a great deal to get me out of my house after working all day, but profligate spending has done ti. It seems to take some time to get the hang of it.

    As for the Vietnam protests, I don't have a problem with them. I spent my time post high school in the military, including a stint in Vietnam. So I didn't get the protest thing down.

    I then spent 26 years as a police officer. There I saw protests from both sides. Some people join to be seen, some have convictions. Just a thought.

    As for well-attended functions you mention, I'm sure the organizers are thrilled. Lots of money there I'm sure.

    As for participants being deluded right wing fanatics who protest the politicians who are not far right enough, I don't know anything of the sort. But really, thanks for telling me what I think.

    It would seem you go to tea parties and see what you want to see and think what you are predisposed think. That's alright but please don't believe your own propaganda.

    Good day sir.

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  33. tnlib said: "I don't do research for others. Instead of listening to Beck and Co. for your information, broaden your horizons by visiting reliable news sources. That doesn't include Fox, Limbaugh and your right-wing blogs. There have been plenty of folks who said they heard the slurs."

    Like I said, you rant but are too lazy to actually think or work for yourself.

    I don't listen to Beck or Limbaugh

    Fox is as good as CNN. Mature people (ie not you) listen to a variety of news sources, not just those that agree with their ideology. So I read Fox, CNN, the Washington Post, Washington Times, New York Times primarily. I rather think it is you who needs to broaden their horizons.

    Thank you, "K" for doing what TnLib is too lazy (or stupid) to do.

    Unfortuantely, none of your links prove anything. Take for example this one
    http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/3457015

    The only "evidence" presented is that Rep Lewis and other Dem lawmakers said it happened. Not a single reporter has ever heard the N word said by a Tea Partier. Democrats need the charge of racism so they invent it to take the heat off of their unpopular bills. But there is no audio or video evidence, or independent third party.

    Lewis is a liar plain and simple.

    Then we have this one
    http://www.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2010/03/

    By posting this one you commit the elementary logical fallacy of arguing from the specific to the general.

    This one is a real howler

    http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/22/pols.dems.vandalized/

    Uh, this sort of thing goes on by both sides. Maybe thlib was talking about you when he or she said to broaden your horizons.

    Sad, isn't it, that the home of Joe McCarthy is on the left.

    But here's the part that gets me: Liberals and Democratsare always screatching that they are the party of the people. That they represent the little guy (oops, and gal. And transgendered. And...)

    Yet when a real populist movement comes along all of you freak out and fall over yourselves to denouce them. In true McCarthyite fashion you invent the charge of racism to hurl against them, one that is so transparently BS that it would be funny if it wasn't so serious.

    But if you want to compare populist movements let's do so.

    Over the past 5 years I've been to dozens of protests and rallies by the left and the right in and around Washington DC. I've seen them all: Code Pink, International ANSWER, United for Peace and Justice on the left. Rolling Thunder, Gathering of Eagles Free Republic and of course the Tea Party on the Right.

    The leftist ones are like the freak show at the circus. Everyone dresses up in some outlandish costume and acts like a circus clown. Many or most of their signs are vulgar and contain one sexual innuendo after another. The only American flags you'll see are upside down (and there are very few of them).

    At the rightist ones the people dress normally. They often bring their kids because they know they won't be insulted by profanity etc. The signs are tough but not vulgar. And there are lots of American flags.

    Oh yeah, I forgot most of you think the flag is jingoist.

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