GOP=Tea Party a sign of desperation of Democrats

RSLC Chairman Ed Gillespie was asked about the Democrats strategy of tying the GOP with the tea parties Contract from America. We have already seen how deceitful the Democrat's version of the Contract from America was written (what can you expect?).

Gillespie notes that it is a sign of desperation that the Democrats are announcing the midterm strategy already:

"They usually wait until October to start telling voters that Republicans are going to eliminate Social Security and Medicare. It is a sign of their desperation that they have started that in July this year,” Gillespie said.

If the Democrats main strategy is to tie the Republicans with the most popular grass root movement in years, then bring it on. People are tired of the deceit the Democrat spread, people are tired of deficit spending, they wanted change in 2008 and they got change for the worse. Anyway I agree with Gillespie, I think that the GOP will be pleased to have to deal with the tea party "problem."

AZ law ruled illegal

Federal Judge, Susan Bolton, has declared key parts of the AZ immigration law to be unconstitutional, setting off a firestorm. Democrats are hailing the ruling such as the Obama administration:

Obama administration officials said the ruling should force Republicans who sided with a bipartisan effort on immigration in 2006 and 2007 to come back to the table.

They just don't understand do they? The tea party had been losing steam, this reignites it like a pack of TNT. NM governor Bill Richardson had this to say:

"I find it incomprehensible that Republicans are almost unanimously negative on this decision," New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said. "It's just alienating Hispanic voters.…If Republicans continue to block efforts for comprehensive reform, they're going to suffer at the polls. "

Well it is not about the polls Mr. Richardson! It is about what is right and whats wrong! It's about obeying the law! It's about stabilizing the economy! Not everything is based on polls. Oh well Democrats live and die by polls, these other concepts are hard for them to grasp.

More Democratic Fear Mongering

The Democrats new midterm strategy is to link the RNC with the "fringe tea party." What the DNC doesn't understand is that the tea party movement fully makes up about 26% of the electorate, well whatever I don't think that their strategy is going to work. They want to tie the tea party Contract from America with the Republican platform.

Anyway I wanted to post the Democratic interpretation of the contract from America compared to the official version of the contract.

Original contract

1. Protect the Constitution

Require each bill to identify the specific provision of the Constitution that gives Congress the power to do what the bill does. (82.03%)

2. Reject Cap & Trade

Stop costly new regulations that would increase unemployment, raise consumer prices, and weaken the nation’s global competitiveness with virtually no impact on global temperatures. (72.20%)

3. Demand a Balanced Budget

Begin the Constitutional amendment process to require a balanced budget with a two-thirds majority needed for any tax hike. (69.69%)

4. Enact Fundamental Tax Reform

Adopt a simple and fair single-rate tax system by scrapping the internal revenue code and replacing it with one that is no longer than 4,543 words—the length of the original Constitution. (64.90%)

5. Restore Fiscal Responsibility & Constitutionally Limited Government in Washington

Create a Blue Ribbon taskforce that engages in a complete audit of federal agencies and programs, assessing their Constitutionality, and identifying duplication, waste, ineffectiveness, and agencies and programs better left for the states or local authorities, or ripe for wholesale reform or elimination due to our efforts to restore limited government consistent with the US Constitution’s meaning. (63.37%)

6. End Runaway Government Spending

Impose a statutory cap limiting the annual growth in total federal spending to the sum of the inflation rate plus the percentage of population growth. (56.57%)

7. Defund, Repeal, & Replace Government-run Health Care

Defund, repeal and replace the recently passed government-run health care with a system that actually makes health care and insurance more affordable by enabling a competitive, open, and transparent free-market health care and health insurance system that isn’t restricted by state boundaries. (56.39%)

8. Pass an ‘All-of-the-Above” Energy Policy

Authorize the exploration of proven energy reserves to reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources from unstable countries and reduce regulatory barriers to all other forms of energy creation, lowering prices and creating competition and jobs. (55.51%)

9. Stop the Pork

Place a moratorium on all earmarks until the budget is balanced, and then require a 2/3 majority to pass any earmark. (55.47%)

10. Stop the Tax Hikes

Permanently repeal all tax hikes, including those to the income, capital gains, and death taxes, currently scheduled to begin in 2011. (53.38%)

Democrat Version

1. Repeal the Affordable Care Act (Health Insurance Reform)

Put insurance companies back in charge, repeal tax credits for small businesses, allow insurance companies to deny coverage based on preexisting conditions and to drop coverage when a person gets too sick and make prescription drugs for seniors less affordable.

2. Privatize Social Security or phase it out altogether

Turn the guaranteed retirement benefits of America's seniors over to Wall Street CEOs by putting Social Security at risk in the stock market or, as some Republicans have called for, phase out Social Security altogether and end a program millions of American seniors rely on for their survival.

3. End Medicare as it presently exists

Phase out and end Medicare as it presently exists for future generations of seniors -- ending Medicare's guaranteed healthcare benefits for more than 40 million American seniors -- and replace it with a voucher system which will result in higher premiums and fewer services for seniors.

4. Extend the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy and big oil

At a cost of nearly $700 billion, extend the Bush tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and big oil, which are set to expire and which have and will continue to explode the federal budget deficit.

5. Repeal Wall Street Reform

Roll back the toughest consumer protections ever enacted, allow banks to continue to grow too big to fail, and ensure that predatory lenders continue to utilize their most abusive practices.

6. Protect those responsible for the oil spill and future environmental catastrophes

Cap liabilities for those responsible for environmental disasters like the Gulf oil spill and let companies like BP decide which victims deserve compensation for the disaster and what the timeline for relief should be.

7. Abolish the Department of Education

Put the big banks back in charge of student loans and put an end to federal assistance for public schools.

8. Abolish the Department of Energy

End America's investments in a clean-energy future and disband the organization responsible for oversight of nuclear materials.

9. Abolish the Environmental Protection Agency

Gut the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act -- which together protect our kids from air pollution and keep drinking water safe -- and disband the watchdog that holds polluters accountable.

10. Repeal the 17th Amendment

Take away your right to pick your U.S. Senator.

So either the Democrats can't read or they are intentionally lying, which I believe it is the latter. They somehow forgot to make a point of the whole balanced budget thing, protecting the constitution thing. No biggee though! They can just through in a couple of points and pretend that everything is perfectly fine.

The lies and misleadings are so blatant that it makes me want to vomit. Democrats! you claim to be for the people, this contract was created by the people. Anyone could have voted including you! Why are you criticizing a genuine grass roots document? You say that the Republicans are the master fear mongers, what do you call this?

The Tea Party is Coming to Town

A Democratic leaning polling institution released some statistics recently about the tea party bloc. As reported by Wall Street Journal, Public Policy Polling found out that the tea party bloc will make up to 26% of the electorate this year, and that they favor Republicans 57-19. Some more statistics

• 44% identify themselves as Republicans
• 34% identify themselves as Independents
• 21% identify themselves as Democrats
• Only 35% call themselves tea party members

I am surprised at the high number of Democrats in the tea party movement. I suppose that these would most likely by Reagan Democrats. This poll should give tea party supporters great hope though. We will literally be the deciding factor in many races. Let's hope we can unify behind good candidates instead of running third party campaigns.

An Open Letter to the Tea Party

Tom Tancredo, former Congressmen from Colorado is running for Governor. He is not running for Governor within the confines of his party (Republican) but as a third party. As much as I like Tancredo, I believe running as a third party is dangerous to our cause. Sure it gets you a little bit of attention, but how many third party candidates actually win? If the vote is split between tea party and Republican candidates then the Democrats have a good chance of winning. Oh well...Here is the open letter Tancredo wrote to the tea party

For them, their candidate, after having won a majority of the 3500 Assembly delegates, now must get a majority of the hundreds of thousands of state wide Republican primary voters. For me, the revelations about ethical problems on the part of both Scott McInnis and Dan Maes, changed the rules of the game. I could not, in good conscience vote for either of these two gentlemen in the general election and more importantly, I do not believe that most Colorado voters would either — especially after a grueling battle with a well funded Democrat opponent. We desperately need an alternative.

The other option is a third party candidate. That option, by the way, is not my preference.

I have one desire that motivates me and that is to defeat John Hickenlooper in November. I do not look forward to the ugliness that will inevitably be part of such a race. I told my grandkids the other night to brace themselves. I have asked the Lord to help me and all of my family to do the same.

With warm regards,

Tom Tancredo

Well Mr. Tancredo you certainly are the reluctant hero, stepping in where no one else will. You definitely aren't doing any of this for yourself right? Well good luck..

Tea Party unfairly accused

This is just a letter do the editor, but I feel that the defense of the tea party is a good one. The tea party has come under attack by the NAACP, anyone who questions Obama is labeled a racist. If you question Obama and happen to be a tea party member you are a member of the ku klux klan. I thought the left was the party of tolerance...

The NAACP was a good organization for helping African Americans for a long time, but it is now a political arm of the Democratic Party and the administration. There are those who say that the NAACP is being too liberal, but to accuse the tea party of being racist without any evidence to show is shameful, slanderous and downright callous.

Instead of getting on the New Black Panther Army for being racist and using strong-arm tactics to prevent people from voting, they would rather attack a movement that is needed to take back our nation from a corrupt and power-mad party and president.

I would like to mention that one senator compared the tea party movement to the Ku Klux Klan. That is downright shameful and slanderous.

One final point: It’s that the people are sick of being told what to do, how to act, what to eat and what to say and drink.

Amen brother! Hopefully people were listening to you. This person does a good job pointing out all the ironies surrounding this whole NAACP/tea party thing. Hopefully the people can see through the ironies as well

Shirley Sherrod says Breitbart wants to takes us back to the time of slaves?

Shirley Sherrod told CNN that journalist Andrew Breitbart would "like to get us stuck in the time of slavery." This coming from a women who gave a very racist speech not to long ago. She is certainly qualified to talk about race and other peoples intentions.

Isn't this the problem with the progressive movement though? Always placing the blame on someone else. Sherrod is not responsible for her speech and the comments she made. Breitbart and Fox are responsible. Sherrod is not responsible for lying about Breitbart and the Tea Party, they are the ones responsible. Shirley why don't you just step up and say you were wrong to make that racist speech? America is a forgiving nation, but once you start trying to run from the truth we are going to chase after you because it creates a compelling news story.

Oh well, liberals will be liberals.

Netroots to Tea Party

Into their fifth year, Netroots is now a serious movement. You might remember them from five years ago, they were a group of liberal activists who coordinated events through the net. They were affectionately referred to as nutroots back then, but now they are being taken seriously. This year they have the likes of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid speaking to them at their convention.

So what is Netroots take on the tea party movement. A movement that is polar opposite of theirs, and perhaps with more energy at this point in time.

With tea party enthusiasm bubbling across the country, progressives here have acknowledged they’re not doing enough to counteract the tea party message with one of their own.

“The answer to the tea party is to activate the populist wing of the progressive movement,” he said. “We need to seize on [the public’s frustration] ourselves and channel it to our movement.”

Progressives at least seem to be taking the tea party movement seriously, even if they don’t know exactly how to counteract it.

“The tea party movement is here to stay,” said John Amato, founder of the liberal blog crooksandliars.com and author of “Over the Cliff,” a book about the conservative movement. “It’s going to get worse and not any better and we need to rise to the challenge.”

Yes I agree the liberal activist have gone complacent. But isn't that because you have a liberal president and congress? No matter, I don't think that you can activate the "populist wing of the progressive movement" unless they have something to be passionate about. Tea party members are sincerely passionate. This is a group of people who, most of them, have never been involved politically before. They have found their voice and are making it heard. In time might the tea party grow complacent, absolutely. But for now, the tea party is all about righting the wrongs it perceives in this country.

Boehner Defends Tea Party

Thank you John Boehner! This was the most exciting video I have watched in a long time. Boehner describes the tea party movement. He says that 75% of tea party members are average people who have never been involved politically before. You are correct Mr. Boehner. If you can't watch the whole video pick it up from about 2:15 on, its worth it.

Pence discusses tea party (video)

Mike Pence, a conservative favorite, discusses the new tea party caucus. Pence discusses the ramifications of the new caucus, and how it opens up new avenues for the tea party voice to be heard. Way to go Pence

Tea Party in the House!

Who's ready for tea? Reports had been circulating about the formation of a tea party caucus, and now here it is! The house is ready to serve tea, as the tea party caucus officially formed yesterday. The group opens up with 28 Congressmen, with the main contingent coming from Texas. Here is a list of the tea party caucus members, lets show these folks our support:

Todd Akin (MO-2)
Rodney Alexander (LA-5)
Michele Bachmann (MN-6)
Joe Barton (TX-6)
Roscoe Bartlett (MD-6)
Gus Bilirakis (FL-9)
Rob Bishop (UT-1)
Michael Burgess (TX-26)
Paul Broun (GA-10)
Dan Burton (IN-5)
John Carter (TX-31)
John Culberson (TX-7)
John Fleming (LA-4)
Trent Franks (AZ-2)
Phil Gingrey (GA-11)
Louie Gohmert (TX-1)
Tom Graves (GA-9)
Pete Hoekstra (MI-2)
Walter Jones (NC-3)
Steve King (IA-5)
Doug Lamborn (CO-5)
Cynthia Lummis (WY)
Tom McClintock (CA-4)
Gary Miller (CA-42)
Jerry Moran (KS-1)
Randy Neugebauer (TX-19)
Mike Pence (IN-6)
Tom Price (GA-6)
Denny Rehberg (MT)
Pete Sessions (TX-32)
Adrian Smith (NE-3)
Lamar Smith (TX-21)
Cliff Stearns (FL-6)
Todd Tiahrt (KS-4)
Joe Wilson (SC-2)

Some highlights on this list would most notably be Mike Pence from Indiana who is chairman of the house republican congressional committee. Pete Sessions chairs that committee. Joe "You Lie" Wilson. Minority leader Boehner says that he welcomes the tea party, but refused to join saying that he would only by a party of the Republican caucus.

Either way I was not expecting so many lawmakers to participate in the tea party caucus. This is just fantastic and I look forward to see how they handle themselves in the House. It is great to see that the tea party finally has a voice and an outlet to voice their concerns. Thank you Michelle Bachmann.

A seven point agenda for the tea party

John Hawkins over at Townhall published an article about a seven point agenda for the tea party in a GOP controlled house. I thought that some of these points would be worth going over.

1) Kill Earmarks: This is a good point, people are tired of building bridges to nowhere, and airports in nowhere.

2) Read the Bills: This would mean that they would have to write the bill in a readable manner. I'm not sure how likely this one is.

3) Kill the funding for Obamacare: BINGO that is one thing the tea party really wants. No new massive government entitlements.

4) Border Control: This also hits the heart of a tea partier, if they government patrolled the borders we would all be safer and happier.

5) Investigate, investigate, investigate: The author states that there should be an investigation into such things as the Sestak/Romanoff buyoff, and the poor prosecution in the black panther case.

6) Get government out of Private Spending: This is another bingo, we need a free market. The government owns to many corporations, and has to many regulations. The market is being artificially upheld. No corporation is to big to fail, that is the natural evolution in the market.

7) Pay for all new spending: This is a personal favorite. If the government would pay for everything instead of engaging in deficit spending, the dollar would undoubtedly still be the strongest currency in the world.

I agree with most of these, some are more important than others. If any of these were to actually happen under a republican controlled congress I would be surprised. The creation of the tea party caucus will help further these goals, but until it is sufficiently strong enough I don't think the Republicans have the backbone to carry through on most of these agenda items.

Hindering the Cause?

The Wall Street Journal is reporting about an interesting tea party case in Virginia's fifth congressional district. The Republican primary featured Republican Robert Hurt versus tea party candidate Jeff Clark. Hurt won the nomination for the right to go against the Democratic incumbent. However:

Clark is not going away.

Running as an independent, he has demanded a place at the upcoming debates. Perriello has agreed, understandably. Hurt has said no way. And on Tuesday, the Jefferson Area Tea Party decided to flex its muscle on Clark’s behalf, issuing a statement “strongly” denouncing “the attempt by any person or organization to arbitrarily choose which eligible candidates may participate in upcoming Virginia Fifth District congressional debates and forums.”

I want to see the tea party succeed, but in order for this movement to survive its infancy we have to work within the parameters of the Republican party. We didn't win this one Mr. Clark, by continuing to be involved you are helping the Democrat in his cause for re-election. You don't want to bite the hand that feeds you...

Shirley Sherrod blames Fox News

Shirley Sherrod recently had a video released of her where she detailed an act of discrimination which she had committed. Sherrod subsequently resigned from her post at the USDA. Instead of taking responsibility for her words, she blamed Fox News and the Tea party for her problems

The USDA employee that was forced to resign Monday as a result of racist comments she made at an NAACP gathering in March has blamed Fox News and the Tea Party for her inability to convince her employers of her innocence.

As NewsBusters reported Tuesday, Shirley Sherrod, the USDA’s Rural Development director for the state of Georgia, delivered a racism-laden address at the NAACP’s 20th Annual Freedom Fund Banquet back on March 27.

On CNN’s “American Morning” Tuesday, after Sherrod said that the video published by Big Government didn’t accurately depict what really happened, host John Roberts asked, “When the U.S. Department of Agriculture came to you and said you have to step down, why didn’t you just say, wait a minute, you don’t know the full story?”

Sherrod amazingly answered, “I did say that, but they, for some reason, the stuff that Fox and the Tea Party does is scaring the administration”

Even if Fox News didn't display the full intention of her story, what she said was blatantly racist. Doesn't matter if she went on to talk about how she helped the next white man because she felt sorry, she still committed a racist act. And why is the administration afraid of Fox News and the tea party? That was a weird statement.

Tea Party Caucus in the House

For too long has the Republican party broken the trust it has with conservative Americans. The people gave the republicans the house and presidency most of last decade only to be betrayed by higher spending and fiscal irresponsibility. Well now there is the tea party caucus in the house (and hopefully the senate), who will keep the Republicans responsible. Will the tea party ever be big enough to be a main party? Probably not, but we can wield enough influence that either party will need to work with us in order to pass legislation.

Michelle Bachmann was the creator, and head of this caucus:

Minnesota's Bachmann, a favorite of the tea party movement, earned approval from the Democratic leadership for her caucus late last week. It came as a bit of a surprise to her leadership, whom she didn't forewarn before formally applying to create the caucus...

...Indeed, the tea party movement is a loaded political weapon for Republicans heading into the midterm elections.

Until now, they have had the luxury of enjoying the benefits of tea party enthusiasm without having to actually declare membership. But now that Bachmann has brought the tea party inside the Capitol, House Republican leaders and rank-and-file members may have to choose whether to join the institutionalized movement.

It's easy to see why some Republicans may be hesitant, even as the tea party itself fights over the sentiments expressed by the movement's most extreme elements.

I guess it doesn't even matter if the Republicans (or Democrats for all I care) hold the tea party at arm's length. The point is, is that if we get enough tea party members of the house then our voices can be heard. So thank you Michelle Bachmann, and I hope your caucus succeeds.

Tea Party Leader Disgraces Movement

For a whole week there has been debate concerning whether or not the tea party was racist. The whole controversy started with the NAACP condemning the movement as being bigoted. I along with several other bloggers and leaders of the movement defended the movement against these charges. And while the tea party as a whole is not racist, I will call a spade when I see a spade.

I am actually very disappointed in Mark Williams, one of the prominent leaders of the tea party express. Williams wrote a "letter" from "Precious Ben Jealous, Tom's Nephew, NAACP head colored person." The letter continues:

“We Coloreds have taken a vote and decided that we don’t cotton to that whole emancipation thing. Freedom means having to work for real, think for ourselves, and take consequences along with the rewards. That is just far too much to ask of us Colored people and we demand that it stop!

I had great respect for the tea party express, and admired their zeal for getting the word out concerning the tea party movement. I remember those nights leading up to tea party rallies in DC, when the tea party express would stop in cities and hold mini rallies. That was great. So when I see stuff like this my heart stops for a beat.

What were you thinking Mark Williams? What good could possible come from writing a letter like that, except to prove that there are indeed racist elements within the tea party? Unfortunately I think that expelling your organization from the national tea party federation was the correct thing to do.