Dropping Pretext Of A ‘Grassroots Movement,’ GOP Governors Launch ‘Tea Party 2.0’
Dropping Pretext Of A ‘Grassroots Movement,’ GOP Governors Launch ‘Tea Party 2.0’
Today, Politico reports that Republican Govs. Rick Perry of Texas and Mark Sanford of South Carolina are leading the latest development of the anti-tax, anti-Obama tea party protest movement. Dubbed the “Tea Party 2.0,” the Republican Governors Association will host a telephone conference call on Thursday with thousands of right-wing activists to discuss how “our states’ rights are being trampled upon.”
Official Republican Party involvement is nothing new in the tea party movement. The tea party efforts were initially organized by corporate lobbyists and GOP consultants, and later advertised for by Fox News. But by the time of the April 15 protests, hundreds of state and federal Republican office holders headlined events across the country. Eventually, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and RNC Chairman Michael Steele all but declared ownership of the protests.
Ironically, the governors who are now using an official apparatus of the Republican Party to coordinate the tea party conference call were the same governors perpetuating the lie that the movement was entirely spontaneous, without any grass-tops involvement:
– Gov. Mark Sanford: “I was struck by the recent Tea Party rallies in Columbia, Charleston, and Greenville, where thousands of South Carolinians turned out in a spontaneous display of protest against reckless government spending.” [Post-Courier, 4/27/09]
– Gov. Rick Perry: “It’s a very organic thing,” he says, “a very powerful moment, I think, in American history.” On Tax Day, he told cheering veterans: “I’m just not real sure you’re a bunch of right-wing extremists. But if you are, we’re with you.” [Daily Press, 4/27/09]
Dropping any pretension that the tea parties are a citizens’ movement rather than a partisan ploy, an official working with the Republican governors said the effort was part of a “springboard” to raise funds for gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia.
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Where were these guys when Bush was spending all their money and spying on them?
May 13th, 2009 at 12:36 pmWhat do you expect, they’re delusional.
May 13th, 2009 at 12:37 pm“Howdy, Sloganeers!”
“Welcome to the G-O-Playground, where we can sing songs and call names and frolick with unicorns all day, every day!!!”
Ricky Rat and Marky Mark are happy to have you aboard!!
May 13th, 2009 at 12:38 pmshould be called:
The FOX/GOP Corporate Sore Loser Rallies
May 13th, 2009 at 12:38 pmGov. Mark Sanford: “I was struck by the recent Tea Party rallies in Columbia, Charleston, and Greenville, where thousands of South Carolinians turned out in a spontaneous display of protest against reckless government spending.” [Post-Courier, 4/27/09]
May 13th, 2009 at 12:39 pm—————————————————————
So where did these thousands of people come from? Considering S.Carolina has a vast majority of poor minority`s and lots of white folks on the Dole(red state welfare).It must have been like a Jonny McWars rally in Selma Alabama which is where they bussed in white folks.
Of course, the mainstream media will continue to present the fallacious story that this is a grassroots display of dissatisfaction with the current regime, and ignore the facts… but that’s what the mainstream media is all about nowadays… sell the sizzle not the steak
May 13th, 2009 at 12:39 pm.
“Tea Party 2.0” …
… The second “Nut”
.
May 13th, 2009 at 12:40 pmAIO grasshopper Says:
Where were these guys when Bush was spending all their money and spying on them?
May 13th, 2009 at 12:41 pm—————————————————————
Unlike their party symbol they have no memory of Bushco, only fond memories of war, wiretapping and Tax cuts for the wealthy which the Sheeple shill for………
Let them just try to raise money for the gubernatorial race here in Virginia — the Goopers are being marginalized daily in our Commonwealth (mostly via their own near-daily displays of bigotry, fiscal mismanagement and outright lunacy), and the number of Virginians who will donate to the Republic Fascist Party is down dramatically.
Not to mention that we have three strong Democratic candidates running for governor this year, against a Republic Fascist state attorney general whose only claim to fame is blocking Virginia from taking federal stimulus money that would have helped thousands of unemployed Virginians keep their homes and families together…
May 13th, 2009 at 12:42 pmDropping any pretension that the tea parties are a citizens’ movement rather than a partisan ploy, an official working with the Republican governors said the effort was part of a “springboard” to raise funds for gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia.
These damn GOPers don’t give a crap about the protesters and the protesters are too stupid to realize that they’re just pawns. I hope this backfires on Perry and Sanford.
May 13th, 2009 at 12:42 pmLucky for the GNOP that they have brainless lemmings willing to show up somewhere and hold up signs they’re too ignorant to be able to read. “Obama bin Laden – Impeach Now!” How clever…
The GNOP and FuxNews puts the “ass” in grassroots.
PEACE
May 13th, 2009 at 12:44 pmI’m just waiting for some talking head on Fox to say on air, “Here we are at Tea Party 2.0, just hanging out w/ some freedom-loving tea baggers…”
May 13th, 2009 at 12:45 pmBircher Bagging
May 13th, 2009 at 12:46 pmRantingTommy Says:
should be called:
The FOX/GOP Corporate Sore Loser Rallies
As Jon Stewart rightly pointed out to the beaten and battered, furious and frothing minions of the right, “I think you might be confusing tyranny with losing.”
May 13th, 2009 at 12:49 pmCheerleading.
May 13th, 2009 at 12:50 pmIt’s a common delusion among the Right that they represent the true majority, though the numbers always say otherwise. Even the guys at StormFront probably think they’re the real America.
May 13th, 2009 at 12:50 pmA leader of the Anti-Saloon League testified that prior to its passage in Congress, he had compiled a list of 13,000 business people who supported prohibition. They were then given their instructions at the crucial time:
We blocked the telegraph wires in Congress for three days. One of our friends sent seventy- five telegrams, each signed differently with the name of one his subordinates. The campaign was successful. Congress surrendered. The first to bear the white flag was Senator Warren Harding of Ohio. He told us frankly he was opposed to the amendment, but since it was apparent from the telegrams that the business world was demanding it he would submerge his own opinion and vote for submission. (Pollard, 1932, p. 107)
Gee, is it me or does anyone see a parallel here? Big business co-opts a peoples movement?
May 13th, 2009 at 12:51 pmIt’s no wonder fiscal conservative Andrew Sullivan could only conclude:
“These are not tea-parties. They are tea-tantrums. And the adolescent, unserious hysteria is a function not of a movement regrouping and refinding itself. It’s a function of a movement’s intellectual collapse and a party’s fast-accelerating nervous breakdown
tea tantrums – lol
May 13th, 2009 at 12:51 pmOnly in the Bizzarro world of the right-wing does grass grow from the top down.
May 13th, 2009 at 12:51 pmNow why would big business co-opt a movement like this?
Tax cuts for them…oh and BTW, screw you.
May 13th, 2009 at 12:52 pmWhy does that damn liberal media continue giving Republics coverage on a daily basis describing their stupid shit rants?
May 13th, 2009 at 12:55 pm” . . Republican Governors Association will host a telephone conference call on Thursday with thousands of right-wing activists to discuss how “our states’ rights are being trampled upon.”
Oh I get it; their states rights are being trampled, but they can’t balance their budgets WITHOUT federal assistance, and they call that ‘being trampled on’. Can anyone out there please trample on my rights, cause I could surely use any monetary assistance I can get. What total phucking IDIOTS! How stupid are these people. They are being USED by their politicians and don’t even recognize it – talk about ignorant!
May 13th, 2009 at 12:56 pmWhen “conservatives” stop engaging in ridiculously petty criticism — you know, President Obama puts dijon mustard on his hamburger! — I might start taking them seriously.
But I don’t see that happening in my lifetime. And I’m 42.
“SPONTANEOUS”? These people wouldn’t know “spontaneous” if it hit them in the arse.
May 13th, 2009 at 12:57 pmOh great, and I thought we were done with every teabagging reference except for soccer fans comparing FC Chelsea and teabags, that the latter remained in the cup longer.
May 13th, 2009 at 12:57 pmFlaccid hawk wieners
May 13th, 2009 at 12:59 pmMindless army of the rich
Drop turd ideas
ConservativeForProgress Says:
How does it feel to have your thunder stolen by lobbyists?
May 13th, 2009 at 1:01 pmcheeseFlap uses
May 13th, 2009 at 1:02 pmminimal words
I like it
One of these idiots called me yesterday. Guess they haven’t updated their phone lists in a while. I snuck into Leadership Institute’s classes a few years ago and stole their entire political game plan and turned it over to the Democratic Party. But they kept me on their mailing list for years.
Anyway, he addressed me as “America” the way Colbert does. I thought it was hilarious, but still hung up on the moron. Sounded like they had all the young republicans on the phones making calls.
May 13th, 2009 at 1:02 pmThey lost their 4th Amendment rights when they were illegally wiretapped…wait!
May 13th, 2009 at 1:04 pmGov. Rick Perry: “It’s a very organic thing
Yeah? So is a pile of horsesh!t. What a bunch of tools…
May 13th, 2009 at 1:04 pmI take it the tea pot’s spout will be undergoing an enlargement procedure?
May 13th, 2009 at 1:06 pmIts kinda funny seeing the extremists being co-opted and used by that what they hate – big government.
May 13th, 2009 at 1:06 pmMoron Census 2.0
May 13th, 2009 at 1:06 pmHow long do you think before the Goopers start playing the Tea Baggers like the way they play the Paulians (aka the religiousity right)?
Oh, never mind.
May 13th, 2009 at 1:07 pmI’m sorry, but do people know that, by calling this “Tea Party 2.0″, they’re implying that the original Tea Party did not work? That they need to endorse a better upgrade to “Tea Party 1.0″?
May 13th, 2009 at 1:08 pmmary lacewing Says:
As Jon Stewart rightly pointed out to the beaten and battered, furious and frothing minions of the right, “I think you might be confusing tyranny with losing.”
I think I’ll apply for a food service permit so that I can sell sh**t tacos.
May 13th, 2009 at 1:10 pmThats true Tea Party 2.0 sounds like a sorry sequel, they should have called it Tea Party Remixed or Tea Party Hip Hop
May 13th, 2009 at 1:10 pmConservativeForProgress, ( opr should I call you Paul Mierngoff?)
Why don’t you just call the sponsors of the April 15th Tea Party , like FreedomWorks for the information? Or their publicists, FOX News?
I’m sure their legal departments would be most upset if some upstart wannabe movement was effectively misrepresenting them in any way.
May 13th, 2009 at 1:11 pmTea Party 2.0 – This Time We’ll Get the Permits!
May 13th, 2009 at 1:12 pmHilarious watching these dittohead lemmings asking ‘how high’ every time the radio says ‘jump!’
May 13th, 2009 at 1:14 pmJuly 4… July 4… why does that date ring a bell…?
oh yeah — that’s the date that Newt Gingrich proposed be celebrated as “American Freedom Day“.
(Never mind that we already have a holiday on that date, called, interestingly enough, “Independence Day”, which celebrates American patriots declaring their independence from the British crown. But, since that doesn’t really say anything about contemporary right-wing teabaggery, I guess Newt’s so over that old-world holiday. Time for something New!)
May 13th, 2009 at 1:17 pmPurple State Says: “I’m sorry, but do people know that, by calling this “Tea Party 2.0″, they’re implying that the original Tea Party did not work? ”
How about Tea Party CP/M ?
May 13th, 2009 at 1:18 pmThe Dogfather Says:
Let them just try to raise money for the gubernatorial race here in Virginia — the Goopers are being marginalized daily in our Commonwealth (mostly via their own near-daily displays of bigotry, fiscal mismanagement and outright lunacy), and the number of Virginians who will donate to the Republic Fascist Party is down dramatically.
_______________________
Glad to see another Virginian here. Are you also up here in Northern VA, the anti-American sector of our state [according to Palin and Bachmann]? I will be at my voting station at 6:30 a.m. on 9 June to vote, but not for Loudmouth Terry! I just can’t tolerate him – especially after his crap with announcing HRC as the ‘next POTUS’ – barf!
May 13th, 2009 at 1:18 pmSorry, correction for #43. It should read:
May 13th, 2009 at 1:20 pmConservativeForProgress, (or should I call you Paul Mirengoff?)
I found this great post I want to share – this is a clip from it:
What makes it easy for Perry to “fire up” the crowds, as local headlines put it, is what makes it irresponsible for him, or anyone else who calls himself a leader, to do so. When people are hurting, they get angry. When people get angry, they look for scapegoats. We all do it. Who among us, facing money problems, doesn’t go through the list of who else’s fault it must be? We don’t need help doing that. We don’t need political leaders giving us new options for who to blame and who to hate, promising a “national movement” to overturn the democracy we have. That’s demagoguery, not leadership, and it works all too well in hard times.
May 13th, 2009 at 1:22 pmI’m pretty sure you don’t know what irony is.
It’s well known that right-wingers generally suffer from severe irony deficiency.
Besides, anyone who would claim that the LEFT is populated by “brainless lemmings” clearly has no concept of reality. After all, “party discipline” has always been a strength of the Right and the Left has always been plagued by a problem best summed up by the great American humorist Will Rogers:
“I belong to no organized party. I am a Democrat.”
May 13th, 2009 at 1:23 pmSour Grapes-Sour losers-Pity Party
They sure weren’t protesting when the WAR CRIMINAL W was spending like a drunken pilot (oh, yeah, he was).
The losers need to STFU and go away, you lost, get over it.
May 13th, 2009 at 1:32 pmGov. Mark Sanford: “I was struck by the recent Tea Party rallies in Columbia, Charleston, and Greenville, where thousands of South Carolinians turned out in a spontaneous display of protest against reckless government spending.
Sorry Sanford, spontaneous protests don’t require weeks of promotion by Fixed News and other right wing outfits to happen.
I would also like to know where their outrage was when Bush’s reckless government spending doubled out national debt and took a budget surplus to a huge budget deficit.
May 13th, 2009 at 1:32 pmI have one word for Perry and Sanford: SECEDE!
May 13th, 2009 at 1:33 pmI designed an impeach Bush shirt a while back. I’m going to switch it to Obama, sell it to these weirdos and donate the money to something useful.
May 13th, 2009 at 1:36 pmCFP is still lying about budgets, ignoring that Bush kept his illegal invasions off the books
keep lying there, CFP, you dishonest coward
May 13th, 2009 at 1:40 pmHave some sympathy for the poor li’ll feller, Tommy. look what he’s got to work with.
I’m betting if you had cast your lot with a group so intellectually bankrupt, so ill-equipped to offer solutions to any problem, and you decided you had to defend them, you might be tempted to lie also. What else is he goona go with? The TRUTH? Even CFP knows that’ll never work.
May 13th, 2009 at 1:46 pmConservativeForProgress Says:
Bilbo: The Bush deficits were bad, especially when he went along with too many Democratic party spending demands last year. They went as high as $400 billion and conservatives were pissed. The Obama deficits are 5 times larger, amounting to nearly $2 trillion in a single year.
First of all, including links to the Heritage Foundation isn’t going to make people think you have anything to say. Second, exactly what was that $400 billion the Democrats spent? Your linked article didn’t say anything about it.
Also, if the Republics were not behind any spending that the Democrats proposed in the last two years of Bush’s rein, why didn’t they filibuster it? They filibustered everything else.
Finally, I am not happy about Obama having to spend us into a higher deficit. But he would not be forced to do it if he had not inherited a country that was in shambles. All the money Bush spent (doubling our national debt and leaving him with a deficit) was not spent on this country. It was all spent to make his no-bid cost-plus contractor friends rich. At least President Obama is spending this money to try to fix our broken country. And once he is able to do away with all the tax havens that have allowed rich people and corporations to NOT pay their fair share of income taxes, the deficit will shrink considerably.
May 13th, 2009 at 1:46 pmCFP-
First off, I’m surprised you didn’t cut and paste that blog right onto your comment, and not citing it. Second: you show a complete naivete as to why there needs to be so much spent right now. The framing of this “spending” comparison is deceptive and used all the time in conservative talking points. Either conservatives are incapable of contextualizing the spending (um worst recession in a while vs. rampant military expenditures/contracts/tax cuts for the rich) or they are trying in vain to mislead Americans in this simplistic comparison.
or (c) all of the above.
May 13th, 2009 at 1:48 pmWell at least it’s more ammo for election time :)
May 13th, 2009 at 4:10 pmhappily STUPID Says:
Lucky for the GNOP that they have brainless lemmings
Oh, the irony!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Oh the stupidity
May 13th, 2009 at 4:18 pmDown here in Texas you can vote in either primary, regardless of your party affiliation, but only in one. I have decided to vote in the Republican primary for Kay Bailey Hutchison, although I disagree with her on almost everything. At least she seems to be a rational person. This man needs to be stopped before he spreads his poison even further. I hate to put it this way, but it’s the lesser of two evils. When you’re adrift in the Red Sea, sometimes you have to be pragmatic. Peace.
May 13th, 2009 at 4:37 pmBREAKING NEWS: Perry and Stanford win Keith Olbermann’s WORST PERSONS IN THE WORLD!
May 13th, 2009 at 8:50 pmOh hell yeah !!!!…bring the freaks on…I was already getting teabag freak show withdrawl symptoms…these mofos need to have such teabagging events weekly…heck I’ll even pitch in a buck or two…..America loves a good freak show…
May 13th, 2009 at 9:43 pmYeah, teabaggers do it over the internet. what’s the matter you can’t find another “holiday” to steal this time?
Do another teabagger bs day during July 4th that way you can claim the fireworks are just for your club. YAY.
DUMBASSES
May 13th, 2009 at 9:57 pmNot to mention, Sanford’s family farm is a remnant of the landed aristocracy that founded Charleston.
Kind of like saying King George is leading a grassroots movement.
May 13th, 2009 at 11:29 pmfauxshammity72 Says:
Oh hell yeah !!!!…bring the freaks on…I was already getting teabag freak show withdrawl symptoms…these mofos need to have such teabagging events weekly…heck I’ll even pitch in a buck or two…..America loves a good freak show…
HAHAHAHAHAHA
I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time.
HAHAHAHAHrotfl
May 13th, 2009 at 11:45 pm