TP/OWS, Paving the Way...

Okay, I finally get it.  The Tea Parties were called a radical fringe group because they paved the way for contemporary understanding of peaceful gatherings of patriots.  Occupy Wall Street has such a noble depiction, because the Tea Party paved the way.  


Right?  Right??

NYT loves Palin?

NYT:

"[S]omething curious happened when Ms. Palin strode onto the stage last weekend at a Tea Party event in Indianola, Iowa. Along with her familiar and predictable swipes at President Barack Obama and the “far left,” she delivered a devastating indictment of the entire U.S. political establishment — left, right and center — and pointed toward a way of transcending the presently unbridgeable political divide."

I'm in shock.

"Manufactured Crisis"

Listening to Obama's Labor Day Right to Work Day Speech, I heard him use that irksome phrase "manufactured crisis".  During (& since) the debt ceiling previews of 2012 talks, that phrase has been tossed around a lot.

It pisses me off.  Inconsistency pisses me off.  They call the Tea Party terrorists/hobbits for holding [insert whomever] hostage during the debt talks.  They also say the debt ceiling crisis was manufactured.  Finally, they also say that the Tea Party was willing to let the govt/country fall off a cliff if that's what it takes to get their way.

WTF.

BUT!!!  But, I think I finally understand.  Something in Obama's (more passionate than usual) speech clicked something into place for me.  It's not that they think the crisis was both manufactured (e.g. non-existent, created for political manipulation) and used to threaten the country...  They think that the Republicans' refusal to approve a simple debt ceiling reduction CREATED the crisis.  IF the House had just okayed the increase like good little kiddos, then there would be no crisis.  The crisis was manufactured by the House insisting on the country getting something in return for raising the debt ceiling.

In other words, because the Republicans would not do what the Democrats wanted them to do, the Republicans/TP created a crisis, held us hostage, etc.  How bipartisan!

If you can figure out a different explanation that logically explains the seeming inconsistencies, please share.


ADDED:  Based on Obama's speech, I think part of his new jobs plan will, essentially, be large amounts of stimulus moneys funneled not to the states but directly to the mayors of Democrat cities in key states.  Like Detroit.  This helps to buy back votes of key demographics.  This gives those cities extra funds to keep their unions afloat.  This money could get laundered into campaign & GOTV efforts.  And, most importantly, if the Republicans try to block it, all the better!  Rage against Republicans denying people what's "theirs" is an even bigger motivator than Obama giving it to them straight up.  Hell, it's better, since Obama throwing money at those cities won't help them one damn bit.

I do hope Republicans let Obama do whatever he needs to do, so long as it's a one time shot.  (e.g. not starting new programs that will then need to be repealed.)  Sort of like giving your teenager a second chance to fuck up before grounding them...  Then they have no excuses to bitch.  Do whatever Obama says "needs" to be done & take away his whole "I'm a shitty president because Republicans are jerks" meme.  OH, and of course, write into the vote that there will be no increase in the debt ceiling until 2013...  In other words, the POTUS has a budget within which he must operate.  If his plans fail, he's gotta make CUTS.

Tea Party: It's Our Time Now

I just read a great article over at Mark America -- Bi-Partisan War on the Tea Party and Sarah Palin.  As I tried to decide which paragraph to excerpt, my first choice was to highlight the whole damn thing.  Instead, I ask you to go over there and check it out for yourself.

Here's the first paragraph to get you started.

There has been a sudden wave of attacks by the DC establishment against Sarah Palin and the Tea Party.  You know something is afoot when forces of the elites of left and right begin to unite, with Bill O’Reilly, and his recent mini-me, Laura Ingraham, along with all the other usual suspects, aligning with such leftist jackals as Maureen Dowd, who today compares the Tea Party members of Congress to suicide bombers. Foxnews is busily hustling Tea Party critics into their studio and via live feed, to claim that the Tea Party is to blame for our current crisis.  With Foxnews having secured a lock on many Republican minds, they’re now free to push stories fitting the corporate messaging in service to the DC establishment.

Read more here. 

Where did the Tea Party come from? MSNBC answers

I'm listening to MSNBC.  The vote in the House just passed Boehner's plan (+BBA amendment), putting the ball in the Senate's court.  There is so much to talk about that's coming up, but what are they talking about?  That damn Tea Party.  If it weren't for those meddling kids...

Al Sharpton (I think that's Sharpton... he's looks different to me right now) is saying, regarding the Tea Party: "Here we are.  The monster is alive.  The Squeaker, I mean Speaker Boehner has no way to control it."

Joining him is an investigative reporter from -- get this -- Think Progress.  Yep.  (And they dare call out Fox's credibility?)

"Arrest the Tea Party for treason"

I'm seeing that phrase all over twitter.  To borrow a phrase from Wisconsin... THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE....  Elected representatives sworn to defend the Constitution while acting on behalf of their constituents.

I'm not currently going to comment on what may or may not happen on August 2nd.  I am commenting on the absolutely tyrannical meme that the Tea Party is tanking America.  The TP representatives were elected just like the Rs and Ds.  Why are their election promises politics any less legitimate than anyone elses?  Why is it okay for the majority party to trash a group of idealistic freshman?  Either side bullying this group should be viewed as unacceptable, regardless of party.

The Tea Party prevented a vote from passing in the House yesterday -- on a bill that the Democrats did not like. An amended bill is being put before the House today, thus the Tea Party should be arrested for treason?  I could only understand that leap in logic if I dropped acid.

The meme is ridiculous.  The only sense I can make of it is the Dems are freaking out about how to handle the bill when it goes to the Senate.  Not to mention Obama's approval dropping to 40%.  I guess if my "chosen one" was sinking, I'd feel like kicking the under dog, too.

That's what the Tea Party is: the under dog.  They have the lowest numbers in Congress.  That they stand firm in their principles and have managed to find a way to use their minority-minority status to wield some power is not treason.  It's called politics.

while we await the House vote: Gutfeld on the TEA Party

Greg Gutfeld, The Five, 28 July 2011:

The TEA party is actually a threat to this duopoly.  This is what's so interesting about it.  It is the most encouraging political movement I've ever seen....  This is a group of people based on a principle.  They are metaphorically a brick wall.  It's why the people like Wasserman are going crazy, because they've never seen anything like it.  

I love this.  It also makes me wonder about the uber lefties I know...  Perhaps some of their TEA Party hate is misguided jealousy.  I mean, both groups hate what the establishment has done to our country.  Both groups want a revolution.  Hell, exchange "Taxed Enough Already" for "Tax the Rich", and voila!  The uber left IS the Tea Party.

Tea Party to Protest NAACP

Oh, and btw, this Tea Party group is not lily white.

The NAACP is holding its 102nd annual conference on 24 July, and the South Central LA Tea Party intends to "rally to expose the failed big government agenda and lies of the NAACP."

Founding member and president Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson said

"The NAACP is a tool of the Obama administration....  For decades, this group [NAACP] has supported left-wing policies which have created dependency, destroyed black families, and hurt race relations."