Thursday, April 16, 2009
Tea Party On!
Conservative Teabaggers do it in public: Sights and sounds from a protest in Audubon Park. Radical!
Posted by Chris Davis on Thu, Apr 16, 2009 at 8:00 AM
Comments (109)
Showing 1-50 of 109
As a Cub Scout leader, I'm very disappointed that some Scout leader decided to parade his boys at this Faux News event. As a true patriot I'm equally disturbed by the misuse of the Gadsden flag and, while I do appreciate folks getting out and making themselves heard, I'm deeply troubled that so many could be so misdirected by corporate interests. Pitiful!
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no fan of spending here, just wondering where the tea parties were the last 8 years when W spent like a drunken sailor? no fan of taxes, just wondering where the shouts of socialism and fascism(?!) were when Reagan raised taxes 4 times between '82 & '84? Bush Sr. was ousted for raising taxes, but i certainly don't remember people calling him Hitler.
I'm registered independent so i've got no dog in this fight, but there has been some amazingly ignorant rhetoric flying around for far too long.
re wvfi: We've been here all along. The silent majority of Americans who go to work each day mostly minding their own business. We reached a tipping point with fed spending last fall when the bailouts started. It's not a Repub/Dem issue....I think you missed that point. We are sick of paying taxes to a government that will do nothing but waste it.
re Left wing cracker: if Obama were white he wouldn't be the Prez.....you've posed a non sequitor.
@ thoughthinker: i want to believe that this is non-partisan, that it's about sound economic decisions rather than ideologies... But when you factor in the recent FOX News provocations in lieu of reporting, the childish endorsements from the party which has been AT LEAST 50% responsible for the mess we're in, not to mention the nasty tone of a lot of the signs i'm seeing at these protests, you'll excuse me if I find it EXTREMELY difficult to believe it's not purely politics as usual.
One speaker asked, "How many of you are radical right wingers?" Or something VERY close to that. The crowd erupted in cheers. That's how bipartisan it was. I was shooting stills at the time and didn't get the quite exactly.
if they were truly a positive movement, they would dial down the hateful nature of the rhetoric.
most of what i saw yesterday were childish attacks directed at a man who has been in office less than 100 days.
and tt: you're not the majority. the majority voted in november.
I highly recommend watching Frontline's "Ten Trillion and Counting" if you get the chance. W's first Treasury Secretary, conservative Republican Paul O'Neill has some very interesting things to say about his budget meetings with the preseident in the earlier part of this decade. Kind of made me think that if the few who will be affected by Obama's tax hike are that upset (understandably so) about their taxes going up 3.5 cents on each dollar made over $250,000, maybe they could just think of it as penance for allowing the worst President in history to be elected. Twice.
I am still trying to figure out how we are going to pay off our + $1.4 billion in Shelby County debt .....
re sbanbury: Nobody there was directed by any corporate interest. They were like me...they were there because they are sick and tired of working their ass off trying to make a decent living for their family only to see half of theirincome sucked away multitudes of taxes that go lord knows where. We are especially tired of carrying the deadbeat 40% who don't pay a damn dime in taxes. Get real dude.
re B: I think I am in the majority on this issue. You know as well as I do that the last election had nothing to do with this issue. It was "anybody but Bush" and as an extra incentive htere was the black factor. If Obama were white he would not have won the election. Oh...by the way....1)elections come around every two years bucko! Stand by... we only need to change a few votes and it switches back the other way and then my friend you are back on the other side. Many of my friends who supported the boy prez are having serious "buyer remorse" and they can only mae history once. He is one term and out.
re fancycwabs: What's up with the disparaging comment. Why are they "crackers"? That term is offensive and uncalled for. Would you want me to call you a "watermelon"? Probably not so knock it off.
re wvfi: It is a non-partisan issue. Many Democrats are just as sick of high taxes and wasteful spending as many Republicans are. Hell. I'm mad as hell at all politicians. The republicans in congress are acting like the democrats and everybody knows that you can't outspend a democrat. This spending thing is very close to getting out of control and our country and our economy will be damaged for a very long time. There's plenty of nasty tone out there....watched a CNN program lately?
re Chris: I was there for the entire rally. Not one speaker said that or anything close to that...you sir are a liar.
Majority? The Teabaggers couldn't even come close to the size of the protests against the Iraq War when George Bush was polling at 80%.
The Teabagger Movement is brought to you by Newt Gingrich and Dick Armey and their astroturf operations. If left to their own devices, the Teabaggers might not even have been able to attract more than an Ann Coulter appearance.
again I ask: where were the regular, 'non-partisan' folks and their outrage when Bushco was flouting notions of smaller govt., sober spending, balanced budgets, etc.?? Don't be fooled, this whole "protest" was the brainchild of the right-wing blogoshpere, adopted by petulant Congeressional Republicans and then hyped by Fox News.
I probably agree with the current administration about 35% of the time, but at least I know where they stand - and the sort of mess they've been left to attempt to clean up.
And quite frankly I find it absurd to invoke the Boston Tea Party when the two scenarios could not be more different. Our founding fathers would be embarrassed.
Great video, Chris. You gotta feel sorry for the dumb schmoes who were standing around with their stupid signs and tea bags stapled to their hats. Guess FOX News forgot to tell them one of the organizers of these circuses was Dick (Barney Fag)Armey, whose firm, DLA Piper, just last year lobbied for AIG, Lehman Brothers, and Merrill Lynch. He must have been pissing himself silly yesterday as he watched the Palin Pod People protest against the government bailouts that he helped acquire for his Wall Street honcho buds.
We saw this sort of stuff at the McCain events and we'll see it again. This is totally a contrivance of FOX News, Fatboy on hate radio, and all the others who hate Obama and are looking for ways to spew their bile. Most of the poor clucks are too effin dumb and blind to even know why their mad. Their poster child is that old "He's aa...aa..Arab" chick at the McCain rally in Minnesota. Where was their outrage over deficit spending when Dumbass and Dicko went on their drunken sailor spree spending a trillion of borrowed Chinese dough on "spreading freedom" in Iraq? Why weren't they tea-bagging Bush the day he gave Hank Paulson a blank check for the TARP $$$$??? We became a socialist nation with the Paulson bailout, but these idiots had nary a word to say about it because Dubya was still the King. This is just another stunt by the New Republican Party of the Fascist States of Murika. But hey---with a little luck Governor Bigshot down in Texas will do as he promised and seceed and they can all go live in Texas Nation with their Patriot Funny Money until the Mexican drug lords come in and shoot em with the guns and ammo they bought and hoarded during the Bush reign.
re Chris: I was there for the entire rally. Not one speaker said that or anything close to that...you sir are a liar.
Thinker, It was Mark Skoda, the same guy I have at the beginning of the film bragging about being a radical. Sorry to burst your bubble, but it happened, you ill-informed, self-overestimating dick. (Iffin you really feel like playing the name-calling game).
I can't recall exactly how he phrased it other than to say he took a pejorative--the sort of phrase Rantboy might use to describe you-- and turned it into something he could bond with the crowd over. And bond he did.
re Chris: you can't remember exactly how he said it because he didn't say it.....Get your shit together hot rod.....or at least confess that maybe you "misspoke". ;-) But instead you rely on the biggest loon on this site to defend you....what a pussy...
re wvfi" ......where were you?" Are you a bipartisan voter? Re Jeff: are you a bipartisan voter? Anybody else want to weigh in on this???
'm more surprised that a liberal would be complaining about freedom of speech or the right to protest in a peaceful manner from any party, not just because it is republicans doing it. Did liberals only fight for these rights for themselves? The thing that sickens me is how quick we are to turn on a president. I saw it with Carter,Reagan, Clinton, both Bushes, and now Obama. These men are our presidents people we voted them into office as a people and they deserve our respect regardless of whether we completely agree with them on all topics. It is funny how quickly people turn. So many people seem to be so frivolous in their ideals. After 9/11 so many people backed the war on terrorism, but then people started to look for ways out and an excuse to change their minds and turn against a president who was trying to protect us as a people; even to the point of villianizing a president. All I can say is Bush has a big set of balls to hang in there through it all to see it through. Now people are turning on Obama, despite the fact they voted him in based on his proclaimed "change", well this is the change he was talking about. What did you think was going to happen? Yet, I keep hearing about buyers remorse! It seems people's ideals and attitudes and opinions are fickle and follow their pocketbooks. If war gets too pricey then who cares how safe we are from the Taliban. If stimulating the economy means more taxes well then let those who have lost their jobs, lose their homes as well. What a selfish greedy people we have become! Help no one but yourself! Charity begins at home! If it means I can't buy my $200.00 pair of shoes to walk through my $300,000 house and drive my $50,000 gas guzzling SUV, then the president be damned. I'm not a liberal, nor am I conservative...I'm an American...and I'm fed up with the way these last few generations have gone! Whoever reads this: when was the last time you really helped someone versus when was the last time you complained about someone being helped: whether a corporation, or an individual? What does that say about you? Are you a complainer or a doer? Are you and American who wants to pick up and carry your share of the burden we bare right now and make this country better or do you want to sit around and complain and be a part of the problem. Everyone here who doesn't recycle, or buy American, or doesn't live within their means...everyone carrying a credit card balance, a mortgage...throw the first stone...cause you're a part of the problem! Where do you think that money comes from? When you have well over 300 million Americans all in debt up to their whazu's... where do you think that debt gets absorbed? If we all work hard, live responsibly, help our neighbors, we can come out of this being an even better country than ever!
yeah, I've voted D, R & I. But honestly speaking, outside of the odd local election, i don't ever see myself voting Republican again. EVER. I haven't since 1996 (when i was very young and VERY ill-informed).
Coalescing some time around Nixon's "Southern Strategy" the Republican power brokers manged to wed their despicable brand of corporate fascism (& helllo, corporate welfare) to fake Christianity mixed with a healthy dose of racism. And that's what we're dealing with today.
Present me with a fiscally conservative libertarian or independent who's not naive (or faux-naive) about global economics, a jerk about the environment, or is essentially in league with the Religious Right (talk about your filched liberties), and I'll be happy to vote for 'em.
I imagine it's only a matter of time. Their are lots of intelligent, young, 'fiscally conservative' folks out there that want nothing to do with the science-is-bad, gays-are-evil, people-with-funny-names-are-terrorists brand of horseshit that's been the Republican mantra for far too long now.
Obviously no getting you to admit you're not all-knowing TT. So let it be. But I admired the guy for not pretending and cussed that I didn't get it on video. In fact, that's the moment when I turned on my audio recorder and left it running in my jacket pocket---so I would be able to have at least a crappy audio recording even if I was shooting stills. Missing that quote was a prompt to change my behavior so for me it was a defining moment on this particular job.
"How many of you out there are right wingers?" he may have asked. It might have been that unadorned. I might be letting the later well-documented "radical" comments color my memory because this was all interlaced. It was all part of the build up to the "if this is what people call extreme I'm proud to be extreme" portion of the speech. He's a good populist speaker and it was a logical piece of rhetorical architecture. I don't know who you think you're fooling by trying to pretend that this wasn't all a big Rightie cliche. But it's almost cute.
"Tax the illegal Mexican?" "Oboma?" This show had it all.
I was even told I needed to put my camera up by the woman near the end of the video who insisted I somehow owed the man I was shooting some deep gratitude. I was floored. I'd been completely respectful, just doing my job like the rest of the media. Guess I just looked like a dirty hippy. It made the experience complete.
Never claimed to be bipartisan, TT. I see no automatic value in it. If there was a Republican out there who didn't shit his or her pants at the thought of doing or saying anything off script, and who wasn't also a mental case, I might consider it, if my only other choice were Prince Mongo, and nothing larger were at stake, like control of a house or senate.
Well, anyway, my middle class tax cut came through, so I don't see anything to protest here. I'm certainly not going to stand up for people who have never stood up for me - i.e. the very rich. And before you accuse me of engaging in class warfare, let me say hell yes and about time, too, as the warfare has been going on since people have been people, but mostly it consists of them shooting at us and us thanking them for paying us to be targets of their sport. That's a protest I could get behind.
re Jeff: ok....we've established that you are incapable of a nonpartisan position....you are engaging in class warfare. It's not my fault that you can't find a way to become....as you say..."rich". Rich and hard work are joined at the hip in America...so are poor and lazy. I resent you thinking that you have some fucking right to come into my house ...take some of my money...to fill some fucking void in your life because you are a) to stupid, b) too lazy or c) both...to make your own way in life. Dude...if you can make it in this country....you aren't trying. I employ people ....I meet a six figure payroll every week....they drive forklifts....they run calculators.....they do all sorts of things that are valuable to our business. They earn their money and I pay them. That's the deal.....that's how it works. You don't have a clue about how this economy works.
re Jeff: ok....we've established that you are incapable of a nonpartisan position....you are engaging in class warfare. It's not my fault that you can't find a way to become....as you say..."rich". Rich and hard work are joined at the hip in America...so are poor and lazy. I resent you thinking that you have some fucking right to come into my house ...take some of my money...to fill some fucking void in your life because you are a) too stupid, b) too lazy or c) both...to make your own way in life. Dude...if you can't make it in this country....you aren't trying. I employ people ....I meet a six figure payroll every week....they drive forklifts....they run calculators.....they do all sorts of things that are valuable to our business. They earn their money and I pay them. That's the deal.....that's how it works. You don't have a clue about how this economy works. You can shit your own pants for all I care.
Did anyone see the crowd down in Tallahasseem FL who were punk'd by the Tea bagging interloper who asked "how many of you are making under $250,000" and the crowd went wild. Then, he said, "Well, all of you got a tax CUT under Obama" and the crowd booed the hell out of him. Let's face it people--this is the Racist, Know-Nothing, Secessionist crowd who prides themselves on being totally effing stupid. They can't get enough of the Dittohead/FOX News Kool-Aid. Can't drink it fast enough. Mostly, they are pissed because a black guy is living in the White House.
re Americanwoman: Well said my dear. There must be more accountability in our society. I only buy American when it it makes sense for me to do that. I buy German cars....because they are the best. Competition is what America used to be really good at...but I wonder if we can still do it.....
re wvfi: so.....hmmm...was that a yes or a no....I couldn't tell...from all the foaming at the mouth. Sweetie...you are too young to know your ass from a hole in the stall....so...do us all a favor....vote for the Whale party next time around...and don't fuck up the real election...ok? ;-)
re Chris: damn.....you just barely missed recording something that wasn't even said. Man...that's really bad luck. Maybe you made it all up and now you are stuck in this really embarrassing place with every one watching......and wondering....what will you come up with next. :-)
re Chris: by the way.....Mark Skoda is a Democrat.......but I'm sure you already knew that....and...sort of forgot to mention it. Right?? Totally unbiased reporting from the world class Memphoflyer's cub...er...ace reporter.
re Fancycwabs:..I kinda liked it. ;-)....I can do much mo better.....but I don't take no bait sista.
I'm just pleased that they got someone related to Sister Myotis to be their speaker, Amen?
thought thinker, have one of your own (thought that is).
Corporate lobbying and PR firms hatched your "grassroots" (read astroturf) tea party and Faux News and the conservative talk jocks promoted it. Y'all are a bunch of lemmings that followed their lead without question.
I don't have a problem with a lot of what was purported to motivate the protests--hell, I think the Federal Reserve and the IRS are unconstitutional--but the bottom line is y'all were USED to advance a political goal of undermining Obama's presidency.
I'm feelin ya, sbanbury. Old Dick Armey is laughing his happy ass all the way to his Cayman Island bank knowing he lobbied for Merrill, Lehman, and AIG to get TARP money but has now got all the Palin peasants with pitchforks believing he's protesting it. Gotta admit, that's pretty funny!! The entertainers at FAUX News and on Fatboy Radio are better than David Copperfield at performing magic with their right wing propaganda. The poor fools are so busy hating Obama, they don't even know they've been scammed by the corporate lobbyists, PR firms, and media!!
I was surprised Chippy Saltsman was not there leading everyone in a stanza of "Barrack the Magic Negro". When you strip it all down, that's the real burr under the skin of the tea-baggers. Oh, they bray and rant about taxes and deficits, but didn't give a damn about it when Bush spent us into oblivion. What's really eating at them is they can't stand it that a black man is living in the White House. So the New RepubliKKKan Party is really the Old RepubliKKKan Party.
re sbanbury: yawn.... that's pretty lame and totally irrelevant to the discussion of taxes and gov't spending run amuk. I'm curious about you hatred of corporations though...what's up with that? Remember...if it's good for business...it's good for America.
"Remember...if it's good for business...it's good for America."
I agree with the caveat that what's good for business in the LONG TERM is good for America. Too often short-sightedness or just good old fashioned assholery has led to deregulation, fraud, etc. which gets us to where we are today (see also: Savings & Loan scandal; the Enron, WorldCom, et al scandals that led to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act).
I realize that govenment is ineffecient and bloated, but Corporate America has proven time & time again it is incapable of self-regulation. I honestly don't know all the answers, but I do know that 100% hands off ain't it...
To: left wing cracker
It's not about black or white and it's not about
Republican or Democrat. It is about this Congress
and this President passing bills that are not in
the long-term interest of the American people. I
don't need a President to travel the globe apologizing for me. I don't need 65% of Congress
spending our kids and grandkids future for studies
on the stench of pig feces. The budget that they
passed (without reading) smells worse than any pig
I've ever been around and will certainly have much
more long lasting repercussions. For my part, Clinton, "Dubya" Bush, Obama and congress are traitors to the American people. And I would love
the chance to tell each one of them to their face.
RantBOY needs to get a life. Just like Cracker who
tries to make every black/white. Nobody prodded me to go to the tea party. I went because I believe in Red, White & Blue not black/white or
republican/democrat. Clinton started all the banking scandal, Bush did not protect the borders,
Obama's trying to bankrupt us (with the help of most of congress). Add in Barney Franks and that
deluded nancy pelosi and you have all the makings
of a socialist catastrophe -- and you can ask the
russians how long it takes to get out from under
that. Tell me one thing that Obama/Congress has
done that actually serves the long-term best interest of the WORKING AMERICAN PEOPLE - not the
illegal immigrants, not those on welfare that could work but choose not too. Obama is on the
path to destroy this country so you better be practicing up on your Chinese and/or Spanish so
you can teach Your kids how to apply for welfare.
Slickmiller--- FYI,dude. I HAVE a life and a JOB. On Wednesday, while all you dumb clucks with your teabag hats were parading around the poor Boyscouts, waving your phony signs and singing your hymns, I was busting my hump and paying taxes, which keep up that park you were in, buddy. Take your sanctimony and moralizing to some blog with fools who will actually believe you.
"Bush did not protect the borders"
if only that were the worst of it...
i don't care where your party affiliations lay, sometimes i get the feeling that folks don't fully appreciate how thoroughly his administration RUINED us. our great-great grandchildren will still be grappling with the scope of his folly.
from the WSJ, a pretty fair rundown of Bush's legacy in my humble estimation:
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/seve…{364DFD37-1A69-46D3-BA45-A24095FD1666}
Obama's gambit might pay off; i really don't think anyone can answer that for now.
Hey Slick--I guess it wasn't a "socialist castrophe" when Bush's lackey,Hank Paulson, got a blank check for TARP money for his buds on Wall Street?? Bush signed off on big, fat, Socialism--with a capital S dude, but now all of a sudden, you're blaming Obama when he's trying to stimulate the economy by spending money on infrastructure projects?? Your hypocrisy is so lame, man. Have you ever read a history book? Do you know what Herbert Hoover did when he was facing the Great Depression? He CUT federal spending, which led to a deflationary spiral, and a fall in aggregate demand of goods!! The only thing you tea baggers understand about the economy is Republican BS about tax cuts, which never really happens when you're borrowing and spending like Bush did on the Iraq war. Tell me you're pissed at being the #1 Debtor nation--indebted to China-- and then, I'll give you some respect.
tt, corporations should only exist to pool the resources of investors to achieve a defined goal. After achieving the goal defined by their charter, they should be dissolved and their remaining or accrued assets distributed to their shareholders. If the assets aren't there or for real, the investors should take their loss (read no bailouts).
That we have allowed corporations to exist and hold property in perpetuity is contrary to the purpose of our nation's birth in opposition to the non representational ed rule of the Crown colony corporations.
re sbanbury: I agree with your comment regarding bailout. I don't support a single dime of taxpeyer bailout money going to anyone....corporations...or individuals. The rest of your comment made absolutely no sense to me. A coprorations has the same legal standing as an individual therefore I see no reason why it can't on asset fr as long as it's shareholders choose to do so. Raising capital is only one purpose of a corporation...I think you are naive on this issue...the corporation predates our young democracy...by the way.
re wvfii: I'm guessing that you don't work in a business or own a business.....I can assure you that there is no marketplace in this country that is 100% free of regulation. Probably half of my admin costs are related to complying with some local, state or federal regulation. Excessive regulation stifles growth and consumes capital. SOX has done nothing to promote clean balance sheets...but is does employ tens of thousands of lawyers, accountants and do-nothing bureaucrats.
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