Tea Party Capitol Video was Wrong Video - Racist Slurs May Still have Happened

[DaShi]

Actually, Elok gives some valid reasons to dislike the Tea Party. Far better than just saying that they are racists.

[Drake Tungsten]

No. Thinking a heterogeneous populist movement that formed as a reaction to economic distress is "contemptible" because it doesn't have a coherent message and appeals to the founding principles of the country it was formed in is ****ing stupid.

[DaShi]

Now that's a stupid argument. Elok's reasons are perfectly valid for thinking that such a movement is contemptible. 1. and 2. are reasons why many populist movements are disliked and lose momentum. 3. is obvious, 4. nicely points out how ridiculous they are in the face of reason, and 5. rightly asks where they were during the economic distress of the Bush administration. They may be a populist movement, but to paint all populist movements with the same brush to demonstrate that they are immune to contempt is wrong. Using that as a foundation for an argument is just ****ing stupid.

[Drake Tungsten]

It figures a dumb**** like you would think Elok made an intelligent point...

[DaShi]

Figures that you can't come up with a response. :yawn:

[Drake Tungsten]

You deserve a serious response about as much as Kiddy does.

[DaShi]

:yawn: Keep going. You know that doesn't work on me. No matter how many insults you throw, it won't change any of the arguments where I was right and you were wrong.

[Drake Tungsten]

Thankfully, those kinds of arguments simply don't exist.

[giblets]

No. Thinking a heterogeneous populist movement that formed as a reaction to economic distress is "contemptible" because it doesn't have a coherent message and appeals to the founding principles of the country it was formed in is ****ing stupid.

Why is it stupid to dislike heterogeneous populist movements?

Like, simply being one could be contemptible.

[Elok]

I admit I dislike all the populists I've heard of so far. They all seem to prize a certain level of stupidity. Didn't like Howard Dean either.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

To add to the non-story OP.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303348504575184081507879688.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_MIDDLETopOpinion

Recap.

1. Heath Shuler corrects the record regarding his corroboration of racial slurs.

2. Teh Krugman shown for the umpteenth instance to be incapable of being intellectually honest.

[Kidlicious]

This seems like a good thread for this...

Foes of tea party movement to infiltrate rallies

ALBANY, N.Y. – Opponents of the fiscally conservative tea party movement say they plan to infiltrate and dismantle the political group by trying to make its members appear to be racist, homophobic and moronic.

Jason Levin, creator of http://www.crashtheteaparty.org, said Monday the group has 65 leaders in major cities across the country who are trying to recruit members to infiltrate tea party events for April 15 — tax filing day, when tea party groups across the country are planning to gather and protest high taxes.

"Every time we have someone on camera saying that Barack Obama isn't an American citizen, we want someone sitting next to him saying, 'That's right, he's an alien from outer space!'" Levin said.

Tea party members said the backlash comes from ignorance.

"They can't actually debate our message and that's their problem," said Bob MacGuffie, a Connecticut organizer for Right Principles, a tea party group that also has members in New York and New Jersey.

The tea party movement generally unites on the fiscally conservative principles of small government, lower taxes and less spending. Beyond that the ideology of the people involved tends to vary dramatically.

Levin says they want to exaggerate the group's least appealing qualities, further distance the tea party from mainstream America and damage the public's opinion of them.

"Do I think every member of the tea party is a homophobe, racist or a moron? No, absolutely not," Levin said. "Do I think most of them are homophobes, racists or morons? Absolutely."

The site manifesto says they want to dismantle the Tea Party by nonviolent means. "We have already sat quietly in their meetings, and observed their rallies," the site said.

Another tea party organizer said the attempt to destroy the movement was evidence its message is resonating.

"We've been ignored, we've been ridiculed. Well, now they're coming after us," said Judy Pepenella, a co-coordinator for the New York State Tea Party. "Gandhi's quote is one we understand: 'First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.'"

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100412/...party_crashers

That's hilarious. The Tea Baggers are accusing THEM of ignorance!

[Wezil]

5. Where where these people when Bush was spending all that money and mucking around with warrantless wiretapping? Yes, I know Obama hasn't changed a whole lot as a practical matter, but do these people actually object to taxes/government/whatever in principle, or only when a Democrat does them?

That's the one that gets me. Where the hell were these people a couple years ago?

[Ecofarm]

Many TV and radio pundits were crying like little girls, including a few on FoxNews.


As an interventionist, I was busy thinking "go big government!"

I was not a fan of the education reform but am sympathetic to that. I did oppose the Farm Bill.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

That's hilarious. The Tea Baggers are accusing THEM of ignorance!

Pretty much, as ignorance that such illicit activities comes with consequences in these days of intertubes.

Beaverton teacher faces investigation over Tea Party "infiltration"
By Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian
April 14, 2010, 9:33AM
UPDATE: The Beaverton School District has also launched its own investigation of whether Levin violated any conduct standards, said Maureen Wheeler, a spokeswoman for the school district.

Jason Levin, the Portland man who caused a ruckus over his plans to "infiltrate" Tea Party protests in an aim to discredit them, teaches in a Beaverton middle school and now faces an investigation by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission.

Melody Hanson, the commission's director of professional practices, said Wednesday that the agency opened an investigation because "there was enough concern that there was some neglect of duty" on the part of Levin.

Levin teaches in the media lab at Conestoga Middle School, although he described himself in an interview earlier this week with Talking Points Memo as a technology consultant.

Levin started a web site called "Crash the Tea Party" that he said was aimed at encouraging people to pose as Tea Party protestors while acting in outlandish ways in hopes of discrediting the movement.

Both the school district and the teachers licensing commission received calls protesting Levin's actions and saying it was inappropriate for teachers.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/mapesonpolitics/2010/04/beaverton_teacher_faces_invest.html