NYT: Tea Parties Forever by Krugman

[SnyderShrugged]

I remember when DL Hughley interviewed Ron Paul and said he was too sane to be a republican.

I really think Paul is a bit ambivalent about his supporters. Its like they actually like him for standing for what he believes in and not wavering.

Unfortunately I think Paul's getting pimped by guys like Limbaugh and Hannity and others to try to get his followers.

They can try! But that bridge is pretty burned after the treatment last year.

[SkinsHokieFan]

They can try! But that bridge is pretty burned after the treatment last year.

As it should be. In particular with Hannity. The stuff he said after the first debate was just absurd

[SnyderShrugged]

As it should be. In particular with Hannity. The stuff he said after the first debate was just absurd

sure was! (though I recall some here that agreed with hannity fully at the time, mentioning no names, of course!)

The same goes with many of the so-called "conservative" pundits though.

[IHOPSkins]

Thats the problem with news reporting, the truth is unknown. One side overplays it, the other side underplays it.

I watch FOX and listen to NPR

Thats balanced

When I want a good laugh is watch PMSBS (the Uberjerk network)

My Legs Tingle like Chrissy's during an Obama speech just thinking about it

[mjah]

On a separate note, it would have been nice if Dems in Congress actually had the courage to strongly protest the Iraq war back in 2002/2003.

No argument there.

Of course the Republicans would have branded them all as cowards and traitors and secret Muslims and terrorist sympathizers and Freedom haters. But that's the risk you take when you stand up for what you know is right.

Congress is absolutely full of sheep, no matter who is in power. It's just a matter of which shepherd each side of the aisle decides to follow.

[SnyderShrugged]

No argument there.

Of course the Republicans would have branded them all as cowards and traitors and secret Muslims and terrorist sympathizers and Freedom haters. But that's the risk you take when you stand up for what you know is right.

Congress is absolutely full of sheep, no matter who is in power. It's just a matter of which shepherd each side of the aisle decides to follow.

That is as apt of an analogy as I've heard!

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

I should've invested in tea.

[IHOPSkins]

......Of course the Republicans would have branded them all as cowards and traitors and secret Muslims and terrorist sympathizers and Freedom haters......

And for retracting their support the Republicans can NOW call the Dems Hypocrites

"I was for it before I was against it"

[SnyderShrugged]

I've been getting some reports from a friend who is watching the coverage on Fox. As feared, they are turning it into a bash Democrat/Love neo-con broadcast.

I hate that the GOP establishment reduces the credibility of the legitimate folks out there today.

[Thinking Skins]

I watch FOX and listen to NPR

Thats balanced

When I want a good laugh is watch PMSBS (the Uberjerk network)

My Legs Tingle like Chrissy's during an Obama speech just thinking about it

Thats interesting. I don't go to any of those networks for unbiased news. I just try to keep reading different sources to understand many different angles of the same story.

[mjah]

"I was for it before I was against it"

Sounds like your average teabagger, actually.

Also sounds like your average former Bush Administration supporter. Lots of them around these days.

What do they all have in common with Congress? They once thought a certain previous administration might be competent, and foolishly gave them the benefit of the doubt. Oops.

But enough about the past.

Say no to Taxation With Representation! BYOT!

[SnyderShrugged]

For Immediate Release

April 15, 2009:

ARLINGTON, VA - As activists across the country hold national tea parties, Campaign for Liberty president John Tate issued the following statement:

"The concept of the modern day Tea Party began on December 16, 2007 when supporters of Ron Paul's presidential campaign came together and raised over $6 million online in one day. The tremendous success of that event led activists in the freedom movement and members of the Campaign for Liberty to begin planning today's Tax Day Tea Parties.

"Success always brings company, and it is very positive that so many conservatives, libertarians, Republicans, constitutionalists and even progressives have come together and joined our efforts. All Americans who are sincere about cutting out of control government spending are welcome to stand with Dr. Paul and the Campaign for Liberty as we fight to take our country back."

Congressman Ron Paul is the honorary chairman of Campaign for Liberty. For more information, visit www.campaignforliberty.com.

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/#15960

[mjah]

So all the teabaggers are accidentally supporting Ron Paul, the original teabagger?

Hey, this teabagging thing is really snowballing.

[SnyderShrugged]

So all the teabaggers are accidentally supporting Ron Paul, the original teabagger?

Hey, this teabagging thing is really snowballing.

It was a somewhat funny term when it was used in this manner by Jon Stewart, sadly, its pretty dumb sounding now after its repeated over and over again.

[81artmonk]

Where was there anger for the last 8 ****ing years that put us in this deficit? Bush turned a surplus into a deficit and didn't try to do **** to fix the economy. How do you propose to fix a deficit? A ****ing Tea Party sponsored by coporate lobbyists??

Firstly people supprted Bush. It wasn't until the end that he fell from grace. And I certianly wouldn't purpose one of the largest spending packages increasing the debt to 1.2 trillion as a solution, that's for sure!!

These tea parties aren't corporate sponsored. If they are, it's people jumping on the bandwagon. They started grass roots and have been. Fox news and corporate sponsorship is the lefts way of spinning this to make these angry americans look bad.

[81artmonk]

Most people just got a tax break thanks to Obama and the Congress.

Yup sure did!! Thanks Mr. Obama for my $13 more a month. Which will decrease to $8 I believe next year. WOW, that'll really help out!!

[mjah]

It was a somewhat funny term when it was used in this manner by Jon Stewart, sadly, its pretty dumb sounding now after its repeated over and over again.

Oh, I wasn't actually focusing on that term in my post.

And it's not just the name. The whole concept is, as you said, "pretty dumb sounding."

[SnyderShrugged]

Oh, I wasn't actually focusing on that term in my post.

And it's not just the name. The whole concept is, as you said, "pretty dumb sounding."

I dont think there is anything dumb about the concept of calling a rally/protest a "tea party", especially when we have a historical example of a tea party that was key in starting our own revolution.

The dumb thing is calling the participants "teabaggers" which is just a line taken from Jon Stewart and rachel maddow when they were mocking this cause.

[81artmonk]

Sorry to hear that. Apparently you weren't paying attention for the entire decade.

This teabagging (LOL) stuff would pass the hypocrite test if it had taken hold during the administration of the right wing's one-time favorite son. Not a scant three months into the other guy's term.

Funny, I seem to hear alot of people who are interviewed at these parties, as saying one thing. They don't like the fact that Obama raised the deficit more than Bush could have dreamed of doing. No one in congress read the spending bill. Taxes are going to be raised. I don't hear anything loony about that kind of talk.

Did it ever occur to you that may be these people have had enough. Of both parties. Oh wait, no if you speak out abou the messiah, you must be a loon!!

[81artmonk]

Ok. But I guess what I'm saying is that I accept, or even embrace, dissent that is coupled with logic and proposed options, but I detest dissent for the purpose of dissent.

Just curious, but what about this kind of dissent is merely for dissent?? Don't these americans have legit beefs regardless of who is in charge??

[81artmonk]

Allow BANKRUPTCY and FORECLOSURES

Do NOT reward GREED and IRRESPONSABILITY

:allhail:

Couldn't agree more. However, you do know that your opinion goes against what everyone believes to be right?? Just lettin you know

[alexey]

Congress is absolutely full of sheep, no matter who is in power. It's just a matter of which shepherd each side of the aisle decides to follow.

Yep, it is a carefully weighted decision that takes into consideration important things like where the dogs are barking and where other sheep are headed

[81artmonk]

Certainly, I think some people really do believe in principles of low taxes and low spending for better government. But, I think most of those people are just ****ing right now and not offering any answers.

Again curious. With what?? I wasn't aware that people who protest needed to come up with better solutions.

Did the war protesters have any, other than pull out now?? Are the protesters suppose to have written proposals for congress before they went out to do their thing?

[81artmonk]

Are we gonna be breaking ES board rules is we start calling these protesters teabaggers, or use the term teabagging?? Just curious

[mjah]

I dont think there is anything dumb about the concept of calling a rally/protest a "tea party", especially when we have a historical example of a tea party that was key in starting our own revolution.

Uh, except that the two have virtually nothing in common -- regardless of the organizers' historical fantasies. The lack of "taxation without representation" should be the first clue there.

Funny, I seem to hear alot of people who are interviewed at these parties, as saying one thing. They don't like the fact that Obama raised the deficit more than Bush could have dreamed of doing.

...Much of it in an effort to put out the fires that Bush's irresponsible profligacy unquestionably stoked.

That's not to say Bush alone is responsible. Far from it. But if those people are somehow surprised to see that idiotic hole-digger spending years ago has led to purposeful hole-filler spending now, then God help them. That's how it works. That's reality.

No one in congress read the spending bill. Taxes are going to be raised. I don't hear anything loony about that kind of talk.

Apparently, no one in Congress read the National Intelligence Estimate in 2003. Taxes to support war should have been raised. There's nothing loony about that kind of talk either. Now here we are, still catching up to that huge mistake and many others too -- some arguably even bigger.

Moral: Congress sucks, always.

Now, I already knew that. The tea-party doily crowd, who apparently just learned this, is trying to teach a lesson that everyone else already learned by watching the ever-spineless Congress bow to their political party's unjustifiable excesses. Now they're going to try to teach us? Right.

But hey, even though the tea bag patrons were totally silent for eight years of incompetence, let's blame the new guy for trying to turn the ship in the right direction. Quite the moral authority, there. :doh:

Again: They're protesting taxation WITH representation. What's their alternative? Less taxation to pay for digging out of the huge hole we're in? Less spending to dig out of the huge hole we're in? Where are the actual alternatives these folks are offering? Or is it just noise?

Did it ever occur to you that may be these people have had enough. Of both parties.

Of course it occurred to me. But maybe you can provide a link suggesting that the bring-your-own-teabag crowd themselves predominantly feel that way.

Theoretical conjecture is cheap, 81. Give me a link to real evidence that the anger is directed equally at both parties -- or more heavily toward the right than the left, as one might expect from a post-partisan crowd familiar with the actual nature and history of spending during this decade. A respectable link that's more than just an anecdote or two. I'd love to see it. From everything I've seen and read on both sides, this tea-party fad is heavily politically slanted to the right. I've heard nothing credible to contradict that impression.

Are you suggesting that the BYOT crowd is not a right-wing effort?