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AlterNet / By Mark Ames and Yasha Levine and Alexander Zaitchik
comments_imageCOMMENTS: 383

Fake Teabaggers Are Anti-Spend, Anti-Government: Real Populists Want to Stop Banks from Plundering America

The tea parties are AstroTurf -- fake grassroots. But there is a real movement growing against corporate greed and government malfeasance.
April 15, 2009  |  
 
 
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This afternoon, groups of angry conservatives will gather on street corners and in parks across the country to protest.

They will carry signs and deliver speeches expressing outrage over the Democrats' stimulus bill, over entitlements, over budget pork, over taxes. They will dump boxes of tea on the ground and wear three-cornered hats. The leading lights of the Republican Party will be on hand to cheer them on.

But as with so much on the right, these apparent displays of populist rage are not what they will seem.

Six weeks ago, two of us (Mark Ames and Yasha Levine) published an investigation exposing the nascent "Tea Party" protest movement for what it really is: a carefully planned AstroTurf (or "fake grassroots") lobby campaign hatched and orchestrated by the conservative advocacy organization FreedomWorks. Within days, pieces of the scam had crumbled, exposing a small group of right-wing think tanks and shady nonprofits at its core.

The Tea Party movement was born on Feb. 19 with a now-famous rant by second-string CNBC correspondent Rick Santelli, who called for a "Chicago Tea Party" in protest of President Barack Obama's plans to help distressed American homeowners. Santelli’s call blazed through the blogosphere, greased along by a number of FreedomWorks-funded blogs, propelling him to the status of a 21st century Samuel Adams — a leader and symbol of disenfranchised Americans suffering under big-government oppression and mismanagement of the economy.

That same day, a nationwide "Tea Party" protest movement mysteriously materialized on the Internet. A whole ring of Web sites came online within hours of Santelli's rant, like sleeper-cell blogs waiting for the trigger to act, all claiming to have been inspired by Santelli's allegedly impromptu outburst.

At first glance, the sites appeared to be unconnected and unplanned. But many were suspiciously well designed and strangely on point with their "nonpartisan" and "grassroots" statements. It was as if all of them were reading from the same script. The Web sites heavily linked to each other, spreading their mission with help of Facebook and Twitter feeds. FreedomWorks, as if picking up on rumblings coming from the depths of the conservative netroots, linked to them, too.

But as our investigation showed, the key players in the Tea Party Web ring were no amateurs, but rather experienced Republican operatives with deep connections to FreedomWorks and other fake grassroots campaigns pushing pro-big-business interests.

FreedomWorks has a long history of using such campaigns. Founded in 2004 by Dick Armey, the former Republican House Majority Leader and lobbyist from Texas, and publishing titan Steve Forbes, FreedomWorks represented the consolidation and rebranding of two older think tanks, Citizens for a Sound Economy, founded by the notorious Koch family, and Empower America, a powerful lobbying firm that has battled health care reform and minimum-wage bills while championing deregulation, corporate tax cuts and whatever else their corporate clients desire.

The idea was to bring these two dinosaurs into the Internet age so they could compete with the newly created MoveOn.org.

FreedomWorks got caught AstroTurfing their sponsors' agendas almost as soon as the group was formed. In 2005, when President George W. Bush was trying to get the public to go along with his plans for handing Social Security over to Wall Street bankers, the New York Times revealed that a "regular single mom" paraded by Bush's White House in its PR campaign was in fact FreedomWorks' Iowa state director.

Last year, the Wall Street Journal exposed FreedomWorks’ role in sponsoring AngryRenter.com, a site designed to imitate an amateur blog with a plutocrat’s agenda: to shoot down a $300 billion bill meant to help distressed American homeowners. Freedomworks and its clients understood that if the super-wealthy Republicans who opposed the bill were fronting the campaign, it wouldn't fly with regular Americans buckling under the housing crisis, so they set up Angryrenter.com to give the impression that millions of ordinary Americans were the ones opposing it. The bill passed, but AngryRenter.com served as a warm-up exercise for the Tea Party movement.

The Tea Party initiative improved on the AngryRenter.com model by diversifying its AstroTurf assets. Rather than put all its efforts into one vulnerable strategic entity, FreedomWorks distributed its campaign across a network of smaller, seemingly independent blogs and sites. If one was outed as a fake, the rest of the machine could deny affiliation and survive.


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Mark Ames and Yasha Levine are editors of eXiledonline.com. Alexander Zaitchik is a freelance journalist.
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"The Great Tea Bag Scam!" ( A New ) "What Now Cartoon!"
[Report this comment]
Posted by: what0now0toons on Apr 15, 2009 12:15 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The right wing is pulling yet another scam on the American public, this time as 95% of Americans get a tax cut, a small portion of the other 5% wants to wine about it. so they take the Boston Tea party where colonists protested the East India Company getting a free tax ride while they paid taxes and turn it into an anti tax day. Here's my cartoon on this topic...
www.whatnowtoons.com

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Well, get used to it! Posted by: Cybershaman
» RE: Well, get used to it! Posted by: photon's feather
» RE: Just overworked and underpaid. Posted by: Cybershaman
» RE: Just overworked and underpaid. Posted by: photon's feather
» RE: Just overworked and underpaid. Posted by: Cybershaman
» When you deny the Tea Parties are Posted by: outsideagitator
» RE: When you deny the Tea Parties are Posted by: BulldogRedeemer
» RE: Weird. Posted by: Cybershaman
» RE: When you deny the Tea Parties are Posted by: photon's feather
» where were you? Posted by: Tom Tele
» RE: Ya know... Posted by: Cybershaman

Comments are closed-

You Can't Be A Progressive and Pro~Obama
[Report this comment]
Posted by: mmckinl on Apr 15, 2009 12:21 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
There is plenty of misinformation from the "Tea Baggers" ... But plenty more from Obama ...

"The problem is the Left has been subdued, to put it mildly, in channeling rage at the bankers -- in part because Obama's economic team is the bankers and so far serves the bankers in programs that are corrupt, opaque and infuriating."

And just today Obama reiterated that He will NOT Nationalize insolvent banks ...

Let the Tea Baggers have their fun, people know the score ....

It's about the Wall Street Banksters and how Obama is in their pocket ...

Then there are his policies on habeus corpus, Afghanistan, the investigation of the Bush Administration and much more...

An Emerging Progressive Consensus on Obama's Executive Power and Secrecy Abuses

You Can't Be A Progressive and Pro~Obama

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» Protesting military funerals Posted by: Doctor Democracy
» Actually, you can't be serious. Posted by: Bliss Doubt
» Thanks for the reply Posted by: photon's feather
» Sooo you think that the Dems are Posted by: outsideagitator
» outsideagitator can't be EncinoM Posted by: Bliss Doubt
» RE: You Can't Be A Progressive and Pro~Obama Posted by: Sports Warrior Casey Jones

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corporations and government sitting in a tree
[Report this comment]
Posted by: LillianB on Apr 15, 2009 1:20 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Having fun with you and me.

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Show up
[Report this comment]
Posted by: jbro434 on Apr 15, 2009 1:27 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
We will not have any of that foolish nonsense where I live( in Europe) so I can not take my own advice. Show up and engage these fools. Get some face time in front of a camera or microphone. Bring your own camera and show them on Youtube spouting off the racial comments that will not be broadcast on mainstream media. Show how ignorant they are to the rest of the world. Have some fun. Call it TEABAG Parking Lot and enter it in your local film festival.

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» If anyone does show up Posted by: Yankeeinexile
» RE: If anyone does show up Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» RE: Show up Posted by: Caleb Darkstar
» RE: Show up Posted by: jbro434
» RE: Show up Posted by: Caleb Darkstar

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That's about as grass rootsy as America can get
[Report this comment]
Posted by: LMNOP on Apr 15, 2009 2:01 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
It's surreal. They don't even bother to hide it now. It's 1984 and A Clockwork Orange and The Time Machine and Network and The Wizard of Oz, with a whopping dose of Dark Side of the Moon and Kafka thrown in.

America, 2000 - 2009: The world's worst performance by a people in a time of mounting and now impending crisis.

You know, it's when the going gets tough that Americans just become jellyfish and passively float away like plankton. Remember Gary Cooper and Gregory Peck? Not like that. More like Milli Vanilli.

What if they gave a country and no one showed up? The news is like a never-ending Weekend at Bernie's movie with the American people aptly cast as the stiff, being dragged over broken glass and tires and stones. Plop! Smack! Bang!

So what's next? Road Warrior? Water World?

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» Let them eat cake. Posted by: LMNOP

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One big delusional fantasy
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Perry Logan on Apr 15, 2009 2:54 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Conservatives just can't face the fact they are a creepy minority with an inordinate love for catastrophic policies.

Conservatism in America is a blatant fraud. Their "movements" are planned by corporations. Their "facts" are cooked by think tanks. Their election "victories" are stolen.

Their "best sellers" are purchased en masse by monied right-wing organizations.

Less than half of hate radio listeners identify themselves as conservatives. The airways are flooded with right-wing sewage--not because Americans want it--but because the Right owns the radio stations.

The corporate news is tilted 180 degrees in their favor, and yet Americans are still swinging to the left.

Thirty years of incontinent slander of liberals, and there are more liberals running around than ever.

Damn, that must hurt.

Now they're faking it again with their tea parties. They don't seem to be having much fun, and they seem confused about what they're protesting.

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» RE: One big delusional fantasy Posted by: Sister_Lauren

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Tea baggers are a bunch of baby whiners. And yes, this IS about 9/11.......
[Report this comment]
Posted by: pfgetty on Apr 15, 2009 3:25 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The teabaggers are idiotic whiners who don't really know what they are yapping about.
They are like children..........
They want, they want, they want
They want imperial wars, occupations, cheaper oil, Homeland Security, a flashy military with expensive weaponry, a military budget bigger than all the rest of the military budgets around the world.
But they don't want to pay of any of this. Somehow, they want this all to be paid for by..........well, they don't say. As it is Americans aren't paying for it with taxes. We pay for it, or will pay for it, in other ways, like the destruction of our entire economic system, as the rest of the world tires of buying our debt.
What do these whiners really want? Decrease government spending.........like, well, if not a decrease in military spending, then infrastructure (we already are seeing the rusting away of America) or social services (we spend nearly the least of industrialized nations on this)? They don't say. They just want less spending.
But we COULD lower taxes and actually pay for what we spend if we did away with ridiculously huge imperial military spending. But we won't.
And nobody will consider it.
They WOULD consider it if it were not for these phoney wars against terrorism, all based on 9/11. If 9/11 were finally exposed by the media for the fairytale that it is, we'd be able to have a real dialog about cutting spending. But the media, even the alternative media like Alternet, has decided that any mention of 9/11 truth is verboten. Americans must be left believing in the nonsense of 9/11. The contradictions, impossibilities and lies of 9/11 are to be left untouched, part of American history.
Why Alternet is allowing this to continue, for seven and a half years, without comment is insane.
We NEED 9/11 truth to stop the wars, stop the spending, and maybe in the end we could possibly lower taxes without total destruction of American economy.

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How is Odumba bailout different from Bush bailout, Alternet sheeple?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: BruceMajors on Apr 15, 2009 3:41 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
rofl. Anyone who was an actual journalist or investigator could search FaceBook, Yahoogroups etc and see that hundreds of grassroots activist like me organized the tea parties long before some 501c3 website or cable channel jumped on board to publicize them.

Anyone with any critical thinking ability could see that Odumba's 4 trillion dollar intensification of Bush's inflationism and corporate bailouts means generations of indentured servitude to service debt.

I guess you really are the cretinous flaks for Soros and the tax predator ruling class you appear to be. Liars and morons.

The guillotine for you too then?

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» You want a civil war? Posted by: NYmediator
» RE: You want a civil war? Posted by: BulldogRedeemer
» You want a civil war? Posted by: NYmediator
» Do you hate us? Posted by: Beck
» RE: Do you hate us? Posted by: alive
» Not all of us on Alternet are stupid ! Posted by: JenniferBedingfield
» KOOK LIB POSTER ALERT Posted by: reelman
» RE: KOOK POSTER ALERT Posted by: Crazy H

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Real populists are getting any representation from either party.
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Sports Warrior Casey Jones on Apr 15, 2009 3:53 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
We might as well be vigilantes. At this point it's ok to be truly anti-government. Paying taxes means paying Wall Street and the war machines. Paying taxes means empowering those god damn motherfucking IMF, World Bank, UN, and other criminal international agencies. Real populists are also against gun control.

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» True Posted by: NYmediator

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Let me get this straight...
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Derek Maddox on Apr 15, 2009 4:05 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
When George Soros opens his really deep pockets and funds any number of "progressive" groups, that's a legitimate grassroots movement. When FreedomWorks (which I'd never even heard of before this article) starts organizing a conservative movement, then what results can't possibly be a grassroots movement. Maybe that makes sense in the rosy-pink make believe progressive world, but not out here in the gritty real world.

Did any of you pay attention in American History class? Remember the Committees of Correspondence? Local groups in each of the thirteen colonies that were set up to organize opposition to the British authority and to maintain communication with other such committees in other colonies.

There is a great American tradition of local organizations being "organized" and tied together by a national committee to fight a common concern. Today's tea parties are locally organized and locally funded. And they're being organized, funded, and attended by folks who are tired of having their pockets picked to pay the debts of companies and individuals that made bad decisions. Let 'em all go bankrupt, GM and the guy next door alike. They, and the country, will live through it.

But more importantly, we're tired of the steady encroachment of the federal government into our daily lives. That's really what we're protesting.

We're tired of seeing our tax dollars paid to multi-millionaire bankers. We're tired of seeing corporation after corporation bailed out of their bad decisions. We're tired of seeing our children and grandchildren saddled with more and more debt. We don't see the sense in trying to borrow our way out of debt. We're tired of seeing the federal government meddling in more and more aspects of our private lives.

If you're tired of that stuff too, then join us this afternoon and let your voice be heard along with us.

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» it's our party now Posted by: angry_liberal
» Wall Street is in New York State not Utah Posted by: SeattlePackedSnowandCollidedCars
» RE: Wall Street is in New York State not Utah Posted by: JenniferBedingfield
» Wall Street is in New York State a Blue State Posted by: SeattlePackedSnowandCollidedCars
» Ok ok. I don't mind where he's from although Posted by: JenniferBedingfield
» RE: Let me get this straight... Posted by: Caleb Darkstar
» RE: Let me get this straight... Posted by: Dr. P. Mooney

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A tea party ? Geesh ! And Obama's been doing their dirty work for them !
[Report this comment]
Posted by: JenniferBedingfield on Apr 15, 2009 4:25 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This is why we the people sorely need the old pre-2005 Obama to return. Before Obama entered the US Senate, he was not a corporatist or a war spender. I can't find a good brain surgeon for Obama so maybe somebody can help us on this one.

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» RE: The Stepford President Posted by: Shehova
» Stepford? Uh, what's that? Posted by: JenniferBedingfield

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The teabaggers helped pay for this article appearing here. They have an ad right above this.
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Beck on Apr 15, 2009 4:50 AM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Freedomworks is advertising here. Click on the ad, then go to their website and find out all about the Good News of teabagging, and it's necessity, right here, today of all days.

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My first protest!
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Ky Lake Dave on Apr 15, 2009 5:50 AM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Finally at the age of 47 I am getting to do the hippy thing and protest against our unfair government and President Obama. Obama is attempting to toss out the constitution. He is firing private citizens. Taking over the banking industry. Taking over the auto industry. He wants to take over the healthcare. The democrats are pursuing a "Fairness Doctrine" to censor the press and opposing views. President Obama and this unfair government attempting to toss aside capitalism in favor of socialism. He is spending my great grand childrens money! This presidency after less than 100 days is inching closer and closer to a dictatorship.
I am now an Obama PROTESTER. I am not a fake anything. My views are true and passionate. I am not part of an Acorn type "Rent a mob" that Obama and the Democrats use as an illusion of public outcry. I am the real deal. I am one of thousands. We are all the real deal. I'm a U.S. citizen that has had ENOUGH! We are bringing our spouses and our children. We will hold signs and rant against the Obama machine!
I wonder what we should wear?
I don't fit in my bell bottoms anymore.

2010 we will rein him in. I like that. Maybe that will be on my sign.
Anyone else like the ring of that?

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» RE: My first protest! Posted by: pshuster
» RE: My first protest! Posted by: Quannah
» RE: My first protest! Posted by: Midway54
» RE: My first protest! Posted by: isnamthere
» Better late out the gate Posted by: Ky Lake Dave
» RE: My first protest! Posted by: badkitty
» RE: My first protest! Posted by: Crazy H
» RE: My first protest! Posted by: Quannah

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Scum bag
[Report this comment]
Posted by: snowhound on Apr 15, 2009 5:50 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The tea party is not about right wing politics. The right and left wing media may be portraying it that way to purposely cause division between right and left, but that's not what this is about. This is a Campaign for Liberty. That's all that really needs to be said. The scum bag who wrote this article has no idea of the definition of Liberty. People are sick and tired of their corporate government that no longer serves the people in the way it was created to do so. The main role of the federal government is to preserve liberty. The current liberal ideology of social programs is unsustainable. The current conservative ideology of the imperial empire is unsustainable. This will all end in the economic collapse of our nation because we didn't follow our founders written document, The Constitution.

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» RE: Scum bag Posted by: only_me
» sources please Posted by: A Mom in America
» RE: sources please Posted by: Bliss Doubt
» RE: sources please Posted by: JenniferBedingfield
» RE: Scum bag Posted by: badkitty
» RE: Scum bag Posted by: snowhound
» RE: Scum bag Posted by: TheNamelessCity

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Protest, Protest, Protest abusive banks/business's
[Report this comment]
Posted by: wallisp on Apr 15, 2009 5:59 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Congress is listening to the people about these diasaster capitalists, loan sharking banks, Now it time to get business's involved. Refused to use their credit cards, ask managers if their business is standing up for their customers. Business' are taking a 20% drop in business, because of the abusive predatory credit card companies. If offered a credit card when you shop, ask to see a manager, ask them what the rates are (usually 24-31%) and tell them your offended, by the credit card offer. It will help American against credit card abuse. Protest, protest, protest, stand up for Americans.

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» abusive?? Posted by: gellero1

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Protest at Corp Headquarters not DC- Ya idiots
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Purple Girl on Apr 15, 2009 6:16 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
What are you willing to Do or give up to avoid Taxes?Chase down armed Bank Robbers? Go into Burning Buildings to look for trapped people? Serve in the mandatory Military? Repair roads and bridges on Weekends? Learn advanced Physics and Calculus so your kids can be taught?
What part of civilation are you willing to give up? Because One way or another- you will be paying for it...No such Thing as a Free Lunch.
Tax cuts is the mantra of the Self aborbed and greedy.Let's be honest, given a Tax cut most will not be buying books for the schools- they'll be out buying a Big Screen TV- hellova investment in your childrens ability to compete in the future( long after that flat screen goes Black).
So all those screaming about Tax cuts are actually the ones committing Generational Theft.they've been doing this for Decades- reason why Gym and music is no longer taught in schools (unless you pay privately), Reason the MN Bridge collapsed & NOLA levies broke (no $$ for inspectors or refortification).
Instead of screaming about tax cuts, scream about Profit margins. Why not be yelling about the skyrocketing cost of Food. Why not be outraged by Exxons 45 BILLION dollar profits when we were paying $4.00/gal?Taxes aren't killing US or Robbing US blind- it's Profit margins, which don't save or create jobs, invest in innovation or safety, or contribute to the Community in any Real way. What corp is paying your Police Dept?Oh they'll kick down for a Ball park- but not for a School.
How many workers yearly incomes could have been paid with the Millions paid to the CEO's In bonus' or investors dividends? They have not only sucked the life blood out of the economy, but also literally left their own corps like Corpses.They have missed the Point of those 'Established in' Plaques- they were meant to signify longevity- generations and centuries down the Road. Yet the 'new' business model looks no further than their own nose- or pockets.
No doubt there is some Gov't fat, but the Real Artery Clogging problem lies in the Corps Profit marginsand outrageous Top Brass Compensation packages- theres where all your money (and Jobs) are going.At least there are some concrete services you get from Taxes.Corp Profits and Compensatin pkgs only flaunt how much they have screwed the workers, the consumers,the taxpayers, Our country and Our Kids

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» who prints the money? Posted by: SeattlePackedSnowandCollidedCars
» Oh Yes We Did! 2006 rings a bell? Posted by: SeattlePackedSnowandCollidedCars
» RE: Ring My Chimes... Posted by: Crazy H

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Where oh where is the left?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: impeachnow on Apr 15, 2009 6:22 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I think we see a dangerous trend-- the right is tapping into people's fears and anger, and the left is ignoring it. Obama and Geithner offer us "magic"-- just dump a bunch of money into the broken system and voila! it will spring back to life. A lot of liberals want to believe this will work and are willing to overlook the fact that our govt under Obama is paying for CEO million dollar bonuses, while working people lose their jobs.

It is not only the right that has no critical thinking skills, it is the left as well. These are the seeds of fascism.

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Doubting thomas drinking tea - not kool-aid
[Report this comment]
Posted by: angry_liberal on Apr 15, 2009 6:25 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I've come to expect more balanced or nuanced reportage from alternet.

The Tea Parties are not just angry conservatives. Whether they're sponsored by any particular group, idk. I know that a very broad range of commentators, many of whom openly question the motives of mainstream pundits, have criticized the bailout programs.

That criticism resonates with me. If you do the math, all these programs end up shifting funds from tax-payers (mainly middle class and blue collar tax payers) primarily to the bonus pools of extremely wealthy office workers with close personal connections to the current and previous Executive administrations.

The man I helped elect promised us all "change we can believe in". Apparently, it's the kind of belief that is most blessed for those who see not, but still believe. Count me as a doubting thomas.

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I wish these dopes would just leave the country
[Report this comment]
Posted by: sausage on Apr 15, 2009 6:45 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
If any of these "teabaggers" had any balls they'd up and emigrate to a "real" libertarian paradise like Haiti or Somalia or Afghanistan.

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» I wish... Posted by: alive
» Well, you have to admit, Posted by: Bliss Doubt
» You sound like a Republican warhawk..... Posted by: A Mom in America
» What were we thinking? Posted by: alive
» No kidding Posted by: A Mom in America
» RE: No kidding Posted by: alive

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Does it matter who is supporting these parties?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: donnal on Apr 15, 2009 6:56 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Does it really matter if it is grass roots or not? Does it really matter how it was started or who started this protest? What should matter and the real story here is that these protests have wide support from many Americans, even those who voted for Mr. Obama and Company.

Many Americans, are upset that unlimited amounts of borrowed money are going to wasteful projects, bonus payments to AIG, Fanny and Freddie, lining pockets of unions, saving animals in SF and will spend money on few projects that will make a difference this year.


This President and Company remind me of a cartoon where the mother asks her children who broke the lamp, and the kids say "NOT ME"... "NOT ME" is that little ghost shown above the child, who does everything but never takes blame for the deeds.

These TEA PARTIES are to call attention to all the "NOT MES" in Washington, who are living in a cartoon.

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bluebama II
[Report this comment]
Posted by: bluebama II on Apr 15, 2009 7:00 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
One Nation Under Idiots has overthrown the second largest oil reserve on the planet for a trillion bucks and illegally occupying Iraq for six years to privatize its oil for hundreds of billions in oil contracts for the exploration, development, production and revenue sharing of this pirated oil. Gangbang for Jesus. How's that Jesus Tax working Rednecks? Let me say this. There is nothing on any planet in any galaxy dumber or more morally bankrupt than the genetic mutants from my white race from the Moron Belt murderin chillen in cold blood for oil while telling our chillen we be killin dem coloreds for their betterment. Agin!! Good luck with your oil plantation. Do you think Shelby, Sessions and Bonner are going to breast feed our new oil plantation for the next fifty years from the 14 bases Redneck and Jesus ain't building to steal oil for One Nation Under God and Hellfire Missiles from Christ??? We put the MO in RON.

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» RE: bluebama II Posted by: alive
» RE: really sad Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» RE: bluebama II Posted by: BulldogRedeemer
» RE: bluebama II Posted by: Crazy H
» RE: bluebama II Posted by: melloe2

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truthinexile
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Posted by: psychologist on Apr 15, 2009 7:05 AM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Yet another lie to distort the truth as we are disgusted with the left wing drive by media and we are tea bagging to washington and a new president in 2012.

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» RE: Gee, doesn't take long Posted by: isnamthere
» RE: Gee, doesn't take long Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» RE: Gee, doesn't take long Posted by: isnamthere
» RE: truthinexile Posted by: photon's feather
» RE: truthinexile Posted by: Quannah
» RE: truthinexile Posted by: photon's feather

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Dear Sheeple: The Republican/Democrat, left/right paradigm has been infiltrated & neutralized!
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Posted by: JohnTruth2001 on Apr 15, 2009 7:31 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Corporations have merged with government, which was basically Mussolini's definition of fascism:

"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." --Benito Mussolini.

Severely corrupt governments + corporations are why so many people are suffering!!! There are abundant resources on this planet for EVERYONE to have clean water, food, shelter, decent jobs, medical care, etc.!!!

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Nope, wrong
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Posted by: owlsliveintrees on Apr 15, 2009 7:42 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Sorry guys, you don't know the definition of astroturf. A bunch of people protesting something while being ENCOURAGED by organizations is NOT astroturf. Unfortunately, we're all on the same side when it comes to government and big business plundering our nation's wealth but everyone on Alternet is so paranoid about some ring wing conspiracy that they can't even recognize their own allies. Great. Your blind love of Obama has turned you against the very people who want what you want. Divide and conquer. You're making it too easy for them.

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» RE: Nope, wrong Posted by: BulldogRedeemer
» RE: Nope, wrong Posted by: GregH

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rgd
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Posted by: rgd on Apr 15, 2009 7:50 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
It is disturbing to see the polarization happening in this country. Unless the people can see past the labeling of democrat/republican, left-wing/right-wing, conservative/liberal, we will never get to the root of the problem. The root of the problem is money. Who owns it. Who controls it. Who prints it. Who passes it and who doesn't have it. Money is power. If you don't believe me just look at what is happening. Its all over money. Money is the vehicle used to move the masses where they don't want to go. I recall an old saying about the Love of Money is the Root of All Evil. There is plenty of common ground on both sides where a meeting point can occur but as long as we believe that only one side or idea can prevail, we are beat. All we will be doing is beating a drum, with lots of noise on the outside, but hollow on the inside.

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Those darn teabaggers, they're wacky!
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Posted by: alive on Apr 15, 2009 8:13 AM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
What really kills me about this ridiculous conspiracy theory article is that for the last 8 years Liberals in America have been spewing the most hateful vile things imaginable about bush, cheney and conservatives in general. But now that conservatives and a healthy number of moderates are unhappy about Obama and his vastly growing list of ways he's selling our futures down the river and they dare to complain about it by exercising their constitutional right to peacefully assemble, liberals in this country are losing their fricking minds! HOW DARE THEY, they have no right to complain about the state of things, they can't do that, it must be a vast right wing conspiracy! Oh wait it's ok, George Soros says they are a bunch of fringe right kooks, everythings alright go back to what you were doing, NOTHING TO SEE HERE!

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This comment has been removed from the site due to non-compliance with AlterNet's community policies.

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Fox News and Teabaggin' - a great link
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Posted by: timshel on Apr 15, 2009 8:28 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Laughing at them, not with them...

I guess we can't post links here, but for a good laugh, you may want to check out airamerica.com sex-and-city-fox-news-teabag-mash-video

I'm pretty sure this epitomizes how we should think of Fox News' idea of teabagging.

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Teabagging
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Posted by: jaguarxjs on Apr 15, 2009 8:29 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I went briefly to a 'Teabag' protest as promoted by FOX. I was disappointed when no one started sucking my balls, so I left.

Honestly, the number of fox newscasters and pundits that used 'teabagger' or 'teabagging' the last few nights has had me skipping my usual TV fare.

Hi-larious!

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» RE: You didn't hang out long enough. Posted by: Sister_Lauren

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EFFECTIVE PROTEST
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Posted by: marizara on Apr 15, 2009 9:01 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
If you want your protest to be taken seriously, or at all, first you must do things, not just say things. -- If you are protesting corporate evils, do not participate. -- Buy locally made goods, and locally grown foods. -- Make something yourself, grow some food yourself, teach your kids to make things. -- Protest in a way that actually WILL change things. -- Stop throwing your energy into convincing others, and convince yourself, first! -- Trust me, it's more effective, in the long run. -- You CAN make a difference, but it has to be a personal difference, and it has to be real in order to have any effect.

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» RE: FFECTIVE PROTEST Posted by: dockboy

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Predictable
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Posted by: willymack on Apr 15, 2009 9:35 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The rethugs are at their wit's end, what with Obama's continued popularity and his possible success in undoing all the bushups, especially in the economic sector. Don't get me wrong here; 'm not an Obama worshiper. His policies on Iraq and Afghainstan, his health care "solution", and his opinion on illegal wiretapping, all SUCK. After all is said, Obama is still infinitely suprerior to the bushies, and in the long run will be better for our country. This "tea bag" nonsense is but one of the lies, obfuscations, misdirections, and dirty tricks the rethugs will trot out from time to time in their tireless effort to discredit the Obama administration, whether or not it's warranted. That's all they've got folks; that's really it. Lacking any coherent ideas that may actually be BENEFICIAL, they're reduced to blathering insulting lies in a vain effort to manufacture some semblance of credibility. The TRUTH is irrelevant to the reslugs; their real goal is what they had with pretend president bush, unchecked, raw power, and an iron grip on the people of our nation. Their ever-diminishing legions of brain-dead zombies seem to be awakening to the fact that their neocon heros aren't what they pretend to be. I predict more underhanded attempts to destroy Obama, but with less impact each time. It's my hope that by November 2010, the scumbag misrepresenting us in Oregon will suffer an ignominious defeat at the polls, along with others of his ilk, nationwide.

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» RE: Predictable Posted by: BulldogRedeemer

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Teabaggers Absolutely Have Valid Points
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Posted by: dockboy on Apr 15, 2009 9:59 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I'm going to the rally in Atlanta this evening. Teabbaggers have a very valid point. You just can't tolerate us, because we're conservative. The point is not that no one wants to pay taxes. The point is we don't like our taxes being spent to bail out failed corporations. We don't want trillions in deficits passed on to the next generation.

You libs bashed Bush over and over for his deficits, but Obama is in office, so "well, now it's okay."

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» I'm right there with you! Posted by: eeezzz

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Judging from the quality
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Posted by: outsideagitator on Apr 15, 2009 10:02 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
of most of the comments here, some of the targeted audience of the phony populists that organized this t-bag event decided to make fools of themselves on Alternet rather than attend these "meetings of outraged citizens". Quite disappointing but also interesting to observe how many have been long time trolls and are now exposed!

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» RE: Judging from the quality Posted by: Caleb Darkstar

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I too am am anti-spend and anti-government when government spending goes to
[Report this comment]
Posted by: and_abottleofrum on Apr 15, 2009 10:12 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
prop up corrupt banks and corporations.

Alternet and so-called progressives are desperately trying to maintain the illusion that some kind of social democracy with a strong safety net is possible here in the U.S.

Our culture is too fucked, from businesses, to government, to academia, to the media, to the ignorant public. All large institutions are patsies of the wealthy elite and enemies of the people.

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And don't try to tell me our government spending is good now because Obama's federal budget
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Posted by: and_abottleofrum on Apr 15, 2009 10:15 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
raises some social spending. This is nothing more than a bone thrown to the commoners while vaster sums are channeled to Wall St.

Also these increases will barely cover, if at all, the many social program cuts occurring at state and local levels.

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CRITICAL THINKING PLEASE
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Posted by: A Mom in America on Apr 15, 2009 10:16 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The reality is, there are people from all political stripes that are furious about the policies under the last many years, under presidents Republican or Democrat, and many that understand that our freedoms are being stripped from the populace incrementally nad our taxes increasingly lining the pockets of the banksters that rule the planet- they have just been more naked and open in their greed lately. While our freedoms are being stripped, we are being marched off to fight others in "the name of freedom", and the corporate sector continues to direct the flow of business in this country, squeezing out the little guy, poisoning our food and water, and consolidating power in broadcasting and journalism. Americans of all stripes know we are in deep shit in this country, and the powers that be understand that the people are awaking from their slumber- their strategy, as it has always been- is DIVIDE AND CONQUER, DIVIDE AND CONQUER. If they can paint the current outrage as "right-wing extremist racist nutjobs" then they know that they can repel large numbers of people that might otherwise work together. I'm disappointed in you all; I've come to respect this site for it's articles and the dialogue among the commenters, even though I don't agree with all the material by a long shot.
I'm disappointed by the mocking and ridicule by the MSM, and the fact that so many of you have parroted Maddow (and others) lines ("teabagging" indeed), instead of thinking about it a little longer.
Hey- wasn't it the same network that Olbermann blew out with the wiretapping story recently?
FISA?
Continuation of Bush's warhawk line?
Bowing to banksters and industry?
And what else?
You know Obama and Bush held hands once the cameras were off, laughing that they duped us all.
They're all the same party, all the same games.
Don't outsource hope, people. It takes real work to keep our fundamental principles and to remain vigilant in making sure these people work for US- We haven't been and they are MOWING US ALL DOWN. For generations, people have dallied and played, distracted by media, by material wealth, by the day-to-day grind of work and raising families. It's time to take our country back, and if we remain in our separate corners, allowing the media to dictate the people's discourse- we lose, forever.
Peace

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» RE: CRITICAL THINKING PLEASE Posted by: dockboy
» RE: CRITICAL THINKING PLEASE Posted by: purplehaze_ck

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The Real Boston Tea Party was an Anti-Corporate Revolt by Thom Hartmann
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Posted by: JenniferBedingfield on Apr 15, 2009 10:32 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/04/15-10

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» Nope, sorry Posted by: A Mom in America
» Ahh, you got me there. Posted by: JenniferBedingfield

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waaaaaaaaaaaaake up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sheeple sheeple sheeple
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Posted by: purplehaze_ck on Apr 15, 2009 11:50 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
WAKE UP PEOPLE!!! how many of you knew anything about this event until reading this article or hearing about it on good ol fox bs news??!!! this is for real! these are the same people who protested to End the Fed a few months ago..how many of you were a part of that? Well i was, and i am here to say that Restore the Republic is a group trying to do just that. Of course there will be people involved from other walks of life or organizations with their own vendettas, but there are real people who care about the future of this country putting there faces out there to do something about it. While all of you sit here at the computer or staring at the TV screen and do nothing??!!! GET INVOLVED! These are the opportunities to do so. Did you ever stop to think that "THEY" want you to believe that these aren't real grassroots people? Why would they do that? So that you don't take it seriously. All i have to say is that if you care about protecting our rights and the rights of our children, you better get off of your lazy american butts and do something. And don't jump on every bashing bandwagon just so you can sound smart. RESEARCH!!! This is why I did not vote for Obama. I did my research and its all unfolding exactly the way I knew it would. We can all sit by and watch or we can become positive leaders and stop fearing our government and letting them control us in every way shape or form. Even a f'ing protest is being shown in the wrong light, all because they don't want more people joining this cause!! Want to do something? check out some of these sites and get off the web and get out and do something!!!
showmethelaw.org
republicmagazine.com
restoretherepublic.com

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» strange bedfellows Posted by: SeattlePackedSnowandCollidedCars

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Just imagine this country without all
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Posted by: avidAmerican on Apr 15, 2009 11:56 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
the programs and everything that is provided by our government. What then, a coffee bag party? Imagine having no military, no Social Security, no jobs, no firemen to save your burning house, no ambulance to take you to an empty lot where there once was a hospital, no cars, no gas, no water to your homes, no sewer services, etc., etc. President Obama didn't cause these problems, I'd say these morons are about 4 years too late. You can use your time trying to help solve our problems, instead of causing more problems. By the way, dummies, your taxes just went down under this administration.

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» for ever dollar that is spend of social programs Posted by: SeattlePackedSnowandCollidedCars

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Progressive renter here!
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Posted by: MEL810 on Apr 15, 2009 12:35 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I am a progressive. I am all for helping homeowners if they are in legitimate distress and were rooked by the mortgage lenders.
However, it seems to me that many of the people that took out those low-interest, no down payment mortgages either didn't read the fine print or they were simply greedy, wanting to get houses they must have known they couldn't really afford.
If I were to buy a home, I would read and re-read the fine print AND I would hire a competent real estate attorney to go over the papers with me. I would see a good financial planner before I shopped for a mortgage.
CAVEAT EMPTOR! If it looks too good to be true, it probably is!
I think many people did not do this.
As much as I am for progressive policies (for example, I want single-payer national health insurance) I do not believe that bailing out irresponsible home buyers and their crooked mortgage lenders is progressive. It is rewarding irresponsibility and greed.
Millions of responsible homeowners,renters and mortgage lenders will pay the bill for a bunch of fools and crooks.
BTWY: Why do homeowners get all the tax perks in most states and from the feds? Renters can pay as much or more and get no tax relief. Why penalize those that have too little money or ability or credit or even no desire to purchase a home?

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» RE: Progressive renter here! Posted by: purplehaze_ck

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Blowing In The Wind.
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Posted by: melpol on Apr 15, 2009 12:40 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Democratic governments decide what is best for the people. And what is best is a government that controls greedy corporations and self centered private interests. National healthcare, subsidized housing, and free higher education are just a few of the programs needed by the American people to make the U.S. a better place to live in. Only a progressive government can provide it. Easier living is blowing in the wind and right wing radicals will be left behind.

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» Um, no Posted by: A Mom in America
» troll. Posted by: angry_liberal

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Feeling Warm & Fuzzy after AIG
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Posted by: Life of Illusion on Apr 15, 2009 12:49 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Everyone was upset about the AIG bonuses. That were written into LAW by our elected officials.

How about the executives at Freddie & Fannie getting even larger bonuses!! Funny the media didn't report that much.

And who is really happy with a 7 billion tram from LA to Vegas.

You bet I am going to protest!

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» I'm all for Rail however Posted by: SeattlePackedSnowandCollidedCars

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Imagine what??
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Posted by: purplehaze_ck on Apr 15, 2009 12:58 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
imagine this country before we had all of the technologies and luxuries we have now, imagine how american indians lived before the white men came along and destroyed their way of life...for what?! look where that got the good ol englishmen!! you better believe i am imagining my life with out all of the things you are mentioning, because apparently to be alive is not a freedom, it comes with many prices. and they have us right where they want us-COMPLETELY DEPENDENT on them in every way. whatever happened to self sustainability? whatever happened to people helping people, coming together as a community to decide what to do rather than being controlled in every way by this wonderful government? id be happy to have no gas or cars because they are a part of the demise of this Earth. no, obama didnt cause these problems. nor did bush or clinton, etc. they are the puppets, the real problem are the ones pulling their strings. todays event was about bringing light to that fact.if you think just because taxes went down im going to sit back and let my freedoms be taken away, you are a part of the problem. if people dont use their voices to protect our rights, which is what today was supposed to be about until the mainstream media sunk its fangs into it, than we are all doomed. forget about taxes and this side or that, and think about the families and children and neighbors and soldiers and everyone around the world who is affected by one thing: THE NEED FOR POWER. and america has always tried to lead the way in that race.
i guess it feels like all we can do sometimes is imagine all people living life in peace, doesnt it? but imagination is what also drives people to do things, so im all for any of the doers out there.

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» The Indians fought back Posted by: SeattlePackedSnowandCollidedCars

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I went to one today in Ohio
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Posted by: Caleb Darkstar on Apr 15, 2009 1:10 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
And found both Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals, Old and Young, a few but not many blacks and asians. all together in a common cause.

The things that were discussed were as follows:

Putting a stop to the bailout of big businesses and banks.

Being fiscally responsible with tax money and stopping frivoulous spending.

Consideration for future generations and thier tax burden.

Unfair taxation of small businesses that report all earnings as personal income. even though they must maintain prudent reserves and growth funds.

These seemed like legitimate concerns that need addressed.

The 7000 people then marched the street to city hall to request that the mayor NOT accept million of dollars we are recieving from the stimulus bill for a project to build a streetcar to nowhere.

I just thought I would share with the readers what REALLY goes on at these things. Since it appears that the author and some posters do not know.

"Don't try to describe the scenery if youve never seen it, Don't ever forget that you just may wind up being wrong" (Jimmy Buffett)

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» I went to one today in Hartford, CT Posted by: angry_liberal

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BulldogRedemer
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Posted by: BulldogRedeemer on Apr 15, 2009 1:30 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Believe it, the supporters of the Tea Party movement are NOT suckers. Most of us have never heard of FreedomWorks or New Way Forward (did you say NWF had gatherings all over the country last Saturday? Missed that on all the news channels and newspapers). Even if the Tea Party movement idea started at the top (no solid proof of that, irrespective of the spin I read here), it was been grasped by people all over the country at the grass roots level. Yes, at the GRASS ROOTS level. Get out of your ivory towers and go to the towns and cities around America. You will see grass roots growing. And what is wrong with using the internet to coordinate an activity. That was the force behind Obama candidacy that got him elected president. Okay for the Far-left, but not for conservatives, huh?

Americans are disgusted by government skyrocket spending, both Republican and Democrat. I believe the spending protest idea was first hatched last August, during the Bush administration. The reason that it has come to a crescendo now is, while the Republicans were spending far too much, in the last six months spending has been on steroids.
To call this movement "anti -government" is just stupid and a large lie. The Nazi propaganda minister, Gobbels (SP?), would be proud of such a lie. The movement is "anti-huge government domination", which is an antithesis to our Republic. It is not anti-tax or against necessary government spending; it is against excessive taxation and spending. Wake up!
You promote nationalization of the banks? Are you kidding me? This is the same government that runs (inefficiently) the postal system and Amtrak. Do you really believe those in the previous Bush administration, or the current Obama administration, are equipped with the expertise to run the banks, the auto industry and other businesses. If you do, you have a tremendous disconnection with reality.

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» RE: BulldogRedemer Posted by: truth+equality

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MoveOn.Org is a similar scam
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Posted by: james108 on Apr 15, 2009 2:02 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Wasn't moveon.org pretends to be grassroots to "bring real Americans back into the political process", when essentially, they just empower the "democratic" party, which is far from democratic.

That's like saying "the republican party's corrupt", without admiting the elitist, fascist control of the "democratic" party, which belives it has a franchise on any populist movement.
The democratic party has done more to destroy this country than the republican party, actually.
They're the ones that perpetuate that the people don't have any choice. They perpetuate the idea that Nader cost Gore the election, as if Gore had a god-given right to any "liberal" votes. With the republican party's help, they whip the people into being afraid of ever trying for better.

You have to earn votes. No "party" is entitled to my or anyone else's vote, unless they want to give it. You technically don't have to choose between imperialist A or B. However, the democratic party initiated fake lawsuits in 2004, using taxpayer dollars, to bankrupt third party options to make sure people had one alternative to Bush, them.

The DNC strategy is to just eliminate the competition, rather than become a party for the people, and moveon.org was central to that this last election. So "liberals" shouldn't whine about the republican party's tricks if they want people to listen, unless they're going to admit the similar corruption of their own party.

Obama had a multi-million dollar fraud system pretending to be grassroots while bundling millions of corporate dollars. He spent more money than any candidate in history. He ignored FEC investigation requests into the temporary credit cards and fake names his campaign was coming up with to disguise corporate and foreign money, intentionally or not, as grassroots American dollars.

So some self-styled conservatives want to take a page from his book. You're right, that's just wrong...

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Government of the people...not exactly..!
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Posted by: TJColatrella on Apr 15, 2009 2:14 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
We are a government of the banksters, by the banksters and for the banksters...not the people..!


Simple as that..

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leftbank
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Posted by: markw4786 on Apr 15, 2009 2:21 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The "tea baggers" are indeed suckers. They have no idea they are doing the bidding of those who have created this financial mess we find ourselves in.
But are they any more foolish than we. We voted for change. We voted for someone who championed Main Street over Wall Street...and look what we got. There is no nice way to say it. Pres Obama has betrayed the working man and the middle class. It was Geithner who insisted on a loop whole permitting the CEO's their bonuses. It was Larry Summers who stood with Phil Graham deregulating banks. It was Obama who picked both to head his financial team. It is the bankers and the filthy rich who are getting these massive bailout funds. It is the auto workers who are being asked to sacrifice, while the money barons are not. Question is, who's being fooled, the tea baggers or the Obama voters?
As usual, the financial aristocracy is making fools out of all of us...and Obama, like practically all Presidents, Senators and Congressmen, has become their waterboy. Like Bill Clinton, the money barons will reward Obama handsomely. As for us, we'll just have to learn to do with less.

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please join us at our Tea Party
[Report this comment]
Posted by: SeattlePackedSnowandCollidedCars on Apr 15, 2009 3:49 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I'll be a (R) till i see something better other wise however I can't be a party hack anymore and return to people, not party. We are stuck resetting the same ole ideas with just new people in the seats. People whom should have heathcare don't have it. Midwest cities look like post Eastern European cities, Sunbelt cities are a wash of sprawl. We don't drill baby drill however we don't also install a solar panel on a house or a school, place a windmill by the State University. Yea coal is dirty so is oil but our cities wont turn into 1888 Birmingham. We need to build again for structures to last 200 years not 20. We need to come together as a community that walks to the park instead of everybody piling into there SUV or Mini van.

this is for real so wake up

Education should be tailored to help our nation excel than create class envy because you go into an Ivy and I go to State School. Look at all those Ivy MBA hot shots whom are rolling through the troth like there daddies did. I'm not saying don't get wealthy because if you have a billion dollars in your pocket, its non of by business, take your risk and make your money however when things go belly up don't come into my pocket to help save your ass.

Immigration, legal: yes... Illegal Immigration: Fuck No. The GOP want cheep labor and the Dems want cheep votes. If you came here illegally I'm sorry however you got to go or go to Detroit. You can't roll up just to get on the Government dole or increase union membership. If you want to come here, they you have to do it the right way and when you get here, Assimilate! Oh and stop taking in people from nations whom hate the USA. I wonder were would the world be if the USA just cut of the spicket of aid.

Let Wall Street make money, let Main Street make money. Wall Street is in New York State a state we are all going to have to bailout. How many movie actors whom say they are US residents but have all there assets in the Caymans? Could California uses that tax revenue?

Stop being a plebe because MSNBC/Huff Post/the daily ko(suckers) told you to be snarky about the Tea Parties. If this was a Republican President doing this Liberals would be howling at the moon and you ask were was the GOP-ers for the past 3 years, well you Dems took back congress in 2006. When we run a lemon candidate, Republicans just dont show up. You Dem voters need to stop voting for the guy with the (D) next to their name just because, that just fucking stupid. The past is the past however the present is destroying our future.

This is a Campaign for Liberty and the Republic. That's all that really needs to be said. People are sick and tired of their corporate government that no longer serves the people in the way it was created to do so. The main role of the federal government is to preserve liberty and the Republic. The current liberal ideology of social programs is unsustainable, not a coal fired power plant. The current conservative ideology of the disposable business practice is unsustainable. This will all end in the economic collapse of our nation because we didn't follow our founders written document, The Constitution as written.

Are you going to be just a Plebe? What is in it for you, a seat at the George Sours dinner table? You got a sweet bank account at the WTO, or IMF? Wake up and fill the rabbit hole, cut off the Oligarchy.

p.s. this is not grammaticaly correct and I dont give a (bleep), I got something to say

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» Your Campaign is a Fraud... Posted by: yellow

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Did Einstein discover that time equals money?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Gawain on Apr 15, 2009 4:45 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I expect lots of ordinary folks will join the tea party, but it's worth remembering that the bottom feeders are here and there, filling their coffers with your money, if you choose to spend it on their trinkets; and of course it wasn't Einstein who discovered that Time is Money - in this case, your time.

My advice? Take a Fair Trade Tea Bag and a pair of bullsh*t protectors for your ears. These can easily be made out of an ear-sized piece of printer paper, with a slit toward the top to fit over the top of your ear, and with the word "bullsh*t protector" written on the visible side. It works about as well as anything I know of, but not always, and not against absolutely every known type of bullsh*t. You will have to keep your wits about you, as ever was the case.

See your T Bag on TV? What next?
"$1.00 SENDS A TEA BAG TO WASHINGTON, D.C.!"

"The Patriot Depot is helping our friends at Reagan.org raise funds to take 1,000,000 tea bags to the nation's capital."

Kind of pricey for a tea bag, isn't it?

See below for an example of bottom feeders at work.

----- Original Message -----
From: Newsmax.com
To:
Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 2:55 AM
Subject: Your Tea Bag Might Be on TV April 15th

Dear Newsmax Reader:
Please find below a special message from our sponsoring advertiser, The Patriot Depot. They have some important information to share with you. Thank you.
Newsmax.com

UPDATE: Your Tea Bag Might Be on TV April 15th!
Dear Concerned American Citizen,
The Reagan.org / Patriot Depot duo has been invited to display our tea bags at the official tea party in Washington DC at the US Treasury Department (National Stage) 12:00pm-2:00pm and Lafayette Park (Grassroots Stage) 11:00am-3:00pm. The media has been invited to watch us unload the tea bags at 9:00 AM. The tea bags are going to serve as the back drop for the events at Lafayette Park. Later that day, we will be heading a short distance over to the Treasury department for an authorized protest with the tea bags. Major Media, including Fox News, will be there.

We still need your help to reach our goal of 1,000,000 tea bags. You can sponsor a tea bag for just one dollar! One dollar helps us cover the cost of buying and transporting the tea bags as well as purchasing the ads to promote this historic tea bag protest. You can see our advertisements on DrudgeReport.com, Hannity.com, NewsMax.com, and a host of other web sites. In addition to sponsoring tea bags, please forward this email to your friends and get them to sponsor a tea bag as well.

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Global Justice Movement
[Report this comment]
Posted by: truth+equality on Apr 15, 2009 6:55 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I can actually empathize with this right wing movement. (This is coming from a Leftist) The bailouts are not fair and we shouldn't have to give our money to the wealthy. Its the same as the Bush tax cuts on the wealthy. We are only redistributing the wealth to the richest segment of the population (again just like Bush).

What I am furious about is the fact that they actually got press coverage and it was largely POSITIVE. The left has been protesting the bailouts and they get NO coverage. When we protest anything we either get no coverage or negative coverage. It just goes to show you who is running the media. And when I say the left I don't mean "liberals." Liberals as far as I'm concerned are as blind as conservatives and only legitimize the status quo. Stop watching Fox and MSNBC!!!!!! (Or at least start questioning everything they say and don't let them fool you into becoming a hardcore Republican or Democrat--these parties are VERY similar as well as right-wing).


Most people don't realize that pretty much all U.S. politicians are right wing neoliberals. Obama has pulled us to the center but he is by no means a left winger.

Look up neoliberalism. That's what @#$%ed us. What's the response for people who believe in true democracy, human rights and economic justice? Look up the Global Justice Movement and start organizing.

And all you Obama fans, forget him. He's not going to do anything for you unless we force him to, so start making your voices heard and make him be the president you want him to be. Start acting like this is a true democracy and don't let politicians decide for you what should be done with your country. Remember don't trust any of them or follow them blindly. Once in office, they're all the same.

peace ;)

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» RE: Global Justice Movement Posted by: james108

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Tin-foil Hats and Tea-bags?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: mdarlinggg on Apr 15, 2009 7:10 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
So, this watermelon-sized owl just landed about 5' from my window,
looked up at me for a few seconds, and flew off again. I've never seen a wild owl like that, because I've spent most of my life in urbanusa, but here in the middle of nowhere, texas, things are still fairly wild.

My neighbors often fire semi-automatic weapons, and i don't even know if that should be something to worry about. In the city, they would be busted so fast for firing automatic weapons, but here, it seems to be ok. What do you think?

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You the People
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Posted by: peskyfly1 on Apr 15, 2009 7:33 PM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Just how many completely fucking crazy people are there in the Altered States of America?

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oroboros12
[Report this comment]
Posted by: oroboros12 on Apr 15, 2009 7:41 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Intelligent people would want the top 1%ers to pay most of the taxes (if not all) for there wars and control of the resources of this world. Foolish people just don't think. So sorry.

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Mitt Romney doesn't pay for tea bags
[Report this comment]
Posted by: ravin on Apr 15, 2009 8:39 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Lee Munder Capital Group Announces Alliance with Solamere Capital

Boston, MA – February 16, 2009

Lee Munder Capital Group (LMCG) announced today that it has formed an alliance with
Solamere Capital, LLC (Solamere), a private equity firm based in Lexington, Massachusetts.
Solamere Capital is a distinctive private equity firm founded in early 2008 by a group of
successful families and industry leaders to aggregate their relationships with top-tier private
equity firms, proprietary deal flow, and management expertise and resources. Solamere focuses
on two types of investments: investments in a select group of private equity funds, and direct
investments in operating companies. Tagg Romney, Eric Scheuermann and Spencer Zwick are the Managing Partners of Solamere, and John Miller serves as an Operating Partner for the firm.

Solamere also counts former governor Matt Blunt of Missouri among its Senior Advisors.

For full announcment see:

www.leemunder.com/upload/File/SolamereAnnouncement.pdf

Second of two parts - Island tax havens factor into Romney's business success

By Bob Drogin
December 17, 2007


While in private business, Mitt Romney utilized shell companies in two offshore tax havens to help eligible investors avoid paying U.S. taxes, federal and state records show.

...

In the Cayman Islands, Romney was listed as a general partner and personally invested in BCIP Associates III Cayman, a private equity fund that is registered at a post office box on Grand Cayman Island and that indirectly buys equity in U.S. companies. The arrangement shields foreign investors from U.S. taxes they would pay for investing in U.S. companies.

For a good read, please read the article at:

articles.latimes.com/2007/dec/17/nation/na-mittoffshore17

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» you think this is new?????? Posted by: gellero1

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Fort Myers, Florida
[Report this comment]
Posted by: gellero1 on Apr 15, 2009 8:40 PM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
A spontaneous..............ie, no bussed in shills, union organizers, or political parties.

Several thousand citizens with homemade signs and posters. About as grassroots as you can be.

It will be interesting to see the reaction of the Obamabots when, in 2 years, prices are quadrupled due to the trillions of fiat money printed by the PRIVATE 'Federal' Reserve under orders of the Democrat porksters.

Spending, financed by DEBT,to get us out of a cyclical problem caused by DEBT?

The only ones who agree with the above are the same bankers and politicians who got us here in the first place.

The new boss is the same as the old boss.

Why Obamanomics will bury us

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» Republicans and Democrats are responsible dude. Posted by: Sports Warrior Casey Jones
» i DO vote libertarian Posted by: gellero1
» RE: Fort Myers, Florida Posted by: Frugalvoter

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REPUBLICANS ARE VOTING FOR HUGE MILITARY FUNDING
[Report this comment]
Posted by: cori on Apr 15, 2009 9:08 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
HUGE TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH WHILE TAXING OUR UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE AND SOCIAL SECURITY - iT IS REPUBLICANS THAT HAVE SUPPORT THE SPENDING OF 10 BILLION PER MONTH FOR IRAQ AND HAVE PACKED THE COURTS WITH RIGHT WING FAMATICS WHO WANT TO TAKE AWAY OUR FREEDOM

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LOL
[Report this comment]
Posted by: gellero1 on Apr 15, 2009 9:11 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Dude.............the Dems were all behind Iraq spending too.

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Is anybody else wondering?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: GodlessUSSoldier on Apr 15, 2009 10:22 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
So. How much money did they send to China and India by buying all of that tea?

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CLOWNS
[Report this comment]
Posted by: astralman on Apr 16, 2009 5:19 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
this bailout is paying off the snowballed debt that has financed the last 30 years of material prosperity americans have enjoyed. you are being fully represented by your elected officials. this is an enormous act of ignorance on behalf of a lot of mis-informed people.

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Demopublicans
[Report this comment]
Posted by: gellero1 on Apr 16, 2009 5:37 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
well put astralman. funny how the power structure wants the 'common man' to spend, rather than save, which is the normal economic policy. Debt will not save you, my Alternet friends!

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CHILDREN MOST HARSHLY AFFECTED BY SOC HEALTHCARE
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Posted by: SassyFrassy on Apr 18, 2009 8:30 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Here we have the DEMS always needing a bigger shovel for the level of UTOPIAN propaganda they want to throw at the UNSUSPECTING PUBLIC.

wanna? know the latest??? Michael moore made a progpaganda film where they attempt to bamboozle the PUBLIC by claiming CUBA'S healthcare is better than the USA ....and that the USA should go to the CUBAN model for healthcare.

WANNA KNOW??? what the reality is and whaaat they are really HIDING... the reality is in CUBA people have to BEG FROM TOURISTS for allergy inhalers and aspirin. You can bet if Americans are allowed to be bamboozled into Socialist healthcare DEMS will make SURE USA is WORSE OFF than CUBA.

According to the new stimulus if your child needs antibiotics and the GOV only wants to give them Asprin or NOTHING guess whaaat they will get ASPIRIN or NOTHING.

Whats worse.. if your/adult/child are X percent sick they ARE LEFT TO DIE.

Soc healthcare is MORE expensive AND gives NO HEALTHCARE. We are no scholar, but you don't need to be a scholar to SEE whaaat is wrong with the DEMS scenario.

DEMS LIED to claim our healthcare system is broken. SOCIALIST HEALTHCARE is MORE EXPENSIVE and gives NO HEALTHCARE.

PEOPLE, OUR MARKET BASED HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IS ONE OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD. Why, sure it's not perfect. BUT THE SHORTCOMINGS it faces such as high cost of drugs and insurance---are in part THE results of the inroads the SOCIALISTS AND LIBERALS have already made into our market based health care system.

THE REAL SOLUTION TO fixing HEALTHCARE ISN'T to make UNCLE SAME/DEMS your doctor ....BUT to GIVE YOU THE PUBLIC MORE CHOICE.

ALLOWING the DEMS socialize healthcare not only would prove expensive but DEADLY. Think about it?? DEMS WANT TO SPEND MORE MONEY BUT DENY PUBLIC the meds and services it needs while GOV POCKETS THE CASH TO SPEND ON PORK.

don't ALLOW yourselves to be put off seek LEGISLATIVE and LEGAL ACTION TO KICK STIMULUS OUT AND BAILOUT. go see --The National Center for Public policy Research and American center for law and justice

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DEMS HIDING HIDDEN COSTS OF SOC HEALTHCARE THAT MAKE IT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN PRESENT SYSTEM-PART A
[Report this comment]
Posted by: SassyFrassy on Apr 18, 2009 8:32 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
IN SCOTLAND-462,000 PEOPLE DIED AS A RESULT OF HEALTHCARE FAILINGS

ENGLAND---the NATIONAL HEALTHCARE JUST UP AND DECIDED TO HALT KNEE AND HIP REPLACEMENTS FOR OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE.

in SOUTH AFRICA- PATIENTS DIED after his life saving surgery was RE-CLASSIFIED as 'elective' and CANCELED seven YES THAT'S RIGHT SEVEN times until it was simply to late.

in AUSTRALIA man has been on a 90 day waiting PERIOD---for over 2 years.

in Canada -cancer patients have been DENIED life saving medicines that are standard treatment in USA and covered by USA INSURANCE.

ENGLAND AGAIN---- Alheimer's patients denied $5 a day drug that provides crucial relief because it's considered TOO EXPENSIVE.

CUBA---they are FORCED to BEG tourists for common medicines like allergy and asthma inhalers and even aspirin.

EVERYWHERE SOCIALIZED MEDICINE HAS BEEN TRIED IT HAS FAILED.

The DEMS BRAND of getting around using the term SOCIALIZED MEDICINE is to dress up their BIG GOVERNMENT schemes to bamboozle public by calling it UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE OR HEALTH CARE FOR ALL to 'diguise' the fact it should be labeled as HEALTHCARE FOR NONE so the BIG GOV can pocket the funds.

NO matter how these DEMS CALL soc med it always has the same RESULTS---RATIONED HEALTHCARE, DENIAL OF ESSENTIAL MEDICAL SERVICE, WAITING LISTS, MEDIOCRE MEDICINE, AND UNNECESSARY SUFFERING AND DEATH. and for whaaat?? so gov can pocket the funds. always the bottom line.

MEANWHILE WASH DC SLUGS end up with final say over your most intimate medical decisions NOT YOU AND NOT YOUR DOCTOR

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DEMS HIDING HIDDEN COSTS OF HEALTHCARE THAT MAKE IT MORE EXPENSEIVE THAN OUR PRESENT SYSTEM--PART B
[Report this comment]
Posted by: SassyFrassy on Apr 18, 2009 8:34 PM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Here we have the DEMS always needing a bigger shovel for the level of UTOPIAN propaganda they want to throw at the UNSUSPECTING PUBLIC.

wanna? know the latest??? Michael moore made a progpaganda film where they attempt to bamboozle the PUBLIC by claiming CUBA'S healthcare is better than the USA ....and that the USA should go to the CUBAN model for healthcare.

WANNA KNOW??? what the reality is and whaaat they are really HIDING... the reality is in CUBA people have to BEG FROM TOURISTS for allergy inhalers and aspirin. You can bet if Americans are allowed to be bamboozled into Socialist healthcare DEMS will make SURE USA is WORSE OFF than CUBA.

According to the new stimulus if your child needs antibiotics and the GOV only wants to give them Asprin or NOTHING guess whaaat they will get ASPIRIN or nothing. Soc healthcare is MORE expensive AND gives NO HEALTHCARE. We are no scholar, but you don't need to be a scholar to SEE whaaat is wrong with the DEMS scenario.

PEOPLE OUR MARKET BASED HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IS ONE OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD. Why, sure it's not perfect. BUT THE SHORTCOMINGS it faces such as high cost of drugs and insurance---are in part THE results of the inroads the SOCIALISTS AND LIBERALS have already made into our market based health care system.

THE REAL SOLUTION TO fixing HEALTHCARE ISN'T to make UNCLE SAME/DEMS your doctor ....BUT to GIVE YOU THE PUBLIC MORE CHOICE.

ALLOWING the DEMS socialize healthcare not only would prove expensive but DEADLY. Think about it?? DEMS WANT TO SPEND MORE MONEY BUT DENY PUBLIC the meds and services it needs while GOV POCKETS THE CASH TO SPEND ON PORK.

TAKE A LOOK .. 50% OF BRITISH AND NEW ZEALANDS WOMEN diagnosed with breast cancer DIE. however, HERE IN USA only 1/5th breast cancer sufferers DIE FROM IT. did you know hair dye are directly linked to breast cancer??

25 % CANADIA men and 50% of british men diagnosed with prostrate cancer die from it. HERE, IN USA less than 1/5th men die from it.

BRITISH-ER'S with serious illnesses are 7 times more likely to die from them than AMERICANS with such conditions.
BRITISH-ERS are also 4 times MORE likely to DIE during major surgery than Americans.

IN most countries if you are OVER A CERTAIN AGE like 75 they will let you die.

this is what awaits America if public doesn't do what it takes NOW to seek LEGAL ACTION to kick out SOC healthcare stimulus AND BAILOUT.

see The National Center for Public Policy Research also see American Ctr for LAW and Justice

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DEMS....FLEECING AMERICA
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Posted by: SassyFrassy on Apr 18, 2009 8:38 PM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
THE DEMS HOPE THE PUBLIC ISN'T AWARE TILL it's too late that this is only a tiny bit of the NIGHTMARE that awaits the public in the SOC HEALTHCARE AND STIMULUS AND BAILOUT

* $3.8 million for Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy AT Detroit;
* $1.9 million for Pleasure Beach water taxi service AT Connecticut;
* $1.8 million PIG odor and manure management research AT Ames, Iowa;
* $380,000 for a recreation and fairgrounds in Kotzebue, Alaska;
* $143,000 for the Greater New Haven Labor History Association AT Connecticut;
* $95,000 for Canton Symphony Orchestra Association AT Ohio; and
* $71,000 for Dance Theater Etcetera AT Brooklyn for their Tolerance through Arts initiative.

*250 million for NEW FURNITURE at homeland security (which homeland security probably doesn't need and doesn't want BUT is stuck with until the USA PUBLIC realizes PUBLIC must force WASH DC SLUGS to stop bailout and stimulus line by line)
MILLIONS for abortions in FOREIGN countries which the USA has no business subsidizing

*Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.

* MILLIONS for a new water PARK. Even though DISNEY is shutting down some of their places because of RECESSION. however STIMULUS WANTS to throw money down drain for NEW PARK SOMEPLACE ELSE.

* HERE DEMS voted DEMS a cola of 550.22 per month WHILE deciding the PUBLIC can LIVE on 63.00 per month and HIGHER TAXES.

This is part of what the t-parties are about.

want to know what the ACLU thinks how 'STUPID' they view Americans. Here is what one of the Founders of the ACLU says Americans will never "knowingly" accept Socialism, but DISGUISED under "liberalism" Americans will accept every fragment; and one day wake up in a Socialist Nation and "wonder" how it all happened to them.

don't believe it? here's the quote Norman THOMAS one of the Founders of the ACLU says QUOTE Americans will never "knowingly" accept Socialism, but under "liberalism" Americans will accept every fragment; and one day wake up in a Socialist Nation and "wonder" how it all happened.
What we need to investigate is how the DEMOCRATS and ACLU think that they can continue to count on Americans being as stupid as the ACLU thinks Americans are. So they can further their Soc/glob/marx/fac/comm agenda.

it is important to SEEK legislative and LEGAL means to kick out STIMULUS and BAILOUT. the momentary re-bound in market is a TEMPORARY re-inflation bubble that GEIGHTNER AND DEMS have created and WHEN it bursts it will be WORSE than the FIRST.

On another NOTE. To the present it's only one of the 1 % group of people attempting to destroy our Nation's economic systems.

WHY? It was said to a WASH DC VIP-that the reason the Socialists think they will win this time and are doing this is because ACLU and their DEMS SLUGS - they don't think American's are " smart enough" to care to let their fingers do the walking to protect their lands, their CONSTITUTION or their freedoms. The DEMS and ACLU don't think the 99% of American's will be 'smart enough" to CARE about their country, their homes, their small business enough to kick the WASH DC SLUGS out and send them packing by way of Balagovich for NOT doing what is right to protect PUBLIC freedoms and the free enterprise system (ie meaning small business/med business) and rights.

see The National Center for Public policy Research and Stoptheaclu.com and American Ctr for LAW and Justice and Civic Council Thomas Cromwell and Familysecuritymatters.org, stoptheaclu.com and Familysecuritymatters.org or just google it!

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The Chicago Tea Party - The Real truth
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Posted by: dhough1976 on Apr 19, 2009 2:58 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I made a video about my wife and my experience at the Chicago Tea Party April 15th. The real truth was clearly revealed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmI9hFTp7_Q

Dan and Midge Hough

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The goldman-sachs conspiracy: What the Tea Party participants were really about
[Report this comment]
Posted by: angry_liberal on Apr 22, 2009 1:34 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story /even-jack-bauer-couldnt-stop/

Well put explanation of what really has thinking people upset about the bailouts.

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"The Great Tea Bag Scam!" ( A New ) "What Now Cartoon!"
[Report this comment]
Posted by: what0now0toons on Apr 15, 2009 12:15 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The right wing is pulling yet another scam on the American public, this time as 95% of Americans get a tax cut, a small portion of the other 5% wants to wine about it. so they take the Boston Tea party where colonists protested the East India Company getting a free tax ride while they paid taxes and turn it into an anti tax day. Here's my cartoon on this topic...
www.whatnowtoons.com

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» RE: Well, get used to it! Posted by: Cybershaman
» RE: Well, get used to it! Posted by: photon's feather
» RE: Just overworked and underpaid. Posted by: Cybershaman
» RE: Just overworked and underpaid. Posted by: photon's feather
» RE: Just overworked and underpaid. Posted by: Cybershaman
» When you deny the Tea Parties are Posted by: outsideagitator
» RE: When you deny the Tea Parties are Posted by: BulldogRedeemer
» RE: Weird. Posted by: Cybershaman
» RE: When you deny the Tea Parties are Posted by: photon's feather
» where were you? Posted by: Tom Tele
» RE: Ya know... Posted by: Cybershaman

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You Can't Be A Progressive and Pro~Obama
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Posted by: mmckinl on Apr 15, 2009 12:21 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
There is plenty of misinformation from the "Tea Baggers" ... But plenty more from Obama ...

"The problem is the Left has been subdued, to put it mildly, in channeling rage at the bankers -- in part because Obama's economic team is the bankers and so far serves the bankers in programs that are corrupt, opaque and infuriating."

And just today Obama reiterated that He will NOT Nationalize insolvent banks ...

Let the Tea Baggers have their fun, people know the score ....

It's about the Wall Street Banksters and how Obama is in their pocket ...

Then there are his policies on habeus corpus, Afghanistan, the investigation of the Bush Administration and much more...

An Emerging Progressive Consensus on Obama's Executive Power and Secrecy Abuses

You Can't Be A Progressive and Pro~Obama

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» Protesting military funerals Posted by: Doctor Democracy
» Actually, you can't be serious. Posted by: Bliss Doubt
» Thanks for the reply Posted by: photon's feather
» Sooo you think that the Dems are Posted by: outsideagitator
» outsideagitator can't be EncinoM Posted by: Bliss Doubt
» RE: You Can't Be A Progressive and Pro~Obama Posted by: Sports Warrior Casey Jones

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corporations and government sitting in a tree
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Posted by: LillianB on Apr 15, 2009 1:20 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Having fun with you and me.

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Show up
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Posted by: jbro434 on Apr 15, 2009 1:27 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
We will not have any of that foolish nonsense where I live( in Europe) so I can not take my own advice. Show up and engage these fools. Get some face time in front of a camera or microphone. Bring your own camera and show them on Youtube spouting off the racial comments that will not be broadcast on mainstream media. Show how ignorant they are to the rest of the world. Have some fun. Call it TEABAG Parking Lot and enter it in your local film festival.

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» If anyone does show up Posted by: Yankeeinexile
» RE: If anyone does show up Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» RE: Show up Posted by: Caleb Darkstar
» RE: Show up Posted by: jbro434
» RE: Show up Posted by: Caleb Darkstar

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That's about as grass rootsy as America can get
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Posted by: LMNOP on Apr 15, 2009 2:01 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
It's surreal. They don't even bother to hide it now. It's 1984 and A Clockwork Orange and The Time Machine and Network and The Wizard of Oz, with a whopping dose of Dark Side of the Moon and Kafka thrown in.

America, 2000 - 2009: The world's worst performance by a people in a time of mounting and now impending crisis.

You know, it's when the going gets tough that Americans just become jellyfish and passively float away like plankton. Remember Gary Cooper and Gregory Peck? Not like that. More like Milli Vanilli.

What if they gave a country and no one showed up? The news is like a never-ending Weekend at Bernie's movie with the American people aptly cast as the stiff, being dragged over broken glass and tires and stones. Plop! Smack! Bang!

So what's next? Road Warrior? Water World?

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» Let them eat cake. Posted by: LMNOP

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One big delusional fantasy
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Posted by: Perry Logan on Apr 15, 2009 2:54 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Conservatives just can't face the fact they are a creepy minority with an inordinate love for catastrophic policies.

Conservatism in America is a blatant fraud. Their "movements" are planned by corporations. Their "facts" are cooked by think tanks. Their election "victories" are stolen.

Their "best sellers" are purchased en masse by monied right-wing organizations.

Less than half of hate radio listeners identify themselves as conservatives. The airways are flooded with right-wing sewage--not because Americans want it--but because the Right owns the radio stations.

The corporate news is tilted 180 degrees in their favor, and yet Americans are still swinging to the left.

Thirty years of incontinent slander of liberals, and there are more liberals running around than ever.

Damn, that must hurt.

Now they're faking it again with their tea parties. They don't seem to be having much fun, and they seem confused about what they're protesting.

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» RE: One big delusional fantasy Posted by: Sister_Lauren

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Tea baggers are a bunch of baby whiners. And yes, this IS about 9/11.......
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Posted by: pfgetty on Apr 15, 2009 3:25 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The teabaggers are idiotic whiners who don't really know what they are yapping about.
They are like children..........
They want, they want, they want
They want imperial wars, occupations, cheaper oil, Homeland Security, a flashy military with expensive weaponry, a military budget bigger than all the rest of the military budgets around the world.
But they don't want to pay of any of this. Somehow, they want this all to be paid for by..........well, they don't say. As it is Americans aren't paying for it with taxes. We pay for it, or will pay for it, in other ways, like the destruction of our entire economic system, as the rest of the world tires of buying our debt.
What do these whiners really want? Decrease government spending.........like, well, if not a decrease in military spending, then infrastructure (we already are seeing the rusting away of America) or social services (we spend nearly the least of industrialized nations on this)? They don't say. They just want less spending.
But we COULD lower taxes and actually pay for what we spend if we did away with ridiculously huge imperial military spending. But we won't.
And nobody will consider it.
They WOULD consider it if it were not for these phoney wars against terrorism, all based on 9/11. If 9/11 were finally exposed by the media for the fairytale that it is, we'd be able to have a real dialog about cutting spending. But the media, even the alternative media like Alternet, has decided that any mention of 9/11 truth is verboten. Americans must be left believing in the nonsense of 9/11. The contradictions, impossibilities and lies of 9/11 are to be left untouched, part of American history.
Why Alternet is allowing this to continue, for seven and a half years, without comment is insane.
We NEED 9/11 truth to stop the wars, stop the spending, and maybe in the end we could possibly lower taxes without total destruction of American economy.

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How is Odumba bailout different from Bush bailout, Alternet sheeple?
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Posted by: BruceMajors on Apr 15, 2009 3:41 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
rofl. Anyone who was an actual journalist or investigator could search FaceBook, Yahoogroups etc and see that hundreds of grassroots activist like me organized the tea parties long before some 501c3 website or cable channel jumped on board to publicize them.

Anyone with any critical thinking ability could see that Odumba's 4 trillion dollar intensification of Bush's inflationism and corporate bailouts means generations of indentured servitude to service debt.

I guess you really are the cretinous flaks for Soros and the tax predator ruling class you appear to be. Liars and morons.

The guillotine for you too then?

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» You want a civil war? Posted by: NYmediator
» RE: You want a civil war? Posted by: BulldogRedeemer
» You want a civil war? Posted by: NYmediator
» Do you hate us? Posted by: Beck
» RE: Do you hate us? Posted by: alive
» Not all of us on Alternet are stupid ! Posted by: JenniferBedingfield
» KOOK LIB POSTER ALERT Posted by: reelman
» RE: KOOK POSTER ALERT Posted by: Crazy H

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Real populists are getting any representation from either party.
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Posted by: Sports Warrior Casey Jones on Apr 15, 2009 3:53 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
We might as well be vigilantes. At this point it's ok to be truly anti-government. Paying taxes means paying Wall Street and the war machines. Paying taxes means empowering those god damn motherfucking IMF, World Bank, UN, and other criminal international agencies. Real populists are also against gun control.

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» True Posted by: NYmediator

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Let me get this straight...
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Posted by: Derek Maddox on Apr 15, 2009 4:05 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
When George Soros opens his really deep pockets and funds any number of "progressive" groups, that's a legitimate grassroots movement. When FreedomWorks (which I'd never even heard of before this article) starts organizing a conservative movement, then what results can't possibly be a grassroots movement. Maybe that makes sense in the rosy-pink make believe progressive world, but not out here in the gritty real world.

Did any of you pay attention in American History class? Remember the Committees of Correspondence? Local groups in each of the thirteen colonies that were set up to organize opposition to the British authority and to maintain communication with other such committees in other colonies.

There is a great American tradition of local organizations being "organized" and tied together by a national committee to fight a common concern. Today's tea parties are locally organized and locally funded. And they're being organized, funded, and attended by folks who are tired of having their pockets picked to pay the debts of companies and individuals that made bad decisions. Let 'em all go bankrupt, GM and the guy next door alike. They, and the country, will live through it.

But more importantly, we're tired of the steady encroachment of the federal government into our daily lives. That's really what we're protesting.

We're tired of seeing our tax dollars paid to multi-millionaire bankers. We're tired of seeing corporation after corporation bailed out of their bad decisions. We're tired of seeing our children and grandchildren saddled with more and more debt. We don't see the sense in trying to borrow our way out of debt. We're tired of seeing the federal government meddling in more and more aspects of our private lives.

If you're tired of that stuff too, then join us this afternoon and let your voice be heard along with us.

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» it's our party now Posted by: angry_liberal
» Wall Street is in New York State not Utah Posted by: SeattlePackedSnowandCollidedCars
» RE: Wall Street is in New York State not Utah Posted by: JenniferBedingfield
» Wall Street is in New York State a Blue State Posted by: SeattlePackedSnowandCollidedCars
» Ok ok. I don't mind where he's from although Posted by: JenniferBedingfield
» RE: Let me get this straight... Posted by: Caleb Darkstar
» RE: Let me get this straight... Posted by: Dr. P. Mooney

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A tea party ? Geesh ! And Obama's been doing their dirty work for them !
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Posted by: JenniferBedingfield on Apr 15, 2009 4:25 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This is why we the people sorely need the old pre-2005 Obama to return. Before Obama entered the US Senate, he was not a corporatist or a war spender. I can't find a good brain surgeon for Obama so maybe somebody can help us on this one.

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» RE: The Stepford President Posted by: Shehova
» Stepford? Uh, what's that? Posted by: JenniferBedingfield

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The teabaggers helped pay for this article appearing here. They have an ad right above this.
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Posted by: Beck on Apr 15, 2009 4:50 AM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Freedomworks is advertising here. Click on the ad, then go to their website and find out all about the Good News of teabagging, and it's necessity, right here, today of all days.

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My first protest!
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Posted by: Ky Lake Dave on Apr 15, 2009 5:50 AM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Finally at the age of 47 I am getting to do the hippy thing and protest against our unfair government and President Obama. Obama is attempting to toss out the constitution. He is firing private citizens. Taking over the banking industry. Taking over the auto industry. He wants to take over the healthcare. The democrats are pursuing a "Fairness Doctrine" to censor the press and opposing views. President Obama and this unfair government attempting to toss aside capitalism in favor of socialism. He is spending my great grand childrens money! This presidency after less than 100 days is inching closer and closer to a dictatorship.
I am now an Obama PROTESTER. I am not a fake anything. My views are true and passionate. I am not part of an Acorn type "Rent a mob" that Obama and the Democrats use as an illusion of public outcry. I am the real deal. I am one of thousands. We are all the real deal. I'm a U.S. citizen that has had ENOUGH! We are bringing our spouses and our children. We will hold signs and rant against the Obama machine!
I wonder what we should wear?
I don't fit in my bell bottoms anymore.

2010 we will rein him in. I like that. Maybe that will be on my sign.
Anyone else like the ring of that?

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» RE: My first protest! Posted by: pshuster
» RE: My first protest! Posted by: Quannah
» RE: My first protest! Posted by: Midway54
» RE: My first protest! Posted by: isnamthere
» Better late out the gate Posted by: Ky Lake Dave
» RE: My first protest! Posted by: badkitty
» RE: My first protest! Posted by: Crazy H
» RE: My first protest! Posted by: Quannah

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Scum bag
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Posted by: snowhound on Apr 15, 2009 5:50 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The tea party is not about right wing politics. The right and left wing media may be portraying it that way to purposely cause division between right and left, but that's not what this is about. This is a Campaign for Liberty. That's all that really needs to be said. The scum bag who wrote this article has no idea of the definition of Liberty. People are sick and tired of their c