DNC Behind "Astro Turf" Organized Wisconsin Protests

[epicSocialism4tw]

The Democratic National Committee's Organizing for America arm -- the remnant of the 2008 Obama campaign -- is playing an active role in organizing protests against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker...

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0211/DNC_playing_role_in_Wisconsin_protests.html?showal l

[Boomhauer]

Send the drones into battle while the leaders hide in IL. Is this America's future or chess?

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

http://www.perrylakes.com/images/People-in-glass-houses-should-not-throw-stones.jpg
People in Glass Houses Should Not Throw Stones

Tea Party Tantrums: GOP Astroturf Groups Failed to Hit the History Books Before Fomenting Revolution

This whole conservative tea party thing has really gotten out of control. The idea that these anti-tax, anti-spending conservatives (http://taxdayteaparty.com/teaparty.html) are anything like the Boston colonists is downright laughable.
http://blog.buzzflash.com/articles/files/tea%20party.jpg

What was sparked by CNBC stock market reporter Rick Santelli's on-air freak out over the homeowner bailout has outgrown its anger britches (The brainchild behind this cute repackaging of lusty GOP rage is probably irrevocably obscured, you'll find an interesting round up of the Santelli chase here (http://jeffrey-feldman.typepad.com/frameshop/2009/02/tea-party-movement-planned-months-ago-by-gop-billionaires.html) and here (http://exiledonline.com/cnbc-b****-slaps-santelli-into-line-freedomworks-admits-it-organized-grassroots-tea-parties-jon-stewart-cancels-santelli-megan-mcardle-queefs-on-our-founding-fathers/)).

No matter whose idea this was, it certainly took on a life of its own before anyone really had a chance to notice how little sense it makes. Conservatives who get warm fuzzies over the idea of overthrowing the government need to abandon the Boston Tea Party as their personal symbolic moment in time. All it's really doing for the right wing is making them look unaware of their country's history, as well as a little nutty.
One really perfect example of this disconnect is this thread (http://www.dontgomovement.com/blog/2009/03/04/portsmouth-tea-company/) on the Don't Go movement's Web site (one of the many groups supporting this tea silliness). Don't Go found a tea shop (described by one commenter as a "hole in the wall in the sh*tty little town of Somersworth" (http://www.dontgomovement.com/blog/2009/03/04/portsmouth-tea-company/#comment-1695)) that agreed to donate 70 pounds of tea to the movement, prompting readers to squeal with delight over the scrumptious idea of a tea party (http://www.dontgomovement.com/blog/2009/03/04/portsmouth-tea-company/#comment-1757) and several promises (http://www.dontgomovement.com/blog/2009/03/04/portsmouth-tea-company/#comment-1812) to (http://www.dontgomovement.com/blog/2009/03/04/portsmouth-tea-company/#comment-1930) buy (http://www.dontgomovement.com/blog/2009/03/04/portsmouth-tea-company/#comment-1688) tea (http://www.dontgomovement.com/blog/2009/03/04/portsmouth-tea-company/#comment-1694) from this particular company. And, of course, the post itself features a huge ad for the tea shop up top.
Much like Glenn Beck (http://blog.buzzflash.com/articles/analysis/665) and Chuck Norris (http://blog.buzzflash.com/articles/analysis/661) whine about how nobody knows anything about our Founding Fathers while at the same time advocating secession, these people are taking the Boston Tea Party too literally: In reality, the tea went unconsumed and there was no party.

The thing is, the Boston Tea Party (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Tea_Party) wasn't about consumption or commercialism. In fact, quite the opposite, and the fact that someone would consider having a tea party to commemorate or imitate the event is a mockery of the story.

Several colonies were involved in tea-related protests in 1773 after the Brits instituted a tax on this favored drink, and three of them were successful in preventing tea from being unloaded in their ports. Boston was unique and historically significant because colonists there were unable to get their Royal governor to order the tea returned to England. Instead, they boarded the offending ships and dumped the tea into the harbor. They were willing to not only go without tea but to destroy costly products that people risked their lives to collect and deliver.

Sure, the Boston Tea Party was a collective temper tantrum, and in that way it bears a resemblance to today's protests over a change in tax rates. But at its core was a willingness to sacrifice.

The colonists were protesting taxation without representation. Our forebears understood that once they had representation, it would be their responsibility to help make it work. That's how we got the lovely representative democracy we enjoy today.
On the flip side, the people organizing these modern-day tea parties already enjoy political representation. But they don't want to do all the work it takes to lobby the government or write to their representatives. They don't want to get off their lazy butts and march on the Mall. Those may be productive ideas, but there's no immediate satisfaction there. Those activities are also not as fun as planning a bloody revolution.
So if this group of fired up, angry conservatives has to give up the Boston Tea Party, what should be their new historical mascot?
Perhaps the Battle of Lexington in 1775, where the first shot of the American Revolutionary War was fired, would be a more appropriate event to use as a backdrop. There, colonists had been amassing arms for months in anticipation of a conflict. It was bloody, sure, but what also might appeal to conservatives calling for armed insurrection lately -- such as Reps. Pete Sessions (http://blog.buzzflash.com/articles/analysis/613) (R-TX) and Michele Bachmann (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/23/michele-bachmann-i-want-p_n_178156.html) (R-MN) -- is the atmosphere of Massachusetts at the time, described here (http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/lexington.htm) as a "hotbed of sedition."
That imagery might appeal to those who fancy themselves in the trenches, but for the Rick Santellis (or SGP (http://smartgirlpolitics.ning.com/) or Michelle Malkin (http://michellemalkin.com/) or GOPUSA (http://www.gopusa.com/) or whomever they are) using this populist unrest to try and gather support (http://taxdayteaparty.com/teaparty.html), the Battle of Lexington might be too messy. Perhaps something stemming from the French monarchy may be more appropriate.
May I suggest a battle cry of "Let them drink tea?"



http://blog.buzzflash.com/analysis/679

[mhgaffney]

Another failed epic spin.

Anyone see Rachel Maddow on this?

[epicSocialism4tw]

Another failed epic spin.

Anyone see Rachel Maddow on this?

Rachel Maddow is the most far left person in the media. It isnt any wonder that you and LABF are walking lock step to the same radical moonbat communist march that she is.

[cutthemdown]

First off is the fight more on the change to collective bargaining, or because of the money the teachers would have to pay into the pension?

[W*GS]

Why are the Teabaggers taking the side of the government against the WI middle class?

[peacepipe]

Why are the Teabaggers taking the side of the government against the WI middle class?

LOL

[mhgaffney]

Rachel Maddow is the most far left person in the media. It isnt any wonder that you and LABF are walking lock step to the same radical moonbat communist march that she is.

Bub, that ain't saying much.

[cutthemdown]

Why are the Teabaggers taking the side of the government against the WI middle class?

What about having to pay some of your own pension is an attack? Don't a lot of people have to pay money in to stuff like that?

[epicSocialism4tw]

Bub, that ain't saying much.

Not to you, who is so far off the moonbat map that its impossible for you to find the center.

[Hogan11]

First off is the fight more on the change to collective bargaining, or because of the money the teachers would have to pay into the pension?

The change to collective bargaining. That is the central issue. The workers are willing to work with the Gov. on the other stuff, but in true W fashion, compromise is seen as weakness...so Walker is in full "my way or the highway" mode.

If the teachers knuckle under, then there will be a free for all denial of workers rights all over the country. I dont care if you work for private or public sector, you will eventually suffer if this goes forth unchallenged. The business owners and politicians will keep their lifestyles lavish though, so unless one is a CEO, a Governor or self-employed, by supporting this, you're eventually shooting yourself in the foot and cutting your own throat.

And yet, people want this to happen....it's totally amazing and sad at the same time.

[Hogan11]

It's also no secret that the Unions are the only meaningful support left for DNC canadates in the face of the 2010 Supreme Court ruling allowing unlimited corporate funding for political canadates. With the unions out of the way, nothing stands in the way of coporate domination of the nation at practically all levels.

[epicSocialism4tw]

The change to collective bargaining. That is the central issue. The workers are willing to work with the Gov. on the other stuff, but in true W fashion, compromise is seen as weakness...so Walker is in full "my way or the highway" mode.

If the teachers knuckle under, then there will be a free for all denial of workers rights all over the country. I dont care if you work for private or public sector, you will eventually suffer if this goes forth unchallenged. The business owners and politicians will keep their lifestyles lavish though, so unless one is a CEO, a Governor or self-employed, by supporting this, you're eventually shooting yourself in the foot and cutting your own throat.

And yet, people want this to happen....it's totally amazing and sad at the same time.



The Dems have no say. The people voted them out of power in that state because they were running the state into the ground.

They have no point to negotiate from. They have no leverage.

What you have now is just a bunch of whining losers complaining about their pensions taking a tiny hit.

[Hogan11]

The Dems have no say. The people voted them out of power in that state because they were running the state into the ground.

They have no point to negotiate from. They have no leverage.

What you have now is just a bunch of whining losers complaining about their pensions taking a tiny hit.

So you support the elimination of collective bargaining and workers rights?

[TailgateNut]

So you support the elimination of collective bargaining and workers rights?

Yes, time to send that outdated idea to the scrap-heap.

[mhgaffney]

Tail gate NUT just doesn't get it. If the Broncos had followed the Green Bay Packers' model of public ownership -- the Broncs might now be contenders -- instead of at the bottom of the league.

It worked in Green Bay - the only publicly owned NFL team in the league.

But I supposes that's too simple. Nut prefers the authoritarian approach. Kill the unions.

It goes something like this: Get in line or else, black boy.

Sieg heil!

[cutthemdown]

I'm in the musicians union but they don't do crap for you. Basically just so you can work at hotels that are union, union companies etc etc. So from my experience its been more something i was forced to do, that cost me some money, but never did anything to help me.

[Boomhauer]

So you support the elimination of collective bargaining and workers rights?

Are you suggesting Unions are required for collective bargaining or workers rights? I suppose you'd also suggest a political structure is required for a citizens revolt.

[Boomhauer]

It's also no secret that the Unions are the only meaningful support left for DNC canadates in the face of the 2010 Supreme Court ruling allowing unlimited corporate funding for political canadates. With the unions out of the way, nothing stands in the way of coporate domination of the nation at practically all levels.

This is the real stink. Unions are a slush fund for Demo campaigns and any break in their power or funding means threatening the Demo machine.
Even though the best thing for America is to break the crippling contracts of public unions, Demos would then have to rely more on their Wall Street, Freddie/Fannie, venture capitalist, green tech, media, Asian banks, etc, etc. This takes some of the artificial 'Peoples Party' shine off and reveals Demos are no different than the Repub machine when it coms to selling out the people for the revenue needed to rob even more from them.

[mhgaffney]

Many years ago I was a teamster - when I drove a truck for the Washington Star newspaper co. At the time -- I felt that the union was BS.

However - -the teamster model -- one of corruption -- is far from inevitable. Nurses and teachers and janitors no doubt feel loyalty to their unions.

There are a variety of models. United Airlines was at one time employee owned -- and was a big success. However, 9/11 may have strewed this up -- I'm not well informed about the details.

But the bottom line is that unions have a role to play -- and a seat at the table -- in a mixed economy.

In places like Germany this is taken for granted. You don't see the union busting that we have here in the US. The Germans have a better economic model -- one that keeps good jobs -- well paying jobs for an increasing part of the population. The germans invest in long term planning .

But here we have inherited the BRitish model -- which is a scorched earth policy. In the BRitish model capital goes offshore -- wherever the biggest profits can be found. There is no loyalty to the nation -- or to the idea of a rising standard of living for the greatest number of people. It is a predatory model that puts one class against another. It needs to be thrown in the dustbin.

Why don't you clowns get this? The problem is NOT that teachers are making $100,000 a year. The deficits are the result of decisions made by Wall Street globalists who don't give a hoot about this country. They sent their capital off shore -- abandoned US workers.

We need to fix the problem on Wall Street -- and end the imperialist wars.

Then the issues here at home will become easy to solve. But first things first.

Too many of you guys get your economics from FOX, CNN, CBS etc. What you don't appear to understand is that you are being subliminally programmed to think a certain way. The media defines reality inside your head. The solution is to turn off the tube and start reading and studying.