arighter2 wrote:
Most of us see political movements thru the lens of the media, and there are cheerleaders and detractors in that media. If you watch Fox News you won't see skinheads with swastika tattoos at Tea Party rallies. If you watch MSNBC you won't see anybody who can complete a sentence at one. But the lack of any kind of unifying philosophy behind the movement means they don't have a coherent message, so there's no way for the leadership to stand up and say "these people don't represent our movement, because our movement means this."

If a movement is defined only by what it is against then any opposition to its enemies is part of the movement, no matter what that opposition's motives or tactics are. That allows the movement's enemies to paint it as the ugliest of its members, however inaccurate that may be.

 arighter2 wrote: 
The term "outside agitators" comes to mind.  I see the same parallels that you mention above, having experienced the earlier anti-war movement myself as well.  All kidding aside, I see the Teabaggers as with a legitimate complaint and a real grass roots movement.  They are and will continue to be a valid view point and focus on things that are really wrong with our system.  Hopefully, they overcome the Media Bias hell bent on misrepresenting them.

The government had plants and agitators imbedded with the anti-war movement just as sure as they probably have now within the Tea Party.  We have had a Presidential Enemies List before and I firmly believe that the same holds true with this administration as well.

 Lazy8 wrote:  I'm sorry, but I disagree. The common unifying element of the teabaggers is the frustration with a system that proves by its results to be broken. Although I disagree with the reasoning that leads to the conclusion, I am not at odds with the conclusion. As for being repelling, is it the people, or is it the way they're being presented by the media? Because, I saw with my own eyes, how the anti-war movement was media mislabeled by the focused representation of the actions of a very few on the fringe..

 Lazy8 wrote: 
 

 kurtster wrote: 
You're BOTH right. They're real thugs with real feelings. 

 hippiechick wrote: 
I thought that they were just thugs hired by the Repubs and insurance companies to do their dirty work at Town Hall meetings and things like that.  I had no idea that they were real people with real feelings.

 kurtster wrote:
Got hyperbole?

When the only unifying element in a movement is anger it tends to attract angry people, angry for all kinds of reasons. Don't be shocked when that repels people, and don't mistake that repulsion for oppression.

 kurtster wrote: 
Of course they are suffering, they are angry, angry people, and that anger is suffering. They are suffering inside, and they use Obama and Health Care as content for their anger.

 hippiechick wrote: 
Whose suffering ?  The Tea Baggers ? 

 kurtster wrote: 
I don't find joy in other people's suffering.

 hippiechick wrote: 
Dat's OK.  Been swimming wit de sharks.  I just thought that you would be happy to see a worthless party and point of view implode and render itself useless, that's all.

 kurtster wrote: 
Kurt, I think you have gone off the deep end here. You are talking crazy shit. I can't even think of a response, this is so far out.

 islander wrote: 
True story.  Gridlock is good for this country because it does force compromise.  IIRC, the founding fathers anticipated this and made it difficult to pass legislation with the hopes of preventing bad legislation, or having one faction run roughshod over others.

 kurtster wrote: 
And this is how the repubs behaved as well when they held majorities in both bodies and the presidency. There is something to be said for gridlock as it forced compromise. Compromise is what is required for the American people (all of them) to be represented by their government.

 hippiechick wrote: 

Ya know, since all the Baggers have been branded as Astroturfing racists and Nazis by the left, they might as well behave like what they have been accused of.  They have already been found guilty, so what do you expect ?  Are you disappointed or surprised by their behaviour ?  Once a ..., always a ... , isn't that how we do things in America ? 

I would expect that you would be happy to see the Baggers behave as you have said they all do.  They are proving your point and that should make you and all the rest who see them as racist nazis happy.  The only good Tea Bagger is a dead one.  America has room for only one point of view, that of the left.  Today will be proof of that.  Might as well round up all the Baggers and Repubs and intern them for further punishment and interrogation for disagreeing with the left.  No health care for you !  You freaking Tea Bagger, you freaking Republican.  We will fix your little red wagaons, just watch.  That will teach you to disagree with us.  We won, you didn't, that's how it works around here with Sherrif Barry and Deputy Nancy calling the shots now.  You think we are totalitarian, just wait ...you'll be cleaning the houses of illegal immigrants, now that's justice !

Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) came to the defense of the racists and bigots who shouted slurs at members of Congress Saturday. The Tea Party protesters shouted the ‘n’ word at African American members of Congress the ‘f’ word at an openly gay member. Rather than condemn the anachronistic behavior, Nunes blamed the Democrats, saying that they make people do and say crazy things with their tyrannical behavior. “When you use a totalitarian tactics, people, you know, begin to act crazy,” Nunes told C-SPAN’s Steve Scully Sunday morning when asked about the slurs. “I think that people have every right to say what they want. If they want to smear someone they can do it. It’s not appropriate—I think I would stop short of characterizing the 20,000 people protesting, that all of them were doing that.” Nunes claimed that Democrats were using the racist behavior of health care protesters to distract from the vote itself. “Of course. I think the left loves to play a couple of incidents here or there, anything to draw attention from what they are really doing and that is that they have 250-some democrats in the House. They need 216 Democrats. They do not have them. They are buying votes. Last night at midnight the Rules Committee finished. And for the first time… it is called Slaughter House Rules now, named after the chairwoman of the Committee. This is the first Congress in history where we have not had an open rule in Congress. I do not want to get stuck on procedure, but they never allowed Republicans to offer amendments. Today's rule that the health care bill is under, that is jokingly being called a super max rule, because we have no ability to even ask the chair anything during the debate. And the debate I think it’s only an hour of debate, for a 1/6 takeover of our economy. This is some crazy totalitarian tactics that they’re engaged in.”

 Lazy8 wrote: 
Oh, hey, that reminds me of a really funny story. You will not believe this shit. 

 Manbird wrote:

I checked, and it's Donna down in Accounts Receivable. The last holdout. Just get to her and it'll be a clean sweep!

If it's any consolation everybody else at Fox hates her too.

  Iowa Congressman And Glenn Beck Agree: Sunday Health Care Vote Is 'An Affront To God'

 hippiechick wrote: 

What a freekin irresponsible maroon!! What worries me most is takes a lot of people to elect an irresponsible maroon!