Nationwide Tea Party organizers held their first-ever national convention this weekend in Nashville, Tenn., solidifying the political movement as much more than merely a phenomenon.
The American Tea Party movement has quickly emerged into the most influential conservative movement of the 21st century.
Although many in the mainstream media believe the Tea Party emerged out of a fiery opposition to President Barack Obama's highly liberal agenda, the sentiments behind the movement had been brewing for years; Obama just helped them bubble over and spill out into the streets.
On April 15, 2009, self-described Tea Party members participated in a Tax Day protest spanning more than 300 American cities, but -- astonishingly -- their demonstrations went largely unreported by major news outlets. By the summer, however, the Tea Party movement could no longer be ignored, as members made their presence felt at a number of health care town halls held across the country. The purpose of these town hall meetings was to give nervous members of the House and Senate who hosted the events a chance to gauge public feedback of the president's health care reform proposal.
"Popular" was not the word to describe Obama's plan.
Despite the clear indication that the proposal was way too liberal, arrogant politicians on the Left, still giddy from the strong gains made by Democrats in the 2008 presidential election, made the colossal mistake of dismissing Tea Party outrage as "astroturfing." By early 2010, these same liberal lawmakers were backtracking feverishly as they watched Republicans earn election victories in Virginia, New Jersey and, most notably, Massachusetts, where Democrats outnumber Republicans by wide margins.
Standing at the forefront of this often-misunderstood and certainly mis-characterized grassroots movement is former health care executive, White House speech writer and Patriot Caucus chairman Michael Johns (pictured above during a Capitol Hill protest on Independence Day in 2009). Johns, who also worked as a policy analyst for the Heritage Foundation, is a board director for the Nationwide Tea Party Coalition, a 28-member advisory group that provides public commentary on the direction of the Tea Party movement.
From the sprawling Opryland Hotel where the convention was held, Johns took time away from his busy schedule to answer some questions about the Tea Party's core values, its constituency and where he believes the movement is headed in 2010 and beyond.
It was a great interview, as this excerpt proves:
The most broadly held sentiment in the Tea Party movement is that the United States of America is the last, best hope for liberty, that our nation is unique among nations of the world, and that we are on a path of quickly abandoning all of the founding principles that make us the world's greatest nation. We believe the Constitution has been discarded almost entirely by this Democratic Congress and administration.
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Top Photo © Michael Johns
Bottom Photo © Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Comments
Ever bother to do a search for “Chad Peace Tea Party 2007″ or “Ron Paul Tea Party” ? No?
Now we have the GOP Beck-Palin “Neocon Tea Party”?
some interesting insight here explain WHY stuff is happening. Obama, LibComs, bankrupt economy, failing civic institutions are just symptoms to greater problems. check it out and tell me what you think:
“If we shall not be ruled by G-d, we will be ruled by tyrants…”
-William Penn
The exception of the American social contract with that of other nations was that it considered G-d not people the ultimate law and government as a concept was merely in place to establish His idea of good, peace and justice (i.e. created with inalienable rights ideal). The Torah/Tenakh was supreme reference material for jurisprudence and understanding of human need, with virtue as a logic embedded in philosophy of the average citizen. These were to be the tools for certification of our government as to whether it was completing its G-d given mandate. “The fear/respect for the L-rd is the beginning of knowledge…” Proverbs 9:10 and Psalm 111:10. (Psalm 119 is a beautiful explanation of WHY G-d gave us Torah)…was our maxim and people at least understood the lessons of history proved and justified this idea as fact, right and true.
As civil virtue and concern for politics diminished the “god-king” mythology began to creep in under various disguises: socialism, pragmatism, secular humanism and in rare occasion’s fascism. Even so their core “ethic” is confiscation and pathology of control by “taking” i.e. taxes/fees. They have made that the discussion/foundation of academia filtered political science and today there is now a subclass (aristocracy) that controls the election process which is soon to be irrelevant. Here, they have created little “politburo’s” or “people’s committee’s called “regulatory commissions”, “compliance boards”, “tax assessment “parole advisory committees”, and other unelected positions of authority impervious to election results. We can fire all the “bums” (I prefer harsher terms) tomorrow and these tentacles will remain. The media? We have none…its just political activism pretending to be journalism.
Sadly, they NOT legislators, governors/elected leaders make the laws and impose them. Thus we are abused. Just like in the former Bolshevik countries and what still remains in china and SE Asia. Also Corporatism is simply another form of communism which explains the rigid and unforgiving nature of corporate policy. Tyrants promise corporate execs power and privilege making them free to smother small business and become by proxy a branch of government.
Your ancestors warned us but of course, “fools rejoice in their own opinions…” proverbs 18:2 and we didn’t listen but elected the “wicked” for handouts. So we will now groan for a while.
Even so…soon to come “next year in Jerusalem…” The L-rd ALWAYS wins when He fights and as Daniel was told by I think Gabreal haDod (Uncle Gabriel-archangel extraordinaire) “many will be purged, purified and refined but the wicked will act wickedly: and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.” (Daniel 12:10) In other words, those who Love HaShem will fail only to be stronger…but evil liberals and G-d haters will just get worse. They will have their end but we will be rescued. Baruch HaShem…
the below impositions and manipulations are all part of the PROCESS of creating a Soviet style police state. First in the mind then in the culture. It’s all about programming impressionable (and stupid) minds with presumptions of one’s “place” in the world. Or creating a “new” morality with bogus ethics. All law is a teacher and none are neutral but are designed to control when absent of justice. Law without justice is tyranny. Law is social, justice is spiritual and one cannot exist without the other and be helpful or create peace. So they start with convincing kids that:
1) Mom and dad DO NOT understand what’s good for their kids so a retarded Bolshevik politician creates some mandate to manipulate the personal governance of the home. See DCFS. So much for privacy…Unless one wants to be a pervert (of course in the name of “love” and “tolerance”. )
2) Dumb down/criticize food, fun and other expressions of a quality standard of living. Creating endless anxiety in the name of morality or doing “the right thing”.
3) Brainwash the reality of G-d and his majesty (seen in nature and the subconscious) and importance of the family out of human consciousness. HaShem and mom/pop are the great enemies of the worthless unproductive tyrant bureaucrat.
4) Convince all that government is the “messiah”. Such explains the mass smearing of the Tenakh and its mind: G-d, via his prophets; through the “schools”.
RECOMMENDED READING: A Nation in Shadows by Michael Q irwin
http://outskirtspress.com/webpage.php?
ISBN=9781432747701
THANKS for reading