Posted on 03/03/2010 3:03:12 PM PST by Walter Scott Hudson
MINNEAPOLIS, MN A citizen activist group antagonistic to the political goals of the Tea Party movement has nonetheless indicated a willingness to converse. In what may be characterized as the sincerest form of flattery, video documentarian Annabel Park weeks ago created the Coffee Party Movement. Despite its relatively brief existence, it has already garnered significant media attention, most notably in recent articles by the New York Times and Washington Post. Over the weekend, an open letter was addressed to Park by a member of the Tea Party movement (this writer) welcoming civility and inclusiveness in political discourse, a nod to one of the Coffee Partys stated goals. Alongside public replies from Coffee Partiers, Park responded privately, indicating a desire to bring tea and coffee drinkers together for debate and discussion.
The Coffee Party is a product of the new media. Park, in her own words, kinda lost it and started ranting in her Facebook profile regarding her frustration at the perception of the Tea Party as being representative of the majority of Americans. The Washington Post reported the status update which started it all:
lets start a coffee party . . . smoothie party. red bull party. anything but tea. geez. ooh how about cappuccino party? that would really piss em off bec it sounds elitist . . . lets get together and drink cappuccino and have real political dialogue with substance and compassion.
The primary gripe emanating from Park is her perception of the Tea Party movement, and conservative legislators in Washington, as obstructionist. In a YouTube video introducing the Coffee Party to the world, Park says, We want to see cooperation among people in Congress, in government. And we want to see people who are representing us move towards solutions to the problems, instead of strategically obstructing any form of progress.
Park concurs with the sentiment expressed by liberal commentators like Stephanie Miller and Bill Press, who accuse Republicans of opposing President Obamas progressive agenda only as an electoral strategy, excluding the possibility there may be fundamental principled disagreement. Park indicates a desire to hold people accountable for obstructing progress in government. She sees a dichotomy between cooperation and obstruction, holding the former to be necessary for government to work for the People. She calls for everyone to be engaged in the political process and makes reference to government as an instrument of the collective will. At the same time, she defiantly pleads for certain people to get out of the way.
In the open letter to Park, her perception of the Tea Party movement was challenged:
This idea that the Tea Party is against progress is untrue, if by progress we are referring to positive change in the conduct and quality of life. We simply disagree regarding the origin of progress. The Coffee Party seems to think it comes from government. The Tea Party believes progress can only derive from people, and too much government obstructs it.
We can negotiate. We are willing to achieve consensus. There is, however, a clear framework within which such consensus must be bound the Constitution of the United States.
Response to the letter from self-identified members of the Coffee Party has been mostly gracious. Im a member of the Coffee Party and I appreciate your letter, wrote a commenter identifying himself as Marvin. If we could have more civil debate I think this country could move forward. Jim Yost wrote, I dont agree with a lot of the [Tea Party]s stances on many critical issues, but I do agree that Washington is broken, and I do think that we all can and should work together to change as much in our system as we can so that our differences can be worked out productively.
To that end, tentative arrangements are being made for a meeting in the Twin Cities area between members of these disparate activist groups. Potential points of consensus include the imposition of term limits, a desire for citizen legislators as opposed to career politicians, and a general call for accountability among public officials.
The Coffee Party was created for the sole purpose of supporting Obama.
Standard issue astroturf. Lavish MSM attention aside, they won’t be able to caucus in a phone booth, mainly because there are no more phone booths.
How about a Latte Liberal Party? Supply straws because commies suck.
Red "bull" Party sounds about right.
TOTAL B.S. This is an astroturf op and Anabel is a rabid hater of the tea party who left a considerable online trail to prove it.
>>instead of strategically obstructing any form of progress<<
liberal code for “interfering with our Big Government Masters.”
I think I need to attend a Scotch party.
The Tea Party is wasting their time talking to these people. They should remain focused on reducing taxes. The progressives and RINOs will never agree to that.
If the MSM likes it then it is our enemy. Plain and simple.
As someone here put it...COFFEE
Covert Operation For Fascist Enterprise Expansion
lol
The Tea Party is wasting their time talking to these people. They should remain focused on reducing taxes. The progressives and RINOs will never agree to that.
Here's the thing though. In order to actually do something like reduce taxes, we have to come out ahead in the public discourse. We have to make the argument. I am a firm believer in the notion bad ideas evaporate in the light of day. To the extent this effort exposes them, that's a good thing.
Sounds like somebody wants to drop a turd in the tea pot to me.
The Coffee Party are clearly KoolAid Drinkers acting as surrogates for Oblahblah. I wouldn’t get into the same room with them, ever, for any reason.
In fact, if they were to volunteer coming into a room with me, they’d have to pass a written test first/
Hey, dipsh**s! It's called "The New American Tea Party" to pay homage to and rekindle the spirit of a little historical event called the Boston Tea Party...ever heard of it? Maybe if a group of patriots seized your shipment of i-Phones, Red Bull and doobage, and dumped it into Boston Harbor, would that get your attention, you stupid slackers?
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
Coffee Party is a bunch of wannabee Marxists, funded by far-Left ideologues and purely astroturfers...
Why would anyone with a job or a sense of national pride want ObamaCare to end their freedoms and close the window on the best healthcare in America?
Do people not understand that the care will diminish when 30,000,000 are added with no additional staff and AA requirements for doctors?
Has anyone been to London or Toronto recently?
Kill this bill, F Obama’s Marxist madness.
I think the wind is at our backs. People understand taxes. They understand debt. What has to be managed is the scare tactics like you won’t end up with health care or social security.
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