Posted on 01/22/2010 7:14:30 AM PST by Korah
The convention is being held at a fancy resort, features $550 ticket prices, a steak and lobster dinner and a guest speaker with a $100,000 speaking fee. It’s sponsored by a for-profit company with a mysterious wealthy benefactor, and its organizers, who have been accused of secrecy and corruption, have threatened lawsuits against dissenters and clamped down on news coverage.
Sounds like just the kind of thing that tea party activists, whose populist outrage is directed at the Washington and Wall Street establishments, would be up in arms over.
Except it’s a tea party convention.
Billed as a pivot point to transition the tea party movement from a chaotic uprising to an organized and sustainable political force and featuring Sarah Palin as its star attraction, the first-ever convention in Nashville from Feb. 6 to Feb. 8 is insead shaping up as a reminder of the problems inherent in holding together a fractious coalition of local groups resistant to authority and pursuing often-conflicting agendas.
Red State blogger Erick Erickson made it clear recently what he thinks of the coming event — pronouncing that it “smells scammy” and is inconsistent with the grass-roots energy behind the tea party movement.
“I’m hoping for the best, but I’m prepared for the worst — that it descends into infighting and that the passionate activists who attend end up leaving disenchanted,” he told POLITICO.
At least two national groups that have emerged as major players in the movement rejected requests to buy sponsorships for the convention — which were going for as much $50,000 — while three other groups have recently withdrawn as sponsors, with two citing
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
I just do not trust these guys at Politico!
they have no idea of what is coming........
Mr. Vogel, get over yourself.
There is just a huge power grab going on. It’s a real shame. “Tea Party Patriots” even made the name a trademark. Gah.
From Instapundit:
“MORE ON THAT TEA PARTY “CONVENTION” IN NASHVILLE: I had planned to cover it for PJTV, but we’ve exchanged a couple of emails and their lack of interest has been palpable. I wish them well, but I wouldn’t pony up that kind of money to attend myself if I weren’t covering it, and I’m not sure why anyone else would, either.”
If they’re shutting out PJTV, they’re completely stupid.
They have a point if this is true. This is not the Tea Party I know.
I wasn't aware of the tea party activist outrage at the Wall Street establishment.
Maybe Sarah will explain why she is supporting one of Senators that most represent why the teaparty was started, McCain
Could this then be a power grab by a few to get rich and discredit the whole movement along with tainting any national players who might side with us like Palin?
Palin is confusing a lot of Tea Party people with her campaining for John McCain, who needs to go. She could have waited until after the primary, when it is Republican against Democrat in the general election. Why Palin will endorse this progressive over a real conservative is beyond me. You don’t owe McCain, he owes you Sarah for getting votes he wouldn’t have otherwise gotten. Even incumbent Rick Perry is NOT the Tea Party favorite over Deb Medina for Republican candidate for Texas Governor.
Tea Party yourself silly with high price dinner and movies! I like Bachman, but Palin is starting to move to the RINO middle road.
it’s impossible to alinsky a leaderless movement, so I suspect this is an attempt by someone to give the Tea Party movement a leader.
My fear with this convention is that it is being infiltrated by RNC money and influence in an attempt to co-opt the tea party movement. Our local group will continue to focus on local and state candidates as determined by our members.
Any endorsements on our part will be voluntary. We don’t need elitists telling us what is best for us. That totally defeats the grass roots effect that change starts with the people.
The left is hoping to divide us. One convention is worth watching. But not any indication of the health of patriot America.
This was posted on Facebook yesterday by a liberal, the source was Yahoo. I hate this stuff!
I like 90% of Sara Palin’s actions, but no one elected her leader of the Tea Party movement.
Why not Soros money? Why not DNC money? It is in their interests.
You are correct not to trust Politico. They’re making something out of nothing. The tea party movement’s grass is growing and is becoming more organized. Nothing wrong with that.
FTA
The Tea Party Convention is being organized by Tea Party Nation, a for-profit company that runs a social networking website for activists, but is not considered a leading group in the tea party movement. It’s paying for Palin’s fee (reported to be in the low six figures) and other overhead by selling tickets (at $560 a pop) and by offering sponsorships, in some cases for $50,000 each.
Tea Party Nation is hoping to turn a profit from its convention so that it can “funnel money back into conservative causes” through a 527 group it plans to set up to get involved in campaigns, according to Judson Phillips, the group’s president.
btt
“Tea Party Patriots” even made the name a trademark. Gah.”
Knowing nothing about this organization, but its only smart business to trademark otherwise they are wide open for evey kook bunch like the paulistas or DU or moveon to make statements claiming to be “Tea Party” to stir trouble.
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