Posted on 09/13/2014 7:27:24 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
BARABOO -- It was an unlikely declaration, coming from a progressive congressman addressing a progressive crowd.
"I want to be an advocate for the tea party," said U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, opening his speech at Fighting Bob Fest.
"Wait, wait — not that one," Pocan said, speaking to the annual gathering of progressives at the Sauk County Fairgrounds. "Not the tea party of Scott Walker and Ron Johnson and Ted Cruz. I’m talking about the real Boston Tea Party, and maybe the need for another real tea party."
The Madison Democrat went on to deliver a quick history lesson on the Tea Party — the Boston one, that is.
Pocan noted that the 1773 political protest was the work of a group of colonists fed up with the power the East India Trading Co. held over subjects of the British government, while the king and the wealthy elite profited.
"They were upset because they viewed the Tea Act as a massive corporate giveaway that hurt real people and small businesses in the colonies," Pocan said. "If only we could convince the current tea partiers to understand that the Tea Party they claim to be inspired by wasn’t fighting against the government, they were fighting against a government that had been taken over by corporations and their interests."
The freshman congressman, who represented Wisconsin's 78th State Assembly district from 1999 to 2013, said the relationship between government and corporations today is in many ways similar to what it was in the 1770s.
"Our progressive movement is still in the same fight against the infestation of corporations in our government," he said.
His speech was a rally for progressives to continue to fight corporate influence in politics and government.
In Wisconsin and beyond, he said, there is a battle between two visions for society: one in which the luckiest hold the cards while the rest continue to struggle, and the other in which those who work hard and play by the rules can make it.
"Wouldn’t it be great to have a tea party that will fight for the rights of the middle class, for economic and social justice and for peace?" Pocan said. "Wouldn’t it be great to have a tea party that’s on the side of the people and not a puppet of the corporations, and thinks that only people are people, and only real people have rights, including speech rights?"
Pocan, like others who spoke at the Saturday event, criticized the effects of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, and expressed dismay at the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals' Friday decision to reinstate Wisconsin's Voter ID law.
Pocan, who is up for re-election in November, spoke briefly about Wisconsin's electoral behavior. He said he's often asked how Wisconsin could elect Gov. Scott Walker and U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson in one election, and elect President Barack Obama and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin in another.
In other words, why is Wisconsin such a purple state?
"I tell people we're not a purple state because of our politics," Pocan said. "Hell, if people vote, I think we're a beautiful shade of indigo blue. But if we look purple, it's because Scott Walker has damaged and bruised our reputation across the nation."
He then jokingly offered to tell the audience, gathered in the fairgrounds' grandstand area, a secret.
"Scott Walker is running for president in 2016," he stage-whispered. "And there's not a thing . . . he won't do to help get him there."
He urged the crowd to keep fighting for environmental protections, comprehensive immigration reform, public education and student debt reform and against the privatization of Medicare and Social Security.
He closed with a nod to the late U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone, of Minnesota.
"His famous quote — and some of you may remember — was not, 'We do better when a few of us do better,' or 'when the rich do better,' or 'when the companies do better,'" Pocan said. "He said, 'We all do better when we all do better.'
"We are in this together: you, me, even our tea party friends. We all do better when we all do better. That's what being a progressive is all about."
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Farting Bob sounds like a real idiot. He obviously doesn’t know what the TEA in TEA Party means. The idiot probably doesn’t care. He’s all for progressing into people’s wallets.
No you don't...Don't lie bich.
And I hope he’s right about Scott Walker; he will be a GREAT president!!!
The left can’t have a tea party because its a contradiction. The tea party is ground up and liberals are top down.
The fact that a US rep is calling for it proves it.
The tea party began with a resistance to politicians being involved at all.
A real fighting Tea Party needs to be deployed to the Southern Border ASAP!
Fighting Bob Fest?
Is the snake on the Gadsden flag named Bob by any chance?
GAH! I can' Believe I have to explain this to these Idiots!
The Colonists were mad BECAUSE that Government had grow so big and powerful that it Had that Ability to stick it nose in your daily life For the East India Company via the Tax!!!
If the government would have been small(er) (limited) than the East India Company couldn't have bought that influence!
Good Grief~!
Democrat Congressman calls for Democrat Tea Party at “Fighting Bob Fest” in Baraboo. Claims Scott Walker is running for President in 2016.
FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.
who taught this guy history?
Pocan is a dolt.
He’s also married. To a guy. So I suppose he knows about Pocan and gettin’ poc-ed too! ;)
Seems like he is a produkt of the publik skoolz .../;)
Members of the “real” tea party dressed themselves up in the Native American equivalent of blackface and were anti-government.
Surely a good little progressive such as Mr. Pocan can recognize the peril of advocating such, such ... racist, fringer xenophobia.
So democrat politicians don’t accept contributions from corporations? Better tell Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, et al.
Hope he’s right!!!
That man is a moron
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