Posted on 04/16/2009 11:58:07 AM PDT by lewisglad
If the Obama administration has taken flak for suggesting that conservative groups might be home to domestic terrorists, it looks like some House Democrat leaders are willing to go even further:
But in an interview on Fox TV in San Francisco, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) chalked up the GOP grass-roots effort as “AstroTurf.”
“This initiative is funded by the high end; we call it AstroTurf, it's not really a grass-roots movement. It's AstroTurf by some of the wealthiest people in America to keep the focus on tax cuts for the rich instead of for the great middle class,” Pelosi said.
Other House Democratic leaders took a different tack: One senior aide has been circulating a document to the media that debunks the effort as one driven by corporate lobbyists and attended by neo-Nazis...
In addition, the tea parties are “not really all about average citizens,” the document continues, saying neo-Nazis, militias, secessionists and racists are attending them. The tea parties are also not peaceful, since reporters in Cincinnati had to seek “police protection” during one of the events, it states.
The suggestions that these tea parties are driven by DC-based groups is laughable; Liz Mair takes a critical look and concludes the charge is baseless. Besides the points that Mair makes, it's worth noting that while there have been dozens of tea parties, few have featured conservative candidates or representatives of DC think tanks and lobbying groups.
As far as the charge that these rallies are composed of Nazis and terrorists, that's hard to reconcile with the pictures of participants. There are too many young children and grandparents. Further, even a strong Obama supporter like Susan Roesgen didn't turn up any violent types at the Chicago Tea Party, despite her best attempt to provoke a strong reaction.
There probably aren't many Democrats who genuinely believe the charges levied by their leadership. Nate Silver guesstimates that about 250,000 people have attended the tea parties - so far. Do Ms. Pelosi and other Democrat leaders think they're all neo-nazis?
If this is a conversation they want to have, however, perhaps Ms. Pelosi can explain the role of Marxists and North Korean sympathizers in the U.S. anti-war movement, or discuss how George Soros bought such influence in the Democratic party. It's not a debate that would help Democrats, since it's relatively easy to show the role of fringe extremists in the Democratic grassroots.
'Senior Democrats' ought to have the courage to publicly assert what they're whispering to the media. But if they're afraid to admit that they're slandering hundreds of thousands of grassroots organizers and activists, is it too much to hope that some reporter will share a copy of these secret talking points?
RE: “We also observed the line of police officers who were quietly watching our peaceful but energetic group. They had nothing to do. It was an awesome event. I didn’t notice any of the types of people Pelosi described, except a lot of gun nuts!”
********
Our Los Angeles area event provided police with little to do, either. Their biggest “job” was to ride bikes up and down the main street and asking us to stay on the curb and not let huge flags hang over the street too far. Yeah, we were an unruly group!
For later.
“Astroturf” must be in the Dems’ talking-points memo. I’ve heard that used a couple of times.
These people are unbelievably arrogant.
Kristinn & Ron C. — NEW NUMBERS FOR WAUSAU, WI Tea Party below...
Agreed, Steve!
My own daughters (REALLY) low-balled an estimate of the tea party that happened here in Wausau (they walked by as it was just getting going). They estimated 250-300 people, but one of our TV stations (WSAW) is now reporting a total of 1,500!!! were there! And, that’s just ONE tea-party that wasn’t very well-advertised, either!
These estimates in the media are “crap” to put it nicely...
House Democrat Leaders
Are the biggest bunch of morons. Look for new employment in 2012.
lol — That’s cool.
I did end up taking a mock-sword, you know the kind you would practice Kendo with... and was told by the security guy that I needed to go put it back in my car. “Because we’re right across the street from the police station.”
Article 2, sec 6 of the NM Constitution + Amendment 2 to the US Constitution say I could have it. That dumbass. (In retrospect, I should have refused and carried on my business.)
From the look of our Dickinson, ND Tea Party it surely was not sponsored by the high end crowd. The organizers were a rancher/carpenter and a rancher/oil patch worker. The congregants ranged from retired geezers like myself through middle class business people, young construction and oil patch workers, ranchers, preachers and other productive citizens. Truly a cross section of the right wing extremist tapestry.
And the Star Kist exclusion, Nazi?
She has self-identified.
Governments THIS FAR OUT OF TOUCH with the governed are destined to fail...
Why are we giving these dino-media lovers any face time here.
The media is carrying these POS water and trying to stir up trouble.
Some are Communists, some are Nazis and some are Klan.
It could be as simple a matter of where they come from, or what time of the month it is.
What a pathetic group of “leaders” we have.
Self-centered and immature. Absolutely no appreciation for the Constitution, especially its Bill of Rights.
I became a “former” Democrat for a host of reasons. But never in my worst nightmares did I ever think they’d become this bad.
Never.
Actually another term for boy-rapers. Those who recruit and defile boys at the time of puberty.
Exactly! How ironic is it that those engineering the move to an increasingly fascist state accuse those resisting the move of being Nazis?
They're either unbelievably ignorant, or evil.
Yeah the Bush is a Nazi reference is classic point .
liberal speak
bring the nation together = we are going to beat you into submission
bipartisanship = we won get in line and do as we say
free speech = if it doesn’t agree with us it’s hateful and will not be tolerated exp. just try free speech in any school - bring a Bible and set it on your desk and watch how they howl even if you don’t open it ;)
We care for minorities = we want to keep these dummies on the plantation ( Woodrow Wilson(D)the father of segregation and the liberals still feel that so they make the laws to keep them on the plantation but accuse the right of not caring)
[h][i]Two-point memo to the Squeaker of the Mouse:
1. It’s NOT a “GOP” effort. Not EVERYONE acts in partisan fashion as you so reflexively do.
2. PLEASE keep denigrating us. Discount our efforts, because it keeps you in a state of denial. All the more rewarding to see the gaping shock on your faces as the returns start rolling in on Election Night in 2010.[/i][/h]
Gaping shock? Pelosi has so much botox in her face, she is completely expressionless! =)
BTW, I attended the Tea Party in Rome NY. There were more than a thousand people there, and yes, I did see people of color. It was a heartwarming experience for everyone involved. The person who organized it thought he’d be happy if only 50 people showed up!
The elites don’t like the hoi polloi to speak their mind or display civil disobedience.
Even worse: CHRISTIANS!!! /s
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