The left is trying to cause dissention within the Tea Party movement, so they are going to jump on everything they can find and spin it to their benefit. I have no problem with someone involed in the Tea Party movement making money. Even the Bible says "the laborer deserves his wages." It takes at least some full time staff to run any organization.
The other big criticism in this story is that the Tea Party Express actually had a plan. That's a bad thing?
On the other hand, we need to be vigilant. There is no doubt there are people that would love to co-opt the Tea Party movement for their own purposes. And I'm not just talking about the GOP. There are also plenty of 3rd parties and movements built around a single person (Ron Paul supporters, for example) that are trying to co-opt the Tea Party movement for their own purposes.
What is there to discuss. Telling people that have organizing skills and understand the political landscape to take a hike.
As long as they have shared values and goals ofcourse they should be welcomed.
You never turn away talent.
The only way to defuse this tripe is to attack liberal GOPers just as vigorously as we attack the Socialist Democrats.
I saw this was the lead story on Olberman last night. He is pushing it as some evil plot.
PS
I occasionally flip to Olberman bacause (1) I have an uncle that watches MSNBC religiously, and gets no news from anywhere else; and (2) I feel like I need to know what the spin comming from the hard left is.
Nothing ever written in Politico is reliable. They have no credibility as they are a wholly owned entity of the far far left.
ping
Is that the way it happened?
on fox and friends today they had a story about the counter tea party where the rats plan to join the tea party but then make stupid signs with misspelled words and to cause fights and shout racial slurs at people.
So they are trying to devalue the tea party brand from within. It’s an all out attack from the liberal power base from each party.
When I attended the Tea Party Express event in Jackson, Michigan last summer, I wondered how they could afford the big, plush, custom-painted buses. Who was bankrolling them?
The bottom line, though, is I showed up. Nobody paid me, nobody offered me kickbacks, bribes or freebies to be there. I did the research for the event myself using my own time and computer. I wasn’t given a sign paid for by a group or union, and I even bought a “NOBAMA” button from an enterprising young man selling them.
These events are dependent on people SHOWING UP. The only buses I saw were the two belonging to the Tea Party Express, and I’m sure nobody was “organized” with promises of a day off work if they went.
So the argument is that we shouldn’t link up with and use the talents of people who are good at organization?
I don’t think I’m buying that.
I am a really, really thrifty person but if someone is offering something for money that I find beneficial, I will pay for it and if that someone makes a profit, good for them.
If a Tea Partier was selling hot dogs and soda during a rally and I was hungry, I’d buy them and hope they were making money. At least I’d know that the money was going to someone who supports Capitalism.
I don’t see a problem here. The Tea Party Express (TPE) is what it is. Go to one of their rallies or else don’t. Give them a buck or else don’t. What’s the beef?
Organizing and operating the TPE costs money and requires talent and man-hours. There is nothing wrong with skilled, working people getting paid.
If others think they have ideas that will help our country better than the TPE then let them go for it. The people can decide who to support with their donations.
This article seems to say that the relationship between the TPE PAC and the consulting firm that organized it is normal and that the money spent is typical for this type of operation. What’s the beef?
The Pravda Media lies. Lies by omission are lies as well.
They can type of their talking points to cause suspicion but they can't diffuse the spirit.
Much ado about nothing, imho. And by the way, I saw Debbie Dooley of TPP on CBS, and she came across as a nutcase. Someone tell her to take her meds.
As long as the participants main goal is to vote out socialists, why care who crashes? The more the merrier!
Who cares what the Left says about the Tea Parties? Ignore them. The only power they have is if you take them seriously, which I don’t. I haven’t heard an honest criticism of the Tea Party movement from the Left yet - and I won’t.
Thank heavens someone knew what to do and acted!
51% of Tea Party Supporters are Democrats and Independents. - Gallup.
Joe Wierzbicki (of the Tea Party Express) is a long time FReeper as are many other Tea Party members. FReepers were tea partiers long before the Tea Party movement was formed.