Captain Obvious: Chris Matthews Discovers Tea Party "Aren't That Far" from White Supremacist Groups

I've had a few issues with Chris Matthews of late, where his always vacillating political needle seemed lodged in libertarian/conservative land. But he still shows flashes of reasonableness, even if the topic is blindingly obvious. In this case, it's noticing the not-so-very-far-apartness of white supremacist groups and "Tea Party" conservatives. Um yeah, we noticed that.

[Excerpt]
MSNBC’s Chris Matthews: Tea Party Republicans ‘aren’t that far’ from white supremacist groups

MSNBC host Chris Matthews slammed Tea Party Republicans on Tuesday, likening them to white supremacist organizations like the one currently linked to House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA).
 

Image from source, Raw Story

“How do you think Louie Gohmert feels toward David Duke?” Matthews askedHuffington Post reporter Sabrina Siddiqui. “How do we know? What do you think of [Ted] Yoho, and that crowd? These guys believe [President Barack Obama] was somehow an illegal immigrant from Africa because they can’t stand the fact that he’s an African-American president. Let’s be honest about it — they’re not that far from the crowd they refuse to associate with. . . .”

Read more at: Raw Story

Joe Biden Disses the Tea Party.

Image from source, Mediaite

Way to go, Joe! Sometimes, the man can be inelegant, but he is often right, whether he hits the right notes or not. Here, on this topic, there is no need for delicate phrasing.

[Excerpt]

Biden Reportedly Calls Tea Party ‘Crazy’: ‘They Have No Judgment’

Vice President Joe Biden met in private with black clergy members in South Carolina today, and according to one report, Biden told them that the tea party is “crazy” and very much unlike previous incarnations of the Republican Party. . .

Read more at: Mediaite

Right Wing World: A New Party to Split from the GOP? Great Idea!!!

I thought that the Tea Party was supposed to be "better" and "more conservative" than the establishment Republican Party. But when the establishment cowtows to the Teas, and the Teas all run as Republicans, who can tell them apart? So, someone has gotten the bright idea to start a breakaway party. And, get this. . .with Sarah Palin as its figurehead. Yeah!

I couldn't have scripted it better. This would be so amazing. Do it! Do it now! Don't wait until after the midterms, strike while the iron is hot!

Image from FreakingNews

[Excerpt]

Conservative Activist Proposes Third Party With Sarah Palin As Its Leader
 
Steve Baldwin, a former California lawmaker and onetime executive director of the Council for National Policy, believes that Tea Party and Religious Right activists should form a third party to “do to the GOP what the GOP did to the Whig Party 150 years ago. . .”

Read more at: Right Wing Watch

Hillbilly People (A Rocky Mountian Mike Song Parody)

Another goodie from Rocky Mountain Mike, this time about some of the sadder elements of today's voting public. To the tune of Sly & the Family Stone's Everyday People.

To hear much more from Rocky Mountain Mike, click here.
 

What Happens in Vegas: More Is Now Known About Walmart/Pizza Parlor Shooting

I've noticed something about gun violence, and the response it gets when it happens, in social media and the blogosphere. You get the news that a school, or a store or a military base or some other area has been attacked by a shooter or shooters. There's usually a bit of shock, followed by a smattering of sorrow and well-wishes to the survivors, and the families of the dead. It's all eventually old news, and overshadowed by the next shooting. But in between, we get:


- From liberals and/or gun control advocates (I'm the former, mixed with a tad of the latter), there is tsk-tsking. finger wagging, condemnation of the NRA and speculation. The speculation usually goes to the obvious places first, "gun nuts," tea partiers, right-wing extremists, those "sovereign citizen" people. There is a whole lot of resignation and weariness that nothing is going to change, and a simmering anger about how it's all just allowed to continue. And of course, you'll have the fringy leftists who go too far, though they're (I believe) in the minority.

- From conservatives and/or gun rights activists (I used to be the former with a tad of the latter), there is a reflexive defensiveness with amazing and instantaneous hostility. Right away, there are proclamations about what liberals are going to say or do. There are defiant announcements that this better not lead to a "gun grab." There are seeds of  conspiracy theories sown almost immediately. And there is a heavy emphasis on making sure that the perp is perceived as either a) a radical lefty, b) a radical lefty posing as a conservative in order to smear them, or c) maybe a radical righty, but if so, a lone wolf with no connection to any other conservative group or individuals. And, of course, you'll have the fringy rightists who go too far, and they are in abundance.

If you don't believe me, hit any major newspaper's comments section on this story. Or go straight to the source at FreeRepublic.com, and click their section labeled "BangList." Yes, it's really called that.

Meanwhile, let's get a few facts on this whole Las Vegas shooting, shall we? As horrific as the attack was (and I'm tempted to call it a terrorist attack), there are also fascinating elements to the story, and how it is unfolding. For instance, the connection the Millers (the killers) had to a law passed in Indiana that allows citizens--under certain conditions, naturally--to shoot cops. 

[Excerpt]

Shooters carried arsenal, supplies into Sunday rampage



Jerad and Amanda Miller left their downtown apartment Sunday morning loaded for a long fight. Police said the Millers had a small arsenal and survivalist gear in two bags when they entered a northeast Las Vegas Wal-Mart on Sunday, killed a shopper who confronted them with his own gun, and then shot it out with officers before taking their own lives. . .

Read more at: Las Vegas Review-Journal

Right Wing World: Cliven Bundy Jumps from Republican to a REALLY Nutty Party

In this installment of Republicans Really Need Better Heroes, we have Cliven Bundy. He's the Nevada rancher who is grazing on federal land, but doesn't want to pay the bill. For some reason, this has inspired a following of alleged "Constitutionalists," who were--for a time--interrogating fellow citizens. That "I don't get it" would be to state, and understate the obvious.

But ol' Cliven isn't happy with more people than just the BLM, and liberals, and O'Bummer. He's dumping the whole GOP! So where'd he go, the Tea Party, right? Well, no, since the Tea Party is just the base of the Republican Party. Instead, he picked the party that was tea bagging before tea bagging was cool: The Independent American Party. These are not independents, you understand. It's an actual collection of like-minded people, and they're bananas.

I remember when I first moved to Nevada almost 20 years ago, reading about the Hansen family, all of whom were IAP. They're anti-federal government, like Bundy. But they went significantly around the bend on most issues. The oddest thing is, these uber-conservatives are against government issued ID, which puts them at odds with the uber-conservatives who are trying to implement Voter ID. here's a link. And remember, her platform is presented with a bit of polish for the election. But I think you can see where the IAP is coming from. And since Cliven Bundy apparently doesn't believe the federal government exists, he should fit right in.

Image from source, Wonkette

Anyway, I don't know if the Hansens ever secured any significant office, but they keep trying. Janine Hansen is running for Congress, and if you want to see what she's all about,

Again, Republicans: find better heroes.

[Excerpt]

CLIVEN BUNDY QUITS REPUBLICANS, JOINS FORCES WITH SOMEONE EVEN MORE UNTETHERED TO REALITY

Those sensitive to such things may have sensed a great disturbance in the Loonosphere over the weekend, as Cliven Bundy left the Republican Party and signed up with the Independent American Party of Nevada, the local version of the rightwing Constitution Party. And why does this matter? It is not insignificant, because Cliven’s new party is also the home of the awesomely batshit David Lory VanDerBeek, who we profiled a while back when he was predicting civil war and expecting Obama to come and kill him. Mr. VanDerBeek (motto: “I don’t put spaces between the three chunks of my last name”) is still out there — way out there — being a Sandy Hook Truther and running a can’t-lose candidacy for Nevada Governor. . .

Read more at: Wonkette

"Operation: American Spring" an Embarrassing Failure

I know, I know, the weekend isn't over. The throngs of patriots could arrive in DC on Saturday or Sunday. And winged monkeys could fly out of my nether-regions. No, the ridiculously named and ludicrously conceived Operation: American Spring is an embarrassing flop, a devastating splotch of FAIL on the tea bagger movement. And by movement, I mean tootling along at 5 mph in Rascal­­­® scooters.

Their goals were to compel by force the removal of President Obama, Vice President Biden, Speaker of the House John Boner Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. They were going to do this--apparently--by sheer force of will. Or something.

[Excerpt]
 
'Operation American Spring' Is Still Waiting for Its Millions of Patriots
 
Operation American Spring, the mass D.C. rally aiming to force several top government officials — including the president — to resign, spent a portion of its first day at the capital assuring people tuning into its livestream that more people are on the way. The protest's lead organizer, Harry Riley, promised 10 million to 30 million people would show up for his event; Friday's crowd appeared to be in the dozens to hundreds. . .

Read more at: The Wire

Obama Uses Tea Party Imagery: "Don't Tread on My Obama Care"

Brilliant, just brilliant. I love it.

[Excerpt]

Obama Co-Opts Tea Party Slogan For Obamacare Bumper Sticker

President Barack Obama's new Obamacare bumper sticker sure looks familiar. Here's how it looks, as unveiled and promoted at BarackObama.com, which is now run by the president's advocacy group, Organizing For Action. . .

Read more at: Talking Points Memo

In Honor of CPAC: David Ippolito's Tea Party Anthem

Tea Party Thinks Conservative CPAC Not Conservative Enough!

I'll just be in the corner over here, laughing.

[Excerpt]

Tea Party Members Say CPAC No Longer Represents Conservative Values




MRCTV spoke with attendees at a fifth anniversary Tea Party rally to see if they believe the so-called Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), currently underway in the Nation's Capital, still reflects conservative values. . .

Read more at: CNSNews

Tea Party Turns Five

Image from source, Wonkette

The Tea Party (allegedly an acronym for "Taxed Enough Already") has made a lot of news in its five years of existence. Most of it of a dubious nature, and a whole lot of it embarrassingly silly. The silliest part is how seriously some of the tea baggers* take it, even though its origins aren't really grass roots, and its mission has been a bit muddy. I mean, at first, they were all about smaller government, and lower taxes, and never mind all of that social stuff.

Fairly quickly--aside from the Koch Brothers' backing and opportunistic hangers-on--it became clear that the Tea Party was really a rebranding of the GOP base, the rabid, religious right. Suddenly, abortion and gay marriage were in the mix. And the candidates being supported by them were bonkers. The crazier, the better! They had initial success (though some of the nuttier candidates didn't make it), and today are just as nebulous in purpose and form as they were in the beginning, other than being as extremely right-wing as is possible.

But think about this as you "celebrate" five years of this baffling movement: the Tea Party is 30 days younger than the Obama presidency. That's right, this "organic" movement sprung up to combat an oppressive regime that was a whopping month old. One thing I'll never concede is my belief that the whole enterprise was a reaction not to a Democratic president, but to a black president.

[Excerpt]

The Tea Party Is Five Years Old Today, And Finally Acting Its Age
 
Five years ago today, Rick Santelli went on your teevee and said “We’re thinking of having a tea party” to protest (ostensibly) the Homeowners Affordability and Stability Plan, which was something that helped people keep their houses, even if these dumb homeowners were personally irresponsible and got fired because the economy shed however many million jobs in 2008-9, the nerve of some people, being affected by massive economic shocks! . . .

Read more at: Wonkette


*And yes, friends and neighbors, I still gleefully use the term "tea bagger" and its variants. For more than one reason, chiefly, a) it really torques off tea baggers and b) because it was originally Tea Party members who tried using the term to disparage liberals. But it backfired on them, and stuck. That doesn't happen often, but when it does, it is a beautiful (and hilarious) thing.

Florida Tea Party Congressman Busted for Cocaine Possession

Nope, doesn't looked coked up at all. Image from Raw Story.

You have to cut the guy some slack. He's a tea bagger. So, it's completely understandable that when he heard he was supposed to love the Kochs, he went right out and got some coke.

[Excerpt]

Florida Tea Party Rep. charged with cocaine possession

Freshman Tea Party Rep. Trey Radel (R-FL) will appear in court on Wednesday to face charges of cocaine possession, Politico reported.  The 37-year-old former journalist could be fined up to $1,000 and faces a maximum of 180 days in jail if found guilty. He was arrested on Oct. 29 and charged on Tuesday. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

"Protestors" Wave Confederate Flag, Tell Obama “Put the Quran Down”

Image of confused "protestors" from source, Salon

I put "protestors" in quotes because I'm not sure these people have any real idea what they're protesting, what they are for or against (beyond delusional talking points), or what they'd consider "victory." They don't like the black guy in the White House, I really think that's all it boils down to. And I'm tired of people pretending otherwise.

Oh, there's of course self-promotion, idiots like Sarah Palin and Ted Cruz who are only about what this can do for their pocketbooks and careers (pretty much the same thing). But none of this gels at all, it's a bunch of disconnected bitching, incoherence on parade.

[Excerpt]
 
D.C. protestors wave Confederate flag, tell Obama to “put the Quran down”

About 200 people, counting among their ranks Republican Senator Mike Lee, Senator Ted Cruz and former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin, converged on D.C.’s World War II memorial Sunday morning. Slightly overselling themselves as the ”Million Vet March on the Memorials,” they cut through barriers to protest the site’s closing during the shutdown. . .

Read more at: Salon

The Ballad of the Tea Party (Rocky Mountain Mike Song Parody)

Another great one from Rocky Mountain Mike, this time to the tune of SSGT Barry Sadler's Ballad of the Green Berets.

Maddow: Elect Republicans, and They'll Burn the Place Down

This is actually kind of epic.    NOTE: The video is from shortly before the shutdown.

[Excerpt]
 
Rachel Maddow blasts GOP intransigence: ‘Elect Republicans and they will burn the place down’

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

MSNBC host Rachel Maddow outlined the Republican path toward grinding the government to a halt on Monday night, pointing out that on multiple occasions over the past few years, GOP lawmakers and candidates swore they would do just that. “There is nothing about the last few weeks of political back-and-forth that explains why this is happening. There’s nothing about health reform, specifically, that explains why this is happening. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Ted Cruz: The Distinguished Wacko Bird from Texas

Image from source, GQ

Posted for content, but mostly for the headline, which is hilarious.

[Excerpt]

Ted Cruz: The Distinguished Wacko Bird from Texas

It's hard for Ted Cruz to be humble. Part of the challenge stems from his résumé, which the Texas senator wears like a sandwich board. There's the Princeton class ring that's always on his right hand and the crimson gown that, as a graduate of Harvard Law School, he donned when called upon to give a commencement speech earlier this year. (Cruz's fellow Harvard Law alums Barack Obama and Mitt Romney typically perform their graduation duties in whatever robes they're given.) . . .

Read more at: GQ

Right Wing World: Sarah Palin/Louie Gohmert 2016?

This is submitted without comment, except to say that FreeRepublic.com is basically Tea Party Central, and this is a direct screen grab from that site. And to say that This. Would be. Hilarious.

 

Take My Country Back (Rocky Mountain Mike Original Song)

Imagine your weird, conservative Uncle Al was not just a tea bagger, but was a talented singer/songwriter? He might produce something like this. Unlikely, since Rocky Mountain Mike is one-of-a-kind, and conservatives aren't usually this self aware. . .

Enjoy! And, thanks again, Mike!
 

Trapped With a Conservative? Call ConStar! (Rocky Mountain Mike Ad Parody)

Rocky Mountain Mike (famous from The Stephanie Miller Show) has really outdone himself with this one. What's more, it's a product we could all use, for those times when you're trapped in the car with your conservative relatives! Wouldn't it be great to just have a blue button you could push? Thanks Mike!
 

Scandal: IRS/Tea Party Scandal is Officially Over (Or Should Be)

Darrell Issa has been trying--with his conclusions already drawn--to prove that the IRS/Tea Party scandal goes all the way to the White House! And he's been repeatedly thwarted. Witness after witness says it didn't come from on high. There are Republicans in the decision chain. And it slowly is being revealed that other groups, like "occupy" and "progressive" groups were ALSO being flagged. I have zero problem with this and am confused why anybody--liberal or conservative--is even still calling this a scandal, or saying anybody did anything wrong. . .besides granting these groups tax exempt status in the first place.

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