What do you think of this Tea Party business?

[TheTman]

From what I understand this was started by a group of individuals that were Taxed Enough Already, hence TEA. And was formed by ordinary citizens tired of not having a voice in Washington DC. From what I understand they want to get this country back on track and follow the Constitution. I believe they are very pro 2nd admendment, as well as suppporting all of the Bill of Rights. They want an end to this crazy spending that is going on and balance the budget and get rid of a lot of the socialist crap that has happened to us in recent years. I guess several candidates ran on their platform and were elected. I think Rand Paul is their darling and a good example of the type of people they are backing. From what I've seen on Rand Paul, I agree with a majority of his views and really like some of the things he is doing.
Plus any movement that can get Maxine Waters panties in a bunch I just have to admire. That and the Dems have sicced their attack dogs on the movement, with the media right in step with them. They've done some very underhanded things, like planting stooges in the Tea Party Rallies then having them interviewed by the networks where they come off as raving loonatics or ultra right wing nut jobs. One thing I read about them really struck me as to what kind of people attend their rallies. At the site of a big rally, the Park was left just as clean as when the rally began, while after a Lib/Socialist Rally at another location the place was left in shambles, with trash eveywhere. I find this very ironic as the Libs are always talking about the environment, yet they don't take care of the places they congregate.
I'm just wondering what others here think of them, are they a flash in the pan movement that will go away in a few years? Are they a force to be reckoned with? Will they become a legitimite party, or sub party of the GOP? Are they dangerous to our freedoms? Let me know your thoughts if you don't mind. I'm just curious as how they come across to people like us, i figure are generally conservative and not happy with the way the country is headed right now.

[Bawanna]

Well I've type out 3 long meaningful responses to this post and every one of them flew away into cyberspace when I hit the post button. I better go talk to the boss. This has been happening to me. I thought maybe I was having a bad day and hit the wrong button.

Testing.

[Bawanna]

Sure, now it works. I'm gonna go smash my thumb with a ball peen hammer.

[TheTman]

I hate when that happens, and I'm a fast typer. But then again I can't post a line or two, has to be a book or longer.

[ripley16]

The best thing to happen to American politics since the Declaration of Independence. Perhaps it will inspire us to go back to a Constitutional government lead by elected statesmen of honesty and honor.

[Bawanna]

Well 5 attempts, 5 full pages, and only my trivial comments went thru. The meaningful stuff gets kicked. Maybe there are sensors from the current regime watching our post. I kid you not. 5 attempts, 5 failures.

I don't know about you but I'm putting on my tin foil hat and scanning the horizon for black helicopters. I can't believe this............

[slowpoke]

A force to be reckoned with.

The Tea Party is still in it’s infancy. I think in the years to come as more of the various factions merge in to one “more” meaningful voice they could in fact bring us to a more constitutional government. They showed there teeth last election but I think they will evolve into a more powerful way of dealing with a run-a-way out of control government. One of the first things that needs to be addressed is the ability of “all” states to recall there congressmen and senators when they renege on there campaign promises.

[JohnInFlorida]

I think we're going to see the Republican party go the way of the dodo bird. Dems are left, "Establishment" Reps are left (just slightly less so). Both are big government oriented and power hungry. Is the Tea Party the solution? I don't know, but I know that I'm not being represented by either the Dems or the Establishment Reps. Tea Party types will be working within the Rep party this cycle, but if the party doesn't move hard right in the process, they're going to be left behind. Can you say "Whig"?

[ltxi]

I believe the Tea Party, writ large, is rather dangerous at this point.....although not to our freedoms. I agree with at least most of their views and goals, but not with the extremist, no compromise idealism. That can only lead to tears....being taken advantage of by political opportunists, political damage to the US on the global stage, and eventual destruction by the more reasoned opposition.

If you want an idea how I think the Tea Party should work, take a look at how the Free State Project does business. Conservatives may not agree with all the FSP's libertarian views but I think their working model is more sound....infiltrate while pissing off as few of the voters as possible.

[georgepittenger]

The best thing to happen to American politics since the Declaration of Independence. Perhaps it will inspire us to go back to a Constitutional government lead by elected statesmen of honesty and honor.

Well I don't know if "since the D of I" , but it is the only thing standing between us and " the same ol s*** " .

I just hope ( and pray ) it will have some staying power .

They represent the common man a heck of a lot more than the traditional Repub party .

The media seeks to portray them as wackos and I do think that it is having an effect .

[hotpig]

They lost a lot of credibility with their attacks on the middle class in WI and several other states. I'm not sure they can ever regain it.

[pm9fan]

From my exposure to the Tea Party folks, you might call them the folks that have read the Constitution plus Declaration of Independence and believe the government should follow the documents.

The Tea Party is not similar to any political party as there is no elected chief of the concept of limited government. That is what the founders wrote specifically to prevent what is occurring today.

My summary of the concepts in the above documents plus the Federalist Papers is each line of the Constitution was written to address a historical evil. People ceded their God given rights to the federal government as specifically stated in the Constitution. All other rights were retained to the states and if not specified in state constitutions, were retained by the individual.

The Tea Party is a group attempting to regain the rights taken outside the limits set in the Constitution. It's a restoration movement to regain freedoms lost.

Tough to contain the concept of freedom given in the Constitution.

[slowpoke]

From my exposure to the Tea Party folks, you might call them the folks that have read the Constitution plus Declaration of Independence and believe the government should follow the documents.

The Tea Party is not similar to any political party as there is no elected chief of the concept of limited government. That is what the founders wrote specifically to prevent what is occurring today.

My summary of the concepts in the above documents plus the Federalist Papers is each line of the Constitution was written to address a historical evil. People ceded their God given rights to the federal government as specifically stated in the Constitution. All other rights were retained to the states and if not specified in state constitutions, were retained by the individual.

The Tea Party is a group attempting to regain the rights taken outside the limits set in the Constitution. It's a restoration movement to regain freedoms lost.

Tough to contain the concept of freedom given in the Constitution.

[TheTman]

Hotpig, do you mean the Wisconsin protests against the Labor Unions? The majority of Tea Party members are middle class and I don't see how they would protest against themselves. I happened to agree with the protesters, I don't believe you should have to join a union to work at a job, but also believe if you're not in the union, you shouldn't benefit from the benefits they gain by going on strike. Perhaps make non-union members more like contract labor or something like that. It's not fair that they get the same reward as the people that stood out on the strike line.
I believe in secret ballots and not having a union representative watching over your shoulder when you make your choice to join or not.
Unions have done a lot of great things in the past, like getting decent wages, and much better working hours, and safer and better conditions, but I think that now the higher ups take advantage of the working man, driving around in Mercedes Benzes and Caddillacs and living the high life, living off of other people's hard work. A big gripe of mine concerning unions is how much money they give the Democratic party without any input from the workers. I know people that have gone against their beliefs in abortion, 2nd admendment rights, and other hot button issues, and voted Democrat because of the union.
Boeing in Wichita has/had a very strong union, and I've seen some union strong arm tactics used that disgusted me, beatings and vandalism and other acts of terror. I was in a particularly hated class of workers, contract labor. I was brought in to update the computer systems for the Y2K deal, and was terminated shortly after I completed my assignment. I don't think I could have joined a union if I had wanted too. I had friends I had known for a long time that wouldn't speak to me on the job, because I was contract labor. Off the job, things were just fine, but they didn't want to be seen talking with scum like me on the job. I think unions were one of the biggest reason Boeing sold most of the Wichita plant to Spirit, and a lot of people got screwed out of their pensions and other things they had worked hard bargaining for, and their wages dropped considerably. I think a lot of people also take advantage of being in the union a long time by doing the bare minimum to get by, and letting others do most of the work. I know one guy, got paid close to $40 an hour to pop rivets into predrilled holes, just because he had many years in the union. I had another good friend that was a union rep, and he just rode around in a golf cart all day to resolve issues between workers and management, must be nice. They all got screwed over just like everyone else when Spirit took over. I know other union members that worked their tail off. Just like anywhere else, you got your hard workers and your goof offs that take advantage of the work others do.
I imagine this post will not make me very popular with many of you, but that's just how me and many others feel. It's a lot like religion, and politics, two subjects that often end up in a heated debate. I'd probably feel different if it wasn't for the strong arm tactics I've seen happen. If you were a scab you sure drove your oldest vehicle to work, cause you knew a nice car would get torn up. Didn't matter if you were out of money and had to work to feed the family and pay the bills, you crossed the line and now you're a scab POS.

[Bawanna]

The days of the need for unions are really over. They are great for the give me give me folks who want job security without working.
I was in union warehouse and even shop steward. Company wanted to pay me more money cause I produced and was reliable. Union wouldn't let them do that.
They offered to match and set up a in house program and let us keep our union dues with better benefits but the other guys were so afraid they'd be fired the minute we signed they wouldn't do it. Company even promised no terminations for 2 years. Raises based on merit. Would have been sweet.

I'm ok being a scab myself. Actually that's a bald faced lie, I'm in the union at the department. Association of office pukes and girly men I think. Only cause they make me of course. I've delivered enough stuff to Boeing in Seattle years ago to see that throwing a 100 guys at a 10 man job isn't the answer.