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Tea party under attack: Pols call members terrorists, hostage takers
The Greeley Gazette ^ | August 22, 2011 | Jack Minor

Posted on 08/22/2011 6:03:37 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

During the debt limit debate, politicians have taken to calling average Americans who want the government to balance its budget, terrorists and comparing them to suicide bombers and hostage takers.

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) recently said "the Tea Party can go straight to Hell." She then used language which some have taken to be a physcical threat saying "and I intend to help them get there."

Tea Party organizer Ryan Rhodes said he thought it was incredible that a member of Congress would threaten average Americans with bodily harm. Rhodes recently confronted Obama during his bus tour, asking how both sides could find common ground when Democrats were calling opponents terrorists.

Waters' statement is just the latest in a pattern by elected officials expressing disdain for the ordinary Americans who make up the Tea Party.

On Aug. 1, Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) speaking about members of the tea party caucus, reportedly said “We have negotiated with terrorists. This small group of terrorists have made it impossible to spend any money.” Vice-President Joe Biden supposedly echoed the sentiment saying “They have acted like terrorists.” Biden has denied making the remark.

Members of the caucus were elected after promising to reign in government spending and opposing tax increases.

A few days before Doyle’s comments, former Ted Kennedy staffer William Yeomans wrote, “It has become commonplace to call the tea party faction in the House ‘hostage takers’, but now they have become full-blown terrorists.”

Sen. John McCain also took aim at the tea party calling members “hobbits.” At a recent town hall meeting, in Gilbert, Arizona McCain was asked to apologize for the statement. McCain said “I am sorry if I was misunderstood. I am not sorry for what I said, why should I when it’s a fact?”

Froma Harrop, President of the National Conference of Editorial Writers, said “The tea party Republicans have engaged in economic terrorism against the United States–threatening to blow up the economy if they don’t get what they want. And like the al-Qaida bombers, what they want is delusional: the dream of restoring some fantasy caliphate.” She continued “Americans are not supposed to negotiate with terrorists, but that’s what Obama has been doing.”

Ironically, the NCEW has a project called Restoring Civility featured on its website. Harrop defended her column as being consistent with the NCEW project. “I see incivility as not letting other people speak their piece. It’s not about offering strong opinions. If someone’s opinion is fact-based, then it is permissible in civil discourse.”

Harrop stated that the references were accurate as “terrorism is not confined to physical attacks.” Harrop then referenced a recent news story in the Wall Street Journal reporting that the Pentagon considers computer sabotage by another country to be an act of war.

Harrop said “Blowing up the U.S. economy to make a point would be an even more serious attack, in my book. And that’s what the tea party saboteurs were threatening. They are what they are.”

Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) said “tea party extremists really held this country hostage. Another Florida Democrat Rep. Alcee Hastings said “What we have witnessed in the past several weeks was hardly a negotiation, but rather the Republicans recklessly holding the full faith and credit of the United States hostage until they got everything they wanted and then some.”

Other media outlets compared tea party members to suicide bombers who wanted to blow up the capital. MSNBC’s Chris Matthews called the tea party “muggers.”

Brent Bozell, President of the Media Research Center said on Fox News' Hannity program that the attacks on the tea party would backfire. “The more the tea party is getting attacked, the stronger it is getting. The average Joe out there who believes in limited government, who believes in lower taxes and freedom is being told he is a terrorist and they are not liking it.”

Following the recent remarks, several tea party leaders, have expressed outrage over the terrorist label.

Sarah Palin said it was “appalling” that Biden would call average Americans terrorists for their beliefs and wanting to balance the budget.

Jenny Beth Martin, national coordinator for Tea Party Patriots, which bills itself as the nation’s largest tea party organization; demanded an apology from Biden for his comments.

“It is offensive, false and shocking that the person one step away from the presidency calls members of Congress, who were elected on tea party principles, a term used for the attackers on 9/11.” Martin went on to say “To call these elected officials 'terrorists' is unacceptable and on behalf of the members of Congress, the millions of Tea Party Patriots and the rest of the country, we demand a full and unequivocal apology.”

Brian Britton, head of the Greeley 9-12 project said “This just proves that our politicians are afraid of the people and their opinions." Britton continued “The tea party is encouraging people to do what they are supposed to do, call their representatives and tell them how to vote. That is a politician’s biggest fear and why they want to shut us up. They don’t want the people to have a say in their government.”

Critics of the tea party say it is a movement of rich white people who are opposed to Obama because he is black. Britton disputes the characterizations noting the movement features individuals from every race.

The Greeley 9-12 group has members that are white, Hispanic, oriental and black. “We all consider ourselves Americans here, we don’t focus on race.” Britton said “The tea party movement is probably one of the most diverse groups you will ever find.”

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) also attacked the tea party movement saying the media had a responsibility to not give the tea party equal time. Speaking of the tea party’s role in the debt limit debate Kerry said “The media in America has a bigger responsibility than it’s exercising today. The media has got to begin to not give equal time or equal balance to an absolutely absurd notion just because somebody asserts it or simply because somebody says something which everybody knows is not factual.”

Kerry continued “It doesn’t deserve the same credit as a legitimate idea about what you do.”


TOPICS: Conspiracy; Government; Politics
KEYWORDS: biden; palin; teaparty; teapartyrebellion
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I guess 2010 didn't teach them anything.
1 posted on 08/22/2011 6:03:41 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

King George’s boys called us names, I don’t know why King Barry’s boys would be any different.


2 posted on 08/22/2011 6:06:50 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Americans need to wean their government off of its dependence on foreign money.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I think this is good news for us, not that it’s news. The morons who attack patriotic Americans go so far over the top with their criticism that they make socialism look bad even to those who are not paying attention. The Tea Party is the reasonable voice in this discussion.


3 posted on 08/22/2011 6:06:50 PM PDT by Pollster1 (Natural born citizen of the USA, with the birth certificate to prove it)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) recently said “the Tea Party can go straight to Hell.” She then used language which some have taken to be a physcical threat saying “and I intend to help them get there.”


Don’t sing it you syphilitic b*tch....BRING IT!


4 posted on 08/22/2011 6:07:15 PM PDT by Grunthor (In order; Palin, Perry, None of the rest matter 'til the general)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Just pass legislation preventing TEA Partiers from paying any taxes to the Federal Gov't.

Then you won't have to listen to them.

5 posted on 08/22/2011 6:08:17 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

“She then used language which some have taken to be a physcical threat saying “and I intend to help them get there””

Maxine couldn’t fight her way out of a wet paper bag.


6 posted on 08/22/2011 6:15:26 PM PDT by ScottfromNJ
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To: FlingWingFlyer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwHvyqNDUvE


7 posted on 08/22/2011 6:15:47 PM PDT by EternalVigilance (In the long run spritzing perfume on the rotting elephant really won't make that much difference.)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...

Thanks 2ndDivisionVet.

Maxine Waters is and always has been unfit for office. Her thug semantics are just the latest evidence.


8 posted on 08/22/2011 6:21:20 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (It's never a bad time to FReep this link -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: Grunthor
Damn straight, bro...if they wanna fight, they need to get to it, instead of just flapping their gums.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

9 posted on 08/22/2011 6:26:16 PM PDT by wku man (Who says conservatives don't rock? http://www.bigdawgmusicmafia.com)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Homeland Security's putting out public service announcements showing 'terrorists' as people who looks like Tea Party member.

The drum beat against Tea Party members stinks of totalitarian witch hunt..

Even 'dem butt kissers' in the MSM are starting to see it...

10 posted on 08/22/2011 6:44:35 PM PDT by GOPJ (126 people were indicted for being terrorists in the last two years. Every one of them was Muslim.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Homeland Security's putting out public service announcements showing 'terrorists' as people who looks like Tea Party member.

The drum beat against Tea Party members stinks of totalitarian witch hunt..

Even 'dem butt kissers' in the MSM are starting to see it...

126 people were indicted for being terrorists in the last two years. Every one of them was Muslim. NONE were members of the Tea Party. None were Republican. None were white middle class middle aged conservative men.

11 posted on 08/22/2011 6:46:29 PM PDT by GOPJ (126 people were indicted for being terrorists in the last two years. Every one of them was Muslim.)
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To: GOPJ

It really is over due for the TEA Party to take to the streets and show who the real conservatives are. And not just attack the dems, but the progressive repubs.


12 posted on 08/22/2011 6:56:02 PM PDT by JohnD9207 (John McCain is a proud Ted Kennedy conservative!)
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To: ScottfromNJ

Big Government Dems Jailed -- Involved in criminal violation of
oath of office, grand theft, and treason against the United States.


Photobucket

Everything they do just grows the Tea Party more!

13 posted on 08/22/2011 6:56:32 PM PDT by BobP (The piss-stream media - Never to be watched again in my house)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

These people are going to resort to violence at some point. That point will be when they think it is the only way left for them to keep power.

Mark your calendars folks. If the Dems, especially Obama, are seriously hurting in the polls next summer, you will see genuine violence in the streets. And you will see/hear public calls by liberals to use government power to silence TEA Party types. And you will see liberals (not so subtly) hint that violence should be directed at conservatives.

Large liberal cities are going to be uncomfortable places when this happens.


14 posted on 08/22/2011 7:28:16 PM PDT by ChildOfThe60s ( If you can remember the 60s....you weren't really there)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Constitutional Government is a threat to the parasitic class and their Federal enablers. Times are about to get interesting.....


15 posted on 08/22/2011 7:31:54 PM PDT by mo
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To: JohnD9207
Dems 'take to the streets' because they're violent criminal types. They're liars and trolls. We're not.

Trust me, dems are aware of how much power the Tea Party has - it's why they're sticking their lying goons on us.

16 posted on 08/22/2011 7:56:53 PM PDT by GOPJ (126 people were indicted for being terrorists in the last two years. Every one of them was Muslim.)
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To: ChildOfThe60s
And you will see liberals (not so subtly) hint that violence should be directed at conservatives.

The press is catching on - they weren't too happy with the Biden remark... Once they start 'getting it", they'll continue.

17 posted on 08/22/2011 8:04:12 PM PDT by GOPJ (126 people were indicted for being terrorists in the last two years. Every one of them was Muslim.)
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To: GOPJ

The press is going to facilitate the move towards violence, all the while crying that they abhor violence.

Hate crimes against whites and conservatives will be as underreported as possible.

Non-protected minorities will be vilified for defending themselves.


18 posted on 08/22/2011 9:04:16 PM PDT by ChildOfThe60s ( If you can remember the 60s....you weren't really there)
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To: ChildOfThe60s

They won’t be happy until the moslems are in charge.


19 posted on 08/23/2011 2:40:56 AM PDT by LyinLibs (All moslems are somewhere on the killing-you spectrum)
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To: ChildOfThe60s
The press is going to facilitate the move towards violence, all the while crying that they abhor violence. Hate crimes against whites and conservatives will be as underreported as possible. Non-protected minorities will be vilified for defending themselves.?

I fear you might be right, Child of the 60's...

20 posted on 08/23/2011 9:38:46 AM PDT by GOPJ (126 people were indicted for being terrorists in the last two years. Every one of them was Muslim.)
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