As I said in part one of this post, my main problem with the "Tea Party" movement is that the people in the crowd protesting either have their facts wrong or just don't know what they're protesting. And here's a video clip from a Tea Party rally in my own home state of South Carolina (in fact, in a neighboring city).
There have been rumors about Lindsey Graham's sexuality for as long as I've been in the state of SC. And yet, he still gets huge amounts of votes from the Republicans in the state. Now that Senator Graham published this op-ed piece with Democratic Senator Charles Schumer outlining a bi-partisan immigration reform plan, he is suddenly subject to attack by the Tea Partiers. And they are attacking him for working with a Democrat on the very issue that the speaker represents, you know, his DAY JOB!!!
William Gheen is the head of ALIPAC, a political action committee for immigration reform. The headline on their website? "We must reverse illegal immigration!" Okay, so wasn't Lindsey Graham trying to do just that? Why attack him in an area that has nothing whatsoever to do with his politics? And to claim that he's being blackmailed to keep himself in the closet? That is pandering of the worst sort, to the lowest form of people, judging by the cries coming from the crowd.
And another point, which Free brought up in my previous post. Going to TPP.org, which claims to be the Tea Party's "official website," lists "Fiscal Responsibility, Limited Government, Free Market" as their main goals. Seriously, it's in big bold letters right on the top of their page (which I haven't linked to because I just couldn't make myself do it; if you want, just type it in your web browser's address field.).
So, where are the protests against Arizona's new immigration law? This is the most intrusive piece of legislation I've seen come out of the states ever. Or Oklahoma's new anti-abortion measures? Preventing private insurance from paying for a medical procedure? Sounds like a cap on free market to me! Requiring a woman to watch an ultrasound and get a lecture on fetal development and preventing her from suing a doctor who doesn't give her the information to make an informed choice? Sounds like serious government intrusion to me!
But, immigration and abortion are something that most of the members of the Tea Party come down solidly against, so it's okay to cap the market or have the government intrude on. And besides, who really cares if that makes them into hypocrites? Nobody's gonna remember it in a week, right Senator McConnell?
Speaking about Financial Reform to the Seattle Times, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said "You know what happens on Monday or Tuesday versus what happens later is something largely lost on the general public." Really? Is the general public that attention deficit? I think the leaders of the Tea Party movement count on just that. And it seems to be working.
I only just heard about the Oklahoma law while watching Rachel last night. I was horrified. It's like Terry Schiavo all over again (I've no idea if I spelled that right). These things, as noted, reflect big government in huge ways. But when it falls into areas that Christianists and anti-immigrant types think that government intervention, even in massive ways, is just fine.
ReplyDelete