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Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012 | 2:01 a.m.
Another view?
View more of the Las Vegas Sun's opinion section:
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Regarding Robert Blanner’s letter, “Tea Party cost GOP in elections”:
The Tea Party will keep up the good work. The Tea Party is the reason the Republicans control the House. It is a great accomplishment to keep people like Nancy Pelosi on the outside looking in.
I agree that some of our picks are not always winners, but a lot are. When Richard Mourdock beat Sen. Richard Lugar in Indiana in the Republican primary, we got rid of a longtime RINO who had sold out the conservatives more times than I can count.
When Mourdock lost his Senate bid, the Tea Party didn’t lose anything. Indiana just replaced him with another Lugar and with a D instead of an R.
This nation is never going to get its fiscal house in order with a so-called “balanced” approach, like President Barack Obama talks about now. We did not get $16 trillion debt using a so-called balanced approach of spending.
At some point, we are going to be forced to reduce the size of this bloated government. You can bet the Tea Party will play a big role in that. Meanwhile, we just chip away a little at a time, putting Tea Party candidates in office such as Sen. Rand Paul, Sen. Mark Rubio and newly elected Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. So you’re right to say, “Hooray for the Tea Party.” It’s the only chance to bring this country back from this fiscal nightmare we are in now.
Republican offered $800 billion in increased revenue and Obama rejected the compromise
----
What is amazing is that Obama signed all the laws that have created the fiscal cliff
First - the Bush tax rate extension until Jan 2013 was passed by Reid and Pelosi and signed by Obama Dec 2010.
Second - Obamacare which raise $600 billion in new middle class taxes was passed by Reid and Pelosi and signed by Obama March 2010.
Third - the trillion dollar sequester bill was fostered and then signed by Obama in 2011.
And the grand bargain deal with the House to raise taxes by $800 billion was nixed by Obama. Now post-election Obama is doubling the revenue demand to $1.6 trillion and still rejecting elimination/capping deductions and loopholes.
And as everyone knows no matter how long it takes to make the fiscal cliff deal the start date can be fixed at Jan 2013 - so it NOT A CLIFF.
The direction of the Tea/Republican Party offers a great opportunity for the Modern Whig Party as an alternative and third party option for voters.
Fantastic!
Republican party can't be beholding to any faction of the party. Instead the party must lead on its own. The GOP must be bigger than all the parts of the party and include the best of all in its political values and candidates.
CarmineD
Kevin Alexander wrote,
"The Tea Party is the reason the Republicans control the House."
Mr. Alexander, in the 2010 mid-term, yes, the Tea Party was a major factor, coupled with the Democrats lack of interest in promoting candidates and getting the vote out as they did in the last presidential election.
Now, gerrymandering is the partner protecting many House Republicans, thanks to States who have Republican governor. An unbalanced and intentional protectionism of Gerrymandering and Republican Governors---Not the Tea Party, is the reason Republicans control the house.
The gap will narrow in the next mid-term elections. The Republicans hold the house 233 to 200. Ten seats will change in the next years, 223 to 210. The Tea Party will be just another advocacy group by then.
The TEA Party will remain a force for years to come and, perhaps, will replace the Republicrat Party which is little more than, as Pat Buchanan put it, "A separate wing on the same bird of prey." The Republicrat Party is sealing its own doom by becoming the Dumbocratic Party Lite. Who needs that? The productive among us have to wake up and take the country back from the perverts, parasites and criminals that are so dear to the left. For those slothful, greedy and selfish malingerers the party must end and the "free stuff" become a thing of the past or the United States as we knew it will end for all practical purposes. Actually, under Osama Obama and his fellow travelers, it pretty much has already!
Don't be so quick to write off the GOP in the House in the next mid-term election. History is squarely against you. In the last 8 of 10 elections, that's 16 of the last 20 years, the GOP has controlled the House and most agree the 2 loses were flukes not based on the merits. Since 1994, the House has been for the most part firmly under GOP control. That's huge.
CarmineD
Carmine, wrote,
"Don't be so quick to write off the GOP in the House in the next mid-term election. History is squarely against you."
Longtimevegan, wrote,
"Ten seats will change in the next years, 223 to 210. The Tea Party will be just another advocacy group by then."
Numbers will change history. Republican won't lose the house come mid-term, Republicans will lose seats. Which means they lose leverage. Currently House Republicans are 233 to Democrats 200. Again, gerrymandering and Republican Governors are helping Republicans maintain control of the House.
You must remember, House Speaker John Bohener is the guy on the Hot Seat. Look for Bohener to lose his Speaker position if he compromises totally on the Fiscal Cliff and the Debt Ceiling. Following Eric Cantor will be the lighting Rod that will cause House Republican to lose seats, if not control.
CarmineD
"In the last 8 of 10 elections, that's 16 of the last 20 years, the GOP has controlled the House"
and bear no responsibility for where the country is today? Or have they all found Jesus since 2010?
The Tea Party suffers from an overly simplistic view of the world we live in. In the world of the Tea Party drastic changes can be made without any adverse consequences, real or unintended. This leaves them largely unprepared to deal effectively with the world as it truly exists.
I have to agree with the title only of this letter to the editor, "Tea Party Has Plenty of Steam".
Good title, Kevin Alexander! Yep, you are all full of "HOT AIR"!!! But, times are a changing in the TEA Party;
THE ADVANCING TEA PARTY; "A Violent Rightwing Extremist Group"
In this commentary, I'm going beyond the usual group of conservative Republicans where many are still firmly tied to that of the TEA Party movement. Even the absolute fringe supporters of the TEA Party have strong hearts of radical ideas, such as, "Obama" conspiracy philosophies, and racism towards that of an Afro-American President. Therefore, it is fair to say the vast majority, if not all of the TEA Party crusade is deeply rooted in differing forms of fanaticism.
It is true that radicalization is growing all over America. However, I consider the TEA Party as the most immediate danger to the standard free American way of life.
Racist and fascist type organizations are all tied to the TEA Party. And, they have accelerated their actions as they now come to many of President Obama's speeches bearing signs that clearly suggest that the, "Tree of liberty needs to be watered with the blood of tyrants."
True American citizens and law enforcement must rise up against these zealots who are not only incapable of making sound judgments, but, that they too endorse violent actions of persecution against those who have differing views. America should never have to endure this internal shame!
And, the presence of this type courier in this particular discussion room is as clear as crystal. If we think we are offended now, just imagine what these types would say if there were no room moderators!!!
As I say, Happy Holidays to everyone, ensure you don't bask too much during these same holidays. We have a multitude of "home-grown enemies" that work 24-7 against what we, the majority of Americans stand for.
Jim,
Regarding your 6:35am post, your view Jim seems overly vague.
This is good to hear that the Tea Party still has plenty of steam left.
I hope they make more determined efforts to infect the Republican Party and rip it to shreds.
It is hoped they will do such a good job that the Republican Party will cease to exist anymore. Replaced by an over-the-top right wing fanatical element that has views so warped that prove to be enticing to only a very small portion of American.
Keep up the good work, Tea Party. Tear into them until nothing is left but a full blown protest movement that is incapable of solving things. Only complaining.
I guess what I'm saying is there is a choice of one of two things the Tea/Republican Party can do right now.
Either continue down the road they are heading or clean house.
I say they should do more of the former rather than the latter.
We are witnessing the destruction of the Republican Party. Not from without. From within.
I think the TEA PARTY is marvelous.
Sharron Angle.
Todd Aiken
Richard Mourdock
Here is from the Christian science Monitor:
"The tea party, as a force in American politics, is largely finished now, barring another economic collapse. The millions of supporters of that movement are not going to vanish, though, nor will their very real issue of government spending. What the GOP needs is a unifying figure who can moderate the extremism of the tea party without squelching its fervor or its cause of lower deficits. In short, Republicans need a Bill Clinton."
Unless they open the tent and become "democrat lite" there is no unifying force for republicans.
The Tea party has stained the Republican brand. It looks like they will continue to do so for years to come.
Thank you again to the Tea Party
A few of the posters above are actually trying to get America to forget about their own version of the TEA party, the Occupy movement. The Occupy group(OWS) was made up of mostly radical teachers/students, socialists, union workers and anarchists. Everyone knows OWS was developed to counter the TEA party but the idea failed badly and left the front pages of the main stream media very quickly. The OWS group exposed how radical the far left is causing democratic lawmakers to distance themselves from these radicals. A majority of cities had to chase the OWS groups out of their cities due to lawlessness, safety and sanitary reasons.
The Occupy group could have easily protest cities/counties with pension funding issues caused by gold-plated union pensions and pension abuse. Below is a link to an article describing how union government workers claim a disability a year before their retirement to increase their yearly pension. 90% of Long Island Rail Road workers retired with a disability--even those who worked desk jobs--adding about $36,000 to their annual pensions. 82% of senior California state troopers are "disabled" in their last year before retirement. The Occupy protesters should have protested the outrageous greed of these union government workers but didn't and it spoke volumes of what the Occupy movement thought about the tax payer.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2011/11...
The Tea Party will be nothing more than a foot note in a history text book by 2018 - 2020.
The extremism of the Tea Party has forced the GOP to take up a long term residence over on the far right.
History teaches us that extremism in American politics is a short lived thing and any party who follows an extreme right wing or left wing agenda is doomed to fail in the long run....
Romney and the GOP got their butt kicked in the last election due to their extremism....
I have my fingers crossed hoping that the Tea Party continues to lead the rest of the Republican Party around by the nose......
The occupy Movement is not being hidden, nor denied Freeman:
http://occupyamerica.crooksandliars.com/...
http://vtdigger.org/2012/11/18/occupy-bl...
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscar...
I will put my money on the Occupy folks and the non ideological tea partiers to coalesce into an important bloc of voters. There are some good folks at the tea party grass roots level. At the Dick Armey level it is all corrupted.
Mitt Romney, Karl Rove and his merry band of trustee babies dissed Caribou Barbie and the Tea Party for the last six months, that worked out well didn't it!
"The Tea Party is the reason the Republicans control the House."
Not true. Gerrymandered congressional districts are the reason. The T/GOP is in a death spiral because its base is mainly older white voters.
LastThroes makes several good points. Yes, the GOP controls the House because of the Gerrymandered Congressional districts......nothing more!
My hope is that the tea party will continue to dominate the GOP. Their extremism, mainly in the area of no compromise (particularly in the area of tax increases and budget cuts) will literally sink the Republican Party.
Republicans such as Jeb Bush realizes that but he's only one man who see what is happening with in the GOP. If the GOP is going to move back to a party that moderates can become part of and help make important decisions about they must change....
As we all know, moderates such as Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan would not be able to win the GOP presidential nomination if they were around today....
In my opinion. the present day GOP has returned to its Barry Goldwater beliefs, mixed with a "John Birch Society" attitude....
We all know what happened to Goldwater in 1964, don't we?
more teapotty lemmings off the cliff yeah!!
Here is a history lesson for the tea partiers here:
"Don't join the book burners. Don't think you're going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed. Don't be afraid to go in your library and read every book...
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron."
"Never waste a minute thinking about people you don't like."
"Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it."
"A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both."
"In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable."
"Extremes to the right and to the left of any political dispute are always wrong."
"If you want total security, go to prison. There you're fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking... is freedom. "
"You do not lead by hitting people over the head -- that's assault, not leadership."
"The search for a scapegoat is the easiest of all hunting expeditions."
"A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done."
"The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office."
"Never question another man's motive. His wisdom, yes, but not his motives."
"What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight- it's the size of the fight in the dog."
"Never let yourself be persuaded that any one Great Man, any one leader, is necessary to the salvation of America. When America consists of one leader and 320 million followers, it will no longer be America."
"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together."
"Never send a battalion to take a hill if a regiment is available."
"No man is worth your tears, but once you find one that is, he won't make you cry."
"Should any political party attempt to abolish social security unemployment insurance and eliminate labor laws and farm programs you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group of course that believes you can do these things. Among them are a few other Texas oil millionaires and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid."
"We are going to have peace even if we have to fight for it."
"The Tea Party is the reason the Republicans control the House."
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-11...
Absolutely wrong, wrong, wrong! The House holds control because of gerrymandering. Democrats picked up more votes than did Republicans and I wouldn't be surprised they win the House in 2014.
In reply to Mr. Freeman; I think you have absolutely no idea just how much you are right in what you wrote!!! You're quoted as writing, "Pension funding issues caused by gold-plated union pensions and pension abuse." Also, you stated, "How union government workers claim a disability a year before their retirement to increase their yearly pension." Again, Mr. Freeman, you nailed it!!! And then again you write, "Workers retired with a disability--even those who worked desk jobs--adding about $36,000 to their annual pensions. 82% of senior California state troopers are "disabled" in their last year before retirement."
You are "The Man" Mr. Freeman!
This is exactly what most retiring state prison officers have done. Many of those called in sick for extreme periods of time, some more than a year utilizing unlawfully, accumulated sick time that should have just been turned back in to the agency as unused. The state physicians played right along with the officers in significantly fleecing the tax payers out of tens of millions of dollars a year.
This was not even the worst. The majority of these retiring prison officers got certified as disabled, when in most cases, there was absolutely no reason or justification for this medical classification. As Mr. Freeman has pointed out, you can bet their pensions skyrocketed, greatly.
When I retired in 2008, I was looked at as strange since I did not participate in this highly accepted scam. Hopefully, a sleeping giant in government will awaken and investigate, prosecute, imprison, and strip the retirement and benefits of these thieves with a badge.
As one inmate pointed out to me many years ago, I quote him as saying, "Officer Chapline, we are convicted criminals. The prison guards watch us. My question to you is, Sir, who is watching you guys?"
My reply was, "Sometimes I have to think, nobody is. Scary thought isn't it?"
The radical right pulled the GOP off the tracks in the past and it's happening again. I wonder if any of you people on the right study history? We've been through these scenarios before and it's the American people who've lost and suffered as a whole.
No! They're making us anemic! In an analogy, We need RBC's from the main stream... It's not healthy to cut off the main stream, it creates resistance in the blood vessels and cuts of O2, increasing blood pressure. I.e., that's what the TP does, everyday they're extreme, mean and harm our reputation, they're cutting off the RBC's and oxygen from getting to body tissues by blocking all moderates and centrist, mainstream, compassionate republicans. We need them, they're sane! They're release the O2 from the hemoglobin when we need it, with compromise, good will and sophistication. The tea party is angry, hateful, (biting snakes!) and that's not healthy either!!!! That will eat them up inside. I'm not going to be dragged out with their hate. They've got to go, time to kick out the TP and back to SUNSHINE! SUN AND HAPPY, HEALTHY TIMES and Sympathy and understanding... HOPE No TP
Obama will be made President for Life, so the teapotties are irrelevant.
Harry Reid will make teapotties go away.
El Lobo,
"In my opinion. the present day GOP has returned to its Barry Goldwater beliefs, mixed with a "John Birch Society" attitude....
We all know what happened to Goldwater in 1964, don't we?"
Very true!
Remember that Ronald Reagan was the chief campaign speaker for Barry Goldwater. He supported him strongly. Reagan was no moderate. At best he was very conservative for that time, and one of the people who turned in suspected "Communists" in the entertainment industry during the McCarthy era.
Btw, Barry Goldwater years later renounced his previous views, admitting he was wrong, and becoming more moderate in his views. He didn't have very good thoughts about the fanatics.
So your statement about Goldwater's views only apply to the period around his campaign for President, which he lost, thanks to the fanatical views floating around at the time, including the John Birch Society.
The US has outlived the predictions of the JBS on it's falling and becoming Communist. Boy, were they wrong, thanks to the liberalizations of Mikhail Gorbachev!
Yet that didn't stop them from labeling every group with good actions toward people and government efforts to help people, as Communists.
When the Soviet Union dissolved, I knew the right wing fanatics would have to find another scapegoat for their fear mongering to help their movements. I knew early on that the new scapegoat would be "liberals", and I was correct. They may not act transparent, but they truly are transparent when it comes to their actions & ideology. Everybody has to be given a fear label so people don't see the true threat.
Now, the Tea Party/Republicans have inherited the role of fear monger labelers, to distract from what they are doing. A great hoax.
The only solution is to keep speaking truth backed by proof, and with true human values not only spoken but lived, to counter the falsehoods and put the light on their darkness.
In all instances, it is demonstrating that People come first, and when that happens, the opportunity for People to join together to return good sense and actions to our country occurs.
Most important is a heart of hope, rather than darkness; that will help us out of the problems.
If we really want our country to be a leader, we must carry that hope in the world, not darkness.
President FD Roosevelt was correct! "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
Fear disables, and adversaries can use fear to disable the opponent.
Strength and tenacity comes from believing and hope. It overcomes adversity and fear. It wins because good People want the best for all, not just for themselves or a favored few.
Jeff,
Thank you! I liked the links you included in your comment @7:57, but I have one favorite, which I repost here.
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscar...
The suggestions are really wonderful. They are not only applicable to the holiday season, but to all year long. There is nothing better than gifting others.
When there are so many in need, it is particularly joyful to share what we can.
Silvia,
Great analogy!
Jeff, here is another Occupy link.
http://interoccupy.net/occupysandy/
Actively involved in helping in the Sandy victims communities.
Here is a link for the Tea Party supporters.
http://www.meetup.com/meetup-group-Long-...
The Occupied group is mostly union-sponsored and consists of radical teachers/students, socialists, anarchists and unionized workers. There is a reason why this group failed to attract new recruits. Socialism, weird theories and a belief system based on what is yours is mine thoroughly repulsed the American people.
From the LVRJ, here is a view of from one patron last year when Occupiers visited the Meadows Mall food court:
" The occupiers startled one man sitting in the Meadows Mall food court when they began shouting today. So much so, that his glasses slid down the bridge of his nose. As he readjusted them with his index finger, the holiday shopper said he was confused by the group's message and what the protesters wanted.
When he realized the group was part of the Occupy Wall Street movement, he disapproved.
"Oh, those are the bums of Wall Street," he said, chuckling. "
Classic.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/occupy-las-vega...
RefNV,
Appears that Occupy has morphed into a community service group, and does some nice work in alot of different areas.
At the same time, they also appear to continue to call for solutions to economic, political, and social injustices.
They aren't like the Tea Party, which sticks to a political, some now Republican, party focus.
It was nice to see a little site that showed the TP trying to get fellow Tea Partiers involved in helping the victims of Sandy.
You show your sour side by trying to label Occupiers in a way that makes them sound bad. That is so unbecoming a person. You can't possibly know the ideologies of all the people involved in the Occupy movement.
It is rather different from the Tea Party because the TP has pretty much come out representing a specific ideology and political position.
I think the original events that were put on were meant to gain attention to the problems, but since have moved to include service oriented work utilizing the people to help people.
Since I am interested in People above political power. I consider that good.
I understand there is a distinction to be made between the original Tea Party, and those who the Republican's took into their party.
It may be that the Republican Party regrets their effort to co-opt the Tea Party movement, in particular those Republicans who fled Congress and others the party.
Occupy seems to have done the same thing as the Tea Party to find a following. Get attention!
It is the directions that each took and what they are doing now that appears different.
In any case, people find ways to express their own philosophies and hopes for a better world. Their can be many shared and individual concerns.
You listed a number of different groups, ideologies and philosophies in identifying Occupy. It is nice to see a broad spectrum of people and that they are open to so many different ways of thinking. Seems incredible that they can all work together.
As with any movement, it is always good to watch them, how they evolve, and what they do, to determine if they endure and in what form. Like the saying "By their fruit you shall know them."
I don't see many stories about Occupy, perhaps because they aren't doing as many strange things that got media attention. That is good in many ways, as long as they focus on helping people.
The original Tea Party doesn't get media either, only the part the moved into the Republican Party. However, I know of original members who stayed faithful to the original Tea Party beliefs, even some who worked with Occupy on events.
I am just happy to see people engaged in the concerns of the day. I wish I were able to help, but my time has passed, and I am no longer able. Such is life!
RefNV,
"There is a reason why this group failed to attract new recruits"
Occupy has grown and is global, so I think just because they aren't in the news doesn't mean they haven't grown nor aren't actively doing things that are significant.
They appear to have evolved. I see all kinds of individual and movement oriented sites that I don't even look for. ;-)
RefNV,
Since you went back into the old new article link, I decided to do a search and found an interested article from Oct 2011, about the original Tea Party and Occupy. It is quite interesting.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505123_162-4...
Thank you, JeffFrom Vegas and peacelily, for citing the wisdom of two Republicans I admire, President Eisenhower and Senator Goldwater. Their decades of experience taught them well. I was a little kid when our family was involved with the Goldwater campaign in 1964, and our views evolved as did his as time passed.
What I take away from Mr Alexander's letter and the response of the severely conservative commenters is a totally dismissive attitude toward important parts of the Republican party, the moderate and liberal wings that began at the party's inception with President Lincoln.
The Democrats actually outpolled Republicans overall in the House of Representatives, 49-48 percent. Only gerrymandering saved the House from Democratic control. Who's better in touch with what Americans are thinking?
People are tired of dogmatic, unthinking positions -- no tax rises ever, even on billionaires and corporations who are gaming the system in their favor. We need reasonable government, not fanatics.
Peacelily,
OWS is a socialist movement. I will reach back to last year to make my point as well.
For example, Gina Sully was an organizer within the OLV group last year. See her name quoted in this article link.
http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/16061404/...
Gina Sully has worked on a project called "The Post-Capitalist Project"
The objective of the project is stated as follows:
"The Post-Capitalist Project is a cooperative, nonsectarian venture of left journals, popular education centers, and electronic media. Our goal is to make easily available the wide range of new programs, experiments, and theories analyzing the transition beyond capitalism toward a socialist future, recognizing that "socialism" is a protean concept encompassing many different historical experiences and future possibilities."
There are many OWS organizers just like Gina Sully who espouse socialism. The OWS organizers should have been more truthful with the American people about their core beliefs but were not and it's a big reason why the OWS movement fizzled.
http://postcapitalistproject.org/node/60...
"CarmineD
"In the last 8 of 10 elections, that's 16 of the last 20 years, the GOP has controlled the House"
and bear no responsibility for where the country is today? Or have they all found Jesus since 2010?" @Jim Weber
Your thinking is slightly skewed. It is the American people who voted them in over these 20 years, so the credit/blame, if any is due, belongs to them as much as the representatives they elected.
CarmineD
"Longtimevegan, wrote,
"Ten seats will change in the next years, 223 to 210. The Tea Party will be just another advocacy group by then."
You seem to believe that second terms are more detrimental to the party that lost the White House than the president and his party. I can tell you that thinking, if you want to call it that, goes contrary to US history. If you want a recent current example to understand try 1937 and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Then you can proceed, depending on your thinking, to other second term presidents. Like Woodrow W. Wilson. And George Dubya.
If you recall EVEN PRESIDENT OBAMA in his first press conference after reelection, noted history's toll on second termers saying that the presidents falsely assumed things from the win that caused them to 'overreach.' Overreach was the president's word and the right one to use.
CarmineD
PART 1
Carmine,
You touched on one similarity. Barack Obama and Woodrow Wilson are facing parallel challenges of division and National issues. They both won second terms facing extreme opposition. And Wilson got a lot done in his second term with the help of congress, help he did not have during his first term. President Obama's history will have slight comparisons, but not many considering what he is facing consistently in all areas. This President will be among the top 5 Presidents in American History after all is said and done.
The Tea Party raised the question of government spending. A legitimate question needing serious answers and solutions. Something went wrong with the Tea Party. The Tea Party's chosen leaders in the House of Representatives attacked women's rights and individual freedoms, while mounting a campaign telling America the guy in the White House will take away our guns and our freedoms and give everything away to Americans and illegals who are doing nothing for the country.
The battle cry of the Tea Party,.."Let's take our country back." Echoed throughout media outlets, indoctrinating a unconcerned and sleeping American public. Coupled with the created perception the President being something different, as not being American, accused of being a socialist and radical Muslim. With the help of Foxnews, Talk Radio, opinion news, and talking heads with other media personalities, all ushered in the alternate universe known as the Bubble.
The majority of Americans saw first hand on election night, November 6, 2012, what the Bubble looks like, and what the Bubble can do to individuals who thought they were being objective and had information they thought was true and accurate. But when your being spoon-fed information from one sided sources and fail to fact check items you know are questionable, you get sucked into the alternate universe known as the Bubble. Karl Rove showed American first hand on election night, live and in color on Foxnews, the reaction of someone living in the Bubble. Karl Rove is considered a Bubble Master. Meaning, Karl Rove's own information, false information, was revealed to be false, coming from him for all to see on National television. Great stuff for those who needed to be unshackled from the Bubble. The main Bubble Master---Foxnews and Foxnews advocates. The majority of Americans do not agree with the majority of Republicans, and soundly rejected the Tea Party and those who are living in the Bubble.......
PART 2
Carmine,
...Republican senator Saxby Chambliss said, "I care more about my country than I do about a 20-year-old pledge." Referring to the anti-tax pledge pushed by activist Grover Norquist and embraced widely for years by GOP lawmakers. Senator Chambliss went on to state, "If we do it his way, then we'll continue in debt and I just have a disagreement with him about that."
President Obama will receive cooperation from Congress. John Bohener might be a political casualty in getting things done in the House, but that's what leader do. Lead for the majority with the reasonable. Tea Party House members are not reasonable. John Bohener will push back hard against unreasonable members. It could cost John Bohener the speaker position. Eric Cantor is the lighting rod that will help the America People reject many Republican House members next mid-term elections. Not because Eric Cantor is willingly helping, Eric Cantor is the lighting rod for the House member who were elected with the help of the Tea Party. He is their voice in the House.
The Bubble is being rejected. A clear signal the Tea Party and Tea Party elected officials, and advocates are on the way out.
LTV:
First, I have to tell you I was turned off to read your posts after starting with Wilson. Check out the reason for the 25th Amendment before you use President Wilson's second term as an example of history for a successful second term president. In short, Wilson's wife ran the country in his second term. A fact I find ironic, since Wilson did everything he could his first term to deny women suffrage. It passed in his second term despite him.
CarmineD
"After years of opposition, Wilson changed his position in 1918 to advocate women's suffrage as a war measure. The next year Congress passed the Nineteenth Amendment giving women the right to vote."
I excerpted the above so you don't just take my word for it.
BTW, in addition to coming late to granting women equal rights, Wilson was a racist. He did everything in his power to prevent African Americans from equal opportunity rights in the Federal government.
And truth be told, a concensus of political historians in recent years said Wilson's failure, even to the point of stubborness, to compromise with the GOP Congress was, and is, one of the biggest failures of of democratic presidents.
CarmineD
Carmine,
Let's stay focus. You referenced Woodrow Wilson. The post is related to the challenges and the issues Wilson faced and what President Obama is now facing. Parallel, my friend. Parallel. Meaning similar paths, different issues.
Now your arguing the state of mind of Woodrow Wilson and who ran what. We all know Wilson had a stroke. We all know from history Wilson's wife had much influence during Wilson second term. So what are we discussing now!
Our discussion is about Tea Party House Members losing seats come next mid-term, and the reason why House Republican will lose seats.
This is what happens when one lives in the Bubble.
O. under pressure to find something, anything to cut spending has come up with food stamps. Cut food stamps. Give Egypt / Israel a billion more to stop the rockets for right now and keep giving it all away to other countries but let Americans starve. Provide food stamps to illegals as they enter the country, but let Americans, especially seniors, go hungry. Deny access to food banks (government subsidized) to American seniors but feed all the illegals and any "minority" people who claim to not have SS numbers.
RefNV,
You name one person who has socialist connections.
I have seen that there are many more who do not.
There are many different forms of socialism just as there are many forms of capitalism.
As in both capitalism and socialism, some forms are not acceptable to some people, and other forms are acceptable to some people.
If people buy into calling people "socialists", without knowing for a fact that they are, or what form of socialism they ascribe too, it is nothing more than fear mongering.
It is not anymore correct than calling a person a "capitalist" when that can mean many things, some of which could be good and others bad.
The devil is in the details and facts.
The link to a Fox News article over a year ago is about the group splitting up. It doesn't identify Gina Scully as a socialist. It speaks of different ideologies, but I'm not sure what she meant by small differences. Ideologies can be very different, even within Occupy from what I have read. The fact they share certain issues in common doesn't mean they are all socialists or that they don't have a wide variety of ideological beliefs.
I think you try to fit things into your own fears and prejudices, and that limits your ability to allow people freedom of expression from a variety of beliefs. It is an injustice, and in certain circumstances, it could be libelous.
I don't have any fear of this country changing from capitalism to socialism. I am more concerned about our current form of capitalism changing to a different form of capitalism.
Peacelily,
At least you didn't deny that Gina Sully, according to the postcapitalistproject.org, worked on the project. "Envisioning a Post-Capitalist Order".
http://postcapitalistproject.org/node/60...
Okay Peacelily, so you don't like the FoxNews link referencing Gina Sully as an Occupy Las Vegas Organizer. Fine. How about the Las Vegas Sun?
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/oct...
Angry old white men. The tea party includes the angry old white women.
"Carmine,
Let's stay focus." LTV
I am. Second terms are perilous for presidents. Wilson is one of many examples. If Obama's is, it will enhance the TEA message of April 15, 2009 not inhibit it.
Rather than criticize others for living in a bubble, exit it first yourself.
CarmineD
A tea kettle steams when it is ready and is then removed from any heat. However, if not drunk immediately the steam quickly dries out and it all goes cold.
RefNV,
You send me to doing research.
I don't know Gina Scully, so I can't say anything about her. I also didn't follow Occupy Las Vegas, so I can't comment on their actions either.
No, I have no respect for Fox News. But what does that matter? I am just one person. Others like it and that is fine. Everyone has a right to choose what they listen to or participate in, including Gina Scully and you.
How do I know she hasn't changed her views or associations? The articles are old.
I was responding to your criticism of Occupy, in general based on current events they are involved in per the Web. I appears they have evolved, so old articles seem rather outdated. Also, they appear to be of a variety of individual beliefs and participation, but come together in a kind of coalition of people, including Democrats, Libertarians, Tea Party, non partisans, and others who may fit your lists.
Besides, they aren't a political party. They are citizen's expressing their values, just as we do here in Opinions comments. And now they are doing things to help people, not just expressing opinions.
I don't feel threatened by peoples beliefs or opinions, however I can express my opinions just as freely.