Has the Tea Party gone off the deep end? If it has, McClung and Kelly jumped with them
A few days ago, I posted links to a few of the stories of Tea Party candidates’ inappropriate violence against reporters, protesters, and opposition candidates.
In If the Tea Party Wins, America Loses, Keith Olbermann goes beyond the stories of Tea Party violence and offers dozens of quotes from Tea Party candidates that show how dangerous they really are. Tea Partiers– including the 3 running for Congressional seats in Arizona, Ruth McClung (CD7), Jesse Kelly (CD8) and David Schweikert (CD5)– want to end life as we know it. What do they stand for?
Elimination of Social Security. Jesse Kelly and several other Tea Partiers call a Ponzi Scheme. They want to “privatize” it. Their shtick is that people should be able to invest in the stock market to save for their retirement. Social Security would no longer exist if voters had allowed George Bush to privatize it before the market crash. Privatizing Social Security doesn’t help the people; it gives Wall Street gamblers more money to play with. Wake up.
Elimination of the minimum wage. Tea Partiers like Ruth McClung and Kelly call unconstitutional; others like Sharon Angle are more direct. She calls the minimum wage and employer-sponsored healthcare impediments to employment. In other words, paying someone a living wage (which minimum wage isn’t) lowers profits.
Elimination of public education. The Arizona Legislature has made strong inroads into the elimination of public education here by starving education and promoting vouchers for charter schools which are in the business of education. The Republican candidate for Superintendent of Public Education John Huppenthal has one of the worst public education voting records. He is NOT your children’s friend.
Elimination of the healthcare safety net and minimum healthcare services (AKA Obamacare). Kelly, McClung and others want to balance the federal budget but want to get rid of healthcare reform– which saves the country money AND provides healthcare coverage for millions of Americans that were not covered by market-based health insurance because they only want to cover healthy people who don’t make claims.
Elimination of a woman’s right to choose.Kelly and others are so extreme that they are against abortion for any reason– even in the case of rape, incest, or saving the life of the mother. That stance is anti-women’s health.
Elimination of the 14th amendment to the US Constitution. The 14th Amendment grants citizenship to anyone born in the US. This, of course, is the “anchor baby” (AKA “terrorist baby”) issue. To my knowledge, Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce was one of the first right-wing extremists to raise the anchor baby issue last spring. Recently he vowed to get to work on repeal of the 14th amendment soon after the legislature goes back into session in January 2011. (What about dealing with the state’s financial problems and a projected $1 Billion-dollar budget deficit? That’s obviously on the back burner; ideology takes precedence over real work.)
Elimination of the 16th amendment to the US Constitution.The 16th Amendment gives the government the right to levy income tax. Kelly and others support national sales tax and elimination of other taxes. This ideas sounds good as a rallying cry at Tea Party events, but Kelly’s 23% sales tax [AKA the “Fair Tax”] would push the tax burden down to consumers and lighten the tax burden for the rich and corporations. It is a seriously bad idea. The Fair Tax is only fair to the corportists and the richest 1%– not the rest of us.
Elimination of the 17th amendment to the US Constitution.The 17th Amendment gives US voters the right to elect US Senators. This is particularly insidious. If this amendment were eliminated, the Arizona Legislature would elect the state’s senators. I’m for giving those right-wing no-nothings less power– not more power! (Isn’t it ironic that a party that supports “strict constitutionalism” wants to repeal 3 amendments?)
Olberman points out that big money is backing the Tea Party candidates in an attempt to “elect a group of unqualified people who will do what they are told” once they are in office. This is an “attempted use of democracy to buy democracy.” (I couldn’t agree with him more. Tea Party candidates like McClung and Kelly have no original ideas; they spout the same fiery soundbites that their cronies are spouting nationwide. Who is writing the script?)
A vote for the Tea Party is a vote to “take America back as far as they are able”.
27 comments on “Has the Tea Party gone off the deep end? If it has, McClung and Kelly jumped with them”
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Tucson Progressive 
Better than Raul Grijalva and Terry Goddard. Thanx for the story.
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WOW!!! This is the most desperate smear I’ve ever read! You suck at lying!
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Perhaps you should read McClung’s, Kelly’s, and Krino’s websites. You’re right– I do suck at lying. I’m telling the truth. 🙂
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Don’t be so sincere and flippant at the same time – indicative of a big know nothing – lacking of critical thinking brain.
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Socialism is dead? Far from it, Beaver.
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It is more correct to say SOCIALISM IS DEATH.
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I don’t know about McClung’s website, but Kelly’s has been scrubbed squeaky clean. Right after he one the primary his site restricted – all you could access was the front page with Donate Now button to donate. Then when it reappeared it had scrubbed clean of all his controversial positions. But, his positions have been well documented:
Asked about the possibility of “eliminating” Social Security, Mr. Kelly responded: “If you have any ideas on that, I’m all ears. I would love to eliminate the program.” Tucson Weekly, December 2, 2009.
Also in the same TW interview he calls Medicare “the public dole.”
“The corporate tax rate should be zero. … We must get the corporate tax rate to zero.” – Saddlebrooke candidate forum on January 6, 2010
“It’s time to cut that completely back – fair tax, flat-tax, I support them both. They’re both fantastic and a lot better than what we have now.” – UA Republican Club debate on April 8, 2010
“ We must take steps to lower and eventually eliminate the minimum wage.” – Saddlebrooke candidate forum on January 6, 2010
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Luckily they can’t scrub their questionnaires on the CAP Website
http://www.azvoterguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/mcclungr.pdf
http://www.azvoterguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/kellyj.pdf
The “tea party” candidates don’t differ in any way from religous right candidates – they want to outlaw abortion, discriminate against gays, ban stem cell research, abolish income tax, don’t “believe” in global climate change, and of course are anti-“illegal”.
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You wouldn’t the know the truth if it hit you in the face, you’re just a funny lady.
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Ms. Powers – Are you ever unbiased? You spout the same fiery soundbites that progressive – liberal anti America – we hate this country and ourselves – cronies are spouting nationwide.
Journalism involves research and understanding what you are reporting. This is a smear job on the Tea Party – A loose group of America loving people that are tired of sicko’s like you. You attempted to place fear in the minds of those that are less involved – knowing in the issues. What? Real facts don’t support your agenda of socialism? Why not do an article on how Carl Marx is your hero?
Research the issues, read some unbiased (not progressive propaganda) history on the US, and stop slanting to your philosophy…My Journalism teacher (Mr. Copenhaver) would have kicked my butt if I would have written something so inaccurate and lopsided. Olberman – Who the hell watches him? I believe you’re his one viewer!
Go America! Support and defend the constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic! Federal government is not the answer – Believe in the greatness of America and the individual exceptionalism of our people!
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“ the Tea Party – A loose group of America loving people that are tired of sicko’s like you. ”
In other words, if you don’t think they way we do we’ll stomp on your head, and handcuff & detain reporters that dare to ask our candidate questions.
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And if you dare to write columns with which we don’t agree, we’ll call you names and tell you to read only history with which we do agree.
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“if you don’t think they way we do we’ll stomp on your head, and handcuff & detain reporters that dare to ask our candidate questions. ” – Joe Miller isn’t in Arizona, Sherlock. And no heads were stomped.
Tea Partiers are typically nicer, and respectful: unlike your typical liberal – personal attacking – always resort to name calling, Fascism loving progressives. What your parents didn’t teach you any manners? Obviously, not Joe Miller’s either.
Again – More fear tactics by a progressive know nothing. You too can use some personal development – do your own research and use unbiased accurate references, smart one. When your opinion is based on limited and biased information … Sure I have a problem with that. Stupid people suck.
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Thanks for replying, it clears up my confusion about conservative/tea party logic. You have none, and apparently live in an alternative reality. You called Pamela a “sicko” in your reply to her and then call me “stupid” in your reply to me, while claiming that liberals “always resort to name calling” when we did no such thing. I gave up name calling around the 4th grade.
And oh Great Thinker, Pamela’s article was about the tea party in general, not Arizona in specific, as was your reply. So I cited examples of tea party thuggery around the country. And yes, heads were stomped – the county chairman of Rand Paul’s campaign stomped on the head of a 23 year lady thrown to the ground when she dared to hold a sign critical of Paul. She got a concussion and bruises & swelling from the tea parry thuggery.
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Why not do an article on how Carl Marx is your hero?
Actually it’s his brother, Groucho.
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…Carl Marx is your hero?
For Pete’s sake; his name is Karl Marx, not Carl Marx!
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Thanx for clearing that up, Groucho.
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There are more people who have never read any of Marx’s work, yet complaining about Marx’s work, on this website than I have ever met anywhere else. I believe that includes you too, Andrew.
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There are more people who have never read any of Marx’s work, yet complaining about Marx’s work, on this website than I have ever met anywhere else
That’s the way we do things. I feel the same way about people constantly condemning Satan when all they know is propaganda 🙂
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Heck I thought Carl Marx was a hamburger place!
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This is the most liberal left article I have read in some time. It’s filled with lies, half truths and absolute BS. WHAT IS PRINTED HERE IS AS FAR FROM THE FRUTH AS YOU CAN GET AND ANYTIME YOU QUOTE KEITH OBERMAN YOU LOSE>
FOR A MINUTE I THOUGHT I WAS READING THE SF CHRONICLE !!
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You are.
Fight back by posting comments more often. Just dont insult others and use facts as much as possible and write well. And be polite,
Go forth and do battle.
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This is the most liberal left article I have read in some time.
If you had just read the banner above the blog that says, “Tucson Progressive”, you might have been able to figure out what was coming.
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AS FAR FROM THE FRUTH AS YOU CAN GET
That’s what happens when you hang out with Groucho and Carl 🙂
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tea party, republicans. ok, go ahead eliminate taxes, force rape victims to have pregnancy, remove social security, remove public education, take away all wellfare, repeal health care, tell gays to go away, remove he free press, govern from the christian church. not america, facism at its worst.
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Please let me know if you find a candidate that believes everything you wrote. They would definitely have my vote and volunteer time.
Psst…Most of the federal activities your mentioned are unconstitutional. Why don’t you man up, do the right thing and push for constitutional amendments to allow the fed gov to do those things.
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please, enough with the right wing parrot talk. man up, so weaks get a clue, get an education. read, dont just spit out your favorite high school drop out radio talk showbull crap.
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