PhotOh! Tea Bagger signs from Tupelo, Mississippi

By GottaLaff

Let's take a peek at the Tea Tantrumers at Fairpark in Tupelo, Mississiissississippippippi, courtesy of my Twitter pal JenciTN.

Fairpark is a new development that includes the City Hall and a collection of shops and condos.

The crowd of about 500 (the estimate at the time she attended) brought lawn chairs, tents set up for many of the candidates who are running for office, and was chock full-o'-vendors selling buttons and shirts.

Jenci wandered around for about an hour taking pictures and was kind enough to share them with us.

There were three large tour buses "wrapped with the Teaparty Express stuff". Jenci left shortly after the Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem.

Here are her snaps (click on images to enlarge):

This is my fave:


The very special and always popular Obama swastika sign:


Yet one more lovely, kid-friendly, yet oh-so-fashionable Obama tee:


Introducing the slavery theme again, the Tea Tantrumers don't play the race card at all, nope:


And finally, this one was from he front page of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal:


Another day, another batch-o'-memories.

H/t: Jenci

Is the Tea Party Express, er, PAC, fleecing municipalities in the name of free speech?

By GottaLaff

One of our favorite readers, Joeyess, stumbled on to something that he sent my way. Allow me to share some information on what the Tea Baggers are up to:

The Tea party Express is rolling through Topeka, Kansas tomorrow, and they are assembling at the state house.

If you click on the link at the RSVP button in the bottom right hand corner of this page (that's a screenshot, click to enlarge)...



...it leads you here:



Then, if you Google "ourcountrydeservesbetter.com", you get this:


They're a PAC.

They're fundraising on public grounds. I called Legislative Services to ask if the Tea Tantrumers were getting security and/or clean-up free of charge. I also asked what it takes to get permission to use capitol grounds.

I was told no, they weren't getting those services for free. The woman was a little defensive until I told her I wasn't writing a piece about her, but of the Tea Party. She informed me that the prerequisite was a legislative sponsor, and they got one: A female state senator whose name slipped the woman's mind.

She also told me all they had to do was fill out an application, and if the space was available, it was theirs.

The PAC told her their event was a "free speech rally".

I wouldn't be surprised if they were getting a free ride, considering this is the home of the one and only Westboro Baptist "Church's" own Fred Phelps.

So Joeyess and I are wondering, do they getting freebies anywhere when they shouldn't? Ace reporter Joeyess decided to make a call:

I just talked to Doris at Bettendorf, Iowa parks and recreation. She said that they were charging them a $125 fee for port-o-potties and they expected to have police on site.

I told her that I write a bit about the Tea Party Express, and in my research I found that they are involved with a PAC. She seemed really surprised. She also said that only a permit was required [Laffy Note: This is what I was told in my call to Topeka], and they had applied and received one for the event.

It seems that this Tea Party/PAC is taking advantage of municipalities and their resources, across the midwest at least, without revealing that a PAC is involved. [Laffy Note: The woman I spoke to seemed a little surprised when I told her that, too]

This particular event is taking place at Leach Park. I think they are fleecing municipalities in the name of free speech. $125??? That's chicken feed to FreedomWorks and their ilk.

I think this is endemic to this "movement". They're taking advantage of what are already financially stressed city governments and depleted resources for political purposes. This is not free speech. This is free fundraising.

This begs the question: Does this fall under Citizens United? If so, thank you very much, SCOTUS.

While we're on this topic, let's take a quick look at safety issues.

One of their stops is St. Paul, at the state capitol:

The Minnesota Capitol could be considered on of the most easily accessible public buildings in the state.

This is worrisome:

If you've visited a county office recently, or a courthouse, you've probably had to go through security, even a metal detector. But that kind of security is non-existent at the Minnesota State Capitol and some lawmakers believe the state's most visible landmark is a target.

Given the hostility and threats we've been witness to lately, security is a real issue.

Lawmakers sit just a few feet below unrestricted galleries and the doors to the House, Senate and governor's office are wide open.

"I think sooner or later something is going to happen here," said Rep. Rick Hansen, DFL-South St. Paul.

Unfortunately, the state budget is a problem. Security isn't an option at the moment.

"Whether we have a tough budget or not, we should prepare to provide basic safety for the people of Minnesota when they are engaging with their government," Hansen said.

Of course, nobody is accusing Tea Tantrumers of being gun-toting extremists. They'd never do anything rash like, oh I dunno, storm a capitol building. Who'd be that brazen?

Outside the Capitol building, the antiquated air exchange system makes it vulnerable to outside sabotage. [...] And unlike other public buildings, visitors don't get checked at the Capitol door.

So many Tea Tantrum/PAC rallies, so little time. If/when Joeyess and I find out more, I'll pass it on. Meantime, this is plenty to chew on.

UPDATE: One more thing ... Look at all their "tour partners"! See how many PACs you can find:

Not Joe the Not Plumber prefers Tea Bagger hypocrisy to John McCain

By GottaLaff

In a previous post, I had said that Sam the Fake Plumber was campaigning for J Sid McCain. That was wrong.

He likes anti-tax rallies, not McCain. Why, he won't tolerate so much as a penny going toward the evil taxes that pay for things Americans need and use:

PHOENIX - Joe the Plumber [...] led a rally against Proposition 100, the proposed 1-cent sales tax. [...]

"They like to blame somebody else for their shortcomings. They like to say well, we have to raise taxes because we misspent our money here... we can't do it anymore," says Joe the Plumber, whose real name is Samuel Wurzelbacher.

Here's the correction:

Joe the Plumber says he no longer endorses McCain.

What will J Sid ever do without the strong following Sam the Faker has? Oh that's right. He doesn't have one.

Samuel Joe Wurzelbacher, better known as Joe the Plumber from the 2008 presidential campaign, used part of his speech to criticize the federal government and urge the estimated 150 attendees to get behind "good" candidates in the fall elections. Earlier, he told reporters that he was not being paid for his Arizona appearance and that he was attending the Ax the Tax rally to help educate people about issues.

"I'm here to try to generate excitement and get people involved," Wurzelbacher said.

Same the Faker is there to educate, generate, and involve. How exactly can someone with very little brain, following, or charisma do that again? Anyone?

There is one thing he can do, however... and that is, hop a bus:

He also is participating in the Tea Party Express, a bus tour that kicks off today in Searchlight, Nev., home of Senate Majority Leader , D-Nev. En route to its destination in Washington, D.C., the express will stop Sunday in Phoenix at the state Capitol.

Why, that's today! Why, that's the very event that MSNBC salivated over for hours this morning! Why, Sam the Faker has found a niche! Er, another niche. He's extremely niche-riche.

However there is one niche he's no fan of at all. Not Joe the Not Plumber back in February:

"I think his [Obama's] ideology is un-American, but he's one of the more honest politicians. At least he told us what he wanted to do." And Wurzelbacher also had common-sense views on the crazies who dispute Obama's nationality and compare him to Hitler. "The birthers, the truthers — if people are trying to bunch them [with tea partiers], that would kill us. That just pushes away Democrats and independents who might come out for our cause otherwise."

Nah, what's going to "kill" you are the extreme Tea Baggeritude, lack of focus on real issues, infighting, competition with the GOP, racism, irrationality, hostility, mob mentality, costumes, crazy hats, and the sheer group eccentricity.

Come to think of it, Orly Taitz and the birther gang pretty much fit right in.

H/t: VNDNBRG

Dim Bulb Express

By GottaLaff

Following up the horror story that was my last post, here is some exquisite comic relief from the very same group:

About 500 people gathered in front of the Georgia Capitol Monday evening for a rally to mark the visit of two “The Tea Party Express” buses, a publicity campaign by conservatives that is traveling coast to coast. [...]

The speeches were set to start at 5:30 p.m., but the group forgot a podium, so the speeches started after dark. About 6 p.m., the buses arrived. Capitol police shut down Washington Street, and the crowd walked in the street.

Did we expect anything different?

Asked if she opposed Democrats or Republicans, [Ann Martin of Peachtree City] said, “Throw out all the incumbents. Let’s start over. This is a mess.”

She might very well have been referring to her own group of geniuses.

H/t: raine1967

VIDEO: Billionaires for WealthCare at San Diego Tea Party

By GottaLaff

No comment necessary:



H/t: LJSearles

VIDEO- Tea Party Express Guy: "This is AFRO-LENINISM! Coming to you on a silver platter! Barack Hussein Obama!"

By GottaLaff

Somethin's a-comin'! I don't know what, but... but... somethin'! It could be somethin' GREAT! Who the hell knows, man, 'cause I don't care! It doesn't matter!! Barack Hussein... He's... he's black! Gaaaaaaa!!! We're all gonna die!



How reassuring to witness adults-- these are adults, aren't they?-- who get so lathered up they can't see straight, yet insist upon spreading their unadulterated, seething, hateful spew on the Tee Vee Machine for children to watch while eating their Mac'N'Cheez din-dins.

But hey! Them Family Values, they sure 'nough do come through LOUD AND CLEAR!!

VIDEO: You Dork, You Dork-- Tea Party Express Destroys Sinatra Song

By GottaLaff

I once wrote a song parody that I called, "You Dork, You Dork". I hereby relinquish the title, gladly handing it off to these utterly humiliating TeaDeathers:



Wow. Cringe-worthiest video ever.

And isn't it swell that the woman at the end was so gosh darned "inclusive"?

::walking away, shaking head slowly::

America just ain't what it used to be.

H/t: Windy City Watch

VIDEO: "Tea Party Express" gets free publicity from Fox, CNN

By GottaLaff



The only report on the so-called Tea Party Express that I've seen was one rather pathetic one on CNN (I don't watch Cluster Fox).

As the reporter struggled (I am not exaggerating) to make the gathering sound newsworthy, the scene behind him was pretty embarrassing. The crowd looked sparse and unenthusiastic until the cameras were turned directly on specific individuals, at least IMHO.

But that didn't stop our dedicated Corporate Media:

The first was a [CNN] fluff piece about what a cool bus the people on the tour get to ride in. Awesome, dood.

Then Tony Harris did an interview with Mark Williams, the chief spokesman for Our Country Deserves Better PAC, the organization behind the "Tea Party Express." [...]

Most of all, Williams was able to flatly deceive the CNN audience about their purpose and intent. [...]

Harris, though, pretended throughout the segment that they were purely a nonpartisan outfit only angry about overtaxation. [...]

The "Our Country Deserves Better" PAC, in fact, was founded in August 2008 -- before the election -- specifically to oppose Barack Obama and his policies. (They called it "drawing contrasts between Senator Barack Obama and John McCain".) In October 2008, for instance, Williams was out on the stump campaigning against Obama as a "socialist" on a previous bus tour called the "Stop Obama Express". They've also runs ads comparing Obama to Hitler.

But that's not all, kids! Lookee here! ClusterFox is actively promoting it:

Clicking through to Fox Nation's "All Aboard" article, one finds nothing but promotions for the Express, including the final sentence: To find out how to participate in the Tea Party Express events across the country, CLICK HERE.

(click on image to enlarge)

And we wonder why the Democrats are struggling to get their message out? How can they when the airwaves are monopolized by anti-TeddyCare lies and propaganda?

Of course, it wouldn't hurt if our side got their act together, either. This approach is a good start.