Who is picking up the Tab for the tea party?

[Lemon law]

That is an interesting follow the money topic on yahoo news today? The tea party supposedly has no organization, no actual Stated unifying principles, but its certainly become a grass roots political movement. Such movements are not typical in American politics, but they certainly are not unique.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/326719;...wM0BHB0A2hvbWVfY29rZQRzZWMDeW5faGVhZGxpbmVfbG

But the informative things is that well organized GOP fund raiser, including the Koch brothers, are funding the tea party movement for unstated and secret purposes. Some of the tea party candidates they fund will win the general election in November, and then thus have a role in forming government policy. The question then becomes, what will that set of winning tea bag candidates owe to those who funded them and will that payback result in good or horrible Governmental policies for the bulk of the American people?

In any case, if we want to understand almost everything in America, that ole adage, follow the money often holds true. And if professional funding raisers are backing the tea party, just like the back the Democratic and Republican party, who funds the professional fund raisers?

Maybe whats wrong with American politics, to too great an extent its special interests and not the American people.

 

[SP33Demon]

http://georgewashington2.blogspot.com/2010/09/supreme-court-corporations-can-buy.html

Money reigns supreme in this country. Just makes you wonder who bankrolled GWBush and Obama's campaigns as well as justices (esp Roberts and Alito).

 

[Fear No Evil]

We can't even ask where the money is going in our 3.8 trillion dollar budget (Give or take a couple trillion, I forget what it is now) but those damn Tea Partiers! We can track them down to the penny!

If Democrats spent as much money caring about waste in our government as they do with how Sarah Palin or the Tea Parties spent their money we're be flush with cash!

 

[Linflas]

Who is picking up the Tab for the tea party?

All the people opposed to the people picking up the tab for OFA, Media Matters, MoveOn.org, and DailyKos.

 

[Amused]

all the people opposed to the people picking up the tab for ofa, media matters, moveon.org, and dailykos.

bingo!

 

[Lemon law]

We can't even ask where the money is going in our 3.8 trillion dollar budget (Give or take a couple trillion, I forget what it is now) but those damn Tea Partiers! We can track them down to the penny!

If Democrats spent as much money caring about waste in our government as they do with how Sarah Palin or the Tea Parties spent their money we're be flush with cash!

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Another FNE post that is a crock of shit from beginning to end. If we get tea partiers in charge we can track the money, somehow I really doubt it.

And what FNE calls waste in government are often social programs whose costs will have to either covered by government or private parties, all we are debating about is who pays and how efficient that payment is. But step one in preventing waste, fraud, and abuse are often government regulations.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

All the people opposed to the people picking up the tab for OFA, Media Matters, MoveOn.org, and DailyKos.

/thread

 

[cubby1223]

Maybe whats wrong with American politics, to too great an extent its special interests and not the American people.

This country is far too complex for a group of 435 representatives and 100 senators to all fully understand and control everything that is going on. There will always be greed. There will always be special interests.

So we can either:
(1) try to elect people to control everything and be experts in all fields of studies and be immune to the powers of greed (a.k.a. the progressive movement)
-or-
(2) try to elect people to reduce their own powers over the affairs of the country and again be immune to the powers of greed (a.k.a. the conservative movement)


What's wrong with American politics is we all have the same basic goal, but the activists push us to pick a side and do everything we can to destroy the other side.

 

[Lemon law]

I can agree with some of what cubby1223 ssays, but it takes extreme gullibility to believe, "(2) try to elect people to reduce their own powers over the affairs of the country and again be immune to the powers of greed (a.k.a. the conservative movement)"

 

[bamacre]

In any case, if we want to understand almost everything in America, that ole adage, follow the money often holds true.

http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000085

 

[Fern]

-snip-
But the informative things is that well organized GOP fund raiser, including the Koch brothers, are funding the tea party movement for unstated and secret purposes. Some of the tea party candidates they fund will win the general election in November, and then thus have a role in forming government policy. The question then becomes, what will that set of winning tea bag candidates owe to those who funded them and will that payback result in good or horrible Governmental policies for the bulk of the American people?

But that's exactly the same question for any candidate, whether or not they are a TEA Party candidate. So, what is your point? Is this merely a rhetorical question?

In any case, if we want to understand almost everything in America, that ole adage, follow the money often holds true. And if professional funding raisers are backing the tea party, just like the back the Democratic and Republican party, who funds the professional fund raisers?

Maybe whats wrong with American politics, to too great an extent its special interests and not the American people.

Professional fund raisers usually take a percentage of the funds they raise. I.e., a 'commission'. I suppose you could arrange a set or flat-fee payment as well.

Fern

 

[bfdd]

ROFL! yes these guys are evil because they have someone backing them financially. How is that any different than any other political group again? Pretty sure you can find "worse" people donating to R's and D's. Let me guess when the whole hub-bub about Obama's campaign donation fraud bs was going around you were posting new articles everyday?

 

[irishScott]

I love it when people point out the back-room political funding for their opposition as some sort of conspiracy. Makes them look even more stupid when you point out the similar funding that produced their parroted talking points.

 

[Craig234]

Professional fund raisers usually take a percentage of the funds they raise. I.e., a 'commission'. I suppose you could arrange a set or flat-fee payment as well.

Fern

We're not talking about 'fund raisers who take a percentage'. The issue is interests who are giving large sums to fund a movement for their own interests.

Especially to a misrepresented 'grass roots' party who, unknown to even many who are recruited to it, is serving the 'interests behind the curtain'.

The Koch brothers and others who are not for democracy where they lose, but rather for looking for ways to defeat democracy using their money for misleading voters.

 

[Craig234]

The Republicans and the Democrats (more the Republicans) take a lot of terrible money, but they're broad based enough and it's well known enough for voters to make their choice.

When there's a very narrow set of interests who have a dominant role in the Tea Party, they can do worse at pushing their agenda, and it's not as well known to voters.

It is a problem for all three - it's just not news for R's and D's where the problem is well known, while the Tea Party *pretends* not to have such donors and only be 'grass roots'.

In other words, the money is a problem for all three, but the Tea Party is a big problem with bad interests behind it quietly while pretending to be a solution against money.

 

[SammyJr]

We can't even ask where the money is going in our 3.8 trillion dollar budget (Give or take a couple trillion, I forget what it is now) but those damn Tea Partiers! We can track them down to the penny!

So you think it is irrelevant that the Tea Party's bankrollers might expect something in return?

If Democrats spent as much money caring about waste in our government as they do with how Sarah Palin or the Tea Parties spent their money we're be flush with cash!

Both parties are guilty of waste. Have the Republicans ever met a military project or war they didn't love?

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

The Republicans and the Democrats (more the Republicans) take a lot of terrible money, but they're broad based enough and it's well known enough for voters to make their choice.

Please define "terrible money" and your factual basis for saying the Tea Party receives more of it than Rs or Ds. Also, what is your basis for assuming the Tea Party is more corrupted by it than the other two parties. Fact or imagination....inquiring minds want to know.

 

[Zebo]

Maybe whats wrong with American politics, to too great an extent its special interests and not the American people.

Sure is and it will just get worse with new rules. Even foreign countries, tin pot dictators etc will be able to steer elections. All they need is a US subsidiary which costs about $75 to incorporate and they can give unlimited cash to people they want to run our country.

 

[Craig234]

Please define "terrible money"

Interests bad for America/the public interest who have large sums to try to buy their way.

and your factual basis for saying the Tea Party receives more of it than Rs or Ds.

I didn't say that. It's obvious that the two major parties get a lot more funding.

You ignored what I did say about the issue.

Also, what is your basis for assuming the Tea Party is more corrupted by it than the other two parties. Fact or imagination....inquiring minds want to know.

Same.

It is a problem for all three - it's just not news for R's and D's where the problem is well known, while the Tea Party *pretends* not to have such donors and only be 'grass roots'.

In other words, the money is a problem for all three, but the Tea Party is a big problem with bad interests behind it quietly while pretending to be a solution against money.

When you see an ad for Marlboro - a well-funded, massively published ad - you know how seriously to take any message in it.

If the Marlboro company creates a grass-roots 'truth in cigarette information' group who puts out information expressing outrage at those ads, but is funded by the same company and actually is set up to trick people into supporting their agenda on tobacco whatever other 'legitimate' causes they have to get people to support them, that's another matter.

The Koch brothers are one of the wealthy interests who would like to do things like pollute without the government interfering, for their own profit, who can't get their way with honest democratic debate, and who are trying to use their money to buy their way less honestly with things like a quiet role to try to increase and use the tea party movement to get their way.

 

[Zebo]

We're not talking about 'fund raisers who take a percentage'. The issue is interests who are giving large sums to fund a movement for their own interests.

Especially to a misrepresented 'grass roots' party who, unknown to even many who are recruited to it, is serving the 'interests behind the curtain'.

The Koch brothers and others who are not for democracy where they lose, but rather for looking for ways to defeat democracy using their money for misleading voters.

I think a lot of tea partiers interests co-inside with Koch bros no? So why not back those who want straight up Gilded Age economic and tax policy? Doesn't seem to be any big conspiracy or anything like that. They are lock step.

 

[Craig234]

I think a lot of tea partiers interests co-inside with Koch bros no? So why not back those who want straight up Gilded Age economic and tax policy? Doesn't seem to be any big conspiracy or anything like that. They are lock step.

Not really, the Koch brothers have a whole agenda for their profits such as in ending enforcement against them of environmental rules I don't know the Tea Party agrees with.

Regardless, there's an issue of the misrepresentation that the Tea Party is a group who opposes the role of money and monied interests and is only a 'grass-roots' organization.

There's an issue with the role of money like the Koch brothers being hidden. If they did coincide as you suggest, let them be up front about it, not secretive.

 

[nick1985]

Why are you so obsessed with the tea party?

 

[nick1985]

All the people opposed to the people picking up the tab for OFA, Media Matters, MoveOn.org, and DailyKos.

lol

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

We're not talking about 'fund raisers who take a percentage'. The issue is interests who are giving large sums to fund a movement for their own interests.

Especially to a misrepresented 'grass roots' party who, unknown to even many who are recruited to it, is serving the 'interests behind the curtain'.

The Koch brothers and others who are not for democracy where they lose, but rather for looking for ways to defeat democracy using their money for misleading voters.

You mean how people like George Soros donated tons of money to the Obama admin, and how many other companies gave tons more to him than they did republicans?

Both sides do it, it's just that liberals can't get passed their biggotry and intolerance and see that their side does it as well.

 

[boomerang]

Progressives are funny. In a childish sort of way, but funny nonetheless.

Hey, hey, hey, lookee what I found.

43 Days to Decide: Dems Pumping Up Tea Party Fear Factor as Movement Surges

The progressives got their marching orders.