It’s been almost a year since the Tax Day Tea Party on the Boston Common, an event that proved to be the kick-off for an exciting and powerful movement here and across the country. For me personally, it was my first foray into the world of political activism. I chose to get involved because I felt it was of vital importance to our country. Over the past several years I’d watched our government become more expansive, more powerful, more corrupt and more intrusive into our lives than ever before. Something had happened to our checks and balances.

The arrogance of the Obama administration has our neutered Constitution weeping in the corner.  It was the talk of redistribution of wealth that was more than I could take.  Like millions of others I got tired of yelling at my TV and decided to find an outlet for my growing frustration.  Attending my first Tea Party was almost a religious experience (relax, I said almost).  Most profound for me was the feeling that I wasn’t alone. I had never been so outspoken about politics before. Although I often disagreed with my friends and coworkers about certain issues, I usually bit my tongue rather than risk alienating myself.  At Tea Party gatherings I felt at home among such a diverse group of like-minded, passionate people.  I could finally “come out” as a Conservative without feeling marginalized.

As I emerged from my conservative chrysalis, I soon discovered that defenders of the nanny state would not go quietly.  However, nothing could have prepared me for the viciousness and slander that was to follow.  I’m now convinced that when Liberals cannot debate an issue on facts they resort to their signature move—the personal attack.  True to form, the Obama administration and the mainstream media, that does their bidding, began to relentlessly belittle and demonize the Tea Party Patriots.  Let’s recap:  We’ve been called an angry mob, domestic terrorists, radical right wing extremists, astroturf (a la Nancy Pelosi) and birthers.  Oh, and stop me if you’ve heard this one before—racists.  And lest we forget, being labeled “tea baggers” by the foul-mouthed Janeane Garofalo.  Nice, Janeane.  Real classy.

I was a little confused. Weren’t these the same Liberals who espoused tolerance, compassion and diversity? Yet here they were being downright nasty to those exercising their First Amendment rights.  Could it be their tolerance ends when you disagree with them?  They were behaving like the schoolyard bully who pushes you down and takes your lunch money.  The tactics they used were straight out of Rules for Radicals, the leftist how-to for community organizing.  Their mission—to isolate and ridicule the opposition.  If they thought that by doing this they would discourage others from joining our movement, they were sadly mistaken.  Much to their chagrin the opposite proved true.  The American people continued to wake up and were coming out of the woodwork to join our ranks.

On September 12, 2009 I attended (at my own expense) the enormous rally called the March on Washington.  I remember thinking, “How could they possibly ignore us now?”  I was incredulous when the mainstream media, displaying what amounts to journalistic malpractice, minimized our numbers and our impact.  Media outlets reported numbers ranging from “scores of people” to tens of thousands.  False.  I’m no judge of crowds, but I don’t have to be.  There are formulas for estimating crowd size.  Based on aerial photographs of the event and Park Service reports, it was determined there were between 1 and 1.5 million people there. Thank you Fox News.

Incredibly, with that large a crowd, there was not one arrest.  The Capital Police said we were the most polite protesters they had ever encountered.  When we left, there was hardly a piece of trash left on the ground.  Nevertheless, there are currently rumors circulating that the west lawn may soon be off limits to protesters, which surely must be unconstitutional.  But we can’t have those crazy, Constitution-loving Conservatives protesting, now can we?

Allow me to kvetch about a huge thorn in the side of the Tea Party movement as well as a personal pet peeve.  It’s an issue that has caused us to be demonized and wildly misunderstood.  I’m referring to the rally attendees who display the “Obama as Hitler” and swastika symbols. Make no mistake, these are NOT Tea Party people!  Our events are continually co-opted by this radical fringe group associated with the perpetual Presidential candidate, Lyndon LaRouche.  I believe he’s run for President no less than 7 times.  Here in MA they have a candidate running against Barney Frank.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m eternally grateful for anyone running against B.F. but the LaRouche party is not the solution.  What’s ironic is that their party advocates for more government control over our lives, not less.  They are hoping to capitalize on all the dissatisfaction with our current government, but they definitely have their own agenda. Their M.O. is to pepper themselves among Tea Party members to give the illusion that there are thousands of people who share their kooky ideology.  Not so.  The Tea Party members I know find their Nazi references highly offensive and many have told them as much.  They are about as welcome at our events as a skunk at a lawn party.  Unfortunately, their use of such provocative imagery garners much attention from the mainstream media who are more than willing to show the Tea Party in a negative light.

Those who oppose us seem utterly baffled by the enigma that is the Tea Party.  They appear to be frantically searching for some nonexistent “leader” whom they can demonize.  They won’t find one, as this is a truly a grassroots endeavor.  The majority of us wouldn’t have it any other way.  Their malice is evidenced by the way MSNBC practically goes into orbit every time Sarah Palin’s name is mentioned.  One thing’s for sure, by denouncing Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Fox News, they will always tell you exactly who they are afraid of.

For those people on the left, allow me to demystify the Tea Party for you.  It’s really quite simple.  We are an ever growing group of proud Americans who love this country.  We believe that if left alone to live our lives, and yes, even to make mistakes, people will ultimately make good decisions.  We do not need the government to solve the world’s problems or to treat us like children.  We do, in fact, know what is best for us.  We will be having none of this socialist utopia you speak so highly of.  We believe America is the greatest country on earth and will not apologize for it.  We do not believe this country needs to be radically transformed or our wealth redistributed.  We believe in smaller government, lower taxes and more personal responsibility.  So please don’t lecture us about “social justice” and the “greater good.” Terms like these are like an ice pick to the conservative brain.

And to our lawmakers, hear us now and cut the malarkey.  Or, start working on your resumes, ‘cause you’re gonna’ need ‘em!

For self-described conservatives, it is easy to be pro-life, pro-troops, and pro-tax cuts. In most races, that is not how you separate the wheat from the chaff. You separate them on the basis of their belief in limited government—in short, do they think that government should do stuff. Period. And there is no better bellwether of politician’s proclivities toward limited government than whether they request and defend earmarks.

I know, I know. Many defenders of the Republican establishment don’t want us to talk earmarks. Earmarks are not the problem! They amount to such a small portion of the federal budget. Earmarks are the only way to deal with an intransient bureaucracy. They divide Republicans when we should be focused on battling the Obama Administration’s liberal agenda. Earmarks are the only form of constitutional spending and need to be defended no matter how unpopular. Its about the CONSTITUTION—didn’t you know??

This is a lesson we learned again last week when our new sensation, Senator Scott Brown, voted for a $15 billion jobs bill.  The Boston Herald quoted me as “disappointed”, which is accurate, for myself and many in the Tea Party movement.  I am disappointed but they left out “but not surprised.  Brown is not a conservative.”  We’re disappointed that Brown believes government is sometimes the answer but as informed voters we knew that before we voted for him.  We elected him to block Obamacare.

Yes, earmarks amount to a small percentage of the budget and compared to the enormity of the entitlement crisis of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid they are miniscule. But as Jeff Flake and Tom Coburn have said before, earmarks are the gateway drug to higher spending.

Yes, earmarks afford lawmakers with an avenue to trump some nameless bureaucrat from sending all the federal dollars somewhere else, but then why are you so set on federal dollars flowing to your district? If you believe in limited government, why do you want your district to get its “fair share”?

Yes, Congress does have the power to spend money, but the vast majority of earmarks are spent on completely unconstitutional projects and activities.

Yes, earmarks are “divisive” and making it an issue is bound to put many Republicans in a difficult spot.

Erickson’s point is critical.  Candidates are wooing Tea Party groups all over the nation.  It is buyer beware like never before.  Voting records need to be reviewed – and for those who have not served before, analysis of policy initiatives is necessary.  Is the candidate suggesting more, less or equal government?  If it’s not less government, limited government, shrinking government, move along.  Or at least be pragmatic.  Know well for whom you are voting.  Support enthusiastically those candidates willing to get government out of our lives, with your time & with your money.  I know there are at least a few out there, even in MA.

As spring arrives, the Greater Boston Tea Party will begin distributing our Candidate Questionnaire to state and Federal candidates in MA and we will post the results on this site.  While this is not an endorsement or a guarantee (read my lips…), it is our way of telling candidates for what we are looking.  And it is a great way to hold elected representatives accountable if they do not keep to their word.  We will also encourage candidates to stop in to our Meet Ups and talk with our members in these informal gatherings.  And we will continue to distribute invitations issued exclusively to our membership.  We want voters informed because informed voters make the right decision.

Read the article @ RedState.com.

Tuesday, March 2nd – Reading, Bertucci’s, 45 Walkers Brook Drive  7:00 – 9:00 PM

Thursday, March 11th – Boston, Green Dragon, 11 Marshall Street  7:30 – 9:30 PM

Thursday, March 18th – Waltham, The Tea Leaf, 487 Moody Street  7:00 – 9:00 PM

Tuesday, March 23rd – Norton, Trinity, 184 W. Main Street  7:00 – 9:00 PM

Tuesday, March 23rd – Rockland, Liberty Tavern, 354 Liberty Street  7:00 – 9:00 PM

Click on the town name to go to link on our Meet Up page and RSVP.  Or join us on Facebook.

***Coming soon – Framingham location, Cape Ann, Marlboro & Norwood!

Many of us have expressed our frustration and anger with the current GOP leadership, in the House and Senate, maybe here at home, most definitely with GOP HQ.  And it is obvious (to most) that the GOP has strayed greatly from their founding principles.  But this year is our opportunity to turn that around.  We have a very rare opportunity to select and elect conservative candidates that will not only halt and reverse the dangerous course we are on but shape our path into the next generation.  Have you picked a side yet?  Who are you working to elect?

Glenn Beck’s speech gave resonance to what a lot of the tea party activists and conservatives at CPAC feel — the GOP is as bad as the Democrats. But we have to have a very careful caveat here: the GOP has not been good on spending and portions of economic policy. We cannot make it, however, a blanket statement. As Glenn Beck said last night, “One party says it will tax and spend. The other party says it won’t tax and will spend.” We have to be careful in our zeal to clean up Washington not to take that for more than what it is.

Therein lies much of the concern. There is real angst that some people are agitating for a third party because of what they see as an unrepentant GOP. And the fear is that Glenn Beck is feeding this. I hope he is not. I would have to part ways if that were the case. History shows that neither the most popular third party candidate, Teddy Roosevelt, nor the richest, Ross Perot, were ever able to get elected. All they did was get the Democrat elected.

And for those of you who think that is no big deal, let me ask you again: how many Americans are going to die because of Barack Obama’s handling of our national security? If you think the GOP would be as bad on this issue, you need a reality check.

It is the GOP that wants to cut the costs of health care through expanding the free market. It is the GOP that wants to fight the enemy instead of compromising with them. It is the GOP that wants to upend our failing public schools and make them actually teach instead of function as a retirement home for teachers union employees. It is the GOP that stands in defense of freedom against tyranny. It was, for example, the GOP that stood with Honduras against Hugo Chavez while Barack Obama gave a full throated embrace of the communist dictator and the thugs of South America.

Watch the speech here -

cordially invite you to a

Breakfast Meet and Greet with

Christy Mihos

Candidate for

Governor of Massachusetts

Saturday, February 27, 2010

9:00 – 11:00 AM

Doubletree Hotel

5400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA

$10 per Tea Party Patriot

RSVP (click here) by February 25^th

*** If you would like to learn more about Christy Mihos,

please go to https://www.christy2010.com/

MAKING a virtue of a necessity, Barack Obama has talked endlessly in recent weeks about the wonders of bipartisanship. He has to, now that the Republicans’ capture of Ted Kennedy’s old seat in the Senate last month has deprived the Democrats of the supermajority they were banking on in order to enact much of their legislative programme. Mr Obama has invited congressional leaders from both parties to a summit on health reform at the end of the month. And on February 9th he appealed for both sides to transcend “petty politics” and reach for compromise.

Will they? Democrats and Republicans pay lip service to bipartisanship all the time. But the Republicans have two good reasons not to heed the president’s plea right now. The first reason is that it suits them nicely to keep the Democrats in Congress floundering as November’s mid-term election approaches. The second reason is the tea-party movement.

A year ago this movement did not exist. Now it is by some accounts the most potent force in American politics.

What I still find interesting is that despite all the interviews given and the transparency in which tea party groups across the country are organized, the media still wants to pigeonhole us as either a third party in the making or rubes about to be co-opted by the GOP.  The media still cannot understand our movement so they must continue to erroneously define us based on their perception of reality.  This article is the first I’ve read so far that comes close to accurately portraying what I see happening.

As a name that harks back to the Boston Tea Party suggests, they see themselves as revolutionaries, or counter-revolutionaries. They want to “take back” an America which they say has been going wrong for generations as successive administrations have bloated the federal government and trampled on the constitution and the rights of states and individuals.

This author caught a bit of it but then fell back into typical left territory by pointing out some of the more controversial topics ie Obama’s Presidential eligibility.  I have been to dozens of meetings, am on hundreds of mailing lists and spent a weekend at a leadership conference in TX and I can assure you, this is not our platform. But thanks for bringing it up again and again and again.

Of course the Tea Party movement is going to have its crackpots – have you seen some of the people on the Left? And there will be disagreeements on policy amongst members.  Which is why we are stinking to principles and to mission.  If through this we form a “revolutionary force” that “takes back our country” so be it.

January 31, 2010

A year ago, the Tea Party movement didn’t exist. Today, it is arguably the most popular political entity in America. The movement is already more popular than the Republican or Democratic parties, according to a recent NBC / WSJ poll .

This is heady stuff — and, for people in the political establishment, both Republicans and Democrats, it’s worrying stuff. If political movements can bubble up from below, and self-organize via the Internet, what will happen to the political class?

And, of course, Scott Brown’s come-from-behind blowout in Massachusetts occurred in no small part because of money and volunteers from the Tea Party movement around the nation.

So far the Tea Party’s record is looking pretty good. But what happens next? Many people — er, well, many pundits, anyway — complain that the Tea Party movement is entirely oppositional: For a brief moment, the key buzzword was “nihilistic,” though the connection between Turgenev and Tea Parties seems rather tenuous.

In fact, Tea Partiers seem quite clear on what they’re for: A limited government, one that keeps its nose out of their business and focuses on things like protecting the country in preference to redistributing income.

But whether the political class likes it or not, this sort of thing is probably here to stay. While 2009 was the year of denigrating and ignoring the tea parties, I suspect that in 2010, they’ll be listened to quite closely. Those who fail to do so, are likely to find themselves out of a job.

Read more at the Washington Examiner

So the question remains – what is next?  Stay tuned for news of the Massachusetts movement.  We have a lot of work to do if we’re going to continue this crusade to take back out country – one town, one state at a time.  Join us on Facebook.  Attend one of our Meet Up social gatherings and get to know us.  And join us later this month as we come together to map out our plans and strategy for 2010.  We need your talent, your enthusiasm and your time.

Christen

The People’s Rally with Scott Brown

Sunday, January 17^th, 3:00PM (arrive early to get a seat inside)

Mechanics Hall, 321 Main Street,  Worcester

Map

Obama’s Stump for Martha Coakley

Sunday, January 17^th, 2:00 – 4:00PM

Northeaster University Cabot Center

360 Huntington Ave.,  Boston

Map

Scott Brown Bus Tour Rally

Monday, January 18^th, 11AM – 1PM

The Boston Garden, 1 Legends Way,  Boston

Map

Bridget Fay

In law and in principle, the Greater Boston Tea Party does not endorse candidates for public office.  Many of us joined the Tea Party movement because of our dissatisfaction with the way that both political parties have conducted themselves on Beacon Hill and in Washington.  Some of us joined because we were tired of a top-down system that marginalizes our concerns, attempts to dictate to us how we should think, and believes that our elected elite know better than we do how to run our own lives.  Still others joined because the current political system does not adequately address our needs and concerns as constituents.

As a matter of principle, the Greater Boston Tea Party – a diverse, grassroots coalition – does not endorse candidates.  We did not need nor want from self-anointed Tea Partiers what we did not want from the self-appointed elite on Beacon Hill and in Washington.

Furthermore, as a legal matter, the Greater Boston Tea Party is a non-profit group, aiming to apply for 501(c)(3) status after a year of operation. We are prohibited, by that and campaign finance laws, from endorsing candidates for state or federal government.  In fact, we can’t even suggest that someone should be elected for town dog catcher, let alone endorse a candidate for the United States Senate.

Nevertheless, it is important that Tea Party Patriots – engaged citizens who, a  bit over a year ago, would never have dreamed of becoming political activists – are knowledgeable about the candidates and the candidates’ relations to the Tea Party movement.

Tea Party Action and Affiliation

Two of the candidates, Scott Brown and Joe Kennedy, are on our mailing list.  Both have attended events (for this, we take both gentlemen at their words).  To our best knowledge, Martha Coakley is neither on our mailing list nor has attended any of our events.

None of the three candidates has been active in the organization, promotion, nor development of any of the three Tea Parties that have been held in Boston (i.e. Tax Day, Independence Day, and the October Health Care Rally).

In December, the Brown campaign reached out to the Tea Party movement to schedule a meeting with the group.  Approximately 150 members attended a breakfast, held in Westborough at the beginning of January, to listen to Sen. Brown’s explanation of why he believes that he would best represent the Tea Party principles.  Amazingly, in conjunction with this event, Tea Party members from across Massachusetts contributed an astounding $12,000 to the Brown campaign.

After the invitation from the Brown campaign was distributed, we received two inquiries from the Kennedy campaign, including one purportedly from the candidate himself, asking for a similar meeting with our members.  We attempted to confirm such an event by asking for details – date, time, place and any fees – and were never contacted again.

In the interest of fairness, in late December I emailed the Coakley campaign to ask if they would like to meet with Tea Party members to address our concerns and begin a dialogue with the people she is campaigning to represent in Washington.  In the email, I suggested a similar format to the Scott Brown event.  As of today (12 January), I have not heard back from her campaign.

I welcome additions, clarification, and explanations by each candidate.

Final Debate - Massachusetts Special Senate Election

5:00 – 7:00 PM

UMass Campus Center

100 Morrissey Blvd. – in the circle

For directions - http://www.umb.edu/campuscenter/directions.html

And no, I cannot get the )**^$%&^(*( link to work!!!!