Bachmann “shocked” by NAACP charge of racism in tea party movement

Well, I can’t see the YouTube, but I have closely studied the attacks on the Tea Party Express, especially by the CNN anchors like Don Lemon, Roland Martin and Fredika Whitfield (I remember when she used to joke about the “man-cession”).

I don’t believe the Tea Party is racist, I do believe they are trying to go back to the U.S. Constitution and that we need to do that. First of all, they have members, even leaders, of different races. David Webb, who is black, is stepping up to “expel” Mark Williams and the Tea Party Express. And that diversity was always the case. It is racist to attack black Americans because they don’t get on board with the Democrats, the national NAACP, and Barack Obama. There are many black independents, many black Republicans and conservative blacks. I believe these conservatives are in general people who understand and want to follow the U.S. constitution and free market system. By siding with “liberals” (I doubt they are really being compassionate), we actually victimize people who are trying to pursue the American Dream. I heard one black man say conservative Alan Keyes is a “buffoon” because he calls abortions of black babies “genocide” and wants science and math taught to black boys in school just like the white boys.

I believe that these black conservatives, whether or not allied with the Tea Party movement, are actually emblematic of what Americans are trying to say, that we need to take back our country and make it work. After 9-11, after the 2008 bank crisis, we are WAY off course, and the only way to get back is to go back. It’s not before the 1950′s, the so-called civil rights movement, it’s back to private property, when Americans could own an enterprise, and run it without illegal affirmative action and all kinds of other supposedly well-meaning state controls.

That will create jobs, and real education, including a heavy dose of science and math, will help us be competitive in the world again, instead of becoming dependent on China for our finance. I would dearly love to see this, and the NAACP shows they cannot lead any better than Barack Obama can. Let’s take a quick cut back to the middle of the road, instead of veering off the left or right side.

She’s shocked! Shocked I tell you!!

The Tea Baggers are racist?? Noooooo!! Just because they spit on black members of Congress and call them N***** , just because they depict artwork of President Obama with a Bone through his nose, just because they equate health care to the Holocaust, just because they think Obama was “Kenyan Born without a Birth Certificate”, just because Glenn Beck called Obama a “Reverse Racist” , and just because Michele Bachman says that America is a “Nation of Slaves(refering to becks reverse racism)” Does NOT make them racist.. Yeah right!! The T-Bag movement is starting to go the way of the Atkins Diet or the VCR…

The phoney racism charge comes from the fact that most tea partiers are white. But what would you expect the black participation in a conservative movement to be when you have a liberal black president with an 89% approval rating amongst blacks?

This whole idea of race-based politics is offensive. The votes of white people put Obama in office. How would black people feel if 89% of white voters supported the white candidate because he’s white?

“It’s not before the 1950’s, the so-called civil rights movement, it’s back to private property, when Americans could own an enterprise, and run it without illegal affirmative action and all kinds of other supposedly well-meaning state controls.”

You mean when white guys could own black guys – when women couldn’t vote?

That far back?

Just how far back did you want go – 1940s – 1930s? Pre world war I?

I guess those Tea Party protesters that have been photographed with racist signs aren’t racist either, huh.

Well, I don’t like Obama and I’m not racist, in fact my buddy who’s black, doesn’t like Obama, so is he racist? People who play the race card because someone doesn’t like obama is silly, there are so many things I don’t like about the man!

Is the Tea Party “racist”? Two words: Mark Williams.

I guess MB hasn’t kept up with the news of the Tea Party Federation dumping the Tea Party Express for the racist skit
they wrote and delighted in presenting to their gathering. Maybe MB doesn’t even know what it means to be a racist since she doesn’t have the brains to keep her mouth shut.

Was she wearing her Klan robes at the time?

@Steve Carlson

“David Webb, who is black, is stepping up to “expel” Mark Williams and the Tea Party Express”

Get Your facts straight dear. David Webb is the spokesperson for the NTP.

And here you have it….in a nutshell…why the irony is lost on the ignorant among Republicans.

1.) “How would black people feel if 89% of white voters supported the white candidate because he’s white?” Are you serious? you do it every day as a Republican. Let me see you elect a black Republican on a national stage.

2.) Fact is, white people are protesting too much about Obama for stuff they never had a problem with before. You try to dismiss it, but the fact is you do not like the fact that the Presiodent is black, you want white-only immigration, and feel that unemployment benefits are socislast, but tax cuts for the wealthy are somehow good for this coutny. Facts have proven you wrong time and tiem abnd time again….yet you still whine about it.

You embrace clowns like Sarah Palin and Rush Libaugh and give them national stages to speak on your behalf, then have the nerve to claim vicitm every time someone exposes your hypocrisy. Democrats are not dumb enough to have Michael Moore represent them on a national stage.

Die in the bed you’ve made GOP, you deserve it.

For anyone interested in reading this post,I would like to submit my up close and personal experience with the Tea Baggers.I live directly across the street from a married couple that told me in no uncertain terms and I quote “we hate n****s.”My conclusion is based on this conversation,if there are two in this movement then there are twenty two and if there are twenty two there are twenty two hundred.No one and I mean NO ONE will ever change my mind about my conclusion.I am not a democrat,I am not a repulsive republican.First and foremost I am a HUMANIST!!!

@Scott are you an idiot? Williams said RACIST things…not just “I dont ike Obama.”

DOn;t insult our intelligence you fool

Tea Partiers are racist (or complacent idiots)

Examples:

-Tea Party poster depicting President Obama as a witch doctor with the caption: “Obamacare: Coming soon to a clinic near you.”

-The email sent out by Dale Robertson, a Houston party member, that included a photo of Obama dressed as a pimp in a zebra-striped fedora.

Then there’s the Council of Conservative Citizens, based in St. Louis, that believes blacks are “a retrograde species of humanity,” and that immigration by non-whites will create a “slimy brown mass of glop.”

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus were heckled outside the Capitol by Tea Party attendees who hurled the “n-word” at them.

Most Tea Party attendees oppose affirmative action and diversity “which are nothing more than programs of racist discrimination against white people.”

Leonard Zeskind, author of Blood and Politics, an exposé on the white nationalist movement. “It’s a solid middle class. The belief that these are people hit by the economic downturn is a myth. It’s people who have what they want, and don’t want it taken away. They’re defending white privilege. Their slogan is ‘We want our country back.’”

The NAACP resolution calling for the teapartiers to RENOUNCE the racists and white supremacy factions within its ranks should be embraced by the teaparty, if indeed the majority of teaparty members find such signage, language and affiliations objectionable. The fact that so many on the Right are instead claiming that the NAACP is racist to pass the resolution, or claiming that the whole teaparty movement has been labeled racist, suggests that the Right really IS in bed with the most hateful, bigoted and racist elements of American society. Or why wouldn’t Bachmann eagerly step up to distance herself from the teaparty’s loud racist “fringe?”

No where has it been proven that any black congressman was spat upon; nor has it been proven that the “N” word was used by any Tea Party attendee. If you have proof, then please provide. Also, the slogan “we want our country back” has nothing to do with taking the country back from a black president but everything to do with taking the country back from a socialist president – doesn’t matter his color, only his desire to ruin the U.S. And let’s not forget the picture of Bush dressed as a pimp; or the posters stating “Kill Bush” – no outcry over that. The NAACP encourages racism.

We all know this is all about trying to energize the democrat base for the fall elections by using the immigration controversy in AZ to rile up the hispanics and charges of racism to wake up the complacent black voters who are still waiting for the ObamaJob to materialize.

Well it won’t work because it’s going to backfire as an outraged populace, sick of the race-bating and outragous and unfounded charges will be RUNNING to the polls to throw these leftists out, not walking to them.

She is shocked? Frankly my dear, we in America are shocked that there are enough fools in the good state of Minnesota to keep you in office. It is more than shocking.

@Debbie>> You obviously have the FOX sewage line directly piped into your living room.. Obama IS NOT a Socialist.. You tea baggers just love to be frightened of EVERYTHING.. (poor cowardly fools).. You can’t decipher the difference between Socialism, Fascism, Communism, Organism, Protoplasm, or Spasm .. But if Glen Beck says it. It MUST be true.. Be Afraid!! Be Very Afraid!!

Booo!

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/spitting_mad_protest_takes_hateful_pMj7klCE4g4ppFHZzGdcNO

http://hiphopwired.com/2010/03/29/video-shows-tea-party-protester-spitting-on-black-congressman-video/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…/congressman-spit-on-by-te_n_516300.html

Here is the vid

@Marcus – did you even watch the video?? I never heard the “N” word at all – in fact, the only phrase being chanted was “kill the bill”. The NY Times article offers no proof of any racism – unlike the Black Panthers using the term “crackers” to intimate voters. Now, there is actual proof of that. Go drink your Kool-Aid.

There is no doubt that there are racists among the Tea Party regulars – their signs are transparent.

Michele Bachmann thinks the NAACP needs to back up the charges of racism – but the evidence has been in plain view for years.

But don’t count on Bachmann to see that evidence. She and other Republicans ignore evidence that clashes with their extremist, anti-American ideology. Remember, they think rich people should get tax cuts, even as they complain that the federal government spends too much and unemployment insurance should be cut off. All of which would make our situation worse. All the evidence shouts as much.

So when obviously racist things are said in front of Michele, expect a very selective myopia – she just can’t see that type of evidence.

I have family in northern Minnesota, fourth gen Swedish Norwegian farmers and hardworking people from Remer, Hibbing, Bemidji, and Walker. None of us support BachMan or fringe groups in the TParty. She’s the worst environmental politician in MN, in a state that prides itself on one of the best environ records.

I’m surprised she’s still in office or got voted in. I dunno, but her constiuency most probably come from the neighboring states. The majority of Minnesotans aren’t surprised she’s …. shocked. She’s a Palin clone. We’re all hoping, no praying she leaves the state for other ventures. Does Louisiana or BP have any openings for BachMan’s skills cleaning up the Gulf. Her bud bud Palin can join her anytime. BachMan, please share with your bud bud Palin she can give her money grubbing touring fees to those who are suffering from the Other oil spill, the EXXON Valdez

@Debbie

If a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound??? Of course it does we all know that.. Just because you hear all of brainwashed fools chanting in unison doesn’t mean that the “N” word wasn’t thrown out there..

If the T-Baggers are a pure, wholesome, good Christian organization then I have some Iraqi “Weapons of Mass Destruction” to sell to you..

Keep drinking your Tea..

http://i862.photobucket.com/albums/ab183/Marcus_1971/PALINBachmann2012.jpg

Denise>>Blow it out your assinine ass.The tea party movement is RACIST Palin and simple.Michele is so stupid she doesn’t know a racist from a turnip!!

Not every person in the Tea Party is a racist but the media is not going to put that forward. This group from the very beginning has been called all kinds names but no one every called out the media for not presenting both sides. As for the Congress incident, with all the media that was there, no one has been able to produce ANY video or audio that proves this. If you do watch the video being shown, please note the gentleman walking with the Congress members who is holding two cell phones taking video of both sides of the crowd. Why hasn’t he come forward with the support of the slurs that were allegedly made? A $100,000 offer has been made for video that supports the allegations and has been out there since the day this allegedly happened. No one has claimed it. There are people of different races that are members of Tea Party groups, people of different races who are candidates are being supported by Tea Party groups. Are there idiots in every group of people out there? Yes. Tea Party groups have been diligent in self-policing but that never makes the news. However, they will continue to do so. Not that the media or those determined to find fault will every acknowledge it. It’s so much easier to denounce a whole segment of people than to actually look for the truth. BTW – teabagger originated as an offensive gay slur. Guess no one looked for the true meaning behind that either.

I have no doubt most conservatives are not racists. I’ll even say most tea partiers aren’t racist. However, racists are almost guaranteed to be conservatives, and conservatives tolerate the racists. That’s why conservatives keep having to fend off this racism charge, and it has nothing to do with agreeing with Obama or the presence of non-whites at tea party rallies. I commend the tea party groups telling Express to boot Mark Williams or get out of the movement.

When will the NAACP level charges of racism against the New Black Panther party? And when will the NAACP level charges against one of the largest and most powerful Black organizations in America…. and one of the Most Racist organizations ever? That would be the NAACP, itself.

~”BTW – teabagger originated as an offensive gay slur.”~

I don’t at all feel like being a sex ed teacher.. But!! Sexually speaking the act of “teabagging” requires “balls” and a “mouth”.. Whether that “mouth” belongs to a man or a woman is up to you.. So this debunks the myth that T-bagging is purely a “gay” act..

[...] McCain, YID With LID, Tammy Bruce, Breitbart.tv, Flopping Aces, American Thinker, Pajamas Media, Minnesota Independent, JammieWearingFool, HotAir and more via Memeornadum SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Black Racism in [...]

@Steve Carlson: “I don’t believe the Tea Party is racist, I do believe they are trying to go back to the U.S. Constitution and that we need to do that.”

The NAACP did not say the Tea Party is racist. It asked the leaders of the Tea Party to denounce the racist individuals obviously in its midst and thereby send a message that racism IS NOT what the Tea Party stands for, There’s a big difference between accusing someone of racism and asking them to denounce racism by your supporters. Michele Bachmann, clearly someone who wants to be seen as a Tea Party “leader”, is someone who has “race-baited” and “gay baited” by stirring up support among such people and then pretending not to notice it. Notice she never denounces these people. Just like she never denounced the murderer of Dr. Tillman or other fringe lunatics like Randall Terry. When your movement starts exhibiting sensitivity and respect towards others different from them or those they disagree with, then maybe people will start taking it more seriously. Based on past performance by demagogue fanatics like Bachmann, it have little doubt that’s going to change.

Reminds me of a scene in “Casablanca”:
Captain Renault: I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!
[a croupier hands Renault a pile of money]
Croupier: Your winnings, sir.
Captain Renault: [sotto voce] Oh, thank you very much.

The FOX guy starts with “elements of the Tea Party are racist”, which is what the NAACP actually said.
Then Bachmann responds with a straw man argument that there are no spokesmen or agendas based on race. Nobody said there were. She simply lies about the nature of the NAACP resolution to build false outrage. Very hostile and destructive, but very republican.

“NATION’S OLDEST AND LARGEST CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS ASK TEA PARTY TO REPUDIATE RACIST FACTIONS

(KANSAS CITY, MO) – Over 2,000 NAACP delegates today unanimously passed a resolution—as amended—called “The Tea Party Movement,” asking for the repudiation of racist Tea Party leaders.

The resolution condemns the bigoted elements within the Tea Party and asks for them to be repudiated. The NAACP delegates presented this resolution for debate and passage after a year of vitriolic Tea Party demonstrations during which participants used racial slurs and images.

…

“We take no issue with the Tea Party movement. We believe in freedom of assembly and people raising their voices in a democracy. What we take issue with is the Tea Party’s continued tolerance for bigotry and bigoted statements. The time has come for them to accept the responsibility that comes with influence and make clear there is no place for racism & anti-Semitism, homophobia and other forms of bigotry in their movement,” stated NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “Last night after my speech, I was approached by an African American member of the NAACP and the Tea Party. He thanked me for speaking out because he has begun to feel uncomfortable in the Tea Party and wants to ensure there will always be space for him in both organizations. I assured him there will always be a place for him in the NAACP. Dick Armey and the leadership of the Tea Party need to do the same.”

The resolution was amended during the debate to specifically ask the Tea Party itself to repudiate the racist elements and activities of the Tea Party.”

http://www.naacp.org/press/entry/naacp-delegates-unanimously-pass-tea-party-amendment/

Then she goes off on hypothetical situations like they were serious issues, and goes downhill from there.

The NAACP does not have to give anyone permission. They do not have the right, although their candidate was elected in 2008, to order the Tea Party to focus on anything. So what the NAACP is saying is that Mark Williams does not carefully follow their orders, then he and his organization are racist. That is not true.

Second. I read the Williams letter and I agree that the ideas in the letter are not racist. Williams said, for instance that the NAACP (black Americans) should not seek a new master in the form of the federal government, but instead they should ask, and work to develop their own businesses, i.e. participation in capitalism. What better time to do this than now? Now, I agree that Williams was combative, deliberately choosing charged references to masters (and he used the word “massa”, an ill-conceived reference to the time of slavery, which seems to be accepting of that as just an economic system. We have fought the Civil War to end that economic system, and he should take note of that). Simply referring the the duty of ALL OF US, not just the NAACP to seek a new master like the U.S. government, or maybe just the Chinese government fronting the U.S. government, and owning it, is not even offensive. Actually, didn’t Karl Marx say the same thing (about white people, by the way), and haven’t notable black leaders accepted that as a clarion call to avoid masters enslaving them?

Thirdly, I have carefully reviewed the tape of Rep. Cleaver walking by a man with his hands cupped, and repeatedly shouting “kill the bill!” referring to health care “reform”. Several black Congresspersons walk by, he is shouting exactly the same thing. They don’t complain at all. Then Cleaver walks by, and somehow he feels he has been spit on when the man shouts “kill the bill!” Because he’s a big-shot congressman, he struts on and puts his own hand to his face as if to say “was maliciously spit on” even though everyone can clearly see he wasn’t. Strangely, he doesn’t wipe his hand down as if there was actually something there, that seems to be play-acting. Even more strange, he later comes out with a (black) Capitol cop and walks right up to this same man who he says “spit” on him, looks right at him and doesn’t see him as a man who spit on him. He walks back in but everybody can see that he doesn’t really believe the man he accused of spitting on him, didn’t, and that he doesn’t really think he did or he would have turned him over to that policeman.

What is happening here is that Obama and his wife are going back to the same old race-baiting he attacked McCain, and then Bill Clinton with so he could get sympathy and pity to get votes. It’s really pathetic.

It’s also not going to work and Americans are quite serious about removing his party in 2010, and then again in 2012. They will not insult him, they’ll say they like him personally, and then he will be voted out for poor performance. That’s democracy. When the people vote, there’s no complaining, you just leave you office, which was a privilege in the first place. I think Mr. Obama has been treated more than fairly, and better start talking substance sometime very soon, and not just excuses.

Corrections: Duty NOT to seek a new master to replace old masters. This is what the American Revolution was all about.

As someone who blogs on the tea party, I too was shocked and disappointed to see this come from a TPE leader. Anyone who has been involved with the tea party will tell you that it is not a racist organization. Williams letter was indeed satire, but it was in poor taste.

@Steve Carlson: As I said above, this is about sensitivity to the feelings an experiences of others different from oneself and respect. Is that so hard to grasp? The NAACP is not “ordering” anyone to do anything. They were giving the benefit of the doubt to the Tea Party to show the public that it is not a racist movement. Frankly, that was more than generous in my view.

It seems to me that all your complaining about race baiting shows that the NAACP’s comment hit a nerve. “The lady doth protest too much.” You don’t overreact to an innocuous comment like that unless you know you are guilty in your heart. You can complain all you want about others being race baiting when everyone knows that by trying to turn this around against the accusers, you’re just digging yourselves into a deeper hole. Why don’t you quit while you’re ahead?

@Steve Carlson
Your running in CD4??? LOLOL….
Remember Randy Kelly?? He was the ONLY Dem. on EARTH in 04 that endorsed BUSH!! Remember what happened to him in 06?? Yeah he got his ASS KICKED!! (i was proudly part of that revolution).. Your party HATES teachers.. HATES my Labor Union.. HATES my military service.. AND HATES ANY regulation of Capitalist Vultures.. People like you DESTROYED MY COUNTRY!!
Good luck in CD4
you WILL need it….

So,Michele Bachmann is shocked about allegations of racism within the nut job movement.I really don’t know why she would be shocked,after all she is one of them.Both nuts and a racist.

The moral outrage on both sides of the NAACP/Tea Party debate is pretty laughable. Mark Williams claims that the Tea Party has no racists? Come on. Get 20 people together at a neighborhood block party and you will have a racist in your presence. And the NAACP, while they have accomplished many good things for African Americans, they are hardly the last bastion of unadulterated racial tolerance.

Read this article: Token White Member of NAACP Calls Tea Party “Racist”; Lone Black Tea Partier “Outraged”.

Very FUNNY!

http://www.dailygoat.com/?p=1798

@Marcus – you’re an idiot – Labor unions are obsolete in today’s world – unions are the reason so many companies have outsourced – labor unions shot themselves in the foot – look at the automobile unions – they wouldn’t take a pay cut to keep their jobs – really, you need $30/hr. to stretch material across a car seat? And how many politicians do the Unions “own”? So, instead, the plant shuts down. Regulation of “capitalist vultures” – the U.S. wouldn’t be what it is today without “capitalist”. Remember the Constitution? No one should regulate/legislate how much money I can earn or how I run my company. It’s called “free market” for a reason. And military service? The Dems have tried for years (look at Truman’s legacy)to short change the military. You can thank the current powers in office for the destruction of this country. Since when did health care become an entitlement? I can remember when a company offered benefits so that it could recruit the best of the best – now the Government is telling me I must offer health care to my employees or be penalized. And, as an individual, if I don’t choose to have health care, again, I will be penalized through a tax. How can a government legislate what I buy??? Again, continue drinking your kool-aid. You are obviously someone who needs government involvement in their life.

Sorry, Thomas, I didn’t see your response. What I said was “Americans are trying to say that we need to take back our country and make it work. After 9-11, after the 2008 bank crisis, we are WAY off course, and the only way to get back is to go back. It’s not before the 1950’s, the so-called civil rights movement, it’s back to private property, when Americans could own an enterprise, and run it without illegal affirmative action and all kinds of other supposedly well-meaning state controls.”

And you said “You mean when white guys could own black guys – when women couldn’t vote?

“That far back?

“Just how far back did you want go – 1940s – 1930s? Pre world war I?”

I am simply saying that the ownership of businesses by private individuals, (red, brown or yellow, black, tan or white) and NOT by the government, is the great achievement of our Constitution. When slavery became established, the colonies themselves were state-owned businesses. Each colony, and the slaves as part of them, could only exist because of a charter from the king of England. That is what all the fighting was about. The institution of private property in America allowed individual Americans to own factories, plantations, etc. People like Thomas Jefferson attempted to rid America of the abominable institution of slavery at the time, but the southern colonies of Carolina and Georgia refused to sign the Declaration if that was not withdrawn. So it became the next stage of our country’s great struggle.

What people like Williams are saying, and I would say it too, is neither you, Thomas, nor I, should want to create one big colony, the United States of America, in which we would be reduced to serving it, rather than it serving us and us being free to engage in private enterprise, or work in the employ of others who own private enterprise. Because state socialism as an economy does not work, no matter if Obama is in charge of it, Nancy Pelosi, or someone else.

I hope I answered your question. We should not engage in race-baiting in 2010. That’s why I have stepped forward as a Tea Party leader, because I understand why we need to take our country back, from state-dominated enterprise, which is killing us economically. Look at this: Today’s WSJ, “China Tops U.S. in Energy.” China, who is bankrolling us for $952 billion at the moment, “has passed the U.S. to become the world’s biggest energy consumer…a milestone reflecting both China’s decades-long burst of economic growth and its rapidly expanding clout as an industrial giant.”

Do you want to keep talking about slavery while China becomes our new master?? Well, I do not. American blacks did not invent “civil rights.” You can find it in the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, as “derechos civiles.” You can find it in our American Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Unfortunately, we could not root out the evil institution of slavery from this country, as it had been in so many other countries, at that time. Now we have. Let’s try to prosper. THAT is what Mark Williams is saying. And I agree with him.

Marcus, I am the Independence Party candidate for McCollum’s seat. I also am seeking the votes of the Tea Party. I am listening to them. I am glad Michele Bachmann has established a Tea Party Caucus, I was telling my mother Michele should do something in Congress, instead of just on the campaign trail. And I think this is a giant step forward. It will crystallize the strong belief Americans have in our Constitution (and in God) that is the basis of and author of our freedom and hope. I hope you will go there too and contribute and advance our people. Let’s have a National Association for the Advancement of People. What do you say?

Steve – well said. What some of these folks done’t seem to realize is that the slogan “take back our country” does not mean take back our country from a black man – it means, take back our country from the socialism path we seem to be heading down. My father did not fight in WWII, Korea and Vietnam so that this country could be ruled by others.

Marcus, Bush is not running. Let’s try to spend our time on something more important.

I don’t know what party you’re referring to, but your feedback, “Your party HATES teachers.. HATES my Labor Union.. HATES my military service.. AND HATES ANY regulation of Capitalist Vultures.. People like you DESTROYED MY COUNTRY!!”

I’ll need much more than good luck on November 2. I am glad that you love teachers, your labor union, your country, and the general welfare. I love teachers too, and I don’t know what labor union you are with, but I would like to talk with them too and seek their support. Thank you for your military service, and as a veteran myself I know the sacrifice and the need to be appreciated by your country. I believe some regulation of business is good, and would support it, and I’m sure many businesses support regulation, too, often they self-police but often that’s not good enough.

If you think people like me destroyed your country, I would like to hear more. I do believe the country needs to be redeemed, because we are all at risk. I guess the hard question we both face is, to whom do we want to entrust its redemption? I would say we all, at least 99.9% of us, want to see a happy, free America. I do, I know you do. So, how are we going to get there. Do we want to tear it down???? Is it classist, racist, patriarchal, homophobic and so on so it needs to be fundamentally transformed and dragged into state enterprise control? Do we want bureaucrats to control every move at taxpayer expense? Do we want to ACTIVELY stop people from being productively employed, so we could match people who really want to work with positions where they’re really needed?

I think if we talked, we would agree on much more than you realize. I seriously doubt people like me destroyed your country, but if I’m doing something against what is good for America, our blessed land of liberty, I want to know about it and address that.

Debbie, I don’t believe Obama is running this country. He is fronting, I saw the CNN talking heads say he is the salesman for, what the Democrats want to do having come to power after George Bush.

Obama is a black man supported by Harry Reid because he feared Hilary Clinton would have been badly defeated. He fronts for a coalition including people with half-baked ideas. I’d say the Republican ideas are maybe three-quarters baked. He’s not doing anything for black people, and that’s partly to blame for the events in Kansas City at the NAACP. (Also to blame is to divert attention from the debate about legalizing marijuana to stop the imprisonment and conviction of so many black people because of marijuana laws.)

I believe if we are to provide the quality of life America stands for, for all Americans, and spread that around the world (instead of our mortgage-backed securities), we need to think how capitalism works. In most cases, a business owner begins by putting his or her own capital at risk, and then tries to meet the expectations of a market while making a profit before all those assets and capital are lost in the process. Sometimes it’s other people’s money that used.

Those who have not (except their own abilities) have no other recourse except to work, save, and if they want, build their own assets that they can use, or leverage to put at risk. Then they can lose those assets or they might get a return on those assets.

How alien is this conversation to our political discourse? Maybe it’s impolitic because if people feel they’re shut out of the market, or they lost a chance, or they just don’t know what this is all about, it’s too sensitive. But we need to talk about it now, because it’s slipping away, before it’s too late.

To Mr. Harrington. I’m sorry, but this original letter, which I’ve posted below, is not satire, it’s ridicule of the victims of black slavery. But it has important content. I think Mr. Williams in part wanted to hurt the descendants of black slaves, and that was wrong. Is that racism? Maybe just bias and stupidity. But I also think Williams felt he could get the attention of whites and blacks alike by bluntly putting out ideas we don’t want to look at.

Let me just strip out the obviously angry rhetoric and reduce it to the bare ideas.

“Freedom means having to work for real, think for ourselves, and take consequences along with the rewards. That is just far too much to ask of us and we demand that it stop! (that’s satire, it is ironic and humorous)

“In fact we held a big meeting and took a vote in Kansas City this week. We voted to condemn the ‘tea party movement’. (Williams calls the tea party movement an abolitionist spirit, to abolish slavery, white or black). (This is insight)

“Ending the bailouts is just silly. Bailouts are just big money welfare and isn’t that what we want to strive for? What they need to do is start handing the bail outs directly to us! We are the only responsible party that should be granted the right to disperse the funds. (sarcasm)

“What kind of master would ever not want to control my life? We must have somebody care for us otherwise we would be on our own, have to think for ourselves and make decisions! (tragicomic)

“The demand that the government “stop the out of control spending” means we would have to compete for jobs like everybody else and that is just not right. (sarcasm0

“Their demand that government “stop raising our taxes” is outrageous! People should not get to keep what they earn. Are we expected to be productive members of society? (criticism)

“Being a slave is job security. Let us get back to where we belong.(irony)”

What Williams was doing was rebutting a charge, already made by the NAACP that he and his ideas are racist. He examines them one by one and try to see how someone might consider them racist. He obviously hates calling these ideas racist and expressed that outrage by dressing up the charges in colorful language. No doubt he intended to enrage and draw attention, and he knows his party is being targeted by Barack and Michele Obama to stir up race-baiting and get out the vote in the 2010 elections.

Yes, Mr. Obama has done that as soon as he got in the race, he said Bill Clinton and John McCain are just racist against him because he is black. But if you take that out and look at the issues, you see that Mr. Obama is just plain wrong. His ideas are wrong. He doesn’t understand economics at all, and he is a race demagogue. Talk about the ideas and you see that we need opportunity to help people of all races, including, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, black, to achieve the quality of life, of individuals and families, that we want in America. On the ideas, I must totally agree with Mr. Williams. It is unfortunate that he responded to the NAACP attacks, politically motivated, with some of the vitriol that comes through. But we need to listen to each other, not point fingers, and we need to come to the table and put the country back on track. And we need private initiative to achieve anything, and we should not stifle that in order to racially socially re-engineer America. It will only ruin America.

Jonrik:

Ok, about sensitivity to the feelings and experiences of others different from oneself and respect. These are good things, although we can overly define others as different. We are the same in the most important ways. We were created equal in that we were endowed by the Creator with certain inalienable rights. That’s what I believe. And giving effect to those rights is what this election should be about, not the race of any particular candidates. Can we agree?

The NAACP IS ordering the Tea Party to go after their members because Cleaver and others, Lewis, and so forth think this is all about anti-black racism, which it is not. Emanuel Cleaver is from Kansas City, isn’t he? He is a political manipulator because he knows his party is losing to these Tea Party people. So he wants to make a racial conflict out of the election. he is going to lose, because when people voted for Obama they (or the media at least) thought he was some kind of superstar who “transcends race.” They did not vote for the stale old charges of racism from Cleaver. (By the way, I saw the tape and no one spit on Cleaver).

Can you be serious about this: “They were giving the benefit of the doubt to the Tea Party to show the public that it is not a racist movement.” I don’t know what you view is, but they were TARGETING the Tea Party because they fear the involvement of independents STRONGLY dissatisfied with the failures of leadership of Mr. Obama and his coalition. The Tea Party will REMOVE that coalition, and we should be talking about what direction we should go, not trying to maintain a stale and completely unacceptable status quo.

“That the NAACP’s comment [whatever you admit it was] hit a nerve. The comment was by no means “innocuous”, it was calculated to tinge the 2010 elections with the same racial attack on America we saw from Barack Obama in 2008. I’m guilty alright, I’m guilty of wanting to defend America. Now you say I’m “trying to turn this around against the accusers, just digging a deeper hole.” But you say the NAACP is not accusing, not ordering. I think you’re making an ill-founded accusation, that Americans should reject the Tea Party and vote for Democrats, because the Tea Party has no valid ideas except racism against Obama and the Democrats. If you’re making another accusation, be more specific please.

wub:

Yes, dear, there is a split in the Tea Party, and Mr. Webb has been widely interviewed throwing Williams out of the Tea Party. Yes, it’s largely staged by CNN, but it is getting media attention, and I think it’s an important debate.

Let’s see, today at wsj.com, I find “on CBS “Face the Nation” on Sunday, TeaParty365 co-founder David Webb said the head of the NAACP was practicing “selective racism” in calling on the party to denounce members that use racist language.” So his organization is called TeaParty365, I think it’s in New York.

And I find this post at http://www.teaparty365.org/tea-party-group-expels-leader-for-%E2%80%98clearly-offensive%E2%80%99-blog-post.

“Mark Williams, the tea party leader who wrote a blog post this week calling the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) racist, has been “expelled” from the National Tea Party Federation.

Williams wrote the blog post on Thursday in response to the NAACP’s Tuesday declaration accusing the tea party movement of tolerating racist elements in its midst (see The Upshot’s rundown on the week of attacks and counterattacks here). It was written as an imaginary letter to President Abraham Lincoln and accused the NAACP of being racist for using the word “colored” in its name. When some reacted to it in outrage, Williams deleted it from his website, declaring it time to “move forward.”

“The National Tea Party Federation apparently decided to move forward without Williams. Spokesman David Webb said on Face the Nation this morning that Williams and his Tea Party Express had been pushed out because Williams’ posting was “clearly offensive.”

So far Barack Obama has been branded a socialist,a communist,a fascist,a typist,a florist,a racist and I seem to be running out of ists.Come on all you lilly white repulsive republicans,help me out.

[...] Hill (blog)Bachmann's House Tea Party Caucus OK'd amid Racist ChargesHuman Events (blog)Bachmann “shocked” by NAACP charge of racism in tea party movementMinnesota IndependentHuffington Post (blog) -Global Timesall 396 news [...]

Wow…NAACP asks a group to expose and denounce the racist elements that have been emboldened to publicly state their hatred and people like Debbie, Dennis (same person?), and this Steve Carlson come out of the woodwork posting massive amounts of regurgitated doctrination. So you want to do away with “socialism”. You have no clue what you are talking about. This socialism that you claim to be fighting (1.) is not socialism nor is it prevelent in US government and (2.) socialism is neccessary for any society to survive and succeed. If you truly want to do away with the areas of socialism in our government I would like to see the 3 people listed above out on the streets protesting our police and fire departments. These are socialist programs…..GASP oh the horror of socialism. This war on socialism is beginning to sound a lot like McCarthyism. Oh and Debbie, unions are in no way outdated. Show me one company that goes above and beyond what is required by law or contract in the form of workers compensation and safety. Just one company that compensates its employees as well as it does its board members who are no more than employees that do no work. There is a phrase in manufacturing called “value added process”. This phrase means any process that the company actually makes money doing. No ceo or manager performs a value added process. The ONLY parts of a company that actually make the company money are the laborers. But the moment the ceo may loose his 20 million dollar bonus he lays off 200 laborers.

Unions are obsolete? Tell that to people like myself and Marcus who are proud members of such an organization. Unions protect its members’ interests against major corporations with deep pockets. For instance, let’s say a few of us are discriminated against or fired illegally by a company do we have the money to file suit or fight the charges against a major corporation? Of course not but as a union member we collectively have the money to get good representation. Why are you so against regular folks making good money and having good benefits? Should only wealthy CEO’s make good money and have good benefits? Why do the workers only take pay and benefit cuts? In fact we need more union people to fight for good pay and benefits. Maybe we should ALL make $.50 per hour with no benefits so corporations can make billions, outsource jobs and pay CEO’s millions? Don’t think so. Unity among workers is the only way we can ensure there are good jobs that pay enough to raise a family. If you think $30/hr. is too much how about 30 million? Is that ok?

@ Debbie

>> Really Deb? Really?? I served the country fixing Huey Helicopters(before they were De-commissioned) .. I never saw the combat line.. My job was to make sure that these helicopters were in prime condition for full engagement.. We now use Black Hawks and my education on the Huey is obsolete.. The Military must move on and that’s fine.. The world MUST move on.. As far as your anti-American view on labor.. You are OUT TO LUNCH!! I work as an electrician .. I give my employer 9 hours of work for an 8 hour day.. I am sick and tired of you ridiculous Christians that HATE the same people that have built this country and yet you HATE us.. I’m not sure where you get you info but “electrically speaking” the best people qualified to install electrical systems are the people that have had EXTENSIVE EDUCATION on that same FUCKING Topic!! Deb.. I am glad that you live in the society that thinks that the cheapest is best.. You Will be calling me as soon as that system fails.. (MANY people do)..

@ John
Sorry, I’ve been working so didn’t see your post. So what doctrine am I supposed to be regurgitating? I question (and ultimately reject) whether the United States government should be erecting a centralized collectivist economy. So as union members I guess you guys feel that it’s fine you work for Uncle Sam, even if Uncle Sam is running behind other centralist economies like China?

Our best chance is to generate jobs for all the talented people we have and try at least to be competitive and have economic growth. That’s not “doctrine”, that’s just better for everybody. The U.S. government is not creating any jobs except security-related work and a few bureaucrats, to offset the loss of bureaucrat and law-enforcement jobs at the state and local levels. It’s totally predictable under the rules of economics, not some malevolent “doctrine” you seem to see out there.

If you can read the Wall Street Journal (I’m not insulting, it really is quite a piece to read each day) you will get insight into the kinds of decisions that need to made each day by employers, policy-makers, and yourself as a rational economic actor. When you understand what is really going on you’ll have to admit that the level of policy-making in the House of Representatives, and by Betty McCollum from St. Paul, is woefully inadequate.

Steve

You are a product of Ford’s ideas of mass production. I do not have the time or space to explain lean production to you. All I can say is that if American managers and CEO’s had half a brain they would see that we are at least 50-60 years behind on manufacturing improvements. I am an engineer for a manufacturing company and we have recorded record sales every month for the past 3 years. That was when we fully embraced lean production. Our managers got out of our way and allowed us to unionize, made us all shareholders in our company (based on senority), froze all bonuses for management and ownership, and allowed us to form teams to decide on the most efficient way to move our products through the company. Our waste has been reduced as well the the amount of inventory that we need to maintain on site. The production in our company has improved 10 fold since we unionized. Yes I do read the WSJ. I see that American companies just don’t understand how to conduct business any more. American law makers are lost as well. You say that we don’t need a centralized collectivist economy. So how do we pay for our teachers, police, and fire fighters? I understand that you are talking on a larger scale, but how can any government survive without a centralized collectivist economy? We can see that capitalism goes in cycles of prosperity followed by either a recession or a depression. So how can anyone defend capitalism in the form that we use?

PS sorry Paul about getting off topic.

PPS sorry about the choppy train of thought

Michelle Bachmans last sentence or quote on this video clip “some one can filter my ideas in so they actually can make it into the greatest democratic body there is the house of Representative”, or very close to that well i am sorry ms Bachman i have sat for hours on hold and or listening to you on your tele town hall meetings to ask simple question’s to you about housing in the 6th congressional district of Minnesota ,your district and I never once have got through to ask a question. i was put on hold many times only to get a please leave a message and some one will contact you i also went to a job’s forum and for an 1 hour and 20 minutes all you did was complain about the democrat and president Oboma and about 10 minutes on jobs that made sense
I listened to many people who were walking out basically saying “i came here about jobs this was a waste of time and it did not have nothing to do with jobs ”
i then cornered you and ask a simple question and you gave me a deer in the headlight stepford wive stare, and your aid said, you had to go do a quick interview and off you went
so the bottom line if it doesn’t fit your agenda you avoid it at all cost
so please don’t ask for idea,s that you have no intention to respond to i am so mad at myself that i voted for you independent voter ray