Democrats Hysterical Over Tea Party Republicans
By Mary Kate Cary, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
Why is the left so angry? It's a question posed by columnist Byron York today, and he's got a great point. With control of House, Senate, and White House, you'd think they'd be sitting on top of the world. Instead, they lash out in anger. York writes:
If you doubt it, just watch a few minutes of MSNBC, where the recent nationwide series of "tea parties" to protest federal spending and taxes set off an angry, almost manic response. The most telling came on Keith Olbermann's program, during which the actress Janeane Garofalo, who plays an FBI computer geek on "24," denounced the tea parties as "racism straight up."
"Let's be very honest about what this is about," Garofalo said. "It's not about bashing Democrats. It's not about taxes...This is about hating a black man in the White House."
Was she watching the same tea parties the rest of us were?
Similarly, longtime Democratic adviser Robert Shrum wrote in The Week about the tea parties, in a diatribe that seems to border on hysteria. Calling the tea parties "insubstantial," "incoherent," "hate-filled," and "paranoia on parade," Shrum compares those protesting Obama's tax-and-spend policies to those who supported McCarthyism, anti-Catholicism, and even those who distributed leaflets on the day of Kennedy's assassination accusing him of being a communist. He also throws in references to anti-Muslim rhetoric, swastikas, and rising gun sales as well. Clearly he doesn't think these protests were "insubstantial," or he wouldn't feel so threatened by them.
Isn't that what's going on here—that those who have a stake in a bigger government, higher taxes, and higher spending might feel threatened by what they saw last week? The fact that the RNC had nothing to do with the tea parties makes them even scarier to some. These were citizens upset at the size and scope of our government, and there's nothing wrong with them saying so—even if some of them were a little on the fringes. That happens at every protest. The bottom line is that the vast majority of protesters were not "hate-filled," but expressing a legitimate concern. They don't deserve to be belittled and insulted.
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Tags: Democrats | Republicans | activism
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Reader Comments
Finally some facts - thank you!
Bardsmith from TX, I just want to say thanks for sharing that budget graph. This is helpful to the conversation. I find it puzzling though, because it was my understanding that the programs Obama proposed would be mostly covered by the tax increase on the highest earning bracket. I have a feeling that he will have to make a lot of compromises anyway, so I'm not too worried that something like this will pass as-is. As far as our economy goes, I do see this as an investment in the "business" that is our country. Just like any business, to grow it you need to invest in it. So we are making an investment in our infrastructure -- most importantly our energy production. If we can become energy independent, and lead the world in clean energy production, we will have accomplished much, and turned our economic lemons into lemonade. This is the American spirit that I love. I believe we can do this. Think of it as a business loan to America. Our business will be booming again before long, and we'll look back on these days and know we made the right choice. The other option is to languish in mediocrity and prolonged struggle. That's not an attractive option, and not very American. Obama may have miscalculated by trying to do too much all at once. We'll see where this all goes. Meanwhile, I do think everyone should speak their mind, however I would really like to see everyone do that without attacking each other. Much love to the big TX from sunny AZ.
What kind of kool aid are the people on the left drinking?
The tea parties were not about Obama. They were not about democrats or republicans. They were about excess government growth, taxes and spending. Plain and simple. The republicans overspent when they had a chance to cut back and it cost them dearly. I hope the democrats who have chosen to show the republicans how to grossly overspend are similarly punished. It is time we went back to a government 'of the people, by the people and for the people'.
Bush deficit vs. Obama deficit
There is an easy way to compare the Bush deficits vs. the Obama deficits. Just take a look at this graph that was in the Washington Post last month.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2009/03/21/GR2009032100104.html?sid=ST2009032100105
The Bush deficits are the gray bars; Obama's are the red. All the spending below the line is money we don't have -- money we will have to borrow. Even Democratic Senator Kent Conrad called the Obama budget deficit "totally unsustainable."
THIS is why about a million of us were protesting at tea parties on April 15. We are motivated by fear for our children and grandchildren, who will bear the burden of government overspending.
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