Tag Archives: Tea Party

Election, Featured, Opinion, Politics

Trump’s Tea Party Leaders Ready To Win

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The Donald Trump doctrine doesn’t fit neatly into any particular ideological box. He doesn’t agree 100 percent with the Republican platform, nor do his plans for economy fit perfectly within the Taxed-Enough-Already Party that emerged in 2009 as a response to the reckless spending in Washington, D.C.

But many conservatives, like radio host Rush Limbaugh, believe that Trump is an “offshoot” of the Tea Party trend and that if Trump wins the White House it would be be a huge win for a movement that has fought the “Washington machine” since its inception.

Truth In Media’s Joshua Cook reached out to Tea Party leaders to get their thoughts on Trump’s influence on the political movement in America.

Former Tea Party leaders like Amy Kremer, who is now Chairman of Trump Super PAC GreatAmericaPAC, said, “there are multiple reasons Tea Party members are for Donald Trump.”

“Donald Trump is a man of his word and will do what he says. He doesn’t follow the rules of political correctness and will not be intimidated by the establishment and the powers that be,” said Kremer.

“The Tea Party was ignited because of fiscal issues,” Kremer said. “Donald Trump is a businessman that understands international finance and his campaign is not at the behest of multinational corporations like other campaigns. Fixing the trade deficits will bring prosperity and jobs back to America.”

“Donald Trump will fix the immigration issue. By fixing the illegal immigration issue, America will be safer, more jobs will be available for legal residents and the country will prosper immensely,” Kremer said.

Gerri McDaniel, a Tea Party leader in Myrtle Beach and Trump’s S.C. Grassroots Field Director, said that “hard work, determination and believing in your candidate is why we had a victory in S.C. Mr. Trump has the backing of the blue collar workers who are sick and tired of the way politicians have been destroying their way of life.”

Joe Dugan, founder and Executive Producer of the South Carolina Tea Party Coalition Convention told Cook that many Tea Party activists are split between Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).

“Trump’s support comes from those who are so disgusted with the betrayal by the GOP that they are eager to support a total change. This group has a lot of newer and less informed voters are voting with their emotions and want a complete and immediate overhaul.. They do not realize how deeply the corruption is embedded. I think Cruz supporters feel the system can still be saved by a literal interpretation of the Constitution. They tend to be better informed and vote with their intellect hoping the sewer can be cleaned. They are more willing to take an incremental view but they too have little patience left,” said Dugan.

Many in the movement are split between Trump and Cruz. Tea Party darling Sarah Palin rocked the movement by endorsing Trump, while Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), popular for his libertarian leanings, raised eyebrows by supporting Cruz.

Despite the split within the movement, both Trump and Cruz are leading the GOP field and the establishment is hating the “hostile takeover” of the Republican Party.

John Steinberger, former Republican Charleston County Chairman and current co-chair for the SC Charleston County Trump campaign, said that “Trump always tells his crowds that this isn’t just a campaign— it’s a movement. He will bring in millions of new Republican voters who don’t want our country controlled by Lobbyists, donors and special interests.”

Follow Joshua Cook on Facebook and Twitter.

Election, Politics

Kentucky Elects Matt Bevin as Governor and First African-American as Lt. Governor

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KENTUCKY, November 4, 2105– History was made in Kentucky on Tuesday night when two political outsiders, Matt Bevin and Jenean Hampton, were elected in the state’s Gubernatorial race in what was almost a landslide vote.

Hampton, Kentucky’s first African-American Lieutenant Governor, is a Tea Party-aligned firebrand.

Born on Detroit’s west side in 1958, Hampton grew up in a less than ideal financial situation. One of four daughters born to Donald and Marie Hampton, she learned to get by with very little as she watched her parents struggle to support the family.

Hampton has a diverse career. She joined the U.S. Air Force, where she spent seven years writing code and managing software such as the radar used to find enemy planes in Operation Desert Storm, where she was deployed. She then spent 19 years in the corrugated packing industry.

In 2014, Hampton ran for her first political office when she challenged the longest serving state representative in Kentucky history. Her opponent was a Democrat and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) endorsed her in that race, but she lost. That’s all the political experience Hampton had under her belt until she ran for Lt. Governor with Bevin heading the ticket.

Despite being an outsider, Bevin’s name is familiar to many in Republican politics. The wealthy businessman, backed by the Tea Party, took on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in the 2014 Republican primary, but was defeated.

Shortly after his defeat to McConnell, Bevin hit the campaign trail again and announced his intent to run for Governor. Eventually, McConnell was on board to support Bevin in the race.

Taking a note from Donald Trump, Bevin mostly self-funded his campaign.

“I have no favors to pay back. There’s not one person in this state who believes they are going to have a job in my administration… There’s not one person who I’ve promised anything to,” he said last week at a diner, according to The Washington Post’s James Hohmann. “Donald Trump is an interesting fellow… Part of what people appreciate about him is the very same thing. He doesn’t owe anybody anything.”

Still, the Republican Governors Association dumped millions into the race.

For weeks, Kentucky pollsters had been calling the race for Democrat Jack Conway by at least 5-10 percent. Bevin won by 9 points.

With 100 percent of the vote counted, Bevin led Conway with 53 percent of the vote compared to the Democrat’s 44 percent, which means pollsters were off by double digits. Independent, libertarian leaning Drew Curtis received nearly 4 percent.

FOLLOW MICHAEL LOTFI ON Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn.

Featured, Politics, US

Fox News Host: House Freedom Caucus, Tea Party Should Leave GOP and Form Third Party

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Decrying the Republican Party’s ineffectiveness in choosing a speaker of the House of Representatives, Fox News journalist and The Five co-host Juan Williams wrote in an op-ed that members of the Tea Party and House Freedom Caucus should quit the GOP and form a new party.

“The Tea Party activists need to make it official and petition to form their own political party. Heritage Action, the Senate Conservative Fund and right-wing talk radio can lead the Tea Party faithful to the exit,” said Williams.

He added, “The time has come for the members of the Freedom Caucus to act boldly and forfeit the ‘R’ after their names – along with all the money and the political infrastructure that come with it.”

Williams wrote that a “political divorce” would be “the quickest path to a return to health for the [Republican] party.”

[RELATED: Kevin McCarthy Drops Out Of Speaker Race]

To Williams, the political declines of Paul Ryan, Eric Cantor, and Kevin McCarthy, who were marketed as Republican “young guns” in 2010 before they “went from being the great conservative hope of the party to insufficiently conservative targets for hard-right political retribution,” are symptoms of an irreconcilable division in the party that hurts its chances in upcoming elections. He claimed that there is an “increasing ideological distance between the GOP and the Tea Party over the last few years.”

The Fox News political analyst suggested that the formation of a third party by Tea Party faithful and House Freedom Caucus members, which he dubbed the “Freedom Party,” could lead the U.S. to a future in which it has a European-style coalition government. He said that Sen. Ted Cruz should lead the new party “instead of undercutting mainstream Republicans.”

Williams said that the “status quo” of division and infighting “needs to be disrupted in a big way” before the House votes on raising the debt ceiling or reauthorizing the Highway Trust Fund so that conservatives and libertarians do not interfere with or draw out the process in a way that he feels might attract negative media attention and hurt GOP candidates’ at the polls.

“Once the Freedom Caucus and its supporters are allowed to compete, rise and fall as an autonomous political party, the happier everyone will be and the more functional the government will become,” he said. “[Leaving the Republican Party] will liberate Tea Party politicians from the mainstream GOP’s willingness to make political deals with Democrats. And it will allow far right conservatives to form their own agenda and elevate their own leaders.“

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Rand Paul releases own State of the Union speech

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After President Obama gave his State of the Union speech Tuesday night, Senator Rand Paul released his own State of the Union speech online.

Paul starts by saying, “All is not well in America,” and from here he outlines what he thinks is wrong in the country.

The first thing Paul says is needed in America is “new leadership.” He does not mean get rid of the president, rather this is a call for a limit to the number of terms congressmen and other high ranking officials can serve. Currently, the U.S. has 11 people in the House or Senate who have served 35+ years as political leaders. Paul says by eliminating the limitless number of terms these leaders can have, new blood will flow into Washington, bringing fresh and new ideas.

As the president took time in his speech to outline his plan to continue to fight the war on poverty, Paul says he believes the war on poverty has failed. “Income inequality has worsened under this administration, and tonight, President Obama offers more of the same policies,” said Paul. “Policies which allow the poor to get poorer, and the rich to get richer…[Americans] don’t want a handout but a hand-up.”

Then, Paul takes a jab at Congress for their failure to balance the national budget, asking how Congress cannot balance a budget like every other American household? Paul says if Congress cannot balance the budget for one reason or another, an amendment should be added to make balancing the budget a mandatory act of Congress.

After mentioning an increase in the national debt, Paul calls out Hillary Clinton and what he calls her war in Libya. “Libya is now a jihadist wonderland,” says Paul, who then says we are more at risk for terrorist attacks “than ever before,” because of the actions in Libya.

Shortly afterward this mention, he says we need to not worry about the Middle East since war has been in the region for thousands of years, and instead we should worry about our issues here in the U.S.

Then in an odd instance, Paul seems to advocate for universal healthcare, but not President Obama’s version of healthcare. “It is a noble aspiration and a moral obligation to make sure our fellow man is provided for, that medical treatment is made available to all.”

While President Obama may have limited the choice of doctors available to some citizens, Paul says we should have the option to choose which doctor we want within our healthcare plan. “Everyone knows our healthcare system needed reforming, but it was the wrong prescription to choose more government instead of more consumer choice and competition. Obamacare restriction freedom…” Paul’s answer to fix the president’s healthcare plan, “Let’s try freedom again, it worked for over 200 years.”

A moment was also taken to propose a flat tax, as well as a cut to national spending.

In the last minutes of his speech, Paul rehashes many of his main talking points which have been seen in the news and heard in his many speeches. He wants to hold political leaders accountable for their actions, he asks how we can trust members of Congress since they only have a 10 percent approval rating, and then says the government has no right to collect our phone data and he backs this up with a mention of the Constitution.

Before ending, Paul says he will propose an audit of the Pentagon to “seek ways  to make our defense department more modern and efficient without breaking the bank.”

The speech does not seem to be a response to President Obama’s State of the Union speech, rather it appears to be a gathering of all of Paul’s talking points over the last few years, compiled into one consistent speech. He doesn’t offer many counterpoints to the president’s speech, or alternatives to what the president said. Instead, he tries to strengthen his political stance on a few issues, and he attempts to reach the moderates who are upset with the state of politics in Washington.

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South Carolina Tea Party Convention Fires Up Base

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Follow me on Twitter at @RealJoshuaCook for live coverage.

 

For the first time ever, the South Carolina Tea Party Coalition Convention is sold out,  and attendees are getting fired up for 2016, with speeches from potential Presidential candidates.

The group told Breitbart news that they’ve been overwhelmed by an unexpectedly high level of interest among activists statewide.

The event, which is taking place at a resort in Myrtle Beach, S.C., includes overflow areas that will show videos of the speeches since the main ballroom only holds 700 people.

An estimated crowd of about 1,100 to 1,200 will hear speeches from Texas Senator and Tea Party favorite Ted Cruz.

Other speakers include real estate magnate Donald Trump, Dr. Ben Carson and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum.

Other speakers include Reps. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Jim Bridenstine (R-OK), Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Tom Rice (R-SC), Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) and Cruz’s father Rafael Cruz and other Conservative leaders.

In previous years, the convention was limited to members of the grassroots Tea Party movement. This year they wanted a wider reach:

“This year, we decided that it’s not enough to just go out and vote. Americans need to take a more active role in their government. Therefore, we are providing a dozen training classes and opening up admission to the general public because they also need to hear the message we’ve been sending out for the past three years which is the reality and truth about what’s happening in America. All we hear is lies, deception and deceit from Washington, and we need to tear away the curtain of secrecy and let the American people know what’s really happening,” said Joe Dugan, the convention’s executive producer to Breitbart.

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RINO Revenge: Graham, McCain Remove Tea Party Foes

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Senators and BFFs John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) are removing their adversaries from their state Republican parties to control campaign funds and party politics.

According to Politico, McCain is seeking revenge on the state party that had him censured by having his political team engage “in an aggressive and systematic campaign to reshape the state GOP apparatus by ridding it of conservative firebrands and replacing them with steadfast allies.”

In his focus are conservative activists who hold obscure, but influential, local party offices.

By doing this, he is removing the party officials who are also in control of campaign funds.

“There’s been a huge organizational effort that I’ve never seen before,” said Gordon James, an Arizona public relations executive and longtime McCain confidant, told Politico. “A lot of the party folks who were hostile to John McCain have been marginalized, and that’s a good thing.”

In October, Graham also did some housekeeping.

According to FITSNEWS, anti-Graham members of the South Carolina [Greenville County] Republican Party were removed, calling it a “ a seismic shift within the party.”

“Former executive committeeman Bill Rhodes was unceremoniously booted from the Greenville GOP for ‘disloyalty’ – namely refusing to support Graham’s candidacy.  Two other executive committee members resigned from the party in protest of the way Rhodes was treated” reported FITSNEWS.

One GOP insider told BenSwann.com’s Joshua Cook that Graham has his eyes on Greenville  County, a local party that censured him for his progressive voting record.

There is an organized effort to remove all limited-government and pro-liberty executive committee members by systematically purging them from the Party. FitsNews calls this move, the Greenville Coup.

The Greenville County Executive Committee, which includes Graham’s Regional Director as one of its members, recently tried to pass a rule change requiring the body to pass future censure motions by a two thirds vote, instead of the current majority vote. Graham has been on the receiving end of two censures from the party. Fortunately, that rules change was defeated by the conservatives still left in the Greenville GOP. 

Tea Party leaders are planning to “take back the Party” from establishment Republicans loyal to Graham at precinct reorganization next Spring. But a few weeks ago, the County Party leadership announced significant changes to the upcoming precinct reorganization. Some have speculated that these changes will allow more centralized control of the process. Simply put, Tea Party leaders have an uphill battle to regain influence and control of the county parties.

Some speculate that this move by Graham could be revenge on the Tea Party, but it could be something more practical, like laying the ground work for his own presidential run in 2016.

Politics, US

Tea Party lawsuits against the IRS thrown out of court

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The courts have ruled in favor of the IRS Thursday after federal courts in DC threw-out lawsuits being brought against the agency by more than 40 conservative groups seeking compensation for the delays and scrutiny of their tax-exempt forms and applications.

Two cases involving the groups True the Vote and Linchpins of Liberty were deemed moot by Judge Reggie Walton of the US District Court of the District of Columbia, after it was made clear the IRS had granted the groups their desired tax-exempt status.  The case involving Linchpins of Liberty also involved the other 40 conservative groups who had banded together and polled their efforts for the case.

“After the plaintiff initiated this case, its application to the IRS for tax-exempt status was approved by the IRS,” said Judge Walton, according to Politico.  “The allegedly unconstitutional governmental conduct, which delayed the processing of the plaintiff’s tax exempt application and brought about this litigation, is no longer impacting the plaintiff.”

True the Vote founder, Catherine Engelbrecht, said she was very upset by the decision and feels the targeting and her and her group’s political views is a “reprehensible” act.  “The court acknowledges in its opinion that the IRS did in fact target True the Vote for our perceived political beliefs, but then it holds that neither the agency nor the individual IRS agents or officers are responsible for this unconstitutional conduct,” said Engelbrecht. 

“It’s a disappointing ruling,” Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told the Daily Signal.  “It basically leaves targets of bad behavior by the IRS without a remedy.”

The IRS has admitted it used inappropriate measures and criteria to single-out conservative groups, starting in 2010, in order to slow the process of holding the status of tax-exempt groups.  Two House committees are still carrying out their own investigations into the IRS on these claims, according to the Washington Times, and many top IRS officials, such as Louis Lerner, have already resigned from their positions.

Drug War, Election, Health, Politics, US

Facts About Marijuana at Republican Forum Countered with Satirical Article

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Broward County, FL – Last week, the controversy over Florida’s Amendment 2, which seeks to legalize medical marijuana, came to a boiling point at a meeting of the Broward Republican Executive Committee.

Neill Franklin, a speaker from the Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), attended the meeting, to speak in favor of the amendment.

Franklin is a retired major from the Maryland State Police, who spent over 30 years working in narcotics. His own personal experience in the field led him to change his stance on the subject.

According to NBC 6 in Miami, Franklin is “one of the nation’s leading voices on legalizing marijuana,” and while at the GOP meeting, he “cited FBI data from the 22 states that have legalized marijuana, as well as other federal sources.”

“In the states that have moved forward with medical cannabis, they have lower overdose death rates for opiate medicines, pills, and heroin. That says something,” Franklin said.

Franklin’s appearance at the meeting did not go over well with the majority in attendance, who were quick to voice this criticism:

Neill Franklin was invited to speak at the Broward Republican Executive Committee meeting, to establish a counter-argument, after Tea Party activists in Fort Lauderdale handed out a document condemning Amendment 2.

The document cited an article from The Daily Currant, a well-known satirical website, which claims that its stories are “purely fictional.”

The article said “37 people were killed” across the state of Colorado on the first day Marijuana was legalized.

It quoted a Dr. Jack Shepard, saying, “By next week the death toll could go as high as 200, maybe 300. Someone needs to step in and stop this madness. My god, why did we legalize marijuana? What were we thinking?”

While regular subscribers to The Daily Currant, recognized the satire, and realized that the article was false, the Tea Party Activists in Fort Lauderdale used the information from the article as factual evidence to support their case:

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The handout from Tea Party activists in Fort Lauderdale also contained quotes from Dr. Lawrence Wilson, which claimed that “marijuana is just as addictive as cocaine and heroin, for some people, especially teenagers.”

Wilson’s website says that he received his M.D. degree from the University of Guerrero, Mexico, in 1979, and that instead of a medical residency, he studied under Dr. Paul Eck, a “mineral researcher and founder of Analytical Research Laboratories,” in Phoenix, from 1979 to 1982.

Although Wilson is not a practicing doctor, he does give seminars on “nutritional balancing science” and “hair mineral analysis.”

Wilson’s claims regarding medical marijuana, according to the handout, are provided in a copy below:

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The debate on the legalization of Marijuana has grown to be a hot topic, not just in Florida, but all over the United States.

Investigative Journalist Ben Swann took the time to research medical marijuana, the testimonies from those who have used it, and the U.S. government’s involvement with its classification:

Politics, US

Conservatives want Sarah Palin to lead new Third Party

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What is being penned by the Talking Points Memo as an “ultra-conservative” Third Party, has been suggested by the former California assemblyman and conservative activist Steve Baldwin, and he wants Sarah Palin to lead the new party.

Baldwin wrote a piece for the online conservative-Christian website, Barbwire, saying the GOP has turned its back on the more conservative wing of the party as well as the Tea Party.

“It has become increasingly clear that the GOP leadership will do everything in its power to prevent the party from being influenced in any way by the Tea Party,” wrote Baldwin.  “I have given up on the GOP and am simply not sure it can ever be reformed.”

The newly proposed Third Party would be a conglomerate of Tea Party members and, what are being called by the Raw Story, “Christian extremists.”  Key issues the party would be centered around would be the elimination of all federal funding for abortions, defense of the 2nd amendment, and restricting special rights to citizens based on their sexual orientation or behavior.

Baldwin seems to believe Republicans in leadership roles throughout the government have done nothing but bicker amongst themselves when other issues are at hand.  Rather, Baldwin wants to “unite conservatives, libertarians, the Christian Right, and the Tea Party movement,” despite the differences between the party sects, in order to replace the Republican Party and be the main contender with with Democratic Party, according to TPM.

In terms of the leadership of the new party, Baldwin writes in his BW article how he would like to see “respected national conservative leaders such as Sarah Palin and others to lead the charge on such an effort.”

The plan to start the party though will not be a nationwide movement, but will consist of small, state-by-state operations to help boost support and establish the new party.  Baldwin hopes to start the movement in the state of Iowa and move outwards from there.

“Such an effort may take years but even the process of building a viable Third Party may be beneficial,” wrote Baldwin.  “Perhaps even the mere existence of such an effort will possibly save the GOP.”

Featured, Politics, US

House Republicans continue with plan to sue President Obama

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A piece of legislation will soon be voted on by the House of Representatives, which would allow President Obama to be sued for what many Republican House members are describing as his overreach of authority.

Those who support this legislation are claiming President Obama’s circumvention of Congress through the use of executive orders was unconstitutional.  Some Republicans, including former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, have been calling for the impeachment of the president over what they view as his willingness to overstep the Constitution on the same grounds.

What it would take to impeach a president though is what the Constitution calls “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”  These crimes include, but are not limited to according to constitution.org, “perjury of oath, refusal to obey orders, abuse of authority, dereliction of duty, etc.”

Paul Ryan, the House Budget Committee Chairman, however, told reporters Wednesday, according to TIME, the House should move forward with the talks of suing the president for his use of executive orders, but abandon the thought of impeachment.  “This does not rise to the high crimes and misdemeanor level,” Ryan said.

Many Democrats are calling the idea of suing the president “legally groundless,” and saying it will only be a burden on taxpayers, resulting in the unnecessary use of millions of tax dollars.

Democratic Congressman Alcee Hastings has, according to the BBC, called the plan to sue the president “frivolous on steroids,” and “absolutely insane.”

The use of the president’s executive orders is the central issue for both talks of impeachment and potential lawsuits.  The president has mentioned in the past he would act unilaterally with his executive orders to bypass House Republicans, who are “unwilling to stand up to the Tea Party in order to do what’s best for the country.”

Ryan, however, has said the executive orders are hindering the process of checks and balances established by the Constitution.

What many people fail to remember is presidents have used multiple executive orders to push through legislation in the past.  While President Obama has so far used 183 executive orders, many past presidents have exceeded 300 executive orders including Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, and Jimmy Carter.

House Republicans are holding to their claims, saying President Obama is upsetting the balance of power amongst the three branches of government.

“Such a shift in power,” wrote Republicans in a report to accompany the legislation, “should alarm members of both political parties because it threatens the very institution of the Congress.”

Featured, Opinion, Politics, US

Video: NH Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Called Tea Party Members “Teabaggers”

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Video has surfaced of Walter Havenstein, the GOP establishment’s pick to challenge Maggie Hassan (D-NH) in the upcoming New Hampshire gubernatorial race, dismissing Tea Party conservatives as “teabaggers” while speaking to a group of business students at the University of New Hampshire. The video is from 2010, during the height of the Tea Party’s popularity.

“We got a lot of problems in this country,” said Havenstein.  “The teabaggers, or whatever they are, they’ve been telling us that all summer long. Alright?”

“Isn’t that who they are? I’m a little out of touch,” Havenstein continued, smiling.

The usage of a sexual slur is Havenstein’s latest folly. As previously reported, Havenstein is the former CEO of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), a tech company that was awarded billions in federal contracts and implicated in in a spyware hack on security software that happened to involve the NSA. He was still CEO of SAIC at the time of this video.

Havestein insisted in a press release that he was using the word in a positive manner. According to the Union Leader:

“As anyone who watches the full video can clearly see, I was talking about the positive impact that the Republican victory in the 2010 elections had on shaking up the status quo. So it was obviously a poor choice of words. The great thing about our democracy is that we get to shake things up every two years, which is what I want to do this November.”

This past weekend, at the Coalition of New Hampshire Taxpayers straw poll and picnic in Hillsborough, Havenstein was approached by attendee Dennis Hamel. Hamel explained to Havenstein that the word “teabagger” is a “trigger word” used by opponents of Republicans to specifically incite anger, and had asked Havenstein to apologize. “How should I react when you referred to me, my wife, most of the people in this room, and millions of patriotic Americans with a homosexual slur?” Hamel asked Havenstein. Havenstein responded that Hamel should watch the full video of his speech, and Hamel replied that “a very sincere and public apology is in order.” Havenstein did not reply.

Republican candidate for governor Andrew Hemingway responded to Havenstein’s video slur in a statement:

“Whether one likes the ‘Tea Party’ or doesn’t like the ‘Tea Party,’ everyone should be offended by this. People have referred to me as a Tea Partier and I always say this: If you mean an average citizen worried about the future of our country as it relates to over-taxation, over-regulation and limited liberty who is willing to stand up and work? Then fine. That’s who these people are.”

Hemingway was also in attendance at the CNHT straw poll, and gave a speech following Havenstein’s that began pointedly describing the beginning of the Tea Party organization in New Hampshire. “I’m curious, how many of you were at the very first Tea Party that was started in New Hampshire? How many of you were there for that?” Hemingway asked the crowd.

Hemingway went on to discuss the work done over the last four years by Tea Party and liberty-minded Republicans fighting for lower taxes and reduced spending, while Havenstein “was living in Maryland, speaking at groups passing derogatory comments about the Tea Party.”

“This is unacceptable. This is unacceptable from the likes of Rachel Maddow, and this is unacceptable from the likes of a Republican candidate running, asking for your vote. I am offended, we should all be offended that this type of behavior exists,” Hemingway said. “We must have an apology for this type of action.” Hemingway bested Havenstein the straw poll 111-43.

The video of Hemingway’s speech is available below.

Politics, US

Breaking: Tea Party leader conspiring to photograph Senator Chochran’s wife in scandal found dead

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MISSISSIPPI, June 27, 2014– Mark Mayfield, a prominent leader of the Mississippi Tea Party, has been found dead. He and three others were accused of  conspiring to photograph Mississippi U.S. Senator Thad Cochran’s wife in her nursing home.

The four individuals believed there was a scandal involving Cochran and his ailing wife. The photos would eventually be used in an anti-Cochran video campaign.

Although many tried to connect the photographs to Cochran’s Tea Party primary challenger State Senator Chris McDaniel (R), the McDaniel campaign continuously refuted any link.

Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant (R) issued the following statement:

“Deborah and I are saddened to hear of the loss of Mark Mayfield. He was a long-time friend, and he will be missed. Our prayers go out to his family in this tragic moment.”

Mayfield was arrested on May 22 and charged with conspiracy. Madison County district attorney alleges that Mayfield gave advice on how to get into the nursing home where Rose Cochran, suffering from Alzheimer’s, lives. According to the DA, Mayfield refused to take the picture himself, but his mother had lived in the facility so he knew the best way to gain admission.

Officials have ruled Mayfield’s death a suicide, but say an autopsy will still be conducted to rule out foul play.

Follow Michael Lotfi On Facebook & Twitter.

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Chris Matthews: “This looking down our noses at the Tea Party people has got to stop”

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Last week, MSNBC’s blowhard Chris Matthews came out in support of the Tea Party: “This looking down our noses at the Tea Party people has got to stop. They have a message, they’re as American as any liberal is, and they’re really angry about the failure of the system.”

While Matthews realizes that the Tea Party is here to stay, apparently Tea Party persecution is here to stay as well.

A police chief in western Wisconsin is being accused of using a Tea Party activist’s personal information to open accounts on pornographic, dating and insurance websites, after the activist filed a federal lawsuit against the chief.

Town of Campbell Chief Tim Kelemen used Tea Party activist Greg Luce’s email to establish profiles on Match.com and Selectquote.com to generate harassing solicitations, according to police investigation reports. He also visited sexually explicit pages and posted negative comments about Luce on the LaCrosse Tribune’s website using the username “Bill O’Reilly.”

Kelemen admitted to using Luce’s email on websites, but he said he didn’t realize the conduct was illegal, the LaCrosse Tribune reported. He said it was done after Luce filed suit in February against the town of Campbell, Kelemen and an officer over an ordinance that prohibits signs on a pedestrian bridge across Interstate 90 where Luce and other patriots held protests against President Obama.  Kelemen justified his actions, because he said Luce had been harassing the department. Kelemen told investigators “he felt it was the only way to get back at him.”

In October of last year, Kelemen threatened Luce with a ticket for participating in an overpass demonstration, which are not allowed due to safety concerns. After that run-in, Kelemen said that the police department have been inundated with Internet harassment, including online death threats, and attempts to access the department’s computer system and the chief’s personal bank account, James Birnbaum said. Kelemen reported the activity to the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

Currently Kelemen is on paid leave. Monroe County investigators recommended Kelemen face a criminal charge.

La Crosse police launched an investigation in January when Luce discovered someone had used his name and email address to register him on pornography and dating websites and on healthcare.gov.

This story piggybacks the unfair scrutiny put on Tea Party groups who applied for non-profit status through the IRS.

Opinion, Politics, US

LOTFI: Dear Tea Party, On Cantor’s loss- You didn’t build that

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VIRGINIA, June 11, 2014- It’s been 24 hours since the polls closed in Virginia, and the political establishment was rocked in what is being called the most earth-shattering defeat in decades.

National Tea Party groups have been fast to speak out and congratulate Brat on defeating Eric Cantor (R-Va.), the GOP’s second most powerful Republican. As is often the case, when a big win is scored, those with large megaphones are always ready to speak up.

“Congratulations to Dave Brat on his huge upset. The statement from the grassroots could not be any clearer. It doesn’t matter what office you hold or how powerful you are. If you lose touch with activists on the ground, then your seat is in danger,” wrote Freedom Works’ Matthew Kibbe. “The grassroots are taking their seat back at the table and returning accountability to Washington. Votes on Capitol Hill will be heard back in the district,” he added. “We are proud to stand with Dave Brat in his election and look forward to working with him to reform Washington, D.C.”

Tea Party Patriots, one of the largest Tea Party groups in the nation, said in a statement: “Dave Brat won tonight in Virginia because he effectively harnessed the outrage at Washington over policies that have not been repetitive of the people …” She added on Twitter: Eric Cantor “lost his election – is the establishment dead? Way to go #teaparty activists in VA. You the grassroots won. #noamnesty won.”

You are proud to stand with Brat? But wait– You didn’t!

They all champion Brat, as if they had been cheering him all along, and yet not one of them gave him a dime. Club for Growth, Madison Project, Tea Party Network (not to be confused with Tea Party News Network), Tea Party Patriots, Tea Party Express— not a single dime. In natural political fashion, never let a tragedy– or victory go to waste. Now, they will all continue to send out newsletters to their massive email lists claiming “See what we did in Virginia! We can take the country back! –Oh, P.S. please donate $10.” In fact, they’ve already started sending them– touting Brat’s victory as a reason to donate more to their respective groups. Why? Again, you all did nothing.

In fact, all of these groups have been collecting millions in donations, and they have not put a single dime into many winnable races.

According to a Washington Post report, the six largest national Tea Party groups have spent more than $37.5 million on the mid-terms so far. However, only $7 million of the spent donations have actually gone directly to candidates. Where did the other $30.5 million go? Well, it goes directly into their family members’ pockets for ‘consulting fees’, giving themselves lucrative benefit packages, paying themselves $272k/year salaries, and even spending $52k in interior decorating fees for one of their fancy Capitol Hill town-homes. How fiscally conservative of them.

Of course, there are fixed and variable costs, and the best talent should be paid what the market demands.

However, three of the largest groups — the Tea Party Patriots, the Tea Party Express and the Madison Project — have spent only 5 percent (some even less) of their money directly on election-related activity during this mid-term election cycle. Two other prominent tea party groups, the Senate Conservatives Fund and FreedomWorks, have devoted about 40 percent. In contrast, the average Super-PAC devotes more than 60% of their funds directly to candidates.

Dear Tea Party Patriots’ Jenny Beth Martin,

If you’re paying yourself $272k/year (plus a $15k/month ‘consulting fee’) and are devoting 5% of total resources to candidates, then what in the hell are you doing to deserve $272k/year + $15k/month? What are you doing with the other 95% of your time and money?

National Tea Party groups are becoming the very monsters they tell you all to fear and hate in their fundraising emails. Their most recent emails and statements should reflect shame and sorrow. They should be apologizing to Brat and countless other candidates they are completely ignoring while convincing millions of people to fund their luxury lifestyles. However, they won’t apologize. Instead, they will simply send more fallicious fundraising emails to capitalize off of Brat’s victory.

These groups did absolutely nothing to help Brat beat Cantor. The local tea party and grassroots activists are 100% responsible for the win.

Donors Beware: Do not be fooled by their emails. Do not let them score millions of your dollars off of Brat’s victory. Give your money directly to a candidate (never to the party) and give to local groups only.

Follow Michael Lotfi On Facebook & Twitter.

Featured, Opinion, US

Who is Dave Brat? Economics Professor, Tenth Amendment Supporter, Tea Party’s Brat Defeats Eric Cantor

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VIRGINIA, June 10, 2014– An earthquake just struck establishment Republicans in Washington DC, and no one saw it coming. The GOP’s second most powerful lawmaker, Eric Cantor (R-Va.) was just defeated by David Brat.

A few bullet-points on Brat:

  • Brat is an economics professor and has been teaching at Randolph-Macon College since 1996. The Constitution’s chief architect James Madison served on the board at Randolph-Macon College.
  • Channeling his inner James Madison, Brat says he is a huge proponent of the Tenth Amendment and returning power back to the states in order to fight Washington DC.  Madison and Thomas Jefferson both championed nullification of unconstitutional federal usurpation of power and historically referred to the Tenth Amendment as the “foundation of the Constitution.”
  • Brat first ran for Virginia House of Delegates in 2011 and lost.
  • Brat is married with two children.
  • Brat earned his bachelor’s in business from Hope College. He also attended Princeton Seminary and has a Ph.D. in Economics.


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Opinion, US

Socialism or Liberty? Which one, South Carolina?

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What’s wrong with people? It seems like we’re living in alternate universes with the news reporting on the decline of tea party candidates and RINOs like Lindsey Graham soaring in the polls.

What gives?

The Hill reported that, “Banks are breathing a sigh of relief after established GOP incumbents bested a handful of Tea Party challengers at the polls recently.”

Is that who we are supporting now in S.C., “establishment” Republicans and career politicians?

“Industry sources said the establishment wins improve Republican odds of retaking the Senate, which would in turn lead to a friendlier climate for the long-beleaguered sector. But some note that the Tea Party has left a mark on the Republican Party, presenting a challenging landscape for the industry,” reported The Hill.

The same old, same old candidates are why we have things like Obamacare and bank bailouts. Can we even afford to maintain this status quo? I don’t think so. Wouldn’t you agree?

And South Carolina is lucky enough to have liberty-loving, anti-Grahams, but according to a poll from Politico, people are still backing Lindsey Graham. Even after 9 Republican groups censured him for his liberal voting record.

The poll, conducted by TargetPoint for the Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, shows Graham getting 56 percent of the vote. Graham faces six Republican challengers in his bid for a third term. If his challengers can hold him to half the vote, Graham will face his top opponent in a two-week runoff.

The poll shows Graham’s nearest challenger Easley businessman Richard Cash at 7 percent.

State Sen. Lee Bright, R-Spartanburg, came in third with 6 percent in the poll, followed by Charleston PR executive Nancy Mace at 5 percent, Columbia pastor Det Bowers at 4 percent, combat vet and attorney Bill Connor and Columbia attorney Benjamin Dunn each at 1 percent.

If losing more money in your paycheck through taxation, losing your choice of your doctor, and undergoing the unchecked government spying of the NSA doesn’t get you motivated, what will?

US

Matt Kibbe on Hardball: “We’re defining the agenda.”

Video 11 Comments

 

In a hotel outside of Washington, D.C., the Conservative Action Project hosted an event Thursday to re-energize and regain control of the Republican agenda.

According to the Washington Post, the group is alarmed by a resurgence of the GOP establishment in recent primaries and what activists view as a softened message, drafted demands to be shared with senior lawmakers calling on the party to “recommit” to bedrock principles.

Those principles include strict opposition to illegal immigration, same-sex marriage and abortion and are the hot-button issues that many Republican candidates are trying to avoid as Republicans try to widen their appeal.

According to Chris Matthews on Hardball, “At that meeting, conservative activists sounded their battle cry, lead by Ted Cruz, who told the crowd, ‘Some say ‘Yay, our team is winning’… But we win when we stand for principle, and we lose when we give in to Washington’s status quo.’

Activist Brent Bozell III told the Washington Post: “Conservatives out not to delude themselves that if Republicans win the senate majority, it will somehow be a conservative majority.”

President and CEO of FreedomWorks, Matt Kibbe, appeared with Matthews on Hardball. “I’m actually more optimistic about it. We’re defining the agenda. I actually think that we reset the table,” said Kibbe.

Robert Costa, who wrote the news piece in the Washington Post said that the Tea Party movement isn’t holding its ground: “There is a fear that Republican establishment is ascending and that the Tea Party, though popular with the base in 10 and 12, it doesn’t have the power it once did,” he said.

Kibbe said anti-GOP establishment movement has a long history of ruffling feathers.

“They’ve made a lot of promises, and they haven’t been willing to keep them. The tension between the grassroots and the GOP establishment goes back to 1976 when Ronald Reagan took on a sitting Republican president. It’s not a new problem.”

And these grassroots group has differing opinions from one another, as well. On the topic of gay marriage, Kibbe said, “I’m a Libertarian, and I don’t understand why the government, particularly the federal government, is involved in marriage. I want the government out of it.”

Kibbe had a strong opinion of government’s involvement in schools, as well. “I don’t want politics deciding what’s taught in school. I want parents deciding. I don’t want government in school,” he said.

Author’s note:

Kibbe is one of the leading libertarian thinkers who just launched a new book that helps liberty-minded Americans articulate the message of freedom.  In his book, Don’t Hurt People and Don’t Take Their Stuff: A Libertarian Manifesto there are six simple rules: don’t hurt people, don’t take people’s stuff, take responsibility, work for it, mind your own business, and fight the power. Special thanks to Kibbe who helped us advance a bill in South Carolina to stop Obamacare. Unfortunately, it was the Republican controlled senate who defeated our bill. We won’t stop fighting though, Liberty Is Rising!

CEO of FreedomWorks with Joshua Cook - Kibbe helped grassroots activists advance an anit-Obamacare bill in S.C.
President and CEO of FreedomWorks Matt Kibbe with Joshua Cook – Kibbe helped grassroots activists advance a anti-Obamacare bill in S.C. this year.

Interviews, US

Exclusive: Lois Lerner’s IRS is still targeting Tea Party and Liberty Groups

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In an exclusive interview, Dianne Belsom, President and Founder of the Laurens County Tea Party told Joshua Cook:

“There is no justice. I testified last June before the House Committee on Ways and Means and its now been 3 years and 9 months since we filed for 501c4 status. And we still haven’t heard from the IRS.”

“Lois Lerner, she works for us. If you worked for a private firm and your boss told you to come in to give an account of yourself, you wouldn’t say: “well, I plead the 5th” said Belsom.

Belsom doesn’t believe that Attorney General Eric Holder with send Lerner to jail.

“The government is just stonewalling. We have crossed into a totalitarian government where government agencies like the IRS wield incredible power,” Belsom said. “It’s a very scary place to be in where the government’s checks and balances are not working.”

Belsom told Cook that the FBI never asked her any questions regarding the IRS’ illegal targeting of conservative groups. Watch this video to learn more about the IRS targeting the Laurens Tea Party.

Today the DailyPaul is reporting that the IRS is targeting Campaign for Liberty, issuing the organization a hefty fine and demanding they turn over sensitive contributor information.

Both cases above illustrate that nothing has changed. The government is still targeting these groups. So far the Lerner hearings haven’t produced any results. It appears that the Lerner campaign is still in play and the Obama IRS attack machine is still open for business.

So what’s next?

If the Attorney General Eric Holder doesn’t act on the accusations against former IRS official Lois Lerner, Republicans of the House Ways and Means Committee could use the “inherent contempt” authority, to hold her accountable for not answering their questions regarding unfair scrutiny given to Tea Party groups, applying for tax-exempt status.

The committee voted Wednesday to seek an investigation into Lerner’s activities, including giving misleading information during a probe of the matter by the Treasury Department’s inspector general and using her personal e-mail to conduct official business, which could have resulted in the unsafe disclosure of confidential taxpayer information.

“The Ways and Means Committee, led by Chairman [Dave] Camp [R-Mich.], has conducted a serious and thorough investigation of the IRS, uncovering abuses and criminal acts that should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said of the referral in the Washington Examiner. “As I’ve said, if Lois Lerner continues to refuse to testify, then the House will hold her in contempt. And we will continue to shine the light on the administration’s abusive actions and use every tool at our disposal to expose the truth and ensure the American people get the answers they deserve.”

And one of those tools is the House’s “inherent contempt” authority provided to it under the Constitution. Lerner could be jailed until January 2015 when a new Congress is seated, which could issue another subpoena and throw her back in jail again if she still refuses to testify.

The Washington Examiner reported that Representative Kevin Brady (R-Texas) a Ways and Means Committee member, said that he hoped that it wouldn’t come to holding her in contempt.

“This is a very thorough, deliberate investigation,” he said. “This congressional referral is commonplace when we find evidence of wrongdoing from the legislative branch. Let’s hope the attorney general does his job,” he said.

 

What’s your opinion? Will these groups get justice? Will Holder or the House send Lerner to jail?

 

 

US

Chamber Of Commerce Has Officially Declared War On SC Taxpayers

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Last week the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce rushed to condemn Beaufort Republican Sen. Tom Davis’ amendment that seeks to stop Obamacare in South Carolina.

“Please oppose the potential compromise amendment drafted by Sen. Tom Davis as well as the full nullification bill. It negatively impacts the business community and will hinder economic development,” the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce email read.

The controversial email sparked many reactions from state senators and business owners.

State senator Shane Martin (R), sent this message out via Facebook:

“The State Chamber of Commerce now supports Obamacare! H.3101 is the bill to stop Obamacare in SC. This is terrible as they are supposed to represent those same businesses that are being harmed by Obamacare! Call the State Chamber and tell them how you feel.”

Otis Rawl, CEO South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, reportedly made the unilateral decision to condemn H3101 and Davis’ amendment without the boards’ approval.

Business leaders are disappointed because the Chamber did not stay neutral on this important bill. Grassroots activists say that the Chamber’s email is misguided because the statements are based off of old language of H3101, not the new language of the Davis amendment.

Case in point:  H3101 is not a nullification bill, rather it uses an anti-commandeering mechanism that is perfectly legal and Constitutional.

Anti-commandeering approach has a long running precedent of being upheld as constitutional by the Supreme Court, most recently in the Printz vs. United States case.

Fox news contributor and legal analysis Judge Andrew Napolitano said that South Carolina has the Constitutional right to pass H3101 and believes it could be model legislation for other states.

Obamacare is the largest tax on the American people which begs the question: why is the Chamber siding with big business and corporate lobbyists instead of the small businesses they claim to represent?

This is not the first time the Chamber of Commerce has made controversial decisions though. Last year they announced they would spend over $50 Million to fight Tea Party candidates who seek to limit government and fight for lower taxes. They also came out to support controversial common core standards.

It’s one thing to stay neutral on an issue like Obamacare, it’s another thing to declare war on the State Republican Party who is trying to block the use of South Carolina taxes to pay for the implementation of Obamacare.

South Carolina citizens and business owners are urged to call Otis Rawl at the SC State Chamber Office and tell him to stop supporting Obamacare in South Carolinians.

 

South Carolina Chamber of Commerce
1301 Gervais Street
Suite 1100
Columbia, SC 29201
803-429-4398

 

Follow Joshua Cook on Facebook and on Twitter: @RealJoshuaCook

 

Politics, Polls, US

Poll: If Republicans Want To Keep KY They’ll Have To Vote McConnell Out, Bevin In

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MCB

A recent Ramussen poll shows that Kentucky US Senator Mitch McConnell (R) is in serious trouble.

According to the poll, McConnell (42%) runs dead even with his democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes (42%).

However, Matt Bevin, McConnell’s tea party challenger, leads Grimes by 4% in the same poll.

McConnell is running scared. His campaign has recently released a series of attack ads calling Bevin a big government, bailout proponent. McConnel also tried to pass off claims that Bevin didn’t pay his taxes. Multiple fact checking organizations have proved McConnell’s claims about Bevin to be false.

If Republicans want to keep the Kentucky federal Senate delegation red their only choice may be to vote tea party.

The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Kentucky was conducted on January 29-30, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

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