Here's welcome news for lovers of sanity in politics: President Barack Obama and some better-late-than-never Republicans are washing the Tea Party down the drain:
The Tea Party might not be over, but it is increasingly clear that the election last month significantly weakened the once-surging movement, which nearly captured control of the Republican Party through a potent combination of populism and fury.
Leading Congressional Republicans, though they remain far apart from President Obama, have embraced raising tax revenues in budget negotiations, repudiating a central tenet of the Tea Party. Even more telling, Tea Party activists in the middle of the country are skirting the fiscal showdown in Congress and turning to narrower issues, raising questions about whether the movement still represents a citizen groundswell to which attention must be paid [Trip Gabriel, "Clout Diminished, Tea Party Turns to Narrower Issues," New York Times, 2012.12.25]
And on what great issues of the day will the dwindling exert their last shreds of potential power? The nutter theory of Agenda 21. The crybaby denialism by which they cling to tje belief that Barack Obama did not win the election. And the desperate cry for states to destroy the Union by nullifying the Affordable Care Act, the great dragon the Tea Party failed to slay.
If I were a double agent inside the Tea Party clubhouse, I couldn't have written a better agenda to guarantee their continued decline and irrelevance than the agenda they've written for themselves.
People have simply lost interest in the Tea Party. Same thing with the Occupy movement.
If I were the sort of hopeless optimist that our President claims to be, I might start thinking that these die-offs suggest that the Great Silent Majority is, in fact, moderate at heart.
The Tea Party remains a problem, however, as the current national-security-and-global-economy-threatening gridlock in Washington clearly demonstrates.
Yes, the Establishments's propaganda machine succeeded again. Just because fools belief most of what they hear does not mean that the minority is wrong. What has happened shows that the majority will ignore minority rights and continue to push for a one-world totalitarian rule. What is even more silly is that by running away from the Tea Party, this country instead goes the other direction...toward the fiscal cliff. Financially breaking this country is the only way to get Agenda 21 fully implemented.
I think people understand how extreme these people are. They whine about what is wrong but never come up with solutions.
Obamacare they scream how terrible it is and its nothing but a socialist program. Ok, whats the solution? Or is there a problem?
They can't explain why the top 1%, or the rich, can't pay a little more in tax. They already pass less then they used to in the 50's.
Let me tell you, Mr. H, you don't want to go inside that tea party house because you will gag when the full gunny-sack of overgod hits you in the gut. It is the insaner ones that you encourage who are killing what once was a good idea.
They fell apart before the election under the weight of their own power hungry, and totally non-grassroots, "leadership". Heh.
http://tinyurl.com/buzd2be
"The day after Labor Day, just as campaign season was entering its final frenzy, FreedomWorks, the Washington-based tea party organization, went into free fall.
Richard K. Armey, the group’s chairman and a former House majority leader, walked into the group’s Capitol Hill offices with his wife, Susan, and an aide holstering a handgun at his waist. The aim was to seize control of the group and expel Armey’s enemies: The gun-wielding assistant escorted FreedomWorks’ top two employees off the premises, while Armey suspended several others who broke down in sobs at the news."
Let all remain on notice that young Mr. Nelson is still staying at arm's length from the insaner centralized Howites and as long as he doesn't get drug into the illegal robocalling activities he probably still stands a good shot of running for a statewide office in 2 years. Lands or Utility Commissioner would be interesting to him and it would put him in great position to run for Governor 4 years later.
Rep. Boehner has the option of being remembered as a statesman willing to actually work with Obama and economists to get a sensible combination of tax increases and spending reductions....or ... he can continue to hold on to a worthless majority effectively relegated to irrelevancy by the TEA Party obstructionist extremists like a dog in a manager barking to keep cows from eating hay.
Boehner has the choice: Statesman working for the best interests of the USA or being a partisan dog holding on his party majority bale of irrelevancy.
Obama had a choice and he made a bad decision and now most of you will have to live with it. Mr. Wiken, your neighbors all think so. For such a young fellow you are more of a stick in the mud than the old man across the hall from me, and let me tell you Mr. Wiken he is a bigger stick in the mud than me.
Obama cut his vacation short in an effort to work with the House GOP, but guess what...they aren't even thinking about ending their tax payer financed fundraising to go back to work and act like adults and statespersons to get a deal done?
Has anyone asked Kristi why she isn't working on this and why we still don't have a farm bill? Is that called representation Kristi?
Heck, has anyone asked Kristi what she sees as a workable compromise...or of she even understands what's at stake without parroting a spoon fed talking point?
The Tea Party was run by crooks and served the ambitions of small brains and bloated egos, and this article on Dick Armey's ungraceful exit from FreedomWorks exemplifies the thorough corruption:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2012/12/26/freedomworks-follies/?hpid=z2 .
Sadly, South Dakota remains the most ardent crash test dummy for dumb ideas. Again, I say keep feeding more rope to the rubes.
Oh, now Dougal - we're not the most ardent crash test dummy as long as there's Texas.
"Obama cut his vacation short in an effort to work with the House GOP"
He cut is vacaton short to attend the Kennedy Center awards that honored an occult band, the spirtuality behind the NWO.
The Tea Party movement would have died a pretty humiliating death in 2009 if the Koch Bros. hadn't funded a group of professional political crooks to build a well funded public relations./astro-turf effort to make it appear bigger than it was. It started out as a small bunch of white-trash yellers and it's ending as a small bunch of white trash yellers. All that supposed power of the Tea Party was due to the main stream media not reporting the truth of what a pathetically small group it was. Contrast that with Occupy Wall Street, which actually was a grassroots, decentralized movement that was ignored for months by the main stream media.
Out of touch with reality again, Sibby? Sibby doesn't know that the Kennedy Center Awards shown on TV last night was taped before Christmas.
"How President Barack Obama spent the fourth day of his Christmas vacation on Tuesday in Hawaii"
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/obamas-christmas-vacation-hawaii-day-18063950
Donald,
So the Kennedy Center Awards were in Hawaii Sunday Night? Or did he leave for Hawaii on Monday? Stayed on Tuesday. Christmas is over by Wednesday, so how is that cutting your Christmas vacation short?
Um ... Steve? Hello??
"The recipients this year (taped at a Dec. 3 ceremony) were David Letterman, Dustin Hoffman, Buddy Guy, Led Zeppelin, and Natalia Makarova." (http://watching-tv.ew.com/2012/12/26/kennedy-center-honors-david-letterman-dustin-hoffman-led-zeppelin/)
Remember when Kristi, the GOP and the Tea Party talked about creating jobs as their #1 priority? One commenter at the Huffington Post shows us how serious they were:
Two Years Ago, John Boehner promised to be "Laser Focused on Jobs and the Economy" So what has the GOP House been up to?
"House Bills passed:
46 Bills on Abortion
113 Bills on Religion
73 Bills on Family Relationships
36 Bills on Marriage
72 Bills on Firearms
604 Bills on Taxation
437 Bills on Govt Investigations
Bills attempted and failed to be passed even by the GOP:
33 attempts to Defund Obamacare.....Failed
15 attempts to Cut Funding for Planned Parenthood......Failed
3 Attempts to Cut Funding for VA Hospitals.......Failed.
GOP blocked bills:
Blocked bill to aid Small Business
Blocked Unemployment extension
Blocked Bank Reform Bills
Blocked Campaign Finance Reform and open Contributions Law
Blocked MULTIPLE Jobs Bills
Blocked Infrastructure Bill
Blocked Ending Tax Breaks for companies that Outsource Jobs
Blocked Wall Street Reform
Blocked Energy Legislation
Blocked Mine Safety Bill
Blocked Oil Spill Liability Cap increase
Blocked Bill to lower Oil Company Tax Breaks
Blocked Bill to impose charging American Oil Companies on Oil achieved in the Gulf"
Thanks Kristi!
Donald...we better watch out the Koch Brothers have landed in South Dakota!
http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/south-dakota-based-fertilizer-plant-sold/article_80cb16f0-da1f-5ae9-b3bd-d58f5de0ab8c.html
Ms. Jana, that looks like Mr. Kloucheck and Mr. Hunnhoff's accomplishments a bit. My point is that Ms. Noem has far less affect on the lives of you and I here in South Dakota (that Matt guy would have even had farrer lesser effect) than people like Mr. Kloucheck and Mr. Hunnhoff who pass even farrer lesser legislature bills.
Jana - Thanks for the data. It is valuable. Noem is a shill for all the wrong things for South Dakota and America. Sold her soul long ago for cheap gains in public office. The next election will be different in South Dakota. Just keep the powder dry.
Mr. Dougal, that is a bold and entertaining prediction.
Mr. Grudznick, love how you have your tongue firmly in cheek, it could be you need a different gravy for breakfast. Tell the cook to use less flour and corn starch.
Let's see if we can figure out the differences...
Gosh, that's a tough one Grud...help us out.
Incorrect. As usual, Grudz. Varilek would have had more impact for South Dakotans, because he would have gone to Washington to work for South Dakota,to craft positive, practical legislation to promote our collective interest. Noem goes to Washington to do the work of a party machine with the sole goals of raising money and holding the seat.
Thanks Dave. Did not know it was taped on December 3. So Obama got his dose of the occult before Christmas.
Dougal & Jana, the corporatists can't do it without the help of big government, which came to South Dakota first.
Why do I keep getting this image of Sibby beating himself over the head with Bree's rolling pin?
Steve, have you booked your next therapy appointment yet?
New Year's resolution for the Sibbniac: Renew lithium prescription.
Since I can't renew a prescription that I have never had, we have Fleming personally attacking with lies. Of course what would you expect from a troll.
Oh, well, that explains everything. It will help your mood, Sibby. You should go see a doc and get a scrip forthwith.
Just thinking that South Dakotans aren't the stupid and lazy people that the Governor and his staff think we are...
We need to remind people that Kristi is a member of the most unproductive Congress ever and that John Thune, in his role as Senate Minority cheerleader, became the most obstructionist Senate in history.
Maybe when we see milk prices go up to $6 and farmers see themselves dramatically impacted by the House GOP's deliberate inaction on the farm bill, we'll be smart enough to send someone to Congress that is willing to work on behalf of South Dakota.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/28/congress-unproductive_n_2371387.html
"It will help your mood, Sibby."
Fleming, I don't take advice from a pathological liar. Whatever meds you are on, you probably need to stop.
Merry Christmas Sibby and hoping that even in spite of your conspiracy driven thought process that you have a great year ahead.
Here's my little gift to you for being...well...is interesting the nice word to use here?
http://www.passionforsavings.com/coupon/2012/03/reynolds-coupon-1-501-reynolds-aluminum-foil/
Why so cranky Sibby?
Did Santa leave a road apple in your stocking or wha...?
Aw, Jana, how very thoughtful of you. Good work.
p.s. Sibby, to your speculation, no, I'm not pathological.
Unlike you, I know when I am writing fiction as opposed to fact.
"I know when I am writing fiction as opposed to fact."
So Fleming is a purposeful liar. You don't need drugs, you need Jesus Christ to fix your problem.
I wonder if anybody in the Secre service warned Obama about this beofre December 3rd:
The story of this book is a very complex one. It is a detailed effort to present to the reader the facts of Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin’s propagation of the teachings of Black Magician Aleister Crowley and the satanic, magical cult he founded, the “Argenteum Astrum:” which means “Silver Star.” The major doctrines of Aleister Crowley’s Silver Star are presented in the most famous and influential songs in the Led Zeppelin catalog; including “Stairway to Heaven,” which has repeatedly been voted the most popular song in the history of rock and roll, on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
http://www.cuttingedge.org/News/n2003-1.cfm
(...cannabis (production, distribution, sale, and services) will be a $50 billion to $75 billion industry in the U.S. within five years. He points to figures showing that the value of (mostly illegal) marijuana produced in the U.S. is already higher than corn ($40 billion, compared to $34 billion for corn)"
http://www.marketplace.org/topics/business/business-selling-potlegally
and jesus said, "vaccinations are forbidden."
"Art is a lie that points to the truth." — Pablo Picasso
Fleming, the artful and purposeful liar? Is that what you are?
I call a truce. Cease fire. This infighting is boring and non-productive. How about everyone take a break.
A new year begins in 3 days. My brain is mush from a long, draining, twisting year and every one of you has been through the same.
I don't appreciate everyone's comments at all times, but I do appreciate all of you for the conversations and your time.
I appreciate that we're not in Syria where the internet is shut down.
I appreciate that Cory has provided this medium for all of us, no matter your political affiliation.
And Bill and Sibby: you're both intelligent men that are deeply grounded in your convictions, differing that they may be. Why don't you call each other up on the phone, wish each other a Happy New Year, and tell the other you're glad they made it through another year and the next will be the best year yet, for each of you.
I think we could all use that phone call between the 2 of you.
I'm wondering if the Karl Roves of the world want to breach the alleged fiscal cliff. The GOP has nothing to sell anyone other than a dying off population of old white guys. Why not create a crisis that hits everybody, hurting the middle class far, far worse than the alleged "job creators." Exiting Washington in flames, blaming Obama, Pelosi and Reid might have more appeal to angered voters than making a deal that doesn't make McConnell and Boehner appear statesmanlike, which would be a first for both of them.
Jana's post on GOP nothingness will fit right in with my Dakota Today comment on the GOP Eunuchs who voluntarily agreed to Grover Norquist's partisan surgery.
They should be left howling in the wilderness, but it may be the rest of us screaming as we coast over the fiscal cliff into the GOP quagmire of despair.
Taunia, maybe you should give Dougal and Douglas a call if you want to end infighting. I for one believe both political parties are wrong and it is all our fault for letting them get away with all the theatre. But as long as we have arguments that say the rich needs to pay for what everybody else wants, then the hate and discontent will follow us into 2013 including Fleming's attitude that Christians are insane and is willing to issue artful adn purposeful lies to make his false accusations.
Change starts at home, Steve. I don't see a bigger fight here than between you and Bill.
If Israel and Hamas can agree to a cease fire, I'm pretty sure you and Bill can do the same, at least for a few days.
Dragging others' names into this is deflection, you know it and I think you can do better than that. Name one instance where the fighting, sniping and below-the-belt jabs have solved the issue, or even got close to a compromise.
Why not give Bill a call. Or Bill, give Steve a call.
In fact, I dare you. Both.
"I don't see a bigger fight here than between you and Bill."
I am only deflecting his attacks. We have already come to an understanding...Fleming uses artful and purposeful lies to accuse those he disagrees with insane. Right Bill?
I'm serious, Steve.
Make the call.
Yours is the second comment in this thread, Steve: you attacked by using the word "silly" to describe something with which you disagree. If Bill hadn't taken you to task i would have since you are insane.
Geez Kurtz. How about being Switzerland instead of North Korea.
Sorry, T: you're right of course. Comment withdrawn.
Dogs flew spaceships! The Aztecs invented the vacation! Men and women are the same sex! Our forefathers took drugs! Your brain is not the boss! Yes! That's right! Everything you know is wrong!
This is an era for the moderate, progressive and reasonable politics. Hope you a had a good trip abroad for the holidays Corey and kudos on an excellent article on the dying Tea Party. The economic realities we face today are forcing the majority of the nation to realize that we must, we must, we must and yes we ALL have to work together to stay afloat or we will ALL sink. We no longer have the luxury of time or money to stay beholden to ideological and partisan extremes. The partisan extremists in each political party are being pushed off the political page as most Americans take notice that our economic survival is at stake now, more than ever. This is an era for the moderate, progressive and reasonable politics. President Obama has risen to the challenge to be a great leader based on his pragmatism and intellect. Happy New Year ahead all!