"Frightened" tea party comes to Chicago

I am sorrowfully disappointed with the misrepresentations by Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite of my wife’s and my statements at the Daley Plaza, Chicago, Tea Party held at noon on April 15, 2010. I am the man she quoted as saying “I’m frightened” in response to her question, “what got you involved in this movement?” I actually made this statement as an afterthought at the end of our discussion. I never said “You write that.” I answered her question with four or five opposing points against our current government administration.
“I’m frightened” is a good story heading for her purposes but has little to do with my reasons and my wife’s reasons for joining the tea party. In order for her story to work we had to be poor, mislead, frighten old people, which we are not and I vehemently resent her twisting our story for her pretend journalism.
Allow me to correct some lies. She said we didn’t give our names, we did and she was taking notes. She quotes my wife “He’s even been to Washington D.C.” my wife said “we were in Washington D.C. “ She prints that she asked if we were on Medicaid, the government program for the poor. She actually asked if we were on Medicare and she said her husband was a doctor so I assume she knows the difference. My wife answered she was on Medicare and I told her I was on a very expensive program for myself but I was against Obamacare. She and I had a five minute discussion about religion and the separation clause in the first amendment. I told her why I thought it was being incorrectly applied and I said that a hallmark of totalitarian government was destroying religion, she chose to quote me saying “the government’s plan is to get rid of religion.” She said Sandy Rios had spoken in our church. This is not true; we told her our church provided our church auditorium for Culture Campaign meetings, which were public meetings, Sandy didn’t speak to our congregation.
Outside of these corrections Susan’s blog is her opinion, but her opinion is built on the misinformation she conveys.
My wife and I are not poor. My wife is not “the little old lady, “she is a reformed liberal activist and owns her own company. Tea Parties are political expressions of citizens and we attend them for political expression, intellectual agreement and because we enjoy them. They are an American tradition kind of like war protests.

Well, I agree "things they are achanging."

The 21st century will not look like the 20th century. I think that is what frightens folks. But, dreaming we can keep it the same will not stop things from being different.

Are we to be dragged, kicking and screaming into the changes that have to be made? Or, can we envision and direct the change?

There are no more Marlboro men riding the range on their trusty horses with their trusty six-shooters at their side listening to the cows moo in the night.

I'm frightened that people are so willing to believe the story line from media figures like Sandy Rios.

My dad, who is getting quite old and in fact is just in the early stages of Alzheimers, calls me or my brother in a very agitated state sometimes after watching one of Glen Beck's shows.

He really thinks that terrible things are afoot in D.C. When Beck can proclaim his message, and have at least parts of it parroted by leaders such as Mitch McConnell, and then the radio has Rios, more Beck, Dr. Laura and all these other figures spouting similar tropes, it really builds up to a massive disinformation campaign.

I fear that we're not that far from some sort of 1930's German-esqu tipping point. Shudder.

Obviously the RCC is not the only tax-exempt group lobbying Congress.

From guidestar.com:

“The tax-exempt The Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith has a professional lobbying staff of approximately 528 in 28 offices nationwide, of those , two staff members based in Washington DC devoted 75% of their time, and the other devoted approximately 50% engaged in advocacy on (Congressional) legislative proposals related to federal hate crime laws, global anti-terrorism, the Middle East Peace Process, immigration issues, the use of government money to fund faith-based organizations and counter-terrorism proposals outside Washington, DC.”
The total revenue for the ADL in 2008 was $59,960,134 mostly coming from contributions and grants.

The largest of the lobbyists:(note the large sums of money being spent by health "profiteers" on lobbying )

Lobbying Client Total 1998-2009

US Chamber of Commerce $606,758,180
American Medical Assn $220,832,500
General Electric $196,410,000
AARP $175,702,064
American Hospital Assn $174,890,431
Pharmaceutical Rsrch & Mfrs of America $173,403,920
AT&T Inc $150,471,757
Northrop Grumman $143,005,253
Exxon Mobil $138,886,942
National Assn of Realtors $138,417,380
Blue Cross/Blue Shield $136,317,077
Business Roundtable $134,030,000
Edison Electric Institute $133,995,999
Verizon Communications $132,534,841
Lockheed Martin $122,340,423
Boeing Co $121,528,310
General Motors $106,914,483
Southern Co $104,620,694
Freddie Mac $96,194,048
Altria Group $93,650,000

Would the move to end donations and tax exemptions for any group (including Americans for Prosperity, Freedom Works, Tea Parties etc.) generate the added taxes/contributions needed to pay for universal health care?? No, but it sure would help!!!!

And the money spent by the health-"profiteers" on lobbying should be spent on health insurance for those who cannot presently afford it.

CCN-Yeal, you wanna talk "non-profit" groups? Let's talk about the "Americans for Prosperity" group, that's behind the Tea Parties. They were founded by Koch Industries, one of the largest privately-held corporations in America. Then there's Freedom Works, whose found is Dick Armey, former Congressman and now lobbyist. Another bigwig behind the Tea Parties is Don Blankenship, owner of Massey Energy. Yep, the same Massey Energy that lost 29 miners due to a preventable mining accident this week - and who won't even let his workers take time off to go to the funeral of their fellow miners.

How does that compare with the non-profit groups that you're condemning?

I was at that tea party and I found it interesting that younger generations were chanting "Free healthcare for all". Do they honestly think the healthcare bill that just passed is going to be free? And how will they mandate that everyone have it or be taxed? And yes I have a sister who cannot get health care because she has a broken back but I also know of countless moochers who have disability and sure dont deserve it or need it. I'm not so sure what Christianity had to do with your article either or the fact that most of the people were white and middle class. Are you trying to pull a race card because I saw lots of eldery people with signs, passing out cards and talking and shaking hands with the crowd.

Then there is the "non-profit" group, The Center for American Progress. John Podesta is the president of the CFAP making over $250,000/yr with eight managers/fellows averaging $200,000/yr each. Contributions made to CFAP for 2008 were in excess of $28 million.

The Rev. Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite currently works for the CFAP as a senior fellow. She was not listed on the IRS Form 990 for 2008 but senior fellows at the CFAP typically make $200,000/yr. Ref. guidestar.org

Those interested in social justice should direct donations away from "non-profits" like the CFAP and into things like universal health care.

This is what happens when too many mental patients are released prematurely and manipulated by twisted leaders. These little groups have yet to say anything of substance.

I'm afraid that the conservative movement has been taken over by paranoia and have turned to fear as well as half-truths as the predominant means of spreading their message.

The sensible conservatives would be exiled if they attempted to contradict the irrational fear that is being encouraged by their own leadership.

No, the problem with the Tea Partiers is that they're afraid that the "lazy welfare queens" (dog-whistle word for a racial epithet that begins with N) are gonna get something for nothing.

You know who the biggest "welfare queens" are? The corporations, NOT the blacks/Hispanics, etc.

Susan, thanks for this thoughtful piece. It seems fear and misinformation are what is driving the tea party movement.

Yeah. Wait until YOU get old and sick and need Medicare, dude.

My parents are in their late '70's. They have Medicare and Blue Cross from my Dad's former job. They are in good financial shape as compared to many other seniors. My Dad was hospitalized recently, and Medicare picked up 80% of the cost of his treatment, both in the hospital and nursing home. You know what my Mom said? "Thank God for Medicare and Lyndon Johnson."

My 40-some year old friend who didn't have health insurance through his job, and couldn't get it independently because of a pre-existing condition, not so much. He died from pneumonia, the same thing that my Dad had. Only HE didn't have socialist government health insurance that would have allowed him to go to the doctor without declaring bankruptcy. As it was, most of his estate went to pay his final hospital bills.

When you attend a funeral for someone who died because they didn't have health care, it kind of changes your perspective.

Berferd,

Without Social Security and Medicare how else would this couple get by? Not many people have the financial discipline to save all their lives for retirement or medical care later in life. Just look at the economic mess we are in to see the lack of financial discipline most people have. All of us have the freedom to make alternative investments if we want, I don't remember anyone telling me that I could not have an IRA or savings account. Think about the problems most low to middle income people would face without Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security. Would you feel comfortable investing this money into Wallstreet after what we've seen these last couple of years?

The problem with the Tea Party and the movement in general is the undercurrent of fear. Unfortunately many of the political conservative leadership has decided that their best path to regain power is to fan the intrinsic fear that people have towards the change that is needed to get our country back on track. Many of their leadship who should know better, have decided to use deception to further their own political goals.

Susan, please, you know that baiting older conservatives who take Medicare or Social Security is a mean-spirited trick. You and all readers know they, like all of us, have been FORCED to pay into it all their lives on the promise they could get some of it back. They were not allowed alternative investments; they had no choice. It's wrong to hint they are some kind of hypocrites (as so many leftish bloggers are trying to do this past couple weeks) simply because these folks also want to cut government spending in general. It was their money to begin with. Be fair, or else go write for someone with an audience that is less aware of the facts and less able to reason fairly. Washington Post readers deserve better.