Um, "teabagger" is how these people referred to themselves until they realized it was a sexual term, that's what made it so funny, the fact that they were so proudly declaring it.

Also, the tea party is heavily funded by Freedom Works and Americans for Prosperity, not to mention constant promotion from Fox. It is not a grassroots movement, it is the very definition of "astroturf." Just because a few local chapters have sprouted up, that doesn't suddenly make it into a true populist movement.

"Astroturf refers to apparently grassroots-based citizen groups or coalitions that are primarily conceived, created and/or funded by corporations, industry trade associations, political interests or public relations firms."

As for talk radio, NO ONE on the "left" is encouraging violence and making regular references to communism, Nazi's, Marxism, "socialism" etc, but these terms are regularly used by the tea party, who have no idea what they mean. If they understood the true horrors of the holocaust, they'd realize how absurd it is to compare that to an American president giving tax cuts to the middle class (it's true, look it up) and reforming health insurance (with mostly moderate and centrist concepts).

TAX THE RICH!

Nice costume...nerd.

Dave,
Sorry You are not informed but Tea Party participants never called themselves "teabaggers" This movement started out with us sending Tea Bags to various politicians and implying that we were revolting against their Tax policies and their use of our monies just like the original Boston Tea Party. Unfortunately Anderson Cooper and his dirty mind started calling us Tea Baggers. Trust a degenarate louse who must keep his head in some dark and unsanitary place to know and inform the world that there was an nasty meaning to such a mundane thing.
Tea Parties are not funded by any organizations. We pay our own way we carpool we make and take our meals to many events . Those of us that can spare extra funds shares with others.We are members of several groups.Each person usually sends out dozens of emails each one tells the other there is no payments for postage meals etc . We sign up and charter busses usually $75.00 to go to DC.Bus travels all night we get to DC about 8 and leaving DC by 7 or 8pm.One of the groups I belong to is We surround them from Rochester they are parenting dozens of other groups a couple times all members meet in Syracuse or a dinner we pay near $30 per person. Heads of each county meet and coordinate with other group heads. I gurantee we are not paying them and they in turn meet with regional heads again giving their time freely.We all donate to individual candidates.
The two groups that you mentioned .. you must realize that we and only, if we choose donate to them or any other group.Tea Party members will not take money from a politician. This is not "astroturfing" Democrats via SEIU, Acorn and George Soros fund their protesters. Have you forgotten the bus load of paid union members that showed up at the AIG employees homes wearing their purple shirts and carrying their perfectly printed signs.Don't forget the fiasco in Chicago after Obama won the elections and all those Acorn workers were mad because Obama and company had promised them more money than they got or when they showed up to be paid and saw the office emptied and no one there to pay them?
Don't assume that you know it all. What you seem unable to understand is people could believe so strongly that they are willing to put their time effort and money into a cause they believe in.It is you who neeed to study. If you really understood what events preceeded Hitler and the Holocaust you would understand why we are alarmed. Hitler did not just get up one day and started killing Jews and people who did not agree with him? He promised the people "Peace ,Bread, Land, Jobs, Efficient Government, Health Care and security for all the citizens. He was like a pimp luring unsuspecting folks in ...promising and giving them their hearts desire.... Obama is doing the same thing and you are getting reeled in because you are ever so slowly being ensnared in a trap. Dave you are smart enough to examine a situation from several angles, put aside your bias about us Conservatives and think? How, Why and Who really benefits from every decission Obama and crew make.Just like you did when Bush was in office. Now my Question to you,what if you are wrong and we are right?????

Joanna,
Tax the Rich sounds really good but the so called Rich who choose to stay and be subject to you fleecing their pockets will over time have less,others will choose to work less... that will not mean that there is work for you or others.Many, because they have the means will leave taking their assets and jobs with them. N.Y and Maryland taxed the rich Maryland is suffering as their receipts are down 33%. Some of the rich lost big in the stock market and many moved to less taxing states.New Yorkers who screamed about taxing the rich and limits on financial employees and their bonuses are realizing what Ronnie Reagan ment about the trickle down effect. The guys who earned the big bucks paid big taxes and they bought houses (realtors hired) and decorated (decorators hired)they landscaped (landscape crews hired)furnishing purchased(furniture stores hired more clerks ) furniture manufacturers got more orders( hired more workers) they had lavish parties (caterers hired) she went shopping and bought clothes( seamstresses and more clerks hired). Rich guy wife gets spiffed up (hairdresser ,hair colorist beauticians and manicurist gets hired)He buys flowers (Florist gets to hire more people to deliver and arrange flowers )And so the chain continues. Now that so many of these guys have left the NYC area its like someone took away Time Square. I visited the area about 2 months ago many of the smaller shops and resturants are shuttered. Now New York state is hurting because the rich have left or they are no longer the rich. Where do you fall in the list of jobs. When you are out of money what purchases will you cease to make how many people in your area see you as rich because you earn $5-10-20-30 thousand more than them they also depend on your spending or you being taxed to the n'th degree.
Mr.Samuel Chang, with a name like Samuel L Chang you shame yourself and all of us when you ridicule a costume that is of this countries history and call Mr Thompson a nerd. We both know you are way above such things.

Aimhigh,What makes you so positively sure you and the rest of the right wing supporters are not the ones who are wrong?Everything you said as intelligent and intelectual as it sounded,was all just your opinion.Dick Cheaney and his puppet G.W.Bush were the closest this country has come to resembling anything close to Hitler or communism.Every move the last administration made was kept secret and "we Americans" were treated as if we were fools who should have no say or even participation in what decisions were being made.I don't agree with everything Obama is doing either but at least he is not treating "us" like a bunch of un-educated morons like Cheaney did.And Rush Limbough is the person who is going to turn this country upside down with his anti-American rhetoric,he is the person who is trying to seduce the American into believing things that are not true,not the current administration.I apologize if my writing and spelling are not completely correct,i am not a highly educated person.I am just a true blooded,hard working,small business owning,independent thinking American.

I'd prefer to have Mr. Thompson to deal with than current "occupants" of the NYS Assembly and Senate who've quite literally and figuratively, fouled their nest and in the process, ours, too. They've forgotten the interests of those who sent them there to serve and pointless banter of right v. left and party posturing does nothing but obscure the fact that the "system" of representative government has broken down in our state under the weight of special interests and frankly, ineptness at all levels of government. I applaud the attempts of Mr. Thompson and others in pursuit of reform.

mminc.
Have you ever listened to Rush I mean listen for an extended period or time? Its really hard to listen for a few minutes here and there and understand what he really stands for. What kind of business do you have and for how long? Just curious?
Rush constantly speaks about the strength and abilities of the American people, so does Dick Cheaney. IMO Rush and people on the right are more accurate than people on the left because we have many examples throught history. Read about Hitler, Chavez and Castro Health Care was prominent in their rise to power.
For the most part I don't give two pins about spelling and punctuation and education levels and you should not be in awe of that crap either. We all need this country to work and it is people like you that will make it work. We are not in school being graded but we need to read , read and read some more to educate ourselves and others.

You are smart enough to be the American that Rush and we Conservatives applauds. A persomn who sees a need and believes in themselves and their abilities enough to without getting Government hand outs then takes matters into your own hands and start a business. As an Independent my suggestion is listen to both sides..... See which side allows you to succede on terms that are best for you and your dream. Conservatives believe that you know what is best for you and that dream of how and where, and what your business is all about. No "pointey headed academiac elite" Rush called them that,knows all this better than you. Democrats and Liberals believe they have the right to dictate and controll your dream and its outcome.
I know many people like to throw out terms and not know what they mean .... Socialist ,Marxist, Racist, Homophobic etc. research the words find books on the topics and read. Conservatives read and study constantly. The reason why Liberalism seem so mainstream is because before 2009 most Conservatives were people like you just going about their lives and figuring that things would be o.k . We saw little need to really explain what we believed. Now they are realizing that such complacency caused the pointey head folks to believe we all agreed with them and where they were taking the country.
Bush was more transparent than Obama will ever be. Think... There is a difference when you recognize an enemy and you bend over backwards to protect your family that I believe was what Bush did... I had many problems with him but I believe he did not want to see another attack and both him and Dick were willing to step up and take any blame so when things were said criticizing them they never responded . As I said it was the Conservative way not to speak.
Obama and Liberals on the other hand believe that America must be brought down to size , That because we are so big that is why people hate America. They foster a belief that since everyone MUST be equal all that you have is owing to others and therefore should be redistributed to others. You have a business... Ok when the rent, utilities,and overheads of your business are due who is sitting at the table with you who is eating hot dogs beans and potato buds with you? So how come the Government then gets to say after all the agoney and hours you put in that you must give a greater portion to taxes.
I had a small business for 17 years. I loved it it was my other child .Besides my family no one else cared if I failed or succeded... but they believe I owed them .
I am not saying Republicans have not lost their way and taxed too much or are perfect they are not, but they are way better as Candidates than the democrats. Sorry but IMO Obama and company is treating us like un -educated idiots. Just think Nancy Polozi saying "we have to pass the bill so you can see what is in it" Explain when you would ever sign a lease for a place to put your business before you inspected the premesis. You would inspect and talk terms before signing anything ????. As you know once its signed you are stuck, yet they expected us to pass their bill and now the only out we have is to go to court.
Plus Obama signs his piece of crap bills without even knowing what is in them.... he claimed Children with pre-existing conditions were immediately covered.Only to find that was not even in the bill.And was mad a people who actually read the monstrocity and knows whats in it
I also like Rush want these guys to fail. People claimed Bush was inarticulate. Obama is so articulte he is like a pimp at the bus station trying to seduce and pick up young girls who are obviously not from the big city, telling you crap that sounds soo good . Oh yes he cuts such a nice picture... just like the Pimp and he is taking such good care of us give him time and he has started to introduce us to his friends(wink,wink) and telling us to be really nice to them. You think that means engaging conversation but he means lie down and smile for the nice gentleman. Don't mean to be crude but we are in trouble because too many people are being fooled