To add a little interesting dimension to representations in the MSM of what the Tea Parties are and what they want, here are some links showing a bitter rift between what many Tea Partiers call "Tea-o-Cons," pro-war, pro-torture, but somehow "anti-government" right-wingers who are truly confused and gullible people, versus those who consider themselves the true Tea Party, pro-Constitution, anti-war Ron Paulers who are big on ending the Fed and inscrutable on healthcare reform. (I could never understand their platform, but then I have a tough time understanding Obama's too.)
Why is Sarah Palin associated with Tea Parties?
Tea Party totally hijacked with Palin!
What's most interesting is continued reach-out to the left in an attempt to build a consensus on a few key issues, foremost among them anti-war and civil liberties.
Massachusetts Patriots have formed a left-right Liberty Coalition Facebook page. This follows a call by Ron Paul, Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney, and Chuck Baldwin to put aside partisan differences for the sake of overriding principles we can agree on. The Liberty Coaltion Facebook page states:
Our Four Points of Unity are:
► 1. Freedom from Central & Foreign Bankers
► 2. Freedom from National Debt & Bailouts
► 3. Freedom from Wars & Empire
► 4. Defense Of Our Civil Liberties
These should bloom in every state! They could serve the very practical purpose of facilitating debate over possibilities for cross-party registration in order to put "4 Principles" candidates over the top in their primaries. For example, in CA-36 Democrat Jane Harman presently has no Liberty Republican challengers, but does have a strong Democratic primary challenge from Marcy Winograd, who is fiercely anti-war and rock solid on civil liberties (Harman, you'll remember. never met a wiretap she didn't like and suggested the NY Times should be investigated for breaking an illegal wiretapping story, citing "the limits of press immunity.") Ron Paulers in CA-36 might be persuaded to jump parties for a day to knock out Harman for Winograd, who despite some liberal positions is principled and decent.
In exchange, liberty lovers on the left in CA-8 might be persuaded to jump into the Republican primary for John Dennis so he can knock out Pelosi, whose privatization would be welcomed by many progressives who see her as a lapdog of the Pentagon, prime enabler of Executive branch wars, and a Constitution-breaker for taking impeachment of Bush "off the table."...
What strikes terror into the hearts of tyrants is when they look out the windows of their palaces at people who are ordinarily squabbling, now standing shoulder-to-shoulder and looking up at THEM. Ben Franklin's words were never more urgent. We must hang together now, or we'll hang separately.
No doubt anyone who thinks Sarah Palin is looking out for their best interest has been duped, and it's interesting to see how the Palin Neocons co-opt the language of "end the bailouts," and slip in a few words about "socialism" without ever saying anything about the wars that are getting these mostly working-class families' kids killed. Protectin' 'Merica. Sad sad sad...