Welcome to the 6-part series on how the Tea Party has impacted America for the worse in the past 5 years. First, we will focus on how the destructive far-right astroturfed movement began.
Five years ago today, the rant that kickstarted the modern astroturfed version of the Tea Party Movement was aired on CNBC's Squawk Box by Rick Santelli.
From the 02.19.2009 edition of CNBC's Squawk Box:
This report will be a 6-part series on the Tea Party Movement 5 Years Later:
02.19.2014: The beginnings of the largely astroturfed Tea Party Movement
02.20.2014: Tea Party: Who's Who and the roles they played
02.21.2014: The issues that the Tea Party Movement has advocated for or against
02.22.2014: The Tea Party's impact on the 2010 and 2012 elections
02.23.2014: The impact of how the Tea Party's influence and governing has paralyzed governing in the nation and the states
02.24.2014: The future of the Tea Party Movement in 2014, 2016, and beyond
Next: The people who played a key role in the formation of the Tea Party Movement.
Hashtag to use: #TeaParty5YL
History:
And from that date forward (or likely before then by some groups), Conservative activists were getting their teabags ready to protest that were allegedly "grassroots" but in fact were astroturfed by the bigshots in the GOP (The Heritage Foundation, FreedomWorks, Sarah Palin, Dick Armey, Glenn Beck, Fixed Noise, et al.) and were aimed against President Barack Obama, Cap and Trade, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Bailouts, the declining economy, and politicians that were deemed "too liberal," "too RINO", "socialist," et al. What it turned out to be 5+ years later was a protest against the liberalization of the United States-- including attacks against unions, marriage equality and expansion/awarding of LGBTQ rights, food stamp recipients, health care reform, access to abortion, Islam, climate change, immigration reform, gun control-- and just plain racist and sexist vitriol against the President, First Lady, VP, and minorities. The issues that they advocated for and against will be covered in more detail in part 3 of our 6-part series.
The town halls during 2009 and 2010 were very rowdy, as there were several documented instances of Tea Partiers spouting senseless attacks against the President and his health care plan. Many of them were bussed in as astroturfed disrupters.
Electorally, the movement also played key roles in the NY-23 Special in 2009, the 2010 Midterms, and the 2012 Presidential Election. More details of that aspect in part 4 of our 6-part series.
This far-right reactionary movement still holds a decent amount of sway within the GOP.
Organizations:
American Family Association (AFA):
This group was founded in 1977 by Don Wildmon. They are responsible for several boycotts over the years, most notably directed against companies being too insufficiently anti-Christmas by their standards, being pro-choice supportive, pro-LGBTQ, having porno and borderline porno mags sold in easy access of children, and any policy that doesn't toe their narrow-minded views on morality. The front group One Million Moms (a major misnomer of a name) has also conducted boycotts as well. In 2008, its news site, OneNewsNow decided to edit Tyson Gay's name to "Tyson Homosexual."
Its most prominent employees are Tim Wildmon, Sandy Rios, and Bryan Fischer (by far the worst of the worst there). It used to employ kooky host Buster Wilson.
It is also listed as an SPLC hate group.
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC):
This organization was founded in 1973 to spearhead conservative model legislation to the states, with bills like union-busting, drug testing for welfare recipients, Stand Your Ground Laws, school vouchers, voter suppression laws, making tax rules more wealthy-friendly, anti-immigration laws in the vein of SB1070, and other conservative pet items. It once infamously opposed LGBTQ rights.
Americans for Prosperity (AFP): Founded in 2004 when it split into this organization and FreedomWorks. Founded by David H. Koch. It was very vocal in opposing Cap and Trade, PPACA, unions, and a whole host of other right-wing pet causes.
Americans United For Life (AUL):
It was founded in 1971 approximately two years prior to SCOTUS' Roe v. Wade ruling. It sponsors several ALEC-style model bills to weaken and/or eliminate abortion rights as part of the War On Women waged by conservative interest groups. Like all other anti-choice groups, it is very opposed to Planned Parenthood and PPACA.
Club For Growth (CfG):
Founded by Stephen Moore, Thomas L. "Dusty" Rhodes, and Richard Gilder. This organization plays an important role in forcing the GOP far to the right on fiscal matters, such as their obsession with cutting taxes for the wealthy.
Eagle Forum:
This group was founded by Phyllis Schlafly in 1972, during the height of the Equal Rights Amendment debate (which she and other conservative antifeminists opposed).
Its viewpoints are very antifeminist, anti-LGBTQ, anti-abortion, anti-immigration reform, anti-UN, anti-vaxxer, and other far-right items.
Family Research Council (FRC):
This group was founded by Dr. James Dobson from Focus On The Family back in 1983. It separated in 1992. Tony Perkins became its President in 2003. Since 2006, it sponsors the annual Values Voter Summit, the social conservative version of CPAC. This group is rabidly anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQ, anti-climate change, to name a few positions it takes. Josh Duggar, Gary Bauer, Jerry Boykin, and Peter Sprigg all have had or still do have major roles in this organization. It is also listed as an SPLC hate group.
Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR):
This group was founded by racist white nationalist John Tanton in 1979 to oppose immigration.
This group played an extremely critical role of getting harshly anti-immigrant laws like California's Proposition 187, Arizona's SB1070, and other similar bills into law. It is very opposed to immigration reform, DREAM Act, and immigration in general.
It is also listed as an SPLC hate group.
ForAmerica:
Founded by MRC's Brent Bozell. Another right-wing activist group.
FreedomWorks:
Founded by Matt Kibbe and Dick Armey in 2004 when Citizens for a Sound Economy split into two: this organization and Americans for Prosperity.
This group played a key role in the Tea Party movement in opposing Obamacare, demanding major devastating reforms to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, to name a few issues. Armey resigned in November 2012.
Generation Opportunity:
This group was founded by Paul T. Conway in 2011, and has very close ties to the Koch Brothers. This group is responsible for the very controversial "creepy Uncle Sam" ad back in September 2013 in opposition to PPACA.
Gun Owners of America (GOoA):
H.L. Richardson founded the group, but Larry Pratt is far more well-known. It's a gun rights group that runs well to the right of the NRA, along with National Association For Gun Rights (NAGR).
The Heritage Foundation:
This group was founded in 1973 and holds a lot of influence in the conservative movement.
This group was the very same group that essentially laid the groundwork for the individual mandate portion of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), along with Mitt Romney's version of it in Massachusetts during his time as Governor. The organization later opposed it when it came time to vote for it in 2009-2010. They were one of several groups that aided the astroturfing the Tea Party Movement.
Heritage Action for America:
The political advocacy arm of Heritage that was founded in 2010. The group was very instrumental in causing the shutdown of our nation's government over PPACA funding and is endorsing the rejection of extending unemployment benefits.
National Organization For Marriage (NOM):
It was founded in 2007 as an organization that would "protect the sanctity of marriage." However, as the years have gone by, the organization has been a shill for rabidly anti-LGBTQ and transphobic causes, such as supporting California's Prop 8 (which got invalidated at SCOTUS in June 2013), used controversial wedge tactics pitting the Black and LGBTQ communities against each other, caused Maine to repeal marriage equality in 2009 only to get it back in 2012, got three of the seven judges in Iowa ousted in 2010 in a retention vote over its role in getting marriage equality legalized in the Hawkeye State, attacked California's pro-transgender rights bill AB1266, aided and abetted in passing Uganda's, Nigeria's, and Russia's anti-gay laws, among others. This group should be a hate group on the SPLC list if it isn't already.
National Rifle Association (NRA):
It was founded in 1871. Wayne LaPierre is the main face of the group; however, Jim Porter II is the President of the organization.
The main lobbying group for the pro-gun rights/anti-gun control crowd since the 1977 Cincinnati Revolt. Prior to that time, the NRA was actually supportive of gun control and was primarily focused on hunters and sportsmen issues.
After the 1977 Revolt in Cincinnati, the NRA's main obsession is protect and/or expand gun rights at (almost) all costs. However, certain pro-gun advocates consider the NRA to be insufficiently weak on 2nd Amendment issues.
They were responsible for the ending of the Assault Weapons Ban, aiding the expansion of Stand Your Ground Laws, and failing to get even simple reforms done in the wake of Sandy Hook.
Senate Conservatives Fund:
Founded by current Heritage head Jim DeMint. A group that's responsible for moving the GOP further right, costing them the Senate in the process. (Examples: O'Donnell, Angle, Mourdock, Akin, and likely Broun and possibly Bevin in 2014). This organization played a major role in causing the first government shutdown since 1995-96.
Tea Party Express:
The group was founded by Howard Kaloogian and Sal Russo in 2009.
In 2010, radio host Mark Williams was forced to resign due to his racist letter praising slavery in the voice of "colored people." It focused on many of the same goals of its other Tea Party groups: lower taxes for the rich, anti-Obamacare, anti-welfare, anti-union, etc.
Tea Party Nation (TPN):
Founded by Judson Phillips in 2009. This group is a lot more socially conservative-oriented and much further to the right than the primarily economic-focused groups like FreedomWorks, AFP, etc. It is also listed as an SPLC hate group.
Tea Party Patriots:
Founded by Jenny Beth Martin, Mark Meckler, and Amy Kremer. Yet another Teabagger organization obsessed with economic issues and "small government."
True The Vote:
Catherine Engelbrecht founded the group. A well-known voter suppression-promoting outfit.
Key Figures:
Todd Akin, Former Missouri Congressman, 2012 US Senate nominee in Missouri
Dick Armey, former GOP House Majority Leader and former chairman of FreedomWorks
Joe Arpaio, Maricopa County Sheriff and well-known anti-immigrant/birther kook
Michele Bachmann, Minnesota Congresswoman and founder of Tea Party Caucus
David Barton, History revisionist at WallBuilders and occasional contributor to TheBlazeTV
Glenn Beck, radio host on Premiere/TheBlaze Radio Network and host on TheBlazeTV (formerly FNC)
John Boehner, Speaker of the House
Eric Bolling, FNC/FBN host
Deneen Borelli, FreedomWorks and FNC contributor
Brent Bozell, founder of ForAmerica, CNSNews, and Media Research Center and former Parents Television Council
Andrew Breitbart (deceased), owner of Breitbart.com and former editor of The Drudge Report
Jan Brewer, Governor of Arizona
Paul Broun, Georgia Congressman, 2014 US Senate candidate in Georgia
Brian Brown, co-founder of National Organization For Marriage
Scott Brown, former Massachusetts Senator and former FNC contributor
Herman Cain, 2012 GOP Presidential candidate and radio host
Ted Cruz, Texas Senator and key player in 2013 GOP-caused Government Shutdown
Jim DeMint, former South Carolina Senator, founder of Senate Conservatives Fund, and President of The Heritage Foundation
Lou Dobbs, FBN Host/FNC Contributor (formerly CNN)
Catherine Engelbrecht, founder of True The Vote
Erick Erickson, radio host, commentator, and founder of RedState.com
Bryan Fischer, AFA Radio host
Pamela Geller, blogger at Atlas Shrugs, co-founder of Stop Islamization of America, and rabid Islamophobe
Nikki Haley, Governor of South Carolina
Sean Hannity, radio host on Premiere/Cumulus Media and host on FNC
Alan Keyes, 2004 US Senate nominee from Illinois who lost to current President Barack Obama, birther
Steve King, Iowa Congressman
David and Charles Koch (aka "Koch Brothers"), major funders of the Tea Party Movement
Wayne LaPierre, Executive VP of the NRA
Mike Lee, Utah Senator
Mark Levin, radio host on Cumulus Media
Rush Limbaugh, radio host on Premiere
Dana Loesch, radio host on KFTK/Radio America and host on TheBlazeTV (formerly a CNN contributor)
Michelle Malkin, blogger at MichelleMalkin.com, founder of Twitchy, and FNC contributor
Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Senator and Senate Minority Leader
Pat McCrory, Governor of North Carolina
Dick Morris, former FNC contributor and adviser to the Clintons
Grover Norquist, founder of Americans for Tax Reform
Christine O'Donnell, 2010 US Senate nominee in Delaware
Sarah Palin, 2008 GOP VP nominee and FNC contributor
Katie Pavlich, writer for Townhall.com and FNC contributor
Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council and former Louisiana State House legislator
Rick Perry, Governor of Texas
Judson Phillips, founder of Tea Party Nation
Larry Pratt, Executive Director of Gun Owners of America
Karl Rove, former Senior Adviser to President Bush 43 and FNC contributor
Marco Rubio, Florida Senator
Paul Ryan, Wisconsin Congressman and 2012 GOP VP nominee
Rick Santelli, CNBC commentator and the most widely known originator of the Tea Party Movement
Michael Savage, radio host on Cumulus Media
Phyllis Schlafly, founder of Eagle Forum
Rick Scott, Governor of Florida
Steve Stockman, Texas Congressman, 2014 US Senate candidate in Texas
Orly Taitz, birther queen
Donald Trump, birther hack and host of NBC's The Apprentice and its spin-offs.
Scott Walker, Governor of Wisconsin
Joe Walsh, former Illinois Congressman
Allen West, former Florida Congressman and conservative activist
NOTE: Some of these names are considered to be "RINOs" by certain Tea Party factions (particularly Mitch McConnell, Karl Rove, John Boehner).
For more in-depth analysis on the people involved, it will be in the 2nd edition of the diary.