Welcome to the 6-part series on how the Tea Party has impacted America for the worse in the past 5 years. We're now on the 2nd part of the series: the faces of the movement who damaged America for these past 5+ years.
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 issues that the movement has advocated for or against over the past five years
Hashtag to use: #TeaParty5YL
Media Pundits:
David Barton:
He is a serial history revisionist at WallBuilders and occasional contributor to TheBlazeTV.
His book, The Jefferson Lies, was withdrawn from publication over deliberate falsifications.
He attempted to run for Senate this year against incumbent Republican John Cornyn.
He is a very popular person in Religious Right circles, but loathed elsewhere.
Glenn Beck:
Lonesome Rhodes Beck is a radio host on Premiere/TheBlaze Radio Network and host on TheBlazeTV (formerly FNC).
When the Tea Party movement began 5 years ago, he had a daily show on GOPTV (aka "Fox News"), where his crazy views took reign. His show's main fill-ins during that time were far-right hack Eric Bolling (mentioned in report) and 9/11 truther Andrew Napolitano.
In 2010, he had a rally in DC, called the Restoring Honor rally. His rally was an insult to the legacy of MLK.
Cardinals HOF Manager Tony La Russa and Cardinals baseball player Albert Pujols (now with the Angels) were at the rally. I was really upset about their attendance at that rally, as that proved to cost them a playoff spot that year. The next year, however, they won the World Series 4-3 in a thrilling fashion in a rally that we won't see again for a long time.
In 2011, he left FNC to start up his own media company called TheBlaze (formerly GBTV).
Beck is one of the most dangerous men in America, and rightfully so.
Eric Bolling:
He is a host on FNC's The Five, and is a top fill-in for Neil Cavuto and Bill O'Reilly. He also hosts a weekend "business" show on the station, called Cashin' In.
He used to host shows on Fixed Noise's sister channel, FBN, such as Happy Hour, Money Rocks, and Follow The Money, and was one of the top fill-ins for Beck's TV show during his tenure at FNC.
Bolling has a record of crazy lunatic statements, most notably the "hoodlums in the hizzouse" comment, blaming unions for USPS's woes,, defends outsourcing American jobs as "good business sense",, he falsely claimed that there were ZERO terrorist attacks in our country during Bush 43's time in office, and defending abusive Rutgers coach Mike Rice's actions.
Scott Brown:
He won election to the US Senate in the 2010 Special Election to replace the deceased Ted Kennedy (a well-respected Senator and a big bogeyman that the right-wingers attacked him viciously), and then lost to progressive stalwart Elizabeth Warren in 2012.
He is now a contributor for Fixed Noise.
He was recently in hot water over his email lists featuring discredited huckster Dr. Russell Blaylock.
He is considering running for Senator in New Hampshire this year or possibly President in 2016 for the GOP.
Lou Dobbs:
At the beginning of the Tea Party Movement's rise in 2009, Dobbs hosted a show on CNN and on radio, where he repeatedly made anti-immigrant and birther comments, which led to his resignation from CNN. Later, he went to FNC and FBN. He hosts a show on the latter channel [Fake Business Network], and is a frequent contributor on the main FNC channel.
Erick Erickson:
He hosts a radio show, is a commentator for Fox (formerly CNN), and founder of RedState.com.
He is one of the go-to Wendy Davis bashers (along with former CNN contributor fellow Dana Loesch).
He is the main catalyst of the "we are the 53%" movement at the height of Occupy Wall Street.
He called former SCOTUS Judge David Souter a "goat fucking child molester."
He defended a Dollar General employee for spanking an 8-year old child (that wasn't her own) for throwing a cookie at her.
Simply put, he is an asshole.
Joseph Farah:
He is the founder of WND.com, a site in stoking far-right propaganda and is on the SPLC hate groups list and a birther loon.
He believes that "Muslim immigration to the USA should be halted."
He defended Canadian-Born Ted Cruz's possible run for the Presidency, while falsely attacking President Obama for being allegedly born in Kenya (he was in fact born in Hawaii, a US State).
Bryan Fischer:
He is a radio host for the far-right hate group AFA.
He made numerous whacko statements, including falsely claiming that the 1st Amendment of the Constitution is for "Christians only", believes that "only property owners should vote", says that "states should ban Islam," defends corporal punishment (aka child abuse) in schools, made racially-charged attacks about welfare recipients, believes that political leadership is for "males only", among the other garbage that he spews.
He is rabidly anti-LGBTQ and anti-abortion, typical of an AFA employee.
Pamela Geller:
She blogs at Atlas Shrugs, is the co-founder of Stop Islamization of America, a big fan of the far-right fascist English group EDL, and a rabid Islamophobic kook.
She has slandered the Rohingya people of Burma by declaring them "jihadists."
Geller, along with other RWNJ mouthpieces, rallied Islamophobic opposition to Park51 (aka "Ground Zero Mosque"). Park51 was opened in September 2011.
She was at least partially responsible for the cancellation of TLC's All American Muslim after one season, a show that she smeared repeatedly as "terrorist propaganda."
Sean Hannity
Hannity is a radio host on Premiere/Cumulus Media and host of his own show on FNC.
He is one of the major promoters of the Tea Party movement on air.
He was forced to cancel an appearance at a Tea Party event in Cincinnati in 2010.
Hannity, in response to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's "extreme conservatives have no place in New York" comments, is entertaining the thought of leaving the state in retaliation.
Along with fellow FNC host Eric Bolling, he defended Mike Rice's abusive actions.
He baselessly smeared excellent progressive hero Congressman Keith Ellison as a "racist" and "anti-Semite," in retaliation for Ellison calling him a "worst excuse for a 'journalist.'"
He is not upholding to the promise of being waterboarded for charity.
During the aftermath of the 2012 elections, he has flip-flopped on immigration reform from actively opposed to for it. He may have went back on that promise, though.
He is a major shill for racist murderer George Zimmerman.
Mark Levin:
He is a radio host on Cumulus Media and Sean Hannity's BFF.
He is a very reactionary bigot, by cheering for the 2013 GOP-caused government shutdown.
Rush Limbaugh:
Boss Limbaugh is the leading radio host in America, going by stations being broadcasted on.
The Drugster was a major player in smearing Sandra Fluke.
He dangerously claimed that the term polar vortex was a "hoax," in which NBC/The Weather Channel meteorologist Al Roker debunked Rush's baseless lie.
Mr. Oxycontin Smuggler attacked Pope Francis over his support of combating income inequality.
In July 2013 on his radio show, he says that he can say the "n-word" with impunity.
Dana Loesch:
She is a radio host on KFTK/Radio America and host on TheBlazeTV (formerly a CNN contributor). She is a former Democrat who converted to conservatism during 9/11.
She is a chronic anti-choice loon who smears Sandra Fluke and Wendy Davis repeatedly. She was a cheerleader for Todd "Legitimate Rape" Akin.
She is a well-known anti-gun control moron, as she smeared Shannon Watts, Jim Carrey, and other pro-gun sense voices.
She has also stated untruthfully that "spoons can be assault weapons."
She is a well-known anti-LGBTQ and transphobic voice, most notably by berating a caller (who was a fellow Christian Conservative) for supporting marriage equality and trashed Dan Savage for his LGBTQ advocacy.
She has slandered Muslims, by defending Michele Bachmann's witchhunt against Huma Abedin and her infamous "I'd Drop Trou and Do It Too" comment.
Michelle Malkin:
She is a blogger at MichelleMalkin.com, founded right-wing smear site Twitchy, and is a FNC contributor.
During the 2012 Presidential Election run-up, she said "vote with your lady smarts, not your lady parts." She has also said that "The Democratic Party has people still in their Huggies."
She was the media person who catapulted the movement into the mainstream in 2009, along with Rick Santelli.
Sarah Palin:
She was the 2008 GOP VP nominee with John McCain and currently an FNC contributor.
She played a major role in forming the movement.
She misleadingly claimed that "Obamacare had 'death panels.'"
She ripped President Obama for using teleprompters, while she was using them herself.
Katie Pavlich:
She is a writer for Townhall.com and a FNC contributor.
Her book on the Fast and Furious debacle was filled with absolute lies, but that didn't stop the right from declaring the book as the gospel truth on the subject.
Karl Rove:
He is a former Senior Adviser to President Bush 43 and is currently a FNC contributor.
Rove was one of several catalysts of the movement, only to denounce it.
During FNC's Election Night 2012 coverage, Rove slammed FNC's decision to call Ohio (and election) for President Obama.
In recent years, many in the Tea Party have disowned Rove as a "RINO."
Rick Santelli:
He is a CNBC commentator and the most widely known originator of the Tea Party Movement with his rant that started it all.
Michael Savage:
He is a radio host on Cumulus Media.
He blamed "Muslims and the Government for covering up the Boston Marathon Bombing."
He declared that President Obama is the 1st ever Muslim President."
Donald Trump:
He is a birther hack and host of NBC's The Apprentice and its spin-offs.
He has advocated birther conspiracies.
Activists:
Dick Armey:
He was the former GOP House Majority Leader and former chairman of FreedomWorks.
He quit FreedomWorks in November 2012.
Deneen Borelli:
She is the FreedomWorks outreach director and a FNC contributor, with ties to Project 21.
Brent Bozell:
He is the founder of ForAmerica, CNSNews, and Media Research Center and former head of Parents Television Council.
Recently, he was caught having a ghostwriter write his columns.
He made offensive comments likening Obama to a "skinny, ghetto crackhead."
Andrew Breitbart (deceased):
He was the owner of Breitbart.com and former editor of The Drudge Report.
Breitbart and his cronies exploited the victims of rape in the Occupy movement in order to smear them.
Brian Brown:
He is the co-founder of rabidly anti-LGBTQ hate group National Organization For Marriage.
He, along with the rest of the Religious Right brethren, played a key role in getting Russia to pass its anti-gay laws and to spew its hate worldwide.
Herman Cain:
He was a 2012 GOP Presidential candidate and a radio host.
During his presidential run, he was known for the 9-9-9 plan and the "U[z]beki-beki-beki-stan" gaffe.
Jerome Corsi:
He is a writer for WND (WorldNutDaily) and has a penchant for conspiracy theories (most notably Obama Birth Certificate, 9/11 Truther, North American Union).
He wrote a book called Where's The Birth Certificate?, which promoted the fringe idea that the President is NOT born in America.
He was part of the team that crackpot Sheriff Arpaio led to find out that Obama's birth certificate was "a fraud." Corsi's lying there.
Jim DeMint:
He is a former South Carolina Senator, founder of Senate Conservatives Fund, and President of The Heritage Foundation.
During the Chicago Public Schools' Teachers Strike in 2012, DeMint compared them to "thugs in the Middle East."
Catherine Engelbrecht:
She is the founder of True The Vote.
She and her group are responsible for aiding in voter suppression and intimidation of voters.
Alan Keyes:
He is a 2004 US Senate nominee from Illinois who lost to current President Barack Obama and a rabid birther.
He is obsessed with impeaching Obama at all costs.
David and Charles Koch (aka "Koch Brothers"):
The Koch Brothers are major funders of the Tea Party Movement.
They have destroyed America by funding propaganda against Obamacare, supported the Citizens United v. FEC verdict., fracking, and financing for conservative causes.
Wayne LaPierre:
He is the Executive VP of the National Rifle Association (NRA).
He is a long-time conspiracy theorist on gun issues, most notably by calling federal law agents "jack-booted thugs" and accusing the President of "eroding the 2nd Amendment."
Dr. Gina Loudon:
She appeared on ABC's Celebrity Wife Swap.
She has also misleadingly said that "Obamacare causes suicide."
Jan Morgan:
She is a 2nd amendment fetishist and rabid Islamophobe.
She has declared that "tightening gun laws could lead to an American Genocide."
Dick Morris:
He is a former FNC contributor and adviser to the Clintons.
He is well-known for widely incorrect election day predictions, most notably his off-the-mark prediction that MITT ROMNEY was going to win in a landslide in the 2012 Presidential Elections.
Grover Norquist:
He is the founder of Americans for Tax Reform.
He played a major role in intimidating the workers to vote NO to unionization at the VW Chattanooga vote. He has been attacked by certain sectors on the right for being "too Muslim-friendly."
Ted Nugent:
He is a musician and a vicious lying pants-pooping draft dodging phony "patriot" misogynistic far-right chickenhawk.
He has a long history of attacking women, most notably directed against Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Dianne Feinstein, and left-leaning women.
He cheered Occupy protesters getting pepper sprayed in a December 2011 Washington (Moonie) Times column.
He said that "Trayvon Martin got what he deserved," among other anti-Trayvon comments.
He has joined in the birther chorus.
At the 2012 NRA convention in St. Louis, Nugent declared that "he'll be either in dead or in jail by this time next year." Nugent, at the time of this writing, is still alive spewing out dangerous bullshit.
At that same convention, he said that "Democrats should have their heads chopped off in November."
He endorsed cutting out Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, plus he suggested that welfare recipients should have their voting rights taken away.
He has a history of sexual predator-like and pedophilic activities against underage girls.
Tony Perkins:
He is the President of far-right hate group Family Research Council and former Louisiana State House legislator with deep-seated ties to David Duke and the KKK.
He is known for his rabidly anti-LGBTQ views, most notably by saying that the "Girl Scouts engage in child abuse", falsely stated that the "tide is turning against marriage equality" (it's only getting more accepted here in the USA), says that "ENDA will destroy religious freedom," blaming the LGBTQ community, SPLC, and Obama for Floyd Corkins shooting up the FRC headquarters, among other homophobic and transphobic statements.
He advocated a fringe right conspiracy theory that "guns would be confiscated from Christian Conservatives."
He is considering running for Senate in 2015 if David "Diaper" Vitter runs for Governor.
Judson Phillips:
He is the founder of SPLC-designated hate group Tea Party Nation.
He advocated giving voting rights only to property owners.
He blamed teachers unions for the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook.
He has opposed marriage equality.
He has advocated muzzling the First Lady Michelle Obama.
Larry Pratt:
He is the Executive Director of Gun Owners of America who makes Wayne LaPierre and his organization [NRA] look sane by comparison.
During a guest appearance on CPNLive's Talk To Solomon, he advocated a conspiracy theory that "Obamacare will force gun owners to undergo electroshock therapy."
He defended George Zimmerman's decision to murder Trayvon Martin.
He has said that "liberals should not own guns." Note to Larry: there are plenty of liberals and progressives that own guns.
He feels that spanking children at schools (a form of child abuse) is the solution to prevent school shootings.
Phyllis Schlafly:
She is the founder of Eagle Forum and led the effort to stop the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Recently, she has played a huge role in getting immigration reform stopped by opposing the GOP's efforts to become more immigration-friendly and claiming she opposes it on the grounds of "because they will most likely vote Democratic."
She baselessly claimed that "Americans are moving out of pro-same sex marriage states."
The antifeminist asshat has blamed feminism for "unfairly blaming men in such cases."
Orly Taitz:
She is a birther queen who was born in the Moldavian SSR (now Moldova).
She is a well-known attack dog against President Obama in general, in addition to her birther attacks against him via the courts.
During the peak of the Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson's anti-LGBTQ, child marriage-promoting, and racist diatribe debacle, she stated that "A&E can either reinstate [Phil] Robertson or allow bans on LGBT wedding cakes."
Taitz is running for Attorney General in California, but will likely miss out on a Top 2 slot this November. She has previously ran for office in the GOP primary in 2010 for Secretary of State and lost, and lost in 2012 for the US Senate seat.
Joe Walsh:
He is a former Illinois Congressman who served for one term and lost in 2012 and a deadbeat dad.
He was a well-known deadbeat dad who was sued for unpaid child support worth over $100k+.
In a huge contrast to his socially liberal days in the 1990s but remained a Republican , he believes that "there should zero exceptions to allowing abortion."
Allen West:
He is a former Florida Congressman and conservative activist who is now a contributor to FNC.
He has claimed that "Barack Obama and Eric Holder are 'vile and disgusting' racists."
He erroneously claimed that the EPA is "introducing backdoor measures to get gun control in place."
In January 2014, he falsely claimed that "Democrats talk about women from the waist down to win votes."
He attacked well-respected comedian Bill Cosby for being "too friendly to Muslims."
He told President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid to "get the hell out of the United States."
He baselessly claimed that "78-81 members of the Democratic Party are communists." He later clarified it was the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
In 2011, he called Democratic Party Congressswoman and current DNC head Debbie Wasserman Schultz "vile" and "unladylike."
In response, Schultz denounced West on the US House floor.
In 2012, when he was defeated by Democrat (formerly Republican) Patrick Murphy, he went the sore loser rout by falsely stating that he lost due to "cheating by my opponent."
Politicians:
I will focus on the politicians in the fifth edition of the series: the role of the Tea Party Movement at the national and the state level.