Monday, February 22, 2010

TEA Partiers Are Pro-Government

Allow me to start off with a real "Facebook" approach to this post by saying that it's gray outside and I am ready for the weather to make a positive turn, soon. Now that I have said that, let me say that in the midst of yesterday's dismal lethargic morning I did find time to listen to a few minutes of Meet The Press -- just before I took my nasally congested grandson home to his mother.

The inherently arrogant and smug David Gregory aptly demonstrated why he has earned his adjectives. Here is the wording of his question to Rep. Mike Pence:

MR. GREGORY: Congressman Pence, you spoke at the, the gathering of conservatives this week. Dick Armey spoke there as well, then the leader of this tea party movement. Is the tea party movement, an--as an anti-government movement, is it part of the Republican Party?

REP. PENCE: Well, I don't know. You know, E.J. did that anti-government thing. Look, and the president said this week, he said something about, "You've got these people who are against government," you know. In...

MR. GREGORY: Well, they're not pro-government, that's fair, right?

REP. PENCE: Right, no. The American people aren't against government, they're against big government. They're, they're tired of borrowing and spending and bailouts and takeovers. And the people that you characterize...

MR. GREGORY: But my question is about are they part of the Republican Party, do you believe?

REP. PENCE: The people that you characterize, the tea party movement, are a group of--I was there at 9/12 on the National Mall. I've spoken to tea party rallies and town hall meetings. David, I'm telling you, these are decent, God-fearing, hard-working, everyday Americans...

MR. GREGORY: Right.

REP. PENCE: ...who just know we can't pile this mountain range of debt on our children and grandchildren.


Pence was his usual professional self. He gently corrected the most prevalent misconception that the elitist leftist establishment wants everyone to believe, which is the TEA Party members are anti-government. They are not.

The interesting thing is that these are the same people, who think we are utterly clueless. But at the same time, they openly and naively fall for the inherent myth that government is a panacea to all of our problems .... and that we as a culture are incapable of living without them.

To anyone stumbling onto this blog by happenstance, let's be clear on something. I am a proud American and I am not anti-government. I do not advocate of overthrowing anything at all, despite the image Bozo Gregory wants you to believe.

I do want the same structural framework that was built by the founding fathers to be restored. I want the federal government to take care of things that effect out nation on a macro level that cannot be done on the state level. No more, no less.

They need to protect our borders, be responsible for the common defense, protect out interests abroad, and settle disputes between the states. They do not need to be involved in every aspect of our lives.

We want Washington to be accountable for their actions and want them to stop their ever increasing hunger and thirst for more of our money, and power over us. We want better and smarter government, one that truly meets the needs of the people and not the interests of the politicians who lord over us.

How is that anti-government?


13 comments:

Chuck said...

I think there is an insidious method here by journalists. Mr Gregory makes his innuendo and Mr Pence doesn't out and out dispute it.

Mr Gregory knows a lot of people listening at home are only doing so half-assed. They will hear the Tea Party is anti-government and it is a part of the Republican party so, the Republican party by association is anti-government.

I know this sounds a little paranoid but I believe this is a real common occurrence among liberal journalists. They don't care about whether what they say is the truth and they don't care if everyone believes what they are saying because their success comes in repetition. If they say it enough it eventually becomes truth.

I believe this is how the GOP suffers a public relations problem. You will notice also that these journalists are often quick to abandon their assertion because they have already accomplished what they want, inserted a seed of doubt/suspicion in the minds of listeners.

So, while I salute Mr Pence's professionalism and patience, this is not what is needed now. We need for the Republicans in this position to hit them back, hard. They don't need to act like idiots, frothing at the mouth and screaming. They just need to calmly demand that the journalist back up their assertion. Stop the interview dead in it's tracks and not answer another question until the journalist clarifies and justifies what they say. They often will not be able to answer the question and will eventually stop asking them if they are consistently put on the spot and embarrassed on their own show.

Anonymous said...

I noticed on Fox this morning, the liberal woman makes a point, when discussing Pence's comments at CPAC, to talk about other Republicans who speak about not spending us out of existence, and then attend ribbon cutting ceremonies.

The leftista talking points are really ticking me off. I can't even remember the nut-bag's name, but if she wants to paint a Republican as a hypocrite, she needs to find the subject's behavior to be flawed and not hold him accountable for another Congressman's behavior!!! There is no logic to the way they go about trying to debunk anyone.

Chuck, I disagree that Mike Pence didn't do anything to dispute the charlatan Gregory's anti-gooberment / closet republican claim. It is just that when it's someone else throwing the questions, it's hard to get a reasoned word in edgewise. I would put Congressman Pence and his record up against most of the doofuses in the MSM anytime. My money is on Pence! :-)

Love ya Chuck!!!!

Ms. HAM

Greg said...

What's with the "II" flags you see at Tea Party rallies? I'm led to believe it's about a 'second revolution'. One the many reasons I am weary of the tea parties. Anyone know anything about this?

A.C. McCloud said...

There is an element of the tea party movement that is anti-govt, which is why David Gregory and the rest of liberal intelligensia will characterize the ENTIRE thing as anti-govt. Pence sounds like he caught it quick and acted to knock down that strawman but I agree with Chuck in that it's a mighty tall strawman, constantly being added to by all networks besides Fox.

Obama himself has been building up and knocking down these strawmen since he took office. It's definitely a lefty tactic and something the MSM loves, and something the right needs to be constantly aware of.

Anonymous said...

Honestly, I don’t know what is so difficult about this. Chuck IS the man!

Let’s begin with this understanding: Our country’s founding fathers saw government as a dangerous element. It is why they created a constitution, the purpose of which is to LIMIT GOVERNMENT. It makes sense to me that if there are extreme libertarian elements of the Tea Party organizations, they will necessarily be ‘anti-government.’ This does not make them anarchists or red-neck militia.

I will grant there are Americans who want the government to do everything for them at someone else’s expense, who wish to pursue the socialist/cooperation model. The fact is that our country has been creeping to the left ever since Abraham Lincoln; Ronald Reagan was the first American president since Lincoln to appear more conservative than Lincoln. In my view, the GOP is no more conservative than the right wing of the Democratic Party, and the only difference between McCain and Obama is skin color.

But there are also many Americans who actually work for a living, who desire to pay their own way through life, who realize that retirement benefits is their responsibility far more than it is the government’s, who wish for the government to get out of their pocketbooks, and who most desire that the national government limit itself to provisions of the United States Constitution. This is to say, LIMITED GOVERNMENT. Now apparently the press doesn’t understand this. Apparently, morons do not understand this; more the pity, morons of congress does not understand this. I find this factoid ludicrous since members of Congress did take an oath to uphold the United States Constitutions. They are either liars, treasonous, or stupid.

Mr. Sunset, let me say that since your post has elevated my blood pressure to dangerous levels, I must go now and kick the dog … and this clearly qualifies you as a bastard.

Mustang out

Z said...

what Chuck says has been the main theme of my whole blog for the last few months; it doesn't matter WHAT the leftwing media says, it's HEARD BY AMERICANS too indoctrinated or lazy to actually ask "are they sure about that?"...no, they can lie, mischaracterize, do all they want, and know it's HEARD...people like David Gregory ought to be getting paid by the DNC.

Come to think of it, this is sort of like a lawyer who knows what he asked a witness in court can't be recorded because it's "OVERRULED" but the jury DID hear it...and acts in accordance, usually...it GOES IN and MAKES AN IMPRESSION.

Mary Ellen said...

It's the same old "label" game that both parties have been privy to in the past. The Republicans call Democrats, "moonbats", and the Democrats call Republicans "fascists" and then the Republicans hit back with "loony leftists" and the Democrats hit back with "tea-baggers".

I'm just waiting for the day when our country is run by grown-ups again.

Mary Ellen said...

(off-topic)

Hey Greg...

This is off topic but since you can't get to my blog, I thought you would get a kick out of it. I canceled my facebook acct. so I can't send it to you that way either.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fYtrxBXpsQ

Anonymous said...

Congress did take an oath to uphold the United States Constitutions. They are either liars, treasonous, or stupid...

I vote ALL of the above.

Oh, and I do agree with Chuck, going up against liberals, Conservatives have to learn to spar with a little class and demand they give the sources that back up their questions, but I just think Mike Pence is a great Conservative rep. But Chuck is brilliant in the point he is making and yes, it will take more to make many Americans hear more than the liberal assertion in these interviews. It is like their brain stops cold on the liberal talking points.

Ms. HAM

LA Sunset said...

Great points have been made by all.

Whackos are always going to be a part of all movements, the TEA Party is no exception. But the nuts are far from a majority and I seriously doubt that they have much influence.

I cannot see anything wrong with wanting smaller government and curtailing the power they have gradually obtained, much of it at the consent of those of us who allowed it to happen.

HAM spoke of the Republicans who talk a good game about cutting government spending and lowering taxes, but still manage to route a ton of pork to their districts/states. They come on TV in ads and debates, they say how they are for smaller government. But when they get the opportunity to put their words to work they fail us and they are perpetuating a myth, when they do this. They are hypocrites and this is why the Newt Revolution failed.

Right now, the House and Senate need to be GOP to counterbalance the shenanigans of the White House. I have no doubt that we will elect some Republicans that will do the very same thing as the Newt Republicans did. They will lie to our faces and do as they please when they get to Washington. But they will face another election and they can be voted right back out, if the people would have the guts to do so.

Even Scott Brown has managed to turn his back on the very people who helped him get elected, by voting for this bogus jobs bill. What the hell is he thinking? Washington screwed it up the last time, what makes anyone think they will get it right this time? This is a classic example.

We have time to get this right. We need to encourage people to run for election who will go to DC with two things in mind: 1) Do the will of the people. 2) Strip Washington of its power to dictate, to law abiding citizens who have worked their asses off to make this nation so great.

The first step is to get the bastard Democrats out of power, then we'll see what the GOP does. If they do not do as they say, we can then see a third party forming. I do not give a shit about what a Congressman can bring to my district, because I do not qualify for anything they can bring except the taxes it will take to fund whatever it is.

Please understand that although many who read PYY do in fact agree with me more often than not, please know that I am not a Republican. I am an American who stands by principle. And right now the TEA Party Movement is the closest thing that represents my principles. Small government and freedom.

I love you all, thanks for the comments. Please think about what we are facing and cast your votes this year for the best possible candidates to reverse this dangerous trend we are watching unfold.

Chuck said...

I do want to clarify that I was not criticizing Mr Pence, I have a considerable amount of admiration for him and from what I have seen one would have a hard time finding a better conservative.

As to Mary Ellen's comment about the tit for tat going on, I agree completely and am not calling for that. I think it would be an incredible mistake for the GOP to do this. The point is that liberal journalists knowingly lie and conservatives need to start calling them on it.

Finally,

Mr. Sunset, let me say that since your post has elevated my blood pressure to dangerous levels, I must go now and kick the dog … and this clearly qualifies you as a bastard.

Mustang, you crack me up.

Anonymous said...

I know that Chuck... that's why i clarified that I thought what you were saying was spot on. :-) I like you as much as I like Mike Pence! LOL!!!

For anyone who is interested, as of last night I-Caucus has fully vetted 66 candidates running nationwide. That is quit a few and you might go by their site and check out what they have put together.

HAM

Greg said...

Thanks, Mary Ellen. Loved the clip. Many laughs. So many uses for that clip! I want one for Patriots fans. Maybe I should make one myself.