Why the "Tea Party" Movement is a Sham

Last year, on April 15, 2009, several hundred people gathered in downtown Fort Smith, AR and thousands around the nation did likewise. The occasion was a tax day "Tea party" to protest high taxes, the stimulus package and government bailouts.

There was much Barack Obama bashing in Fort Smith's Pendergraft Park and judging by pictures from around the country, that scene was pretty typical of other tea parties.

The problem was: where was all this concern for the federal deficit and government spending during the W. Bush administration? I knew some of the people I saw at the Fort Smith 2009 tea party and knew for a fact that not only did these people support George W. Bush in the 2000 and 2004 elections, but most of them acted as if little Bush was just half a notch below Jesus Christ.

The fact is that George W. Bush was the biggest spender to occupy the White House since LBJ. Look it up. Another fact: George W. Bush inherited a budget surplus and with his reverse Midas touch turned it into record deficits. I will guarantee you at least 95% of the people at those rallies voted for GWB in both of his Presidential runs, thereby giving them zero credibility when it comes to the deficit or any other of Bush's wrong-headed policies.

At this point, I'm sure tea-baggers will make a lame attempt to pinthe deficit on Congressional Democrats. The only problem with that is the GOP had control of Congress for all but two years of Bush's reign of error. the Supreme Court was comprised of a majority of nominees by Republican Presidents. Look it up.

In other words, the GOP had control of all three branches of government from 2001- 2007. What was accomplished as far as reducing government spending or the deficit? Less than zero as both increased during that era.

The 2004 election was made into a referendum on gay marriage and the GOP's "family values." Just what did Bush do about either? Nothing. That was just a typical GOP smokescreen to deflect attention away from their miserable failures concerning the economic issues among ADHD voters.

Bush never had any intention of acting on gay marriage or abortion. His number one priority was to attempt to privatize social security. Had that happened, many of these tea partiers along with other seniors would have lost their backsides in the stock market crash of 2008.

Bashing Barack Obama for the federal deficit, especially less than three months into his Presidency as was the case last year was disingenuous at best. Surely the tea partiers know that their boy Bush created most of this mess or at least presided over it, don't they?

The TEA in tea party stands for Taxed Enough Already. I don't want higher taxes myself, just like most of us. Just whose taxes has Barack Obama raised?

According to one poll, 46% of tea partiers believe Obama has kept taxes the same and 44% believe Obama has raised taxes. In other words, a whopping 90% of the tea partiers are ill-informed on Obama's tax policies. The fact is, most of us are paying less federal taxes since Obama took office.

In February 2009, most individuals started getting $13 a week more take home after Obama's tax cut, working families $52 a month. Look it up.

That's not a lot of money, but it still beats a tax hike which is what the tea partiers would have you believe Obama has done. I'm sure a lot of these tea partiers are concerned citizens with a genuine desire to cut back on government.

However, many are racist idiots, also. Check the spelling on some tea party signs. "Think MORANS" read one. Check the racial makeup of a typical tea party and see how many non-whites are present. See how many signs get personal in their criticism of Obama or others.

These loosely organized tea parties might have one sign toter labeling Obama a fascist, then right next to them another labeling the man a "Commie." Which is it?

Other signs refer to John Galt, the main character in the Ayn Rand novel Atlas Shrugged. Many tea partiers claim to be Christians. I wonder how many of those folks realize that Ayn Rand was an atheist with particular contempt for religion?

There is a strain of the Republican right that idolizes Ayn Rand, whose egoistic philosophy could best be described in a nutshell as "I'm gonna get mine and to hell with everyone else."

If tea partiers had not been so late to the party when it comes to the budget deficit and government spending, we might not be in as big a mess as we find ourselves in.

If the tea partiers want to see the faces of those who got us in this economic mess, I suggest they look in the mirror if they voted for George W. Bush and the GOP Congress of 2001-2007.

There are many parallels between the tea party movement and the Republican Party. Former GOP Congressman Tom DeLay is involved in the "movement" as are others. The former GOP Congressman in the 3rd District of Arkansas, Asa Hutchinson, has a recording of his voice urging Fort Smithians to attend the Tea Party in our city on April 15.

These are some of the people who got the car stuck in the ditch and now they want us to put them back behind the wheel? No thanks.