The St. Louis Tea Party protesting health care reform during President Obama's visit to the city. AP Photo
The St. Louis Tea Party is one of the strongest local organizations in the country. Its website documents a high degree of development and organization. The St. Louis Tea Party also demonstratesits power by consistently bringing a decent number of members to various protests, like the one shown above. The greater St. Louis community, particularly the suburbs, has many disgruntled conservative voters who are downright angry about the direction of the country since the 2008 election. These factors make the area a ripe territory for Tea Party growth.
However, one prominent conservative seems to have interrupted the St. Louis Tea Party dream. Jan Simpson has accused St. Louis Tea Party leaders of benefiting financially from the organization and concealing a conflict of interest. Such accusations are not abnormal from liberals who have never hidden their contempt for the Tea Party. It is, however, a rarity coming from someone like Simpson. Simpson has an impressive number of over 60,000 followers on Twitter. A quick scan of her Twitter account shows her to be an outspoken critic of the health care reform bill and the Obama administration. Her online material makes clear that she was a leader trying to defeat the health care reform bill. Now that the bill has passed, Simpson is trying desperately to organize a movement to have it repealed through some means. Her online profile describes her as a sales executive from the Fort Worth, Texas area.
The details behind what caused Simpson to make such accusation are still not entirely clear. Right now the criticisms have all been made through Twitter and, with a 140 character limit, a full story has yet to be told. Simpson has promised more details later from her "sources" who have yet to be named. Here are some of the tweets in which Simpson makes accusations against the St. Louis Tea Party leaders:
Uh OH @whennessy the Leader of the St Louis Tea Party - What type of corruption r u into? The ties that bind eh? http://bit.ly/9DUR8X"
Thought: Leadership of Tea Parties benefiting their own pockets? St Louis Tea Party supporting Communist Tom Schweich? http://bit.ly/9673UW"
Hello @barackobama Are there ANY sane ppl in your cabinet? Sounds LIke someone the St Louis Tea Party Supports http://bit.ly/cm7Y1f"
Looks like @whennessy and Loudons trying to make money off Tea Party site by selling space to companies (Ford) and politicians. @JanSimpson"
The heart of Simpson's criticism seems to be the Tea Party website, which has some ad space devoted to at least one corporation (Ford). In addition, Simpson appears to take issue with a music video that appears on the St. Louis Tea Party website. The video (seen below) features Tom Schweich as lead singer. Schweich is running as a Republican candidate for Missouri State Auditor.
While the video can certainly be criticized for being "cheesey", the video is exactly what you could expect of a music video made by a candidate for State Auditor. It is not clear what issue Simpson has with it being on the Tea Party website. Simpson essentially accuses Schweich of being a communist in her some of her tweets.
Now if you think things are getting weird, please allow me to continue because there is more to the story. The St. Louis Tea Party, of course, heard about Simpson's accusations, and what ensued could best be described as a verbal nuclear war. The spearhead of the counter-attack was St. Louis Tea Party leader and conservative radio host Dana Loesch. On Twitter Loesch had the following to say about Simpson after the allegations were made:
It's really disturbing when an older woman like @jansimpson picks on a teenage girl online @lydaloudon http://bit.ly/cYPUYm #tcot"
@JanSimpson Quit changing the topic and threatening people. You bullied a child online. #tcot"
I always get worried when plants who spend literally 24/7 trolling others go quiet for more than an hour. #jansimpson"
Why does @jansimpson act like such a liberal plant? Walks like a plant, quacks like a plant ... #tcot"
Many other St. Louis Tea Party leaders also took to Twitter to defend themselves and/or criticize Simpson.
While this may seem like a silly story, it illustrates a larger theme. The Tea Party largely fuels itself off of an intense anger against liberal policies and an increase in federal government power and spending. The use of this anger works very well for the conservative movement when it is directed against Democrats. However, this anger is also a bit of of a "loose canon", that has the potential to divide conservatives. It only takes one small event or issue to make conservatives turn their anger against their own rather than the "evil liberals." Dana Loesch and Jan Simspon likely share many political goals, but they are now fighting against each other. Eventually, the conflict above will blow over, but if conservatives continue to struggle with infighting in 2010, it could hurt their chances for success in the upcoming elections.
Comments
Can you imagine that it was like this in Nazi Germany and during the rule of Lenin and Stalin? These goons want to steer this country with their totalitarian politics!? And these goons are screaming communist socialism is at hand across the board here in the States? Please, let them destroy themselves before they get a foothold on new interpretations of the Constitution. Suppose this goes to the extreme and you are as Rush said “ to be hunted like the Al-Qaeda” . The accusations will fly and everyone will be afraid of free speech for fear of retribution. These freaks will hopefully empty their bullet boxes on each other before turning on the Republicans and Dems. They are not ‘Pubs, they are something else looking like ‘pubs. I just cannot imagine what our communities would be like with card-carrying party members on the lookout for someone to point their bony fingers at. This activity would make Lenin and Stalin blush.
And...so it starts the Old-Line Blue Blood Republicans are starting to try and destroy the Tea Party Movement. They can't get traction from them and are so afraid of their popularity that they will do almost anything (kind of like Democrats) to derail them. There must be NOTHING but the two party illusion...because that is the way their Power is kept.
The "Oneton Tomatoe-turd" post below is a perfect example. It is hard to tell if He/She/It is a Gingrich BlueBlood or an Alinky-Progressive -Fascist. But at this point I believe they are Both using the same tactics. Tomatoe-Turd is trying to turn the Communist model of Obama and the SEIU thugs around on the Tea Partyers...An Alinsky Tactic. But all will be revealed in time...all tomatoes loose their lustre and mold.
The games a foot. There is corruption everywhere. Doesn't change the goal. Next will be the attack on R Paul, since the right has Selected Romney.
The video rocks dude!
Isn't it about time for Rush Limbaugh to put his Operation Chaos 2 in to motion. It was so effective last time. Remember folks, as long as only pure conservatives are allowed in the Republican party you can't lose!
Ryan: I am wondering where your "investigative journalism" is when corruption rules Washington? I guess as long as it is the corruption of the political machine you agree with its OK. God forbid the Tea Party should influence policy -- all that "Honoring the Constitution and securing the inalienable rights of citizens" stuff could really screw up the cannibalistic orgy.
Jaimmy you win the contest of who can repeat the most catch phrases from Glenn Beck's show. Why not try top sell Pajamagrams too?
Klatoo: Come now. I realize your conservatism has made you blindly follow their political arguments but has it also caused you to lose all musical sensibility as well? This is really making me lose hope.
Wow, that is some great patriotic music! It's as if the Bay City Rollers joined Vanilla Ice and this was their creative love child. Just stunning! USA USA USA!!!
Can we rename that video "Give me back my Rhythm".
Now I know why some people end up playing instruments like the banjo or the bagpipes.
The leftist violent haters plan on infiltrating the TPPM rally in DC on 4-15. Be careful of posers.
crashtheteaparty.org/
To "beck's buddy babby",
Thanks for the compliment I think. As I don't watch or listen to Glenn Beck except sometimes when Ryan puts him up.
You know....I wouldn't want to get caught in the Gold trap and all....
One 'conservative' criticizes the Tea Party and it's breaking news.
Considering that there are only 147 true conservatives left in the United States, that's pretty significant. They're the ones that were protesting long before Obama was elected.
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