The TEA Party Movement - Pondering the future

June 11, 2:03 AMMinneapolis Independent ExaminerDon Mashak

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Pardon my absence - Life intruded upon my intentions to do extensive research on the plans of the leadership of the TEA Party movement. And the research itself was more difficult than I expected. This article was intended to be a report on the more or less concrete plans of the unified leadership of the TEA Party Movement. I could find no such document nor source.  So instead, this article will be more about myperceptions about the personalities and issues I found in my quest for future plans of the bonafide TEA Party Leadership concluding with broad suggestions of possible directions for the Movement.

I began where most of us begin these days to find information: the Internet. Numerous extensive searches of the internet yeilded no one single authority addressing the future plans of the Movement. Patiently I waited for Google to transmit reports of my searches to the Republican Mothership(tongue in cheek), but noone contacted me with the party's instructions for the alleged TEA Party Republican Loyalists.

What I found was discord, contradictions, randomness and the lack of a single focal point of leadership.  Dissapointing to some, reassuring to me - a True Independent Political Process Participant(TIP3). Long before the TEA Party movement began, I was trying to express my frustration with the erosion of liberties, broken campaign promises,corruption of politicians, government overspending, ever growing taxes and other breaches of the Public Trust. My current iteration of one of myfirst attempts to express myself can be found here : Are you happy? The original version of this document was posted before the November 2008 elections.

Let me assure you that if I find the TEA Party Movement is, in fact, a Republican ruse to regain power... I will be the first to let you know and I will feel betrayed and severely dissapointed.  And if that last sentence was not clear enough, I have recieved no input from any Republican Leadership in preparing this article.

What I found in my attendance of various events of lawfull political dissent, was a variety of different mindsets.  There was a general theme of concern and frustration about the country and economy, but no clear message as would be the case if everyone in attendance was just a republican shill. There was a leaning to conservative, but there certainly were concerned liberals in attendance. ( I have debated not including the following at the risk of offending certain readers, but i have decided it must be said as I believe it is a truthful posit) Perhapsthe turnout of liberals is reduced because some of them have traded liberty for security in the form of promised stimulus checks, and certain welfare and social security promises. Just a thought.

Not surprisingly, virtually everyone in attendence of these various events expressed concern about unbridled government spending resulting in huge tax increases. Bailouts were almost universally condemned as a betrayal of the free market and reward for failure to Corporate Titans at taxpayer expense. Bailouts were also condemned because of the failure of the government to provide an exact accounting of the disbursements.  I also heard oncerns about hyperinflation and devaluation of the dollar caused by printing fiat money to cover our governments overspending. Attendees also complained about "Lobbyists in the White House", Tax Cheats Running the Treasury and earmarked pork barrelling in the Stimulus bill. And, I saw teenagers and youngsters in attendance with signs that said approximately, "I am not even 18 yet and I owe $35000 to the Government (representing their share of the Public debt) More than once I heard the sentiment, "I don't know how anyone over 30 can look anyone under 25 in the eye" referring to the older generation postponing the pain of the economic fallout by borrowing money that will have to be repaid by generations that are under 18 and/or have yet to be born.

Corruption, Conficts of Interest, Judicial unaccountability, broken campaign promises, and the need for term limits seemed to be the next most common category of complaint. Erosion of Liberties, concern about Civil Rights, Net Neutrality and Homeland Security Excesses seemd to rank about number three as a source of frustration. Many seemed concerned by the seeming trade of liberty for alleged improved security.  Others expressed that it seemed that 911was being used to take our liberties and civil rights away.

A great number of persons in attendance seemed angry, frustrated and somewhat bewildered by what was happening to them and our country. Theyseemed to know something is wrong, but did not know exactly what. These same persons seemed to know something needed to be done, but they did not know what to do.  They seemed to come to these events seeking to lend support and find direction.

I also saw signs and spoke to people in attendnace on issues like immigration, Government DNA rape and genetic records, abortion, excessive per diem charges for politicians, the need to upgrade the electrical grid and the attack on the secret vote, etc.

From these interactions and my research, with no clear concensus of direction to be found, I deduced that at this point in time it would be best to just try to identify and suggest broad general directions that I percieved and gleened from my interactions as a TIP3 and a reporter. It is my hope that identification and quantification of these possibleTEA Party Movement directions might help the TEA Party membership and the members of other lawful political dissent groups to choose and coalesce around one common direction.

Possibility 1 - Form Our Own Political Party to Survive to Perpetuity 

Such a party would be free to set an agenda on all  issues of concern to American Citizens.

Possibility 2 - Form Our Own Political Party to be Disbanded After 3 Presidential Election Terms or Upon Accomplishment of its goals. 

The goals to be limited to a "balanced budgets without  borrowing more than "X" percent of the GDP" Amendment,  return to compliance with the Constitution, restoration of public access to grand juries to address corruption and conflicts of interest, Judicial Reform and  Accountability, net neutrality, and term limits. This is not to be an exhaustive list, merely to suggest  avoiding issues that are devisive because our expressed  purpose is to prevent the country from going over the  cliff. The purpose is encourage participation by  Democrats, Republicans and all other political parties alike on issues we can agree on regardless of  other political ideological differences. The 2 major parties use the devisive issues to divide us. We won't let them.

Possibility 3  - Ad Hoc Political Advice Committee

With this direction, we would not form a seperate political party.  Instead, each  January before elections (every 2 years) this body  would invite TIP3's regardless of political affiliation  (or lack there of) to attend local and national  meetings.  The topics of these meetings would be those issues that are fundamental to the well being/survival of our country and adhere to the constitution. Most  importantly, it would entertain issues that are least  devisive.  Attendees would leave these meetings having signed a pledge of loyalty to the issues agreed upon by the overwhelming (80%?) majority in attendance.   Political Party members would sign an additional pledge to be actively involved in the election process (TIP3)  and run for a delegate position to there respective  political party in caucus states.  (Can somebody explain to me the opportunity for involvment in non-caucus state?)  By signing the pledge, any member would   also agree that whether they were a political party causcus  delegate or simple TIP3, they would agressively lobby their respective political party to adhere to the issue  positions and policies adopted at the last AD Hoc Political Advice Committe Forum.

Possibility 4 - Supplant and instill our principals and beliefs in the Republican Party

Possibility 5 - Supplant and instill our principals and beliefs in the Democrat Party

Possibility 6 - Supplant and instill our principals and beliefs in the Libertarian Party

Possibility 7 - Supplant and instill our principals and beliefs in any other small but existing political party.

Again, in anticipation of criticism, this is not meant to be the final product.  This is just thinking out loud for now.  The purpose is to provide a framework from which direction can be found and fleshed out. I look forward to your comments and criticism, good, bad or indifferent. Please bring this document with you to the TEA Parties on July 4th, 2009 so we can begin implement a course of action.  The other political parties have a headstart on us and the 2010 election are less than 18 months away.

What ever we do, we all must agree to "Stop going along to get along" When things happen that go against our principals and beliefs, we must no longer just shrug it off, or make half-hearted attempts to address the issue.  The people in power, will do anything to stay in power.  You must lawfully, professionally and persistantly get in the face of the political trespassers.  Otherwise they will just use their ladder of escalation ranging from not returning your calls, to blowing you off, and escalating to discrediting and demonizing you.

All that having been said, are you committed to being a TIP3 [True Independent Political Process Participant?

Let me see your war face!

Thank you for your time.

Respectfully Submitted,

Don Mashak
The Cynical Patriot

PS. I am working on putting together a history of the TEA Party Movement. Can anybody tell me if the following is accurate?

"The Tax Day Tea Party is a national collaborative grassroots effort organized  by Smart Girl Politics, Top Conservatives on Twitter, the DontGo Movement and many  other online groups/coalitions.

The Tea Party protests, in their current form,   began in early 2009 when Rick Santelli, the On   Air Editor for CNBC, set out on   a rant to expose   the bankrupt liberal agenda of the White House Administration and Congress. Specifically, the   flawed "Stimulus Bill" and pork filled budget.

With April 15th being "Tax Day", it was decided   to schedule the second round of Tea Party protests  to ride alongside the tax deadline."

Thanks in advance for your input.