Have the Republicans hijacked the Tea Party, or is it the other way around?

[pghin08]

Looking for opinions on this. I'm trying to decide who is using who here. With Michelle Bachmann's "win" in Iowa, along with the debt ceiling resolution and the 2010 mid-terms, who is in charge of the Republican party? I honestly can't tell if the Tea Party has grabbed the short ones of the more centrist Republicans, or if the Republicans have just adopted the Tea Party as their core mantra.

I'm leaning towards the opinion that the Republicans are using the Tea Party. At the start, the Tea Party had one united goal: cut spending. Now it's as if the Tea Party has become the party of cutting spending, not raising taxes, abolishing the Fed, outlawing abortions, and countless other extreme right-wing ideals.

I could have gotten on board with the Tea Party at their purest: the re-evaluation of our spending habits, simplification of the tax code, etc. While I've always believed the predominant economist position of how to get out of our massive debt hole (spending cuts/tax hikes...oops, I mean "revenue increases"), spending cuts are probably where we can do the most damage to our debt problem.

But now that the Tea Party has just become this extremist tool of the Republican sect, I just can't align myself with 90% of their goals.

Any thoughts?

[mrveggieman]

Now it's as if the Tea Party has become the party of cutting spending, not raising taxes, abolishing the Fed, outlawing abortions,

Such noble goals it would be nice if the tea party really had the best intrests of our wallets and the unborn at heart but we all know that is not their real agenda. The tea party is hell bent on not just defeating President Obama but to embarass and destroy his legacy and we all know why the tea party wants to do that.

[AUTaxMan]

Looking for opinions on this. I'm trying to decide who is using who here. With Michelle Bachmann's "win" in Iowa, along with the debt ceiling resolution and the 2010 mid-terms, who is in charge of the Republican party? I honestly can't tell if the Tea Party has grabbed the short ones of the more centrist Republicans, or if the Republicans have just adopted the Tea Party as their core mantra.

I'm leaning towards the opinion that the Republicans are using the Tea Party. At the start, the Tea Party had one united goal: cut spending. Now it's as if the Tea Party has become the party of cutting spending, not raising taxes, abolishing the Fed, outlawing abortions, and countless other extreme right-wing ideals.

I could have gotten on board with the Tea Party at their purest: the re-evaluation of our spending habits, simplification of the tax code, etc. While I've always believed the predominant economist position of how to get out of our massive debt hole (spending cuts/tax hikes...oops, I mean "revenue increases"), spending cuts are probably where we can do the most damage to our debt problem.

But now that the Tea Party has just become this extremist tool of the Republican sect, I just can't align myself with 90% of their goals.

Any thoughts?

The Tea Party is much more representative of the Republican base as the media would have us believe. Most republicans are tired of the old boy network and the irresponsible and out of control spending that it generated under Bush.

I don't think our founders would have regarded not raising taxes as an extreme right wing idea.

Where is the list of their goals, and what 90% do you have a problem with?

[AUTaxMan]

Such noble goals it would be nice if the tea party really had the best intrests of our wallets and the unborn at heart but we all know that is not their real agenda. The tea party is hell bent on not just defeating President Obama but to embarass and destroy his legacy and we all know why the tea party wants to do that.

That has nothing to do with it. You need to shed that giant chip from your shoulder.

[mrveggieman]

That has nothing to do with it. You need to shed that giant chip from your shoulder.

Don't be mad at me. I'm just calling it as I see it.

[AUTaxMan]

Don't be mad at me. I'm just calling it as I see it.

You are seeing what you want to see as opposed to seeing the truth.

[mrveggieman]

You are seeing what you want to see as opposed to seeing the truth.

It's amazing how gwb had 8 years to set the country back to the 18th century and we didn't hear 1 word from the tea party then all of the sudden President Obama gets elected if he uses the wrong fork at the dinner table on his first day in office some people are ready to have him arrested for treason. Things that make you go hmmm......

[AUTaxMan]

It's amazing how gwb had 8 years to set the country back to the 18th century and we didn't hear 1 word from the tea party then all of the sudden President Obama gets elected if he uses the wrong fork at the dinner table on his first day in office some people are ready to have him arrested for treason. Things that make you go hmmm......

Obama has more than doubled down on Bush's spending. He has done plenty to warrant the boot from the WH.

Since we all apparently agree that Bush's spending was out of control, shouldn't we also say the same about Obama, who has done 10x the damage that Bush did?

Or is it acceptable to simply say that because people weren't complaining when Bush did it, then we shouldn't complain about Obama being Bush on steroids?

[mrveggieman]

Obama has more than doubled down on Bush's spending. He has done plenty to warrant the boot from the WH.

Since we all apparently agree that Bush's spending was out of control, shouldn't we also say the same about Obama, who has done 10x the damage that Bush did?

Or is it acceptable to simply say that because people weren't complaining when Bush did it, then we shouldn't complain about Obama being Bush on steroids?

I think that we can both agree that there is/was too much gov't spending on both sides. However this is were we are going to disagree. Bush bought us into this mess. Obama is doing everything he can think of to clean the mess up. However no matter what he does people will complain and his political foes will sabatoge whatever he does even if it is for the betterment of our country.

[pghin08]

The Tea Party is much more representative of the Republican base as the media would have us believe. Most republicans are tired of the old boy network and the irresponsible and out of control spending that it generated under Bush.

I don't think our founders would have regarded not raising taxes as an extreme right wing idea.

Where is the list of their goals, and what 90% do you have a problem with?

Remember the "Contract with America"?

http://www.house.gov/house/Contract/CONTRACT.html

Issues with the 10 proposed bills:

1. "Fiscal Responsibility Act"- Gives the President the power of a line-item veto on the matter of ousting what he/she deems as "wasteful spending". WAY too much power to the executive branch.

2. "Taking Back our Streets Act"- This whole thing is a crock of crap. More money and more people in prisons. We have the highest per capita incarceration rate by FAR, and this will only make things worse. Just an awful idea. You want wasteful spending? How about keeping someone who had an ounce of weed on them in jail for five years using taxpayer money? No thanks.

3. "Personal Responsibility Act"- This is their welfare reform program, and there are a few decent ideas in here (consolidating, more welfare to work training programs), but the attack on the AFDC program is harsh, and will likely do nothing to combat illegitimate pregnancies (teenagers will ALWAYS have sex)

4. "Family Reinforcement Act"- It's kind of difficult to dislike child protection laws. I don't really have issues with this.

5. "American Dream Restoration Act"- People pay more in taxes than food, clothing and shelter combined? Where the heck did they get those numbers? Apparently Congressional Tea Partiers don't have mortgages. Sheesh. Plus, the reinforcement of pretty much the Roth IRA idea (they call it the American Dream Savings Account, because Roth IRA just isn't patriotic enough). It's a bad tax deal for the government. Government collects short term money (you're taxed on your contributions upon making them), but picks up zero long term revenue (you aren't taxed on your withdrawals, therefore are able to grow tax-free). Really nothing different from what already exists.

6. "National Security Restoration Act"- We continue to spend obscene amounts of money on national defense, mostly in preparation for the type of ground war that was prevalent 50 years ago, but not now. War has changed, but the way we spend our money on it hasn't. Total crap.

7. "Senior Citizens Fairness Act"- If we lower the Social Security tax, everything will just fix itself, right? Our government is so in the pocket of AARP it's pathetic. Both parties.

8. "Job Creation and Wage Enhancement Act"- More deregulation. As if the energy crisis of the 70s and early 2000s and the banking collapse in 2008/09 wasn't sign enough of the dangers of deregulation.

9. "Common Sense Legal Reform Act"- It is exactly what it says it is, common sense. I think most people would agree that our society has become a bit too litigious.

10. "Citizen Legislator Act"- Senate and House term limits. I don't see this as important in the slightest. You can do as much damage in the House in 2 years as you can in 20.


Just a few opinions on the 10 provisions.