Tea Party Patriots Live » tea party

Tea Party Infiltrators? – Don’t Take Your Eye Off the Ball!

jason — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 04:15:49 +0000

‘Tea Party Patriots Live’ Radio Show co-host Jason Hoyt was fortunate to represent the local tea party movement in a live discussion about orchestrated attempts to disrupt tea parties across the country. He appeared on Fox 35 Orlando’s newscast in-studio tonight and made the point that the tea party movement has been very effective and has now become a target; “we know they’re coming, we’re prepared, and all they’re really trying to do is disparage the movement and get the media focused on that, instead of the issues being protested.”

Press PLAY to watch the news report below:

“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around…?”

tomt — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 23:03:26 +0000

“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” A rhetorical question, for sure, however, this question comes to mind when I think of the recent weekend spent in Washington, D.C. A small group from Central Florida, including several OCREC members (Jason Hoyt, Linda O’Keefe, Barbara Seidenberg, Kelli McNair-Lee and Peter Lee), made the trip up the weekend that Congress was voting on healthcare reform. Yes, we knew the odds were not in our favor, as a scheduled vote meant that the votes were there to pass it. Nonetheless, each of us felt that not only was it our civic duty to stand up against this federal intrusion into our lives, but, at the end of the day, we wanted to be able to say, with all certainty, that we did everything within our power to affect the outcome of this vote. We owe future generations no less!

Well, we all know how the vote turned out, which made the trip back home all the more longer, but, was the trip worth the effort and expense? What was gained from this endeavor? On the Saturday before the vote, approximately 40,000 ‘concerned’ Americans gathered, with just 3 days notice, from all across the country, to voice their opposition to the actions being considered by our so called ‘representatives’. After the rally, many of these same patriots went to the Congressional Office Buildings to lobby the legislators. Jason Hoyt, Barbara Seidenberg (Babs) and I went back to our hotel to do our weekly radio show, Tea Party Patriots LIVE (WORL 660 AM). Our plan was to return to the Capitol grounds for the second hour of our show, which we did.

As we approached the Capitol, I saw a site that stunned me to my very core, a site that has only been rivaled once in my life, which was witnessing the birth of my first child. Upon witnessing my daughters birth, it reinforced, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the idea that God does indeed exist. Upon witnessing thousands of American citizens standing shoulder to shoulder, many holding hands, as they literally and figuratively surrounded the U.S. Capitol in it’s entirety, in a futile attempt to get those inside to respect the will of the people, well…it reinforced my belief in the citizens of this country, in the American spirit and the future of this great nation! So was the trip worth it? You betcha! It could only have been a better experience had more of my fellow citizens made the decision to go…

Which brings me back to my opening question…did it even happen? I saw no media presence at the time, have seen precious few mentions of it in the press, since, and little discussion on it. So, if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

Tom Tillison

A Double Standard That Must Go!

tomt — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 03:35:02 +0000

There’s a double standard in the media here in America that we conservatives are foolish to continue accepting. While participating in the rally held in Washington, D.C. this past weekend to oppose the unconstitutional healthcare reform that was being voted on, I personally witnessed numerous attempts by the left to provoke an incident with the peaceful demonstrators. We were even warned, in casual conversation with the Capitol Police, that there were professional ‘instigators’ in the crowd. Considering, it was a minor miracle that there was no violence…

The area chosen to gather after the initial rally, which was held on the west side of the Capitol , was on the south side of the building, as there was a balcony near the House chamber. The crowd was down close to the building, so as to be heard as they chanted, and one would have to walk down a slight decline to get to them.

The left’s efforts started with several individuals on bicycles, which they were walking through the crowd (I assume so they could use the bicycles as a shield between themselves and us). These individuals would go from person to person and challenge their opposition to healthcare reform, being very persistent in their position. This effort was more or less ignored by most, or was shrugged off by others, as these instigators were more of the intellectual type, and, therefore, not very aggressive in engaging people, and, eventually, these instigators withdrew.

The second wave was several individuals with what appeared to be Haitian accents, who came down into the crowd and very aggressively challenged those present. I heard one refer to us as rednecks and racists. It was quite an experience as a natural born American citizen being insulted and ridiculed by immigrants, legal or not, as they demanded that our government, and our tax dollars, provide something for them. One of these individuals was escorted out of the crowd by the Capitol Police, as he was getting very close to accomplishing his goal. These instigators came and went throughout the night, each time being as aggressive as they could be without drawing the attention of the Capitol Police. One of these final efforts resulted in one of these instigators doing something in the crowd that caused a loud bang, although I could not see what that was, upon which he bolted from the crowd in a dead run with 6 – 8 policeman in chase.

The next effort was the kook from Code Pink, who’s name I cannot remember…small woman with short blond hair. She came through the crowd with another gentleman carrying a homemade banner on a pink sheet, promoting healthcare reform. Most did not take her seriously, although, several crowded around the banner as she walked through the crowd, to prevent it from being seen. Not sure if this was effort was coordinated with the others, or if she was doing this on her own.

The next attempt was a couple of individuals with very large professionally made signs, one stating ‘Public Option Now’ and the other a oversized picture of Obama and Biden. Again, these two waded down into the thickest part of the crowd with these large signs, attempting to block out the anti-reform signs and banners. This resulted in some very spirited jockeying for position by each side, until finally, a Capitol Policeman intervened. After a little undercover work by one of ours, who went over and professed his support for their effort, he was told that the signs were provided by MoveOn.org.

The final attempt was by young college age kids, as several groups of 6-8 would come into the thickest parts of the crowd and start counter-chanting, in support of the bill, as those around them were chanting ‘kill the bill’ or what have you. Again, this got quite contentious, and I was sure that something was going to happen. One group would go in for as long as they could, then would pull out, only to be replaced with another group. This continued up to the actual vote, and once the results became known, the group in the crowd at this point became very obnoxious, attempting to get into our faces. Again, kudos to the Capitol Police, who, once they realized what was happening, very quickly forced the group out of the crowd.

Interestingly, there always seemed to be an ‘independant’ journalist or two trailing in the background of most of these occurances…

A long story I know, but this experience showed me firsthand how vicious the left is in their tactics, then all I hear the past two days is the media reporting on how angry and violent the ‘tea party movement’ is. To put it bluntly, it’s a blatant misrepresentation of the truth! And, this double standard will continue if we don’t start demanding fair treatment. The civility and restraint on the part of the conservative protestors was nothing short of inspiring, as their attention all along was on having their voices heard by our so called ‘representatives’. It’s a sobering thought when you realize that the real story of what’s happening in America, a great awakening of it’s citizens, is being buried by ideologues pushing a far left agenda. Will journalistic integrity ever return to our media?

Tom Tillison

If There Must Be Trouble…

tomt — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:24:09 +0000

by Tom Tillison

It now appears that a vote will come down this week on health care reform. I need not point out that this vote very well may dictate the direction our country takes for decades to come. It will also define our generation in the annals of American history…

All things that we cherish and hold dear are now being threatened. What will YOU do? Will we, as American citizens, be up to the task? Will we honor our civic responsibility and the memory of our founding fathers? Can we look our children and grandchildren in the eye and be able to say ‘I did all that I could do’?

In today’s age, we throw quotes around as if they’re so many nickles, however, I ask you to take a silent moment and really read the following quote;

“You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children’s children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done” — Ronald Reagan

There is a rally being held in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, for those who can, you should be there! For those who cannot, then you should visit the local office of your U.S. Representatives. In most cases, that will take an hour out of your day. For those who cannot do that, a phone call or fax will work just as well.

This is a serious time in America, folks…does it matter to you how our generation will be viewed by those who follow us? We CAN make a difference, if we harness that great American spirit, as so many have done before us, and unleash it upon those who wish to oppress us!

“If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace” Thomas Paine

Florida Healthcare Freedom Act – Action Alert

tomt — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:34:08 +0000

Please contact the five Senators below today by email and voice mail to their Tallahassee offices, and urge them to vote YES on SRJ 72 Thursday in the Senate Health Regulation Committee.

Thursday morning, March 4, at 8AM, the Health Care Freedom Act, Senate Joint Resolution 72 (SJR 72) will be heard before the Senate Health Regulation Committee. The bill is sponsored by Senator Carey Baker (R), who is not on the Committee. If passed by the Senate and House with 60% of the vote, a proposition will be placed on the ballot in 2010 which would supersede any other laws to force Floridians to buy Health Insurance or restricting their options.

Two of the Committee members, including the Chairman, Don Gaetz, and Mike Bennett, have cosponsored the bill. You may of course contact them as well.

There are five other members of the Committee, including the Vice Chairman, Eleanor Sobel (D). See their contact info below.

Sen. Thad Altman (R)
(850) 487-5053
altman.thad.web@flsenate.gov

Sen. Andy Gardiner (R)
(850) 487-5047
gardiner.andy.web@flsenate.gov

Sen. Dennis Jones (R)
(850) 487-5065
jones.dennis.web@flsenate.gov

Sen. Eleanor Sobel (D)
(850) 487-5097 (V)
sobel.eleanor.web@flsenate.gov

Sen. Al Lawson, Jr. (D) Democratic Minority Leader
(850) 487-5004
lawson.alfred.web@flsenate.gov

Please contact these five Senators by email and voice mail to their Tallahassee offices, and urge them to vote YES on SRJ 72 tomorrow in Committee.

The Florida Health Care Freedom Act allows a vote on an amendment to the Florida Constitution that says any “law or rule shall not compel, directly or indirectly, any person, employer, or health care provider to participate in any health care system,” and specifies people and employers can’t be fined for not buying insurance. This bill does not ban federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid in our state; it simply focuses on restricting the federal government from forcing Americans to participate in an insurance policy, public or private.

ObamaCare – Whether You Like It Or Not

tomt — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:53:40 +0000

Unless we American citizens act, and act with fury, we shall get ObamaCare, whether we like it or not. And, we don’t like it;

	Support	Oppose
Rasmussen Reports	41	53
Newsweek	40	49
Pew Research	38	50
ABC News/Wash Post	46	49
Quinnipiac	35	54
Ipsos/McClatchy	37	51
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl	31	46
CNN/Opinion Research	38	58
NPR – POS/GQR	39	55
USA Today/Gallup	39	55

Reconciliation appears to be the weapon of choice, and Nancy Pelosi is calling on her fellow Democrats to throw themselves down on the sword, urging her colleagues to back a major overhaul of U.S. health care even if it threatens their political careers. Reconciliation is unprecedented and unusual for a few reasons.

First, the left is using reconciliation as a procedure of last resort to get ObamaCare passed. ObamaCare passed the House in November and the Senate on Christmas Eve, yet they are resorting to reconciliation because they know they can’t get one Republican to support the President’s health care bill in the Senate.

Second, reconciliation has never been used to amend a bill that has yet to pass. It will be used to pass a new bill that amends the Senate passed version of ObamaCare.

Finally, reconciliation has not traditionally been used to steamroll the will of the American people. The American people should take note that Washington continues to view their opposition with contempt and politicians would like you to believe that they know what is best for America.

Your federally elected officials are telling you right now — You shall get ObamaCare, whether you like it or not.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO TELL YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS?

A Tea Party Patriots Live Exclusive!

tomt — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:48:44 +0000

A Tea Party Patriots Live Exclusive!

State Representative Eric Eisnaugle announced on our show yesterday that he will introduce legislation this coming week asking FL Attorney General Bill McCollum to file a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of ObamaCare, should it pass. It is indeed comforting that some of our state rep’s are starting to realize that the citizens of Florida are looking to them to stand guard over an oppressive, over-reaching federal government! To those State Representatives who’ve not gotten on board yet, I borrow the line from the popular movie ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’; “Come on in, boys, the water is fine!”

Today’s Show – February 27, 2010

tomt — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 02:40:56 +0000

The ‘Tea Party Patriots Live’ radio show airs every Saturday from 4-6PM EST on 660AM WORL in Orlando and streams live on the web at http://www.TeaPartyPatriotsLive.com/webcam.

The schedule below is subject to change as some discussions may take longer than others. The times below are mere guidelines.

Please call the show while we’re on the air and voice your opinions at (407) 774-8255.

4:06PM – Welcome
- Rick Santelli’s rant (2:30 length).
- Discussion on how Jason Hoyt, Phil Russo, Linda, Bernadine, Mitzi, Rick and others first got involved with the nationwide movement in Feb. last year.

4:13PM – Michael Leahy LIVE (5 minutes).
- Live simulcast interview with Leahy.
- Agenda of Leahy event: http://leadershipteaparty.com/pages/agenda/
- Thoughts on the past year.

4:20pm – General Discussion
- ‘How did we all meet’ (TomT and Babs).
- All Hands Coalition in July (mission of the moment
- Events Tea Party Patriots Live have been involved in (OFA infiltration, Constitution Vigil, 9/12, Million Med March, etc.)

4:35pm – In-Studio Guest
- Adam Lovejoy, Vice-Chair of Orange County Republican Executive Committee
- OCREC’s purpose.
- Local party’s role in the election process.
- Broken brand, how to fix it?
- Tea Party participants feeling welcome?

4:50pm – Complete Segment w/Adam Lovejoy
- Questions, Callers.

5:05pm – In Studio Guest
- Eric Eisnaugle, FL State Representative (District 40)
- EXCLUSIVE: Introducing new legislation helping to fight government-run national healthcare.

5:20pm – Discussion on Healthcare Summit.
- Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) soundbite.

5:35pm – Discussion
- Barbara’s CPAC Experience.

5:50pm – Wrap Up & General Discussion
- More more more….

Tea Party Debate Brews Up

tomt — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:14:26 +0000

The public’s growing dissent with both the Democratic and Republican parties has revived the call for a third political party to break the present two-party monopoly in American politics. In Florida, the “Tea Party” has officially formed and registered a political party that in our opinion will only bleed votes from the Republican Party and ensure future Democrat victories. Opponents of the official “Tea Party” have begun to make the case why the “Tea Party” lacks the infrastructure, a coherent platform, money, or the leaders at this juncture to become a credible force in electoral politics that has the ability to get its candidates elected.

The article that follows is the first piece in what will be an ongoing series on the “Tea Party” phenomena- both as a movement, and as an official political party in the State of Florida. The Shark Tank’s objective is to provide an open forum for a wide variety of perspectives on this topic, as we will encourage guest authors to publish their viewpoints.

- The Editors of the Shark Tank

FLORIDA TEA PARTY HIJACKED – CONSERVATIVE ACTIVISTS DECLARE WAR

By Michael Johns

The American Tea Party movement emerged as one of the top stories of 2009, and for good reason: the mass movement of millions of liberty-minded Americans into the political arena is the largest shift of its kind in modern times.

I was honored to play a role in the Reagan Revolution as a young man. Then, I considered myself a conservative first and a Republican second; I still do today. Thirty years later, the Tea Party movement has eclipsed that era fourfold.

Unfortunately, we are probably also four times as likely to see our movement spin out of control.

In fact, according to the mainstream media, we are already self-destructing. As usual, the reporters are mistaken. But America’s Tea Party organizations (TPOs) are facing serious challenges on several fronts.

Conservative Republican political strategist Stephen Gordon recently told MSNBC that our movement was ripe for a hijacking from the start. His reason: inexperienced Tea Party activists needed the help of experienced GOP operatives. Gordon wisely noted that, in the end, the professional consultants “want those email lists, they want the dollars, they want to control the organization.”

Gordon is right; we are a takeover target. Already major TPOs are being accused of lining the pockets of top-notch Republican operatives and individual entrepreneurs in the Tea Party movement. In Florida, three men disguised as Tea Party activists are flat-out hijacking the movement to promote unfit candidates.

The name “TEA Party” was quietly registered in Florida last summer and rolled out to the great surprise and dismay of state activists. Nobody had heard of the founders; nobody had met them at Tea Party events. Soon the party announced their support for State Senator Paula Dockery, a RINO candidate for governor, and threatened legitimate TPOs with trademark litigation if they continued using the Tea Party moniker.

A spokesman for the newly registered party, Doug Guetzloe, has a long and notorious record of running political trick plays and compromising on core conservative ideals. The deceptive Florida TEA Party could be used to promote Guetzloe’s clients and, more importantly, hurt their opponents. Guetzloe has, for instance, spoken supportively of liberal Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL), who Tea Party activists hope to replace with a more conservative, liberty-minded candidate this November. He also has been an advocate of Dockery’s candidacy, which is requiring probable Republican nominee Bill McCollum, a solid conservative, to dedicate resources to a primary battle that would be better spent in the highly contentious general election campaign.

Worse: a U.S. Senate candidate by the name of Jorge Lovenguth has made noise about running under the Florida TEA Party in the general election. This is another clear signal, this time to both Marco Rubio and Charlie Crist, that the new party intends to be at the general election table. According to Guetzloe’s record, that means money.

In just one month, the leaders of the registered party have been quoted representing Florida TPOs in the state media and even in the recent New York Times Magazine feature on Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio. Clearly the media has been duped already; rank-and-file Tea Party activists are next.

Fortunately, Florida Tea Party activists and organizations quickly united in a federal court action against the perpetrators of the new party. Their complaint against the Florida TEA Party and its founders, filed last week in Miami federal district court, asks for a declaratory judgment separating the two groups and a court order to stop the party’s threats of litigation.

The unified coalition, built so rapidly behind the lawsuit, is an indication of just how robust our Tea Party movement is today. South Florida Tea Party v. TEA Party proves TPOs are united when we face a common enemy out-of-step with our shared values, bent on hijacking our movement.

Because that spells trouble for liberals in both parties, they naturally want to close their eyes and pretend we are disappearing or self-destructing. We will not. Impressively, America’s Tea Party movement boasts approximately five million members today. According to a recent Rasmussen Poll, a majority of Americans view the Tea Party movement “favorably” or “very favorably.” Clearly our upside growth potential is hugely significant to the future of American politics.

Nobody knows better than the grassroots how this movement comes alive at Tea Party protests, 912 rallies and other events. There is a lot of potential energy there to be harnessed. Of course, many politicians cannot resist the urge to poach. And then there’s the money. I don’t begrudge any entrepreneur, but the buyer–and the seller–must beware, especially in cases like the Florida TEA Party.

Let the liberals mistake our growing pains as a death rattle. In truth, our remarkable and promising movement is sorting itself out in a healthy manner, even when facing major political obstacles, and we’re not yet one year old.

We must protect our independence vigilantly and pursue our shared goals with enthusiasm and collaboration. Every day we are not working together, we take one step forward and two steps back. With the unity we have demonstrated against the so-called TEA Party of Florida, we proved we are at our best when we stay focused on the whites of the enemies’ eyes.

—

Michael Johns, a former Heritage Foundation policy analyst and White House speechwriter, is one of the founders and national leaders of the Tea Party movement. He is Chairman of The Patriot Caucus, a national Tea Party organization, and a board member of the Nationwide Tea Party Coalition.

Major Response to Obama’s Tampa Visit

tomt — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:46:32 +0000

Major demonstration taking place this Thursday in Tampa in response to Obama’s visit!

He will be at the Bob Martinez Sports Center at the University of Tampa; event is scheduled to start at 12:30. People are being asked to be in place by 10:30 AM.

Come early, Secret Service is closing off streets and traffic will be a challenge.

We need a strong turnout folks! If you can find a way to get there – GET THERE!

UPDATE: A message from Tom Gaitens in Tampa -

Hi All,

The Tampa Tea Party is organizing a major counter-rally for Obama on Thursday. Please forward this email to your groups and social networks.

Around noon on Thursday, January 28th, President Obama will be speak to a rally announcing $2.5 Billion dollars of “stimulus” spending on a rail and bus system interconnecting Tampa with Orlando.

The Tampa Tea Party and the Bay Area 912 groups are conducting a counter-rally against this wasteful, low-value, deficit increasing, misguided and unwanted spending.

The Rally is from 11 AM until 1 PM. Please attempt to arrive near 10AM so as to obtain parking. The traffic may be quite tedious.

The main source for timely information is the event on our meetup page. Her is the URL http://www.facebook.com/l/41dab;www.meetup.com/Tampa-Tea-Party/calendar/12419766. Here is the tinyURL alias for the same link http://www.facebook.com/l/41dab;tinyurl.com/yfqkogr.

Here is a customized Google Map for the rally: http://www.facebook.com/l/41dab;tinyurl.com/yf763zf. This map has icons for our rally (a man’s silhouette), Obama’s rally (a red pin) and parking (the letter ‘P’.) Clicking the various icons will cause pop-up balloons with additional information to appear.

Do not forget to bring water.

When you arrive in the rally area please follow the directions of the organizers. John Hendrix, one of the organizers, is six feet tall, shaved head, beard and will be wearing a bright red “National March on Washington” shirt.

Here are suggested messages for your signs:

TAX CUTS CREATE MORE JOBS THAN STIMULUS SPENDING STOP SPENDING!
WE CANNOT SPEND OUR WAY TO PROSPERITY
OBAMA – YOU PASSED $800B STIMULUS AND UNEMPLOYMENT WENT UP!
NO TO STIMULUS – YES TO AXING GOV’T SPENDING NO TO STIMULUS – YES TO TAX CUTS STIMULUS = PORKULUS TO SPECIAL INTERESTS FOLLOW THE MONEY SUNRAIL= SPECIAL INTEREST BOONDOGGLE WITH TAXPAYER MONEY SUNRAIL = TAX INCREASES CREATE REAL JOBS – LET’S DRILL OFFSHORE WE WANT ECONOMIC FREEDOM – NOT GOV’T PORK NO MORE FEEDING AT THE GOV’T TROUGH SUNRAIL HOSES TAXPAYERS OBAMA’S ECONOMY – $13 TRILLION IN DEBT

Thank you for standing with us.

Your in Liberty,

Tom Gaitens