The State of the GOP

I hear a lot of complaining about the Republican Party these days. I share their frustration. How could it come to this? As the fourth year of the Obama era begins the state of the union is shaky at best. In 2008 an inexperienced leftist who donned a centrist disguise beat a weak opponent partly because the electorate was in such a state of shock that they were willing to ignore myriad red flags. I refer to his ultra-liberal voting record, murky background, radical friends and shady political pals. A lapdog media wasn’t interested in doing any vetting — opting instead to just cheer-lead.

The recent State of the Union was full of the same old stuff: congratulating himself for perceived accomplishments and complaining about Republican obstructionism. It’s pure trash and he knows it – but he’s betting that the American electorate will swallow it once again.
Anyone curious enough to look beyond the pliant press would have found that Obama’s speech was in many instances a word-for-word rehash of his previous “SOTU’s” here:

LINK

Further analysis shows his tax claims to be demonstrably false, here:
LINK

With evidence like that this election should be easy right? Obama is a now known quantity and the mask has been ripped off the entire Democrat Party. They marched in lockstep to shove Obamacare down our throats, bypassing an honest legislative process and ignoring the will of the people, including those in uber-liberal Massachusetts who voted for Scott Brown on that issue alone. They have reclaimed the crown as the biggest spenders – quickly eclipsing the Republicans of the previous era. Annual deficits are now running $1.5 TRILLION and we have nothing to show for it.

We should be planning our election night parties – and yet…

It is a mess. Many are fearful that we’re paving the way for Obama to be re-elected. From a very large field full of flawed candidates we’re left with a clueless Mitt Romney fending off desperate attacks from a flailing Newt Gingrich and the Republican Party seems to be doing the Democrats’ dirty work for them. We’re told by self-proclaimed experts that Romney is the only “electable” candidate and yet the guy has no track record of winning. The one time he did he passed a government-run health care bill that paved the way for the mess we’re trying to get repealed.

While Newt’s failures as Speaker of the House have been misrepresented – and his major victories diminished – Mitt is mostly given a free pass. Santorum is the non-Romney of the month but he is a lightweight punching out of his weight class. Ron Paul is given exactly the attention he deserves: credit for his criticism of our dangerous fiscal / monetary policy and scorn for his dangerously naïve foreign policy. Has anyone noticed that he is attracting the youth vote?

But how did the Republican Party let this happen? Well, let’s think about it for a minute. Who is the Republican Party? It’s the candidates who run as Republicans and the people who vote for them. It’s the current crop of elected officials who still self-identify with the party and caucus with them. Let’s not forget the Murkowskis of the world who are only Republican when it’s convenient, or the traders like Jeffords and Specter who changed teams. It is also the RNC – but they really only get involved AFTER the primaries, funneling money where it is most needed in closely fought general elections.

The candidates are a reflection of what we as voters demand. For too long we settled for mushy compromising centrists like Bush and McCain who did nothing to curtail spending or the rampant encroachments on our freedoms. I am not letting the Republicans in Congress off the hook. Spending bills start there. We have a President – not a king. Obama is clearly irritated by that. But the Republicans have not stood united as a party and held their ground. They should have been there all along saying. “We simply cannot afford this level of spending. We can’t defend our country and fund out-of-control entitlement programs. We cannot suspend the laws of economics to give houses to those who cannot afford mortgage payments. We will destroy our economy if we do.”

Nope. They reached across the aisle and danced around the third rails of politics and took the easy way out. McCain was one of them and Newt Gingrich was too. Romney pretends to “Mr. Private Sector” but he didn’t trust it to deal with the health care industry. It is no wonder attacks on him have stuck.

So the Tea Party was born. They are more loosely organized than the GOP. They do not have the big money yet. They only have a few true believers in office now; young leaders like Marco Rubio. Old phonies like Newt are merely pretenders trying to harness their energy. But the Tea Party activists at least have clear principles: smaller, efficient government; low, flat taxes; balanced budgets: strong foreign policy; free markets.

The debates are a disgrace. Who agreed to this? The RNC? This was a blown opportunity to clarify what the GOP platform is to be. We should be discerning not just where the candidates are different but where they agree. Liberal TV commentators should not be involved. Their slanted, “gotcha” questions waste precious time and give the Democrats advantages they should not be granted. Who lets the other team into the huddle?

Who are the party “leaders” who convinced Chris Christie and Paul Ryan not to run? Why didn’t those candidates seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? If Romney wins and does well, he is odds-on to run again and make it an 8 year wait for GOP contenders. Then maybe the pendulum swings left again. If Romney wins and lacks the will to make the bold moves we won’t get the recovery we need. Voters will tire and be susceptible to more “hope and change”. There are lots of ways that it adds up to a 12 year wait for these rising stars. This is their best chance and our best chance.

Now we are in a primary cycle where the voters are unanimous in their support for “none of the above” Not Romney and not the non-Romneys either. I think a brokered election would be thrilling and historic — but wait – the GOP wants to screw that up too. Their idea of a “White Knight” late-entry candidate?

Jeb Bush. (Crickets)

Are they tone deaf? Sure, I know all about Jeb. He’s the smartest Bush. That is beyond irrelevant. This country is not in the mood for another Bush while still suffering from a great deal of the fallout from the financial crisis that began during his brother’s term. Sorry Jeb.

I am still optimistic. True change does not happen quickly in a world still suffering from an epidemic of incumbency. Only we can impose the term limits that are so desperately needed.

They say we get the government we deserve. I am sure I am not the only one who feels I deserve better than this. I work, pay taxes, get informed, get involved and then vote.

There is a battle for the soul of the GOP. There is a call for return to core principles as opposed to watered-down liberalism or “compassionate conservatism”. The Democrats are in a state of denial about theirs. Obama is being attacked from the left for not doing enough. Incredible. “Moderate” Democrats don’t seem bothered that their party has been taken over by de facto socialists.

The silver lining in this mess is that at least Republican voters are showing that they care about character as this search for the non-Romney goes on. Democrats were too eager to embrace scripted charisma in an empty suit. We can do better. We will. Hopefully soon.

Pat Duggan

Yup, I’m Extreme

Chuck Schumer and the Democrats have their marching orders and they are following them.

They’ve boosted spending to record levels and now that the Republicans are demanding some really small steps in the other direction they’re having yet another tantrum. In order to once again deflect blame in the wake of their fiscal malfeasance they have decided to blame the Tea Party and label them as “extreme”.

OK, I guess I am extreme.

I’m extremely worried about the fiscal mess our country is in.

I’m extremely frustrated that with a $1.5 TRILLION dollar deficit Republicans are suggesting $60 billion in cuts and the Democrat response is “how about zero?”

I’m extremely troubled by the inflation I see. Gas is $4, gold is $1,400 and the price of just about everything except my house is rising fast. The question is not will we have inflation-the question is: how much worse than the 70’s will it get?

I’m extremely insulted by the hundreds of waivers granted to companies friendly to the Obama administration, excusing them from the health care mandates that have already increased my health insurance premiums.

And I’m extremely sick of Chuck Schumer and his pals playing political games and holding the economy hostage while America goes deeper into debt at a rate of about $4 billion a day and rising.

Pat Duggan

Chicago Tea Party Patriots February Meeting

Wednesday, February 9^th was the monthly meeting of the Chicago Tea Party Patriots, delayed by a week due to our epic blizzard. Once again “Blackie’s” in the south loop provided a great venue for the gathering of well-informed and concerned citizens. The agenda was jam packed-yet participation was encouraged via Q and A. The featured speakers are almost always available after as well.

Jeff Tucek reported on his mission to shed light on the huge, unaddressed state-pension liability crisis. Jeff has used his talents and background in the private sector to secure meetings with a number of suburban mayors to explore the issue at the Municipal level. I would describe his efforts as in the fact-finding stages and he is preparing a formal report. We can expect some shocking and eye-opening numbers based on what we heard. The public-sector unions and the elected officials who do their bidding have created a situation which is unsustainable. Their preferred solution of raising taxes cannot close the gap.

Next up was Dr. Albert Pecherek, President of The United States Independent Physicians Association. Their website is full of valuable information including a YouTube video featuring Dr. Pecherek that closely resembles the speech he gave at the meeting. Part of the message is that we cannot count on the Supreme Court to overturn the “Obamacare” bill. The best we could hope for is a 5-4 victory, and the age of the Supreme Court justices alone is cause for concern. Full repeal by Congress is our only sure remedy. Arm yourself with the facts and call and write our elected representatives. The USIPA website is a great place to start. Fewer doctors, rising costs and rationing are the nightmare that awaits us if we don’t repeal this government takeover.

Dr. Kurt Erickson is a cardiologist in Chicago and a regular meeting participant. He spoke of his personal experiences both as a physician and an employer of 140 in his medical group, all of whom are provided with health insurance. He has submitted alternative plans for health care reform with no response from Congress. He shared some of the details with a few of us after the formal speeches and Q and A.

This face-to-face interaction is common to these meetings. There is an informal atmosphere that gives attendees a chance to ask that extra question while the meeting stays on schedule.  This is not a forum for the airing of grievances-this is for concerned citizens looking to get involved.

Last up was John Tillman, CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute. John was one of the featured speakers at the April 15, 2009 “Tax Day Tea Party” rally in Chicago. John was ready for the quickly assembled rally because the Institute has been actively working for reform in Illinois for years. Because of organizations like this, the grass-roots efforts that have taken shape in the last two years were able to gain traction quickly. John spoke about the recent income-tax rate hike in Illinois and the efforts led by the Institute to repeal it. Visit their website and sign the repeal petition. He also engaged in an interesting exchange with Steve Boulton of the Chicago Republican Party about local media.

Eloise Gerson, Chairman of the Chicago GOP wrote to WTTW Channel 11 in Chicago to note the lack of balance via Republican or conservative points of view on the “Chicago Tonight” program. WTTW has never responded. Mr. Tillman suggested a visible carbon copy on the next email letting WTTW know that the public funding of their station would be called into question. He then described his experience with WTTW and the large staff assembled to conduct an interview, contrasting it with Fox News and their remote cameras in a frequently empty room. The private sector keeps to a budget. Public Television, like much of the public sector, does not live in the real world.

The Monthly Tea Party meetings continue to provide a great forum with varied topics and a way to get or stay involved. And the burger deals are fantastic so get there before the 7:00 cutoff!

Pat Duggan

Election Recap

I sent a letter to the Tribune today. I do not yet know if they will print it. Brevity is not my strength but it’s essential to have a chance in the paper. Below is my short attempt to recap the election, followed by what I would have liked to include.

The letter:

There is much to take away from the mid-term election results. Sure this was a rejection of Obama’s agenda and the Democrat party but it is not, as some pundits allege, an empty victory for the GOP. They won in key areas where they embraced candidates who espouse the principles that the tea parties advocate: fiscal responsibility, smaller government and respect for the Constitution. Quality candidates like Rand Paul won by large margins. Marco Rubio is a rising star.

Weak candidates lost. Christine O’Donnell was not ready for prime time but her embrace of tea party ideals was not her undoing. Some solid candidates lost close elections while being abandoned by the GOP organization. Sharron Angle put up a good fight but could not overcome the big union push for Harry Reid and the lack of support from her own party. Joe Miller may lose to write in candidate Lisa Murkowski after she lost the GOP primary. The party should have put a stop to that. They will lose control of their own primary system if they are not careful.

Like California, Illinois is late to the party. Public sector unions got out the vote for their Democrats. They know that the first step toward fiscal sanity is pension reform-so they fought it. They have delayed the inevitable. Chris Christie in New Jersey has noted that these same people will thank him some day. The current cuts may be painful but it is the only way to save the system. Illinois newcomers Joe Walsh and Adam Kinzinger are a great step in the new direction. There will be more.

The unaffiliated grass roots organizations are the driving force that is resulting in a new Republican party. They know that George Bush did not clamp down on spending and gave the Democrats an opening. The new GOP will restore fiscal restraint as a key plank. They know that respect for these core principles is what attracts the independents-not mushy moderation. America needs to take big steps forward. The Gop can lead the way.

If Chicago and greater Illinois voters don’t wrest control of their government from career hacks intent on continued borrowing they will face a certain future of departing businesses, higher unemployment and higher taxes at every turn.

End of letter.

The problems wasn’t / isn’t the tea parties-it’s the mainstream party’s inability to harness their energy and the unwillingness to hear the message.

The GOP organizations have treated the tea parties the way print journalists treat bloggers-like something you stepped in.

On election eve I ran into a neighbor who said she’d been hard at work “getting out the vote.” I told her I’d be attending some victory parties the next few days. She furrowed her brow. When I specified I’d be at the local Tea party post-election meeting she shook her head. “They’re just so extreme.” Her concern was evident. You’d think I’d just announced I was on heroin. There was more. She was insulting. I nipped it in the bud. I told her I didn’t appreciate her tone. “I’ve been there-you haven’t” I said. “What is extreme about stopping the deficits and upholding the Constitution?”

She came back with her talking points: two unfunded wars, TARP, stimulus, “tax cuts to the rich”…all of it verified by factcheck.org and the CBO. Never mind that one is a left wing outlet and the other is a typical government agency abused by politicians who know how to game the system. Their Obamacare math has already been exposed as fiction. I assured her I could produce data that showed lower tax RATES can and have produced increased revenue. Even JFK knew that. I noted that top rates had been 70% to 90% for most of the previous century. LINK

“What gives anyone, anywhere, at any time the right to take 70% of anybody’s anything?”

“Well maybe there’s people who need it more…” OK, I said, that’s socialism. There was no need to continue. In fact I knew it would be a complete waste of my time. That’s why I launched Center Debate, to have discussions among the open minded-not hard core leftists convinced that there is no other truth.

I attended the monthly Chicago tea party meeting last night (November 3). It  was a victory party. The guest speaker was Joel Pollack who lost to entrenched, uber liberal Jan Schakowsky in Chicago’s 9^th Congressional district. I was SO IMPRESSED by Joel Pollack. He made a short classy speech and then took tough questions for an hour. Smart answers to each. This guy is ready. Now that Pelosi has been dethroned Jan and her flying monkeys can assume a more prominent position in the socialist party.

So what’s next? The various tea parties will continue to meet and work to promote better candidates. They’ll hand out pocket constitutions (an ongoing project here in Chicago). They will continue to influence the reshaping of the GOP.

The GOP needs to put an end to the left wing talking points of “tax cuts to the rich” and “the failed policies of George Bush”. The housing bubble was driven by liberal housing policy and government sponsored agencies like Fannie Mae. This scandal remains unaddressed.

The debate is about tax RATES-not tax cuts. There hasn’t been a tax cut in 7 years. They are not checks handed out. It’s not money that grows on the government tree. It’s OUR money and we get to decide how much we’ll give the government to cover constitutionally-appropriate shared services.

Karl Rove had W’s ear for all those years that he didn’t veto the spending increases, didn’t fight harder for GSE reform and didn’t take on the entitlement mess. We need strategists who can shape a message that these are the issues we need to face now or our very future is at stake.

Chris Christie is the model. Nobody does it better-but it is not un-learnable. Christie may be too early in his job as Governor to take the next step. Rubio hasn’t even been sworn in as Senator-yet and I see him as a future president. Only Obama would be allowed to skip a pay grade.

Pat Duggan

Why I’ll Vote for Republicans This Time

I was raised by Democrats. Politics back then was dominated by Vietnam and Watergate. Nixon would become a perfect villain. I voted for many Democrats over the years but I no longer can. Like Reagan, I did not leave the Democrat party-they left me. When all 60 Democrat Senators voted in lockstep to begin the transformation of our health care system to a socialized model they revealed their true agenda for all to see. I will be voting exclusively for Republicans in this election and for the foreseeable future. I see reason to be optimistic about the party where not so long ago there was none.

Like many, I was not happy with the big spending of the Bush administration-but I knew the role of a Democrat-controlled Congress and had no illusions about what they’d do with Obama as President and potential super majorities. I was not a fan of John McCain and it frustrated me that the Illinois primary was rendered irrelevant. The GOP lost its way, elections, Congress and the White House. They have been slow to change. During the special elections and the primaries the old party establishment made poor decisions, throwing support to deeply flawed candidates. They are to blame for New York liberal Dede Scozzafava, who withdrew and endorsed a Democrat; Mike Castle who lost to long shot Christine O’Donnell and RINO poster boy Mark Kirk.

The Democrats were handed a golden opportunity and threw it away. Independents who were taken in by Obama’s vague slogans and centrist posing were shocked by the far left agenda pushed through after they took control. The atrocious health care bill was jammed through against the will of the majority. Obama’s apology tour was a disgrace. Americans know their history. They also know intuitively that pork barrel spending is not the solution, and calling it “stimulus” doesn’t change that.

The pendulum swing to the right is the result of once-again disillusioned voters running from the Democrat party, and the TEA party’s growing influence over the GOP. The core TEA party message is simple: We balance our budgets and expect Washington to do the same. It is a shot over the bow to both parties: if you don’t heed our message we will form a third party. The GOP is getting the message. The Democrats have attempted to distort the message and smear the messenger. It’s not working. Americans understand the TEA party and are insulted by Obama’s insinuations that we’re not thinking clearly and acting out of fear.

Americans are tired of career politicians who crow about their experience but can’t defend their sorry track record, our massive debt and the entitlement liabilities. The response is that more doctors and businessmen running, and leading in the polls. The battle cry is repeal of Obamacare and more. This is a push for a new GOP-not a replay of either Bush era. We want to end the era of permanent government programs. We are working to bring the GOP back to fundamental policies of free markets and small government. The TEA party is changing the political landscape the way the internet transformed media and Fox changed cable news.

As a Chicagoan I live in a city, county, and state controlled by Democrats. All are in debt and unable to make the tough decisions required to balance their budgets. Record high taxes are driving business to other states and we are hemorrhaging jobs. The incumbents have failed and deserve to be fired. This is not about which party has failed, they both have at times. This is more about the tax payers sending a strong rebuke to the political class and their cronies and regaining the power that the Constitution grants us. We will support the party that best represents those values. Right now the Republican party is our best bet. If they mishandle that responsibility then a full-fledged TEA party may emerge.

Pat Duggan

Tea Partiers are Ready for Their First Mid Term Election

Wednesday evening I attended the October monthly meeting of the Chicago Tea Party. Featured speakers were Isaac Hayes, the GOP nominee running against Jesse Jackson Jr. (or Senate candidate #5 in FBI reports on Blago’s attempted seat sale) and recent candidate for the Illinois GOP governor nomination, political commentator and radio fill-in Dan Proft. It was the usual lively event with a call for action in the final month approaching the midterm elections with lots of tight races among an expected overall GOP victory. Isaac is ready for congress despite the Chicago Tribune’s gutless “no endorsement” in that race. Dan Proft did a great job of explaining why we prefer the sometimes less polished candidates that agree with our principles and will vote for them over the slick insiders who only sell us out later.

There was various media in attendance including a videographer for CBS evening news. I heard the poor fellow confessing to the owner of host venue, Blackie’s in the south “Loop”, that he’d forgotten his headset and begging to borrow any kind of replacement. Maybe that is why the few seconds of tape that appeared on the Thursday evening news were accompanied only by a Katie Couric voice over and no interviews-all this despite his non-stop 2 hours plus of taping.

Naturally I Tivo’d and watched  the news cast. It is being promoted as an ongoing series on the final month of the campaign. They did their best to smear the TEA party movement and diminish their impact but I doubt it had any effect. Katie Couric’s numbers are at all time lows. LINK

They tried to jam a lot into their 2-3 minute segment. Lots of internal polls designed to show that TEA party activists are white, male, protestant and inclined to vote Republican anyway. This should come as no surprise. The GOP is hearing the message and embracing it. Despite some party insiders insisting on trotting out the same old RINO’s voters are nominating fresh blood. One poll question mirrored the one asked of the Chicago organizer Steve Stevlic: Would the economy have been better off if we allowed the banks to fail? In the interview the car companies were included. This is a transparent apology for bailout-Obamanomics. Sure the economy sucks but it could have been worse-right?

Overall I would describe the coverage as worthless / harmless. It was slanted but mostly just so superficial as to be a waste of viewers’ time. I guess that was their goal: don’t give the TEA party any unnecessary free PR.

In closing the “reporter” Dean Reynolds sighted one last poll that claimed only “22% of Americans view the movement favorably.”

This is nonsense. More than 50% support the TEA party to some degree and would vote for a candidate they support. LINK

The left is in full tantrum now. They have no rational response to a true grass roots effort that focuses on simple, key issues:

1.    Fiscal responsibility and balanced budgets, like every household and business manages through good and bad times.

2.    Lower spending that reverts back to constitutionally endorsed basics.

3.    Tax rates that are kept low to allow for free enterprise to flourish with a nod to the Laffer curve.

4.    Accountability in government: citizen legislators as opposed to career political hacks.

Two thirds of America supported Obama after his election despite only 53% voting for him. This shows the inherent optimism of the American people. They’re even good losers. Now two thirds don’t approve of the direction we’re heading. 80% don’t approve of congress. This is what feeds the TEA party with energy. This is not racism. These are the same people that knew government run health care was a bad idea when it was called “Hillarycare”. This is about economics. Only the desperate Democrats think these are racial issues.

Pat Duggan

This Guy is Brilliant

After all, he agrees with me. 🙂 The TEA party movement is about bigger things. The GOP organization, such as it is, and the professional commentators are in a snit because Delaware voters didn’t follow instructions. Maybe it’s because those prognosticators didn’t foresee / warn / prevent RINO poster boy McCain from seizing and then squandering the GOP presidential nomination leading us to this current predicament. Especially Michael Medved.

LINK

TEA Party Analysis

I am not a big Peggy Noonan fan. She swings from the right side and yet drank the Obama Koolaid.

But this is great analysis of the TEA party phenomenon.  I really like the yardstick analogy. George Bush is the poster boy for big government / big spending Republicans. The TEA party is a reaction to 75 years of creeping socialism and nanny state intrusion.

Check it out:

LINK

Chicago Tea Party Meeting

I attended the monthly meeting of the Chicago Tea Party Patriots last night. This is a division of the Illinois Tea Party. Details here: LINK

The evening featured intelligent discussions and the speakers included several candidates running for office, including the Libertarian Party candidate for the U.S Senate, Mike Labno. Now typically the Libertarian candidate would not be worth mentioning but this election is different. Mark Kirk and Alexi Gianoulias are despicable politicians.  Have their ever been two more divisive candidates so hated by members of their own party? You just never know.

What was not discussed? The Ground Zero mosque. No racist comments were made. Three patriots sat in for a panel discussion of their experiences attending a “town hall” meeting in their district where elected official Melissa Bean used a burly thug to intimidate those asking tough questions. See the video here: LINK

Why America should thank the tea party

There are two topics that will appear with some frequency in this blog and they overlap here: The TEA party phenomenon and the demise of the Chicago Tribune.

On Wednesday the Tribune’s Voice of the people section carried four anti-TEA party letters and one pro-TEA party letter. The negative letters featured the usual misrepresentations and the positive one was a weak effort. What was typical was the left wing bias as evidenced by the 4:1 ratio and the prominent placement of the negative letters complete with bullet points. The positive letter was last. Now this small sample does not prove my point but this is not an isolated example.

When the first Chicago TEA party rally was held in 2009 I attended. The well behaved crowd filled the Federal Plaza. I had a hard time seeing the speakers who delivered solid, intelligent speeches. They mostly represented grass roots organizations that have been doing good work for years: Americans for Prosperity and the Illinois Policy Institute. Arguments were laid out and solutions offered. There was no confusion as to what it was all about. The signs were clever and heart felt. I ran into Tribune columnist John Kass in the crowd, taking it all in. We had a short but interesting chat. He was greeted by lots of fans and he patiently and graciously accommodated them all.

That evening I eagerly watched the local newscasts. My blood began to boil as I watched one report featuring film of a nearly empty plaza, clearly hours before the rally and an anchor who “reported” that “dozens” of protesters had attended. The next day the Tribune buried the story on page 12 with the only quote coming from  Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky who found it “despicable and shameful” that citizens would actually engage in peaceful protests. I’m not sure how she came to these conclusions as she did not attend any of the rallies. John Kass wrote a positive column about his experience and of course that appeared on page 2, providing ironic contrast and offering proof of the Tribune’s bias.

While I’ve pretty much given up on the Trib I did what I’ve done for years: I submitted a letter to the editor.  I’ve had many printed over the years (some edited to the point of distorting my view) but a far greater number that didn’t make the cut. Now they also place a few in the online version where comments can be made. While I am required to use my real name the comments can be submitted by crackpots hiding behind aliases (see for yourself by following the link below).

The frustration this creates is one of the main reasons I decided to create this blog. I welcome readers to participate. I plan on expanding at some point to a full website platform and a special section will be reserved for Tribune. In the April 16th edition left wing columnist Eric Zorn wrote about attending the 2010 TEA party rally and being unable to discern what the attendees wanted. You can read it for free online. I find it funny that Eric admits he can’t figure this thing out. The mainstream media has tried  to ignore this movement and when it became clear it was growing and not going away they attempted to belittle it with charges of racism. Please.

My letter appears below. You can use the link to see the comments it generated. I did like the title they gave it so I’ve used it to headline this post. I have much more to say about the TEA party movement. Look for it in upcoming posts.

Pat Duggan

My letter as it appeared in the online Tribune:

Tribune readers / letter writers are mystified by the TEA Party activists and so is columnist Eric Zorn who attended the tax day rally. President Obama thinks we should be “saying thank you.” Allow me to explain.

• We opposed nationalized medicine when it was “Hillarycare”. We are not racists.
• We understand math. The unfunded liabilities of the current entitlement programs exceed $100 TRILLION. Adding another will not shrink the deficit or lower costs.
• We understand that the housing bubble was fueled by liberal housing policies that forced banks to give loans to the unqualified, distorting demand. This helped no one and harmed many.
• We are opposed to runaway government spending whether it is passed by Democrats or Republicans.
• We were not thrilled with many of the policies of the Bush administration-but when our only options were Al Gore or John Kerry we made a difficult but obvious choice.
• We know that when government grows from 21% of GDP to 25% with projections to hit 30% in a few years that taxes will necessarily increase for everyone accordingly.
• We know that passing this massive debt to future generations is immoral. We also know that the consequences of our ongoing policies will likely result in severe inflation and other economic nightmares before we pass the baton.

Now we’re fighting for better candidates who will defend the constitution and promote fiscal sanity. We push back against both the far left and the far right for common sense solutions. We reject socialism whether the creeping variety that began with FDR and the launch of the now bankrupt Social Security program or the current galloping version that is attempting to impose government control over private sectors one by one.

Patrick Duggan

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/chi-100429duggan_briefs,0,867232.story