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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

Malicious Mendacity in the Tea Party Movement [UPDATED]

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  November 11th, 2010 at 09:24 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Here’s a rule of thumb — if engaging the tea party movement, focus on the local groups, not the big groups. Tea Party Express has one heck of an impressive track record this year at the national level and they need to be commended for that, but all things being equal it is the local groups that have the volunteers, get out the vote efforts, phone bankers, etc. And I think a number of the national group leaders would tend to agree.

But here is another case in point for bypassing a lot of the national tea party groups. The Claremont Institute, a well respected organization that has one heck of a constitutional history course, is hosting an event for new members of Congress.

The organization is being attacked by a tea party group as being filled with and held by “Washington Insiders.”

For the record, the Claremont Institute is on the opposite coast of the United States from Washington and composed of some of the wingiest wingers in the entire wing-o-sphere.

This handwringing about “Washington Insiders” is verging on paranoid.

One tea party group is giving out the private cell phone numbers of freshmen congressmen to pressure them to avoid competing orientation programs, etc.

Certainly there are legitimate concerns and there must be caution, but Good Lord people, by the time all the cards are on the table we’re going to have all the tea party groups labeling their competitors as Washington Insiders.

This is nuts.

——————-

UPDATED: Just got off the phone with a friend of mine who tells me that the tea party event in question had actually been an event set up by Congressman John Shadegg and others. The tea party group was invited to participate because it had scheduled an event on the same day. The groups merged.

Then the Claremont event invitation went out three days after the announcement of the Shadegg/Tea Party event. Shadegg’s group invited the Claremont group to share facilities, etc. since everyone would be there together. Chip Saltsman and the others involved refused, instead trying to pitch their even as somehow more official.

It sounds like Satlsman and the rest really were trying to do some not-quite-authentic event filled with the types of Washingtonians you wouldn’t want, but ultimately the tea party group handing out the private cell phone numbers of members of Congress remains out of line in my book.

Trust me, as a guy who has no hesitation putting up phone numbers and asking people to call, I would never give out someone’s cell phone number. That’s just wrong and, frankly, creates ill will.

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  • chbroussard

    This kind of paranoia hurts the cause. There were several different tea party and Glenn Beck groups in my area, and I was disgusted at some of the in-fighting that went on between the various groups. Hate to admit it, but there are some big egos in the conservative movement, just as there are in other movements. Everybody wants to be the top dog, be the most influential, and get the majority of the credit when things go our way.

    So I say to these people, check your ego at the door. There are a lot of groups fighting for the same thing. We’re all in this together.

  • http://www.theamericanmind.com Sean Hackbarth

    It’s what happens when some turn terms like “elites” and “The Establishment” into pejoratives and not differentiating enough. It’s using a rhetorical daisy cutter when a smart bomb is needed.

    The Claremont Institute is a fine organization full of very smart, very conservative people. They’re thoughtful and well versed in history, philosophy, and politics (classically defined).

    We want new members of Congress to grow in a good way so they have a better chance to bring about conservative change. They’ll learn much from Claremont.

  • izoneguy

    from many local Tea Party groups here in Texas.

    Some of them are getting paranoid. The congress people work for everyone and not just a select group. Please let’s focus on getting the right people to DC and supporting them but don’t act like you “own” anyone.

    The media is really going nuts and trying to find any tidbit of Tea Party rancor it can find. Don’t feed them.

    This is all quite breathtaking – considering this movement is only a few years old.

  • Doc Holliday

    leave power on his own and let another take his place he said: “If he does that,” said the king, “he will be the greatest man in the world.”

    Even revolutionaries almost always succumb to the call of power. It is human nature to desire power and when it is taken, it is even more difficult to give it up.

    the tea party activists said they wanted to take the country back, but once they became organized, there was always the likelihood that many would not want to give it up.

  • http://teapartisan.wordpress.com Socrates

    the Claremont Institute is explicitly constitutionally conservative:

    The mission of the Claremont Institute is to restore the principles of the American Founding to their rightful, preeminent authority in our national life. These principles are expressed most eloquently in the Declaration of Independence, which proclaims that “all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” To recover the founding principles in our political life means recovering a limited and accountable government that respects private property, promotes stable family life, and maintains a strong national defense.

    Organizations that are explicitly conservative tend not to go squishy, or to teach compliance with party insiders.

  • Goldwater_Conservative

    or a wave, or a “grassroots” effort is that they dont know when to stop they just keep “moving”. Its nice that we are on the same page at the moment, but I known invariably some of them are going to go to far, they think they own these people now. I have been a loyal conservative my entire adult life including all those times when it was not hip to be that. Now these new kids on the block think they own the world.

  • nelbuts

    ric,
    Why not say the attacks were from Tea Party Patriots. That they released personal cell phone numbers of many of the Freshman class of Congressmen and Women.

    That the Claremont Institute is nothing more than a sponsor of what amounts to be a reception.

    What’s left, people will not be able to shake hands with an elected official with out the express written approval of TPP?

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine
  • Doc Holliday

    you are right though. It is not the tea party members, it is the wannabe leaders. We don’t need no stinkin’ leaders!

  • rsjt

    So are we completely buying into the “tea partiers are nuts” meme now? The dems have already stated this is their strategy going forward and there are plenty of rinos who also want to immediately discredit this grassroots movemen alsot. Since it is not a monolithic movement it will be messy. But I refuse to use or accept the language of the liberals and the attempt to isolate and discredit these patriotic organizations.

    If I was cynical I would think the established used the movement and now seeks to discredit it from both sides of the aisle. That would be a mistake.

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine
  • Doc Holliday

    we are pointing out that not long after the first tea party rally, all types of guys popped up as wannabe leaders of the movement. There are too many chefs in the kitchen, sooner or later they are going to fight with each other.

    We don’t need another political party, we need conservatives to follow the Constitution. let’s face it, the Tea Party tm. did not do most of the voting last week, Republicans did the voting. Anyone who did not know about the peril of Obama Pelosi until after they were elected should not be leading us.

  • Doc Holliday

    I am glad we the people took on the establishment, I have no use for the establishment at all. It is simply that the tea party should NEVER be a party, unless it wants to keep Dems in power forever. And we certainly don’t need to waste time with 300 tea party’s fighting each other. Then again, now that I think about it, that would not be that bad, we should try for 8000 tea partys with 8000 leaders, that would weaken their power.

  • littlehouse18

    TPP says they had scheduled their event featuring Ed Meese first, then Claremont scheduled an event featuring Bill Bennett at the same time. If this is true, then I think TPP has a right to complain. However, some of their language was over the top. We don’t need to have this kind of infighting. Very frustrating.

    I wish these two groups could find an alternate schedule so that the freshmen could attend both events.

  • jstjoan

    in part:

    “Several days after we announced our Freshman Orientation another organization, Claremont Institute, announced that they were having one too, on the same day, at the same time. They are promoting theirs in a way that makes it appear as an “Official” Freshman Orientation, and it is causing some confusion with the Freshmen. When we realized the conflict, we reached out to Claremont to let them know that we had a facility reserved and that we had spent in excess of a hundred thousand dollars flying in local tea party coordinators, and arranging the facility for this meeting. In a gesture of goodwill, we offered to combine events. We were summarily and, we thought rudely, dismissed by Claremont.”

    Seems to me, littlehouse18, that your commonsense solution would benefit all involved, but according to TPP, Claremont doesn’t seem to want to compromise

  • texasgalt

    maybe some of the same ones, since we are almost neighbors. You’re right, some are “out there”. I’ve gone into ignore mode for most of them.

  • http://www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com ColdWarrior

    See the quoted text below. (I was not going to comment on this, but now that the cows have left the barn, some “clean up” and background information may be helpful in understanding what has happened.)

    As they say, “follow the money.” I’ve bolded the part that is key. Here it is.

    [W]e had spent in excess of a hundred thousand
    dollars flying in local tea party coordinators, and arranging the facility for this meeting.

    The Tea Party Patriots “national coordinators” did a good thing — they spent money to get the local tea party leaders to DC. But, unfortunately, they must have done so without getting commitments from the incoming freshman Republicans that they’d actually attend.

    Oops.

    (Hell, if I had $100,000 to promote the Neighborhood Precinct Committeeman Strategy . . . . By contrast to the $100,000 they may have wasted, I do this for no cost at all (other than my time).)

    In other words, the “national coordinators” of the TPP are scrambling to try to avoid a financial debacle — they took over a hundred thousand dollars from the gullible donors who sent them money before the election and spent it on a project that might be a complete bust. Those gullible donors could have sent that money, instead, directly to a Republican candidate’s campaign for GOTV. Instead, many sent the money to TPP for their ineffectual GOTV efforts, which were not focused on getting out the vote of Republicans (only about 50 per cent of Republicans turned out), but indiscriminately urged all voters — including Dems — to vote. In other words, they may have actually hurt the Republican candidates.

    And, instead of just telling their local Tea Party Patriot members to go to where they were really needed — to the campaigns of the candidates they supported — and volunteer, they instead asked them to send money to the TPP “national coordinators” to fly around the country to “coordinate” these indiscriminate GOTV efforts, to shoot videos of these activities, etc. I participated in several of the telephone calls “coordinating” these activities — which were nothing more than fundraising calls (“Press 7 at any time to speak to an attendant so you may donate $100 to purchase X number of GOTV flyers or $50 to produce X number of TPP yard signs.”)

    Since the election, the TPP “national coordinators” could have spent the money much more wisely — like maybe on training their state and local coordinators about HOW to become precinct committeemen in their local GOP committees so they can become full-fledged, “card-carrying” members of the Republican Party and, thereby, be in a position to not only elect new, conservative leadership in their local, county and state GOP organizations but also be in a position to make sure constitutional conservatives win the all-important, traditionally-very-low-turnout primary elections in 2012.

    I’ve communicated with the “national coordinators” of TPP. They told me way back in December of 2009 they agreed that getting their members plugged into the Republican Party according to the Neighborhood Precinct Committeeman Strategy was a great idea and they were “working on it.” But I’ve seen absolutely no evidence they ever did. I hope they’ll prove me wrong.

    You see, the Neighborhood Precinct Committeeman Strategy, if successful, would undercut their positions as “national coordinators.” I applaud the TPP founders’ initial efforts to create local tea party chapters around the country. But, as Amy Kremer of Tea Party Express said, when she appeared on the Glenn Beck program by phone, while she was up in Alaska helping to GOTV for Joe Miller, the time has come to put down the protest signs and pick up campaign signs and help elect constitutional conservatives in the primary and general elections, which our own Erick Brockway reported here.

    Here’s the TPP e-mail alert (I’ve left out the email addresses and phone numbers of the freshman Republicans and bolded the “follow the money” wording that tells the tale):

    Dear Fellow Patriots,

    A situation has arisen with the Freshmen Orientation being sponsored by Tea Party Patriots this weekend, and we need your help.

    DC insiders, the RNC, and lobbyists are already trying to push the Tea Party aside and co-opt the incoming Congressmen.

    Several days after we announced our Freshman Orientation another organization, Claremont Institute, announced that they were having one too, on the same day, at the same time. They are promoting theirs in a way that makes it appear as an “Official” Freshman Orientation, and it is causing some confusion with the Freshmen. When we realized the conflict, we reached out to Claremont (Brian Kennedy, President – BKennedy@claremont.org * Phone: (909) 621-6825), let them know that we had a facility reserved and that we had spent in excess of a hundred thousand dollars flying in local tea party coordinators, and arranging the facility for this meeting. In a gesture of goodwill, we offered to combine events. We were summarily and, we thought rudely, dismissed by Claremont. We thought this was strange, in light of the fact that Claremont is normally a great organization, so we began to dig in and do some research. Here’s what we found:

    1. TPP Event

    a. Organized by and for local tea party coordinators around the country.

    b. Partnered with Constitutional Congress, a new 501(c)(3) organization chaired by retiring Rep. John Shadegg, which intends to teach newly elected members to govern according to the Constitution.

    c. Keynote speaker – Attorney General Edwin Meese, who served under President Reagan and will speak to the freshmen about governing according to the Constitution.

    d. Supported by true reformers in the Congress, including Sen. Jim DeMint, Sen. Tom Coburn, and Congressman John Shadegg.

    2. Claremont Institute Event

    a. Coordinated by lobbyists and campaign consultants. They are apparently trying to make sure that instead of sitting with grassroots tea party leaders from around the country, the lobbyists and consultants can sink their claws into the freshmen, and begin to “teach them” the ways of DC. The invitation lists prominent lobbyists and campaign consultants in DC as the “coordinators”, including:

    i. Chip Saltsman: Saltsman is a longtime DC insider and political consultant. He is most infamous for withdrawing his candidacy for RNC Chairman one day before the election following a controversy regarding his Christmas gift to almost 200 members of the RNC copies of a CD containing the song “BaracktheMagicNegro”

    ii. Tim Powers: Powers is another long time DC insider and the former Deputy Director of the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) Congressional Affairs and Strategic Planning. He is listed as Co-Chairman and Co-Founder of a lobbying firm in DC, Artemis Strategies. Their website says that “Artemis Strategies is a well respected Washington, D.C. asset. Prior to co-founding Artemis Strategies in the fall of 2002, Mr. Powers operated PowerStrategies, a public affairs and government relations firm he founded.” Powers appears to be the quintessential DC insider and lobbyist.

    b. Keynote Speaker – Talk Show Host – Bill Bennett

    c. Supported by none of the reformers in Congress. Instead it’s a lobbyist / political consultant event for the Freshmen.

    Here is where you come in.

    Do you want the first event your incoming Freshman Congressmen attend to be an event hosted by the grassroots Local Coordinators of Tea Party Patriots and the Congressmen and Senators who are willing to support them in their drive to restore the US Constitution? Or would you rather they attend an indoctrination organized by DC insiders and lobbyists, members of The Ruling Class? Do you want your incoming Freshmen Congressmen to attend an event where they will get the support, encouragement, and knowledge they need to begin to restore our Constitution or do you want them to attend an event where DC insiders can begin to corrupt them?

    The water in the Potomac is infected with the politics of the past and needs to be boiled to be cleansed and then steeped in fresh tea. You are the fresh tea. Today we need your help.

    We need you to call & email these incoming Congressmen & tell them you want them to attend YOUR Tea Party Patriots event.

    Explain the differences between the two events. We need to make sure they understand that the Claremont event is not an “official” event but one put on by lobbyists, for which they are being asked to skip the TPP and Constitutional Congress event. They need to know what you, their new constituents, think about their choice, and how you’ll react if they choose to ignore the grassroots and immediately get in bed with DC lobbyists and RNC insiders.

    Below is a list of all incoming Freshmen who have been invited to attend. Please call and email them, especially if they are your Representative, and let them know your opinion.

    Please do this right away!

    It looks like this is our first chance to stand against the DC status quo. Let’s show them that you won’t tolerate politics as usual and show them the power of the Tea Party.

    [snip]

    You are the heart and soul of the Tea Party Movement. Thank you for promoting the causes of fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government, and free markets with us!

    Your Tea Party Patriots National Coordinator Team,
    Debbie Dooley, Jenny Beth Martin, Mark Meckler, Sally Oljar, Diana Reimer, and Dawn Wildman

    TPP Support email: support@teapartypatriots.org
    TPP Support phone number: 404-593-0877

    Jenny Beth Martin (jennybethm@gmail.com, on Tiwtter @jenuinejen, on Facebook)
    Dawn Wildman (dmwlaw1@yahoo.com)
    Mark Meckler (mark@teapartypatriots.org)
    Debbie Dooley (debbie0040@yahoo.com)

    Tea Party Patriots, Inc. operates as a social welfare organization organized under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to Tea Party Patriots, Inc. are not deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes.

    1025 Rose Creek Dr, 620-322, Woodstock, GA 30189
    http://teapartypatriots.org/

    Curiously, this time they didn’t ask that I send them more money.

    I am confident the likes of Dr. Dan Benishek and LTC Allen West and Renee Ellmers and Paul Gosar and all the rest of the hard corps constitutional conservatives in the incoming freshman Republican class will do just fine with or without the help of any of the groups competing to ply them with good eats and drinks.

    And I also firmly believe the BEST way to help them not lose focus is to increase the number of conservatives in the precinct committeemen ranks of the Republican Party. And I wish the “national coordinators” of the TPP will champion this strategy, as many of the leaders of their local chapters have.

    Thank you.

    ColdWarrior

  • http://www.erickerickson.org Erick Erickson

    Except to say TPP scheduled theirs first is a bit much as Claremont does this for the freshmen every two years.

  • tngal

    if what littlehouse 18 says is correct. that tpp scheduled their event first… but also if they publicized it first and the other org promoted their event later, then TPP has a legitimate gripe. While I’m sure Claremont is a wonderful organization if they were in fact informed of a similar event at the same day and time then the two groups will need to compromise regardless of who has been around longer or who is more influential.

    If two conservative groups cannot find detante on a simple orientation meeting, just how in the he!! are we going to fix social security, healthcare,
    lack-o-jobs, etc.

    Additionally, jstjoan points out below, that tpp attempted unity following the discovery of the conflict and it was Claremont who disagreed. While we can’t say for certain this occured as we don’t have original emails , if true it shows a bit of arrogance on the part of Claremont.

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

    have the major influence in the new House, but you stated the underlying issue brilliantly and succinctly:

    We don?t need no stinkin? leaders!

  • tngal

    Tpp did go a little overboard in its verbage against Claremont, granted, but is tpp to blame because Claremont decided to hold their event on the exact same day and time? Tpp publicized their day first. Claremont could have chosen a day or two or a week later – or – at the least had gone in and co-opted the event with the tpp since they announced first.

  • Adjoran

    These groups – I also respect TPX for a lot of good work, but they are NOT the “leadership of the TP movement.” It’s a grassroots movement.

    People who attempt to take the leadership of such movements should be more suspect than the “Washington insiders” – we at least know where the insiders are coming from. We have no idea of the agenda of these wannabe “leaders” but one suspects the old motives of money and power are not too far afield.

    But the denunciation of the Claremont Institute is the logical result of the process we have seen in this cycle of decent Republicans who would be described as “conservatives” by 95% of political observers similarly denounced for failing to follow some people’s wishes 100%. It is false, it is malicious, and it is completely counter-productive.

  • bobmontgomery

    …..and if an organized group is stirring it up out of ego, power grab, single-issue agenda or whatever, yeah smack them down. But don’t diss the little guys for their fervor. As rsjt said, they get called enough names by the other side. Not everybody is up to speed on all the “Institutes” and “Councils” and “centers”. We read in all the blogs how the Dems just don’t get it and then we read in the same blogs how the CFL light bulb guy is in contention for the ENERGY CHAIRMANSHIP! Is it just the Dems who don’t get it? Maybe everybody in flyover country, who doesn’t have an “institute” like they have on the Coasts, or whose first read of the morning is the Wasilla paper, isn’t hip to the code of conduct, since, as you say, there is no formal organization and nospecific leaders And on a related topic, we have solidly-credentialed conservatives opining that Alan Simpson is doing a heckuva job, so maybe those who have been “fighting the good fight’ are sometimes subject to battle fatigue.

  • powertothepeople

    and may I add a bit….

    I love the Tea Party in its original intent. But I have been saying for awhile now that they were beginning to stray from the course.

    They became so intent on having candidates in every election across the country, they rushed to fill spots many times before properly vetting the person. This gave us some nut jobs.

    They began to buy into their own hype and forgot that power corrupts. Instead of being what they are most powerful at, keeping people riled at the left, they began to think they were king makers.

    And then the constant chants of insider and RINO coming from them. When you use a word for things when it does not fit, it does not hold the same sway. Sort of like the NAACP and their constant calls of racism.

    The Tea Party needs to stop, rethink its purpose, stop trying to control parties, go back to activism and monitoring, and it will stay around for a long time to come. If they continue fighting our side, trying to set precedents, trying to become a third party, and trying to own Congress, they will fail and will become just what the left says they are.

    To me, the Tea Party is like Palin. Burst on the scene quickly, became very powerful and popular fast. Hated by the left, and hands down the best at raising money and attentiveness in people. But power went to her head and to the heads of her supporters, now they think she is all that is republican even to the point they are calling for her to be president when she will not win. She is the best in the business at what she is doing and in doing what she does, she has created a wave of support and change, Same with the Tea Party. If she runs for pres in 12, her days as a power broker are over. If the Tea Party keeps trying to be more than they should be and keep trying to fight our own side, they too will fade away into oblivion.

  • http://xmmlbchat.blogspot.com katesmith

    If I had been marooned on a island for 3 years I might want to listen to Bill Bennett. Otherwise, no. Don’t care for him.. For those interested, WSJ had an interesting article 10/29, on the origins of the Tea Party. A Saxby Chambliss TARP vote may have changed the nation. “Birth of a Movement: Tea Party arose from conservatives steeped in crisis.”
    Tea Party Patriots and Tea Party Express are both mentioned. These 2 ladies started something very big, but of course becoming a precinct committeeman is the next step.

  • http://beaglescout.wordpress.com Beaglescout

    Claremont does it every two years. TPP only started doing it this year. Now who do you think announced first?

  • Doc Holliday

    not to sound like some guy who does not want to offend, but I would not say the tea party put up nuts. Sure, I would have picked better candidates in Nevada, Delaware, and Alaska, as would most of us if given the chance. And we did lose a great opportunity, particularly in Nevada, but I would not call our candidates nuts.

    I agree with all the rest 555

  • bobbymike

    is a fabulous full on conservative organization that has been in the fight for a long time. Their “Claremont Review of Books” is a publication everyone at Redstate should subscribe to.

  • JadedByPolitics

    bottom line is the freshmen can decide for themselves that which they want to attend. The stage has been set for the show in DC and there will be many a suitor trying to turn the heads of the incoming Freshmen they and they alone will have to decide if they are going to succumb to the dance or stand apart from the crowd. The TPP should have no more influence then any other group that will be wining and dining these “new” Congresspeople. I say “new” because they are grown ups, they know why they ran, they know what they said and in the end they must come home to look their constituents in the eye and ask them to vote for them again in a SHORT TWO YEARS!

  • davesinsanantonio

    Adams who quietly left the presidency to the man who he thought of as his greatest enemy at the time–Thomas Jefferson, and Jefferson himself who despised Adams and all Federalists. Neither tried to kill off the other, although that was the norm in Europe at the time.
    God put some great souls, not perfect ones, in America at a time when we needed them desperately. The nation they wrought would become the greatest in the world. Too bad we have so few such statesmen in office nowadays.
    But, with effort, we can find them and get them into office, where they are sorely needed to counter those who have made it their mission to destroy what God hath wrought.

  • southernpatriots

    You are so right! Leaders…egos….leaders….egos…hmm. Seems that is what we have with the Trent Lotts, Gramnesty, McCains and others of the establishment Rs. Why repeat the problem?

  • southernpatriots

    We have noted that any organization, church or otherwise, which is not externally focused in winning new members or converts, will begin to cannibalize internally. We would hope these organizations would continue their grass roots efforts, continue to expand their influence and coordinate with other groups when appropriate but not criticize. Don’t bite your own!

  • christinakfjeffrey

    The Tea Party is getting the “Welcome to Washington, if you want a friend, get a dog treatment. It doesn’t HAVE to be this way!

    I did not read their “over the top” call for help as critical of the Claremont Institute – but just a panicked reaction to the usual treatment newcomers get in DC. Some of the cynical people on this blog have apparently accepted the status quo “mean town” way things are done there, but why? What do we get in exchange for allowing those who got there first to have the most say? I hate it that I was defeated in my run for Congress because my allies in the tea party movement were more sophisticated – but this kind of treatment by the good guys will not help them to learn the ropes or to discern real conservatives from the fake ones. So here’s what I wrote to my new freshman:

    Dear Trey,

    It is early in the morning and I cannot check with anyone about the apparent conflict between a Claremont sponsored freshman orientation and one sponsored by the Tea Party Patriots. This note is to encourage you, if there is a conflict, to go with the Tea Party. My next note will be to Brian Kennedy at Claremont to ask him to reconsider a joint program.

    There are lots of tea party groups, but the one with which I am most closely associated, have attended national events with and with which old friends like Morton Blackwell, President of the largest conservative training and placement organization for young people in the nation, is the Tea Party Patriots.

    But before there was a Tea Party, there was the Claremont Institute, and it is a wonderful organization, founded by the brilliant Harry Jaffa, and supported by conservatives like Rob and me. One year, when we had more money, our contributions to Claremont exceeded $500.00. We always attend their panels at the American Political Science Association (where I actually met my husband in 1988.) And many “claremonsters” are supportive participants in the Tea Party movement. Ergo, there must be some misunderstanding.

    That said, if you have to choose between hearing from the Tea Party (an opportunity that just won’t happen everyday in DC), or from Bill Bennett, whose voice is ubiquitous inside the beltway but whose reputation has declined greatly since (but of course not because) he authored “The Book of Virtues” and the usual DC lobbyists, who will soon be sitting in your outer office every day, I hope you will choose the Tea Party. Any other time you can attend a Claremont-sponsored event, please do so.

    Your friend,

    Christina

  • southernpatriots

    Do they have it the same time each year? The same week or weekend each year? Isn’t it possible that the Tea Party Patriots did not know of the date of the Claremont Institute’s event? Like in “Cool Hand Luke” it seems here, “we have a failyah to co-mun-i-cate!” Somehow, someway, it would seem there could be a meeting of the minds to bring about unity. Is there a need for a broker? Erick, would you be willing to broker an understanding and maybe cooperation between these groups?

  • southernpatriots

    Maybe it is just a mis-communication. We hope so. We hope there is not bruised egos and oneupmanship going on. Both groups need to sit down and talk about the solution ASAP. If indeed TTP spent 100 grand on the event so far, and Claremont probably spent a bundle as well, it would seem both would be served well to at least for this year join together and share the venue. You are so right…”how in the he!! are we going to fix social security, healthcare, lack-o-jobs, etc.” I hope Erick or someone will broker an understanding which may lead to cooperation between both groups. That would seem to be best.

  • christinakfjeffrey

    I meant to say my Tea Party allies were NOT sophisticated. That caused them to be vulnerable to the oldest political tricks in the book. Of course the TPP is wrong if they see Claremont as their enemy or part of a plot to derail their influence, but Claremont and all of us long-marchers, should be gracious big brothers and sisters, tolerant of inexperience and willing to help the newcomers learn the ropes.

    Of course, it would be nice if they asked for help, but our generation brought up this new generation and in the process, we forgot to teach them humility.- but if we had, would they be where they are today? Would we have a majority of Republicans in the House? Thoughts to ponder.

  • napensnake

    I don’t want to elect leaders (except for president and governor). I want to elect a representative who will act as a trustee in making national decisions on my behalf. I want somebody who will limit him/herself to the authorities granted in the U.S. Constitution. I do not want a delegate who will “bring home the bacon.” If I want that stuff, I will ask state and/or local officials.

    The Tea Party movement needs leaders only to the degree that they organize events and communicate with people. In other words, the movement needs people. Once “my portion of the Tea Party is better than yours,” we lose focus on the actual problem. If we begin to fight one another, we will not have time to fight the anti-Constitutionalists. Don’t let them divide us in our efforts to return our country to what it should be.

  • napensnake

    It seems to me that a freshman congressman should attend every orientation possible. Many people will say many different things. By hearing it all, these newly elected representatives can be exposed to many points of view. With that information, they will be better equipped to understand the ways people skew information to forward their own agendas. This will help them avoid traps or phony arguments.

  • tngal

    While Erick mentioned the the group does it every 2 years the fact that Claremont has consistantly done it on the first day of the lameduck session sheds a bit moe info into the mess. Maybe Tpp did not know Claremont would have theirs on the first day of lameduck? If however they knew Claremont had a standing date and they were trying to takeover Claremont’s traditional role, that’s another matter entirely. If this is the case, TPP needs to find a different way of engaging the freshman. Other opportunities will present themselves.

  • tngal

    While Erick mentioned the the group does it every 2 years the fact that Claremont has consistantly done it on the first day of the lameduck session sheds a bit moe info into the mess. Maybe Tpp did not know Claremont would have theirs on the first day of lameduck? If however they knew Claremont had a standing date and they were trying to takeover Claremont’s traditional role, that’s another matter entirely. If this is the case, TPP needs to find a different way of engaging the freshman. Other opportunities will present themselves.

  • chbroussard

    I think this controversy can be compared to two politicians currently serving in Congress—

    Michelle Bachmann – who has graciously withdrawn her run for GOP Conference Chair against Jeb Hensarling….and

    Nancy Pelosi – who is ungraciously fighting tooth and nail to keep her power in spite of leading her party down the toilet.

    Who comes out looking the best when you make this comparison?.

  • southernpatriots

    We do not yet have enough information. Since Claremont holds every two years and is known for this but TTP may have not know the particular arrangements for the Claremont social, it appears it may have been a lack of communication between both groups. Now, it is important for both groups to take deep breaths and slowly exhale. There should be a way for both to have their events and not face a financial or public relations debacle. May cool and sane heads prevail.

  • southernpatriots

    We peppered Saxby and Johnny both when they voted for TARP just because their R president told them the world would end if they didn’t. We sent them e-mails and dozen of telephone calls. We warned Saxby since his election was the nearest, that he would face the election of this life. We told him that those who supported him would stay home, rather than vote for someone who probably would not have won election as a dog catcher (apologies to dog catchers). He had to get Sarah, Dick, etc. to all come in state and prop up his campaign and then squeaked by. Johnny recently did much better since he had another 2 years. But thank God for Obama who woke up America, thank God for TARP and Saxby who woke up the grass roots of America. We agree with you, it is trite but we would rather watch paint dry than listen to Bill Bennett, bless his heart. He puts us asleep.

  • southernpatriots

    Michelle epitomizes grace and dignity in the midst of fire. Besides the likely bad judgment to go on a Chris Matthews program in the first place, she remained unflapped when he kept insisting that she was hypnotized. She finally responded to him about the thrill down his leg, but why go to a Democrat hack host who falsely accused Dick Chaney, who is a shill for the Democrat party and has no viewers, especially on that night. Who was watching that program? More people saw the tape on Fox News than ever saw the program the night before.

    I hope Congresswoman Bachmann will be very favorably considered for other honors. I hope the Tea Party folks like newly elected Congressmen/women will consider her for other positions of honor and authority when they arise. She is a great asset to conservatism, Tea Party movement, and the Republican party. God bless her!

  • http://teapartyconstitutionalists.ning.com/ russellpdavis

    Every TP M person needs to become their own leader if this country’s citizen are going to win its inheritance once again.
    Some patriots are more understanding of their history and their place between heaven and earth than others. Some patriots are in their infancy still.
    Part of repossessing our own inalienable rights is discerning them in others.
    Yes, we still have to fight. But we will grow wiser in picking fights.
    Sometimes those fights must be with our loyal opposition and we must fight with a certain reserve so that what is lost is not tragically greater than what is won – and our triumph taste like a mouth full of ashes.

  • chbroussard
  • tngal

    This is a given. But I’m in the camp that believes Boehner and the old guard are afraid of what she represents and how she can keep the fire going in the freshman conservatives. I suspect the mod wing of the gop are looking to tone down the conservatives and bring them more in line with their agenda,

    I got nothing against Hensarling, but that should have been Bachmann’s and my distrust of Boehner has increased.

  • ihateliberals

    and was necessary evil to keep take the house back. He is old guard and as such can be a threat tothe conservative movement. At first he was hostile to the Tea Party freshman but now is beginning to understand that without them the Republicans would have flamed out and crashed and burned. Why can’t these people in Congress and the Senate understand that We the People are conservative by nature. The Tea Party isin its infancy and wil become a more powerful force. The Republican old guard had better get on board or they wil be out in 2012. The problem with that is the Tea Party wl try to strike out on its own and that will cause ultimate defeat. Any country with more than two parties never gets enough of majority to decide anything so they just muddle along. Creating a third party would be a disaster. What we need to do now tht we have taken back the house is to take back our party from the RINO’s. I believe that the freshman mentality is a good thing and to teach them about how Washington woks is a mistake. They need to keep focus on the fact the they are there because of We the People. They need to remember who they serve and not be corrupt by the Washington insiders.

  • C. Marie

    according to the update on this, who scheduled the conflicting TP event concurrent to the biennial Claremont Institute Event.To me this deflates this whole mendacious blog and comment flare up on Tea Parties, since it was the Congressman who blew it and knew better.

    Or are there trawling trolls here to divert us when we need to focus on LAME DUCK shenanigans?

  • Jim Tomasik

    “mendacity” =The habit of lieing. Wow.

    So, let me get this straight, TPP is maliciously lieing as they habitually do? Can you point to more lieing on TPP’s part? I wonder why they would do that. I’d like to know since we have three of our organizers on a jet right now headed to DC for TPP’s event. I would like to have that info to pass along to them. I’d hate to think our people were taking part in a big lie like that.

  • rowdydfw

    Did you get a call from Karl Rove when he was questioned about his putting our money into the Claremont event? And yes, we would rather not have the new freshmen republicans be brainwashed by the lobbyists and campaign managers within the beltway that have brainwashing with their events every two years..

    If you consider the lobbyists and campaign managers looking out for their gigs as a respected event…hmmmmm.

  • Jim Tomasik

    If he were to go to one of these events, which one would it be?

  • rowdydfw

    I suspect the Claremont Institute and the Tea Party event combined just might reveal too much beltway root rot as the lobbyists and campaign mangers vie for favor among the new freshmen who will be running again in two or six years and voting on really key issues.

  • leemartin

    Erick accuses TPP of ?mendacity? which means he thinks they are lying. Where is the lie? Or is Erick being mendacious?

    Erick, maybe you can rephrase that.

  • leemartin

    The newly elected freshmen sought public office. Should they complain when they get calls from the voters? Even if those calls come in on their cell phones or at inconvenient hours, it’s part of the job for which they asked to be hired.

  • leemartin

    Claremont’s Leader made 3 mistakes.

    First he tried to pass off his event as an “Official” event of Congress or the RNC. This mendacious ruse was used to persuade freshmen to change their RSVP’s from the TPP event to come to the Claremont event instead. So who’s the liar?

    Second he treated TPP as an irrelevant nuisance when they approached him with offers of compromise.

    Third he told callers responding to the TPP email that it was not Claremont’s event, it’s simply an event Claremont plans to attend. Again, where is the mendacity centered?

    Erick, your posts carry a lot of weight. I imagine the comments way down here get far less traction. I encourage you to look into the 3 points I made above and clarify this issue to your readers.

  • Jim Tomasik

    that alerts them to pissed off TEA Partiers calling verses those nice lobbyists who really just want to hook up.

  • konni

    Freshman Orientation:
    You are Being Heard!
    Thank you for making calls to your Congressmen-elect urging them to attend our freshman orientation this weekend.

    We have had reports from Congressmen-Elect’s staff that they have received 500+ phone calls in less than 24 hours. When the Tea Party decides to make its collective voice heard all at once it’s a bit like dropping a nuclear bomb. The government fears us, which is good for freedom. You are making your voices heard and they know that you are watching and will continue to do so.

    For the moment, we are asking you to stop making calls.

    It appears the freshmen have heard our voices. We have had several additional RSVPs from the people you called saying they will attend our event instead. Some people cannot attend due to previous commitments. We understand that. Several are working to change their schedules. We appreciate that.

    We listed the contact information we had for these freshmen and we now know that some of it was personal cell phone numbers or fax numbers. This list was the best information we had at the time. We also understand that sometimes members of Congress find it annoying to receive numerous calls from voters. But we encourage them to remember it is part of the job and they asked to be hired. This will not be the last time.

    Since we have made our voices heard, it is time to allow the freshmen a chance to change their plans and see how many are going to listen to what we had to say. (It is awfully hard to change your flight plans over the phone when the other line is ringing nonstop.) Additionally, we are asking that if you posted these phone numbers on your Facebook page or blog, let’s remove them at this point. We will send a list of their official phone numbers and email addresses as soon as it becomes available.

    We’d like to extend a special thank you to a few Congressmen-Elect who RSVPed early this week and to several who have RSVPed in response to your calls.

    Also a special thank you to Tom Graves from Georgia, who has apparently been replying to almost every email he has received. He is attending and fully supports Tea Party Patriots and most importantly the Constitution. He cares enough about what you are saying to actually reply to your emails. We have received 100s saying he will be there. Another special thanks to Alan West. He has a previous commitment and told us earlier in the week he could not attend. He specifically said he supports Tea Party Patriots 100%.

    We need to offer our sincere apologies to a John Koster, Jesse Kelly, and Keith Fimian who ran for office and did not get elected but we had them listed on our list of people to call. These are people who stepped up and were willing to serve the public. They lost their elections and need to be able to get back to their lives. We offer our most sincere apologies to you for having melted your phone lines.

    The national media is watching this weekend closely; see this Wall Street Journal story as an example. And some are questioning whether we are unfairly targeting the Claremont Institute. To be clear, the Institute does and we expect will continue to do stellar work in the service of the cause of limited and Constitutional government. But to our disappointment and surprise, in this instance they have sided with beltway insiders rather than supporting — or even simply not interfering with — the truly historic meeting of grassroots activists with incoming freshmen that you have put so much work and energy into. We do not understand their reasons, but we can say with assurance that we tried very hard to engage with them and find a way to work with them, only to be summarily dismissed without explanation. They complain and say our reaction was over the top, but we offered many opportunities to avoid this. They failed to take advantage of those opportunities. The entire Institute and its many fellows is surely not at fault, but those many who deserve your respect at the Institute should be asking what happened here and why their leadership chose to undermine the unique coming together of Tea Party Patriots and new voices in Congress.

    We close each email by saying you are the heart and soul of the tea party movement. That is not something we say lightly. The movement would not exist without you. Our Constitution will never be restored without you. Thank you for continuing to work so hard to hold the newly elected officials accountable. Together we can and will restore our founding principles.

    Your Tea Party Patriots National Coordinator Team,
    Debbie Dooley, Jenny Beth Martin, Mark Meckler, Sally Oljar, Diana Reimer, and Dawn Wildman

    TPP Support email: support@teapartypatriots.org
    TPP Support phone number: 404-593-0877

    Jenny Beth Martin (jennybethm@commonsensecitizens.net, on Tiwtter @jenuinejen, on Facebook)
    Dawn Wildman (dmwlaw1@yahoo.com)
    Mark Meckler (mark@teapartypatriots.org)
    Debbie Dooley (debbie0040@commonsensecitizens.net)

    Tea Party Patriots, Inc. operates as a social welfare organization organized under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to Tea Party Patriots, Inc. are not deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes.

    1025 Rose Creek Dr, 620-322, Woodstock, GA 30189
    http://teapartypatriots.org/

  • leemartin

    Cold Warrior said, “But, unfortunately, they must have done so without getting commitments from the incoming freshman Republicans that they?d actually attend. Oops.”

    The conclusion to which you leap is incorrect. TPP had commitments. But the freshmen began to withdraw after Claremont reached out to them and falsely promoted their event as the “Official” event that they were required to attend.

  • leemartin

    “One definition of insanity is to do the exact same thing over and over again and expect different results.” – old quote from I Have No Idea ;)

    But to expand on a point someone else made above.

    If the Claremont event has been held every 2 years since the beginning of time, and if Congress has always tended to be corrupt and ignore the people, then isn’t it reasonable to conclude that the Claremont event is at best ineffective and at worst contributes to the problem?

  • leemartin

    Being known as the host of a long standing, “respected” Washington DC event that happens every 2 years seems kind of Washington insider-ish to me.

    Am I wrong?

  • soljerblue

    “Now these new kids on the block think they own the world.”

    No, we do not think we own the world. Not sure where that’s coming from in your mind, or why. We — the Tea Parties (plural) — worked hard to help choose, support with money and votes, and elect conservatives who promised to abide by the United States Constitution, to respect its limits, and legislate by its principles. They promised to remember who sent them to Washington, who pays their salaries with whose money, where those dollars come from, and why people are p-oh’d at the escalating national debt. If insisting that they keep those promises once in office is — in your mind — “owning the world”, then — yes — we plead guilty.

  • soljerblue

    Most of us are NOT ‘new kids on the block.’

  • http://beaglescout.wordpress.com Beaglescout

    When the bureaucracy is in charge, it gets its regular raises and gold plated pensions, the work load always gets smaller and easier, and more people get hired to do decreasing amounts of work. This must be stopped.

  • bobtx

    There is no limit to what a person can do if he doesn’t care who gets the credit.

  • NH_GOP

    We’re just so sick of the TPE being held up as the movement when it is not, and most local groups reject them.

    They screwed us up in NH where they were asked to please not interfere.

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine
  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

    are all we have to work with, hence there can be no liberal or conservative Utopia…more later if desired…smile

  • jstjoan

    This event is being help by Tea Party Patriots which is a completely different organization from Tea Party Express that you mention.

  • teabag

    It is quite upsetting to read comments made by people who know nothing about the problem Erick Erickson brought up. First, nobody said anything bad about Claremont. They were only a pawn used by Washington lobbyists and political consultants, exactly the people who said they wanted to “co-opt” the Freshman Congressmen – their word. The Tea Parties, partnered with Constitutional Congress, a 501(c)3 org. chaired by Rep. John Shadegg, set up an orientation for the Freshmen BEFORE the orientation set up by the Lobbyists using Claremont. The theme is “governing according to the Constitution” The main speakers are Reagan’s A.G., Edwin Meese, Sen. Jim DeMint, Sen. Tom Coburn, and Cong. John Shadegg. Claremont set their orientation for the same day, at the same time, and gave the appearance that theirs was an “official” orientation. The Tea Parties and Constitutional Congress offered to make it a joint orientation, and were rudely rebuffed. Among the speakers for Claremont are Washington insider and political consultant Chip Saltsman, who had to withdraw from his run for RNC Chairman because he sent about 200 RNC members copies of a CD with the song, “Barack the Magic Negro” on it, and Tim Powers, another Washington insider, and lobbyist (Artemis Strategies), and Power Strategies, a Public Affairs and Government Relations firm he founded. Their keynote speaker is radio talk-show host Bill Bennett.

    Now, looking at the Tea Party/Constitutional Congress agenda, and the Claremont agenda, and who is speaking on what subjects at each orientation, and noting the coincidence of the Claremont timing on the same date at the same time, I come to the conclusion that it is a ploy to undermine the prior-scheduled Tea Party/ Constitutional Congress orientation. You can make up your own mind. Ron DuBois Bogota, NJ

  • teabag

    It is quite upsetting to read comments made by people who know nothing about the problem Erick Erickson brought up. First, nobody said anything bad about Claremont. They were only a pawn used by Washington lobbyists and political consultants, exactly the people who said they wanted to “co-opt” the Freshman Congressmen – their word. The Tea Parties, partnered with Constitutional Congress, a 501(c)3 org. chaired by Rep. John Shadegg, set up an orientation for the Freshmen BEFORE the orientation set up by the Lobbyists using Claremont. The theme is “governing according to the Constitution” The main speakers are Reagan’s A.G., Edwin Meese, Sen. Jim DeMint, Sen. Tom Coburn, and Cong. John Shadegg. Claremont set their orientation for the same day, at the same time, and gave the appearance that theirs was an “official” orientation. The Tea Parties and Constitutional Congress offered to make it a joint orientation, and were rudely rebuffed. Among the speakers for Claremont are Washington insider and political consultant Chip Saltsman, who had to withdraw from his run for RNC Chairman because he sent about 200 RNC members copies of a CD with the song, “Barack the Magic Negro” on it, and Tim Powers, another Washington insider, and lobbyist (Artemis Strategies), and Power Strategies, a Public Affairs and Government Relations firm he founded. Their keynote speaker is radio talk-show host Bill Bennett.

    Now, looking at the Tea Party/Constitutional Congress agenda, and the Claremont agenda, and who is speaking on what subjects at each orientation, and noting the coincidence of the Claremont timing on the same date at the same time, I come to the conclusion that it is a ploy to undermine the prior-scheduled Tea Party/ Constitutional Congress orientation. You can make up your own mind. Ron DuBois Bogota, NJ

  • http://xmmlbchat.blogspot.com katesmith

    The facts are the facts. Thanks.

  • http://jenkuznicki.com/ jenniferkuznicki

    Yup.

  • capeconservative

    national tea party groups. As I wrote to both of them after the first time, WE THE PEOPLE do NOT want them to muddy OUR GOOD NAMES & ACTIONS!

    We the People have conducted ourselves admirably during the many gatherings ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY! We the People do NOT want their foolish intramural backbiting to discolor our GOOD WILL!!!! We have worked hard to be respected and we do NOT want our image tarnished by those in leadership positions!!!

    It’s bad enough that the media is doing everything it can to diss our efforts – PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

    STOP IT NOW! Or else we will discontinue the use of the name Tea Party as we gather together to demand accountability in our government!!!! THOSE AT THE TOP are the ones soiling our good name – NOT those of us who have faithfully met in small and large groups over the past year and a half to protest the theft of OUR COUNTRY!!!!

  • Doc Holliday

    he was the only one the country would have allowed to be a king, certainly not Adams or Jefferson. I get your point, but I do think people of today forget how Washington was always considered a massive cut above until the last 30 or so years, thanks to the NEA.

  • leemartin

    I just want to point out the contradictions in what you just wrote, capeconservative.

    By assuming that you write on behalf of We the People you are in fact appointing yourself representative of the entire movement. Isn’t that exactly what you’re angry at others for doing?

    It is unreasonable to expect that at movement of this magnitude could come together to have the impact that it has without some people making the effort to organize on a large scale. I continue to be amazed that people don’t get this and that they snipe and complain as if it’s OK for them to claim that their point of view represents the group but that others are wrong to do so.

    I’m not attacking you for speaking out. But I am attacking the hypocrisy of what you’re saying.