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Debra Medina — A Tea Party Cautionary Tale

By: streiff (Diary)  |  February 11th, 2010 at 05:51 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

I have to admit I am something of a skeptic about the Tea Party movement for a lot of reasons. This is not to say that I’m not also a skeptic about the GOP but only to say that spontaneous eruptions of political enthusiasm through modern history have more frequently been associated with disillusionment and disengagement (see Perot, Ross) and atrocities (see French Revolution) than they have been with lasting political change.

Yesterday I pointed out an anti-Second Amendment speaker who was allowed to share center stage at the National Tea Party Convention with a birfer. The problem there, at least at first blush, was the absence of a mechanism to vet speakers.

Today, by way of Ed Morrissey at HotAir, I want to direct your attention to Texas and Debra Medina.

Last week Ms. Medina burst on the scene by way of a Rasmussen poll which indicated she would beat the Democrat candidate for governor.

This week she appeared on Glenn Beck’s radio show where she pulled the Ron Paul soft-troofer gambit of claiming she did not have enough evidence to take a side on whether or not the US government was involved in dropping the World Trade Center complex on 9/11. The show clip is below.

Now, Ms. Medina has since released a statement disavowing the position she took on the Glenn Beck show but no number of statements can retract what she said.

I’m not going to go so far as to claim Medina is a troofer. She is, I think, merely a panderer and demagogue who has seized upon the Tea Party movement as a means to achieve elective office. It is cheap, tawdry, banal, pedestrian, and a whole string of similar adjectives.

She will not be the GOP nominee but it points to a larger issue. The Tea Party movement has to decide whether it wishes to be a footnote in books on the 2010 election or a long term influence on American politics. If the objective is the latter then the multitude of Tea Party organizations can’t afford to be hijacked by troofers, birfers, or whatever. This is not an easy task given the lack of organization structure but it is critical if the movement is not to be successfully labeled fringe.

Now I know a lot of folks are going to read this as an anti-Tea Party hit piece or a reflex action by an “Old Guard” GOPer. If that is your takeaway, fine. I would hope that more would grasp the vulnerability of the Tea Parties to all manner of snake oil salesmen and the non-negotiable requirement that you have to be serious to be taken seriously. The onus is on the Tea Parties to vet people operating in their name and speaking with that imprimatur.

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  • irishgirl

    I believe I get the gist of what you’re saying. There must be credibility in order to be taken seriously.

  • http://truthupfront.blogspot.com jsanzone

    I still say it was overblown, but she should not have dithered on the issue as she did. She will not be the nominee, period.

    But, it does point to a larger issue–in the U.S. grassroots only means anything if it manifests or strongly influences a structure. It’s time they took it to the GOP, primaried incumbents (with candidates other than Medina), and find more influential spokesmen.

    As of right now, the tea parties are “up for grabs” and can be used for vile candidates, whether they be “truthers” or Lindsay Graham-types; that is, until the tea parties become an organized force of their own.

    • streiff

      I think the collection or retreads and wide-rides foisted on us by the party heirarchy is a disgrace, hence Erick’s campaign against the GOP leadership.

    • voxoreason

      >>she should not have dithered on the issue as she did

      Really. She was asked a yes or no question, but went on for quite a spell before answering “no”… more or less.

      This isn’t all that rare, and I always get the feeling that the person answering is stalling for time to work up to a more “credible,” if not accurate, reply .

      If you ask someone what he had for lunch, and the answer begins, “Well, for breakfast I had…” Obama uses this approach often to basically throw the audience off-track before telling the same old crap yet again. (MAYBE he didn’t suffiently explain ObamaCare to the American people. It was, one way or another, a rather LONG explanation!)

      It’s also a classic ruse to avoid the real question and answer the question one would have preferred to have been asked. I’m expecting this when Obama gets together to go “bipartisan” with the GOP. The only real question is whether the GOP will buy the bridge. One never know, do one?

      Yes or no. Long preambles always suggest that whatever is eventually stated is probably the opposite of the truth.

  • smitch61

    Is really not a movement at all. It is millions of American citizens that have had it up to here with the federal government… conservatives and moderates and conservative leaning Democrats…. Tea Party is like a box of chocolates… ya never know what your gonna get.

    • streiff

      in the short run and I know it is a non-starter in the long run. When you start pulling enough nutters out of that box of chocolates pretty soon responsible people aren’t going to want to be associated with the movement.

      • writeblock

        in VA, NJ MA and every other state who appeared in townhalls and marched on Washington or stayed home and cheered. They number in the tens of millions so it’s not surprising some kooks would be included. Nor can anyone prevent the left from mischaracterizing such a grassroots swarming of those fed up with government. In fact, it doesn’t matter. This is one movement too huge to be dismissed for whatever reason. It is what it is–and it’s major impact will be felt at the polls.

  • rsjt

    Glenn recently said “be prepared to have everything you believe and thought you knew turned upsidedown”. Now that is not an exact quote but it conveys the point he was making. I cringed when he said it because I knew how it would play with conspiracy theorists and “truthers”. It’s possible she thought she was just giving Glenn what she thought he wanted to hear. Which still is not exactly a positive.

    By the way, I agree with your take on the Tea Parties.

  • http://www.spartanburgteaparty.org karenmartin

    at these type of stories, and some of the more unfortunate speakers at the recent Nashville convention, and then get back to work locally finding the most conservative electable candidate for their district, their school board, their state elections. The media and bloggers will run these high profile questionable candidates through the sieve, the grassroots workers should pay enough attention to learn lessons, but keep working and not get distracted. We can’t care what the MSM says about such stories, they and their listeners will never be our audience or our voters. Fair bloggers and alternative media will continue to have a greater voice because America’s collective BS meter is ON HIGH and our ears are tuned. head down, eyes front, keep moving ahead.

  • bk

    She was tap-dancing the whole time – both on the and in her follow-up – just like any politician even though she says she’s the non-politician in the race.

    It’s too bad, because there are certainly things that any conservative doesn’t like about Perry or Hutchison, but after listening to that and reading her excuse I know I don’t have to pay any more attention to Medina.

    Thanks for saving me some time. It’ll be Perry for me.

    • Richard Mullins

      I got revelation from the big dunce himself,Rick Casey, somewhere back after the First debate in January. Leftists have of speaking truth about idiots and Ronulans, so I knew he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. I’m still wondering how the Dems fall out between Farouk Shami(I think he’ll still win he’s more progressive than a progressive) and Bill White. White was really slow on Ad’s and Farouk has got him beat. As for the GOP primary, it’s now more of a race between Perry and Hutchinson. Kay is reprising the Carol Ketton Etc… role. Also, Wharton county is close to RP home base.

      • bk

        http://tinyurl.com/yaftpwy

        What a moron. His campaign manager complained that it was an “interrogation”. (Yeah the AAS is known for hating liberals about as much as I’m known for winning ironman competitions.) Here’s the heart of it if you can’t open the above link because of Statesman registration rqmts.

        Shami, a Houston businessman making his first run for office, was asked a series of questions about Texas government. When asked whether he could name the state comptroller, Shami said, “Not at this point.” (It’s Republican Susan Combs.)

        Asked who the attorney general is, Shami answered that he knows who is running: “Barbara” and “Ted Cruz.” Barbara Ann Radnofsky is a Democratic candidate for attorney general. Ted Cruz is a Republican who last year announced his intention to run for attorney general but never filed because his mentor and fellow Republican, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, is running for re-election. And asked to name his state representative and state senator, Shami answered that his representative is Rep. Senfronia Thompson and his senator is Sylvester Turner . Although Shami has factories and his corporate headquarters in Houston’s Harris County, he’s registered to vote in bordering Montgomery County. Neither Thompson nor Turner represents Montgomery County. And Turner, who, like Thompson, is a Houston Democrat, is not in the Senate at all ? he’s a state representative.

        • Richard Mullins

          most of them don’t know either. The Chronicle had a piece on him as well as a Hagiography of Charlie Wilson today. Like I said, Shami came off more progressive than a progressive. Perhaps, he doesn’t know a his State Rep and State Senator because they are Republican(Robert Eissler and Tommy Williams). Little knowledge of State government will work well in the Primary but very bad in the General. I’m not worried about any registration requirement by the Austin Communist Statesman or any other leftist paper here in Texas.

      • Third Street

        ‘Cause I was thinking of moving back to Texas and I’d hate to get there just in time for Bill White to be my governor.

        • Richard Mullins

          There’s still a 8-9 point advantage for a Republican statewide and Bill White outside of Houston isn’t well known. Even he won the nomination, Perry could knock him over the fiscal mismanagement of Houston in the 6 years he was Mayor. He could also use the new Progressive Mayor of Houston,Annise Parker against him too,not on social issues so much but her role in the Fiscal Mismanagement. This isn’t 2002 and Bill White isn’t Tony Sanchez.

  • kuksool

    The Tea Parties are a diverse and fragmented group. Some Tea Partiers are strong social conservatives. Other are people just angry with the economy and don’t care about conservative vs liberal fight. In my local Tea Party group, it is run by anti-war Ron Paul supporters who tout Ron Paul as the founder. I’d like Medina to be asked if she thinks Ron Paul is the founder of the Tea Party movement.

    • newsflash

      RP’s people started something, but what it is now is something else. I”m not sure this movement is coalescing or fragmenting presently. So long as it stays genuinely grassroots, I’m glad to have them around raising a ruckus.

      • langoley

        And they are mad now!!http://www.ronpaulforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=51.And they blame it ALL on Glenn Beck,as if none of it was Medina’s fault!!!

        • bk

          If there are some doubts, this was her chance to lay it to rest with a simple answer; instead she opened the floodgates with a stupid answer and Beck pounced on it.

          The Ronulans are a good fit with the Alex Jones types, who see everyone else as part of a mass conspiracy against them.

  • Swamp_Yankee

    I’ve argued for some time that Republicans are playing with fire. The fundmental problem with the Tea Parties is that it is new, leader-less and platform-less, hence people are tempted to project their own values upon the rest of the movement. Of course, its strength also comes from the fact that it is organic and populist.

    The value of the Tea Parties comes in opposing something. We are all united against Obama’s socialist push. Various groups can come together in opposition. That is the easy part. We put aside our differences, isolate a target, a threat to us all, and attack it. It is the power of a mulitplier. But that’s the easy part.

    The tough part is uniting in support of something. That’s the difference between 2009 and 2010. 2009 was a year of oppostion. All we had to do was tear Obama and the Congressional Dems down. In that cause, we took conservative Dems, frustrated Dems, libertarians, populists, Ron Paul Republicans, independents and conservatives of all stripes. It is folly to assume that the Tea Parties are just “Real” Republicans who are frustrated and who will fall in line if presented with a good conservative. Many of them dislike GOP platform issues such as free trade, life, Middle East policy, …

    B ut now we must build. The elections are near. 2010 will be a referendum against the Dems, so the Tea Parties may be useful. But we must also start to build, not just tear down. I’m not sure the Tea Party movement is a positive force for construction. Raw populism is fire. It cannot be contained or controlled.

  • JadedByPolitics

    they are troofers because they are so against government that they cannot see a place for it at all. They want to destroy the Fed and they believe the government is so bad they would destroy their own people, plus they never want our soldiers to do anything but hit our borders and wait (tick tock) as if that is the answer to our problems. The D’s that are coming along with the TEA Party are those birthers, troofers are the same D’s that started BOTH those rumors and they have sucked in the CRAZY people who follow the Pauls, why it is like a marriage made in hell!

    Medina btw didn’t stand a chance against Perry anyway but her STUPIDITY ensured that! I suggest that any National TEA Party will being in the crazies which is why I like the state to state organizations and will continue to say so!

  • http://www,livingfortruth.wordpress.com livingfortruth

    I have been listening to Rush Limbaugh since about 3 months after he went national. I was in the Air Force in Ft. Walton Beach Fl. (Hurlburt Field, Special Operations, H53 pave low helicopters), I think the station was on AM 1260. I remember specifically when he was talking about Hillary Clinton and was saying “It’s the same thing!” for about 5 minutes.
    He later stated that we need to change the GOP back to conservative at the time. Then came the GOP Revolution with NEWT, (yeah, the party over belief guy who backed the GOP LIBERAL who endorsed the democrat in NY23).
    Well I did what Rush suggested, I voted GOP, I waited, and waited and waited, and am still waiting for them to end abortion, big spending, the NEA’s, Public (read SOCIALIST) radio and tv.
    We need a new party, one that will listen and not be bought and paid for by big corporations.
    BTW, there is ONE thing I agree with that the Democrats did, that was, bust up AT&T, through COMPETITION, we got lower costs, better service and new technology. The same thing needs to be done with BIG OIL. In Texas near Dallas in the late 70′s there was a small independent that was 30% lower for fuel than the big oil companies. They were making a profit, however, BIG OIL got the law changed to make it illegal for there to be that much difference in fuel pricing, effectively taking that companies PROFITABLE advantage away and HURTING the consumer. A GOP was governor that oversaw that, his name was Bill Clements, it helped him lose his bid for re-election. Without competition, and buying governors and representatives to basically FIX prices, and buying up the small independents, Big Oil has become bloated, not responsive to technological advances, and expensive. I could go into their owning the oil leases, owning the refineries, owning the transportation and distribution centers, while claiming only making a pittance on the REFINED gasoline and diesel product, (they conveniently forget to mention the profits of all the other holdings!) I am NOT against profit, I AM AGAINST companies BUYING my representative. BOTH Dems and REPUBS are bought and paid for.
    I have my issues that NEVER get fixed, but are stated they will every time, and liberals can say the same thing about their party.

    BTW, I did NOT vote for McCain, YOUR CANDIDATE, I voted for Sarah Palin, and I am sure that most conservatives will say the same thing. I can tell you this, I will not vote PARTY ever again. I will vote for the conservative. There are just as many GOP that are under investigation or have been convicted of inappropriate behaviour as there are Dems.

    http://livingfortruth.wordpress.com/2009/10/24/questions-need-to-be-answered-in-health-care-debate/

    You don’t like that one of the speakers is not so hot on pro-guns? Newt endorsed the liberal who endorsed the dem. You don’t like the one who would like to see a copy of Obama’s birth certificate, the long form one, OR would like to see his college transcripts? Rush endorsed McCain.

    I did not leave the republican party, the republican party left me!

    • streiff

      1. Don’t criticize my positions when you obviously don’t know what they are. Just don’t. Only a freakin moron would state that I supported McCain.

      2. We don’t do third parties on this site.

      You’ve been given fair warning, ignore it if you wish.

      • vrwcnut

        I’ve been a participant only a little over a month and I’m sure folks come and go. Certainly not my site so I don’t know who sets the rules or why, but there are just too many “we don’t” warnings to people who don’t fit a particular mold. So, I’m outta here. Your site and welcome to it.

  • http://jakespeaks.wordpress.com/ Jake W

    Now, to be fair, I don’t live in Texas, but I was skeptical of Medina nonetheless. Most of her supporters that I’ve met are a little bit on the nutty side (to say the least). This only confirms my suspicion. I suspect Glenn Beck asked her the question both as a chance to clear her name and to find out if she really was one.

    Her career has peaked, and she needs to be consigned to the proer place reserved for truthers, birthers, etc. They do no service for conservatism.

    • http://jakespeaks.wordpress.com/ Jake W

      Also, I do agree that the Tea Party movement needs to better vet its “leaders”. There are those who are trying to hijack the movement to push their own agendas. Farah at the TPC proved that.

  • swamphermit

    RedState just come out against the Tea Party?

    • streiff

      we’re against idiots and irresponsibility. We’re also against frauds and charlatans.

      You want to be taken seriously. To do that you guys have got to show that you care about who is talking in your collective name. McGlowan’s 2d Amendment position is nothing short of a thrashing of the Constitution. Medina is a panderer.

      I find it astonishing that anyone trying to change government would defend either of these people.

      • swamphermit

        go back and read or watch Sarah Palin’s Tea Party Convention speech…

      • swamphermit

        Angela McGlowan is pro-gun…

        • eburke

          of the comments she made is, truly, beyond my comprehension.

    • writeblock

      …it’s a leaderless movement of fiscally conservative citizens. It doesn’t need to be justified or protected from slander or better organized. It is what it is–a movement comprised of tens of millions of voters. It’s most important impact has been felt at the ballot box. Nobody should care about fringe kooks who try to hijack the movement. That would be like trying to harness and control a tidal wave.

      • streiff

        first, the Tea Parties have not been tested at the ballot box because there haven’t been and substantive number of elections since the movement started.

        Secondly, movements need people. If you think you can attract people when your candidates turn out to be nutters you’re fooling yourself. The people who are energized by the Tea Parties will become disillusioned and withdraw.

        I don’t have a dog in this fight in any major way. I hope the Tea Parties bring some new blood into the primaries and get more people involved in the process. But the way it is shaping up is as a flash in the pan that no one will remember this time next year.

        • writeblock

          Three states that went Democrat big in the last election, two of them deep blue, one of them purple, went Republican. If that wasn’t a test, nothing is.

          As to your second point, the tea party doesn’t need to “attract people.”
          It’s a movement, not a political entity. Nobody receives a dues card in the mail. People just vote in a way that sends Washington a message. It gathers force because people are alienated from their government. So nutters don’t change a thing. People find out somebody’s on the fringe and start looking elsewhere for a candidate. End of story. The movement itself is not affected.

          It’s hardly a flash in the pan–any more than this recession is a flash in the pan or government spending is a flash in the pan. It’s here to stay because people now have a means for contacting others like themselves who are just as fed up. This wasn’t possible in past decades when the silent majority had no way of knowing how vast its numbers were. We now have the technical means to join together–and this comprises a revolution in the way the public expresses its grievances. Unlike artificial liberal astroturfing, this is a true grassroots phenomenon. It’s here to stay till the forces that represent fiscal restraint and limited government take down the leftwing push for socialism.

    • earlgrey

      Many of the concerns I have are being addressed by both causes. I think 3rd parties are a horrible idea. I worry that there will be a lot of overly inflated egos in the tea parties messing up the movement.

      The tea parties do need to organize better and know who is representing them. They cannot forget the theme that brought us together personal freedom and liberty, and find candidates that fit.

      I believe our current President was born in Hawaii, but even if he wasn’t, this is losing issue. It didn’t work for HR Clinton and it won’t work for those of us on the right.

      Gun ownership is a cornerstone of out liberty. Look at what has happened in Venezuala with the seizing of property.

      The 911 truthers are hard to understand quite frankly.

      The tea parties need to continue to educate themselves and commiunities about our current govt. and the Constitution. Maybe if there were some groups successful in local elections/local levels that model could be copied nationwide.

      I have great faith in the movement and am personally committed to it, but we shouldn’t be afraid to examine its flaws. We need to be aware of them.

      • mbecker908

        about the Constitution is more than a little scary. In the case of Nashville you’d be talking about an organization that fronted Joseph Farrah and Media and gave them a podium to address the nation.

        I don’t have any confidence at all that any specific local organization is any better.

        I’m sure somebody will spout off and note that I need to listen to Palin’s speech. No I don’t. She has nothing to do with the issue. The point is that people are being allowed to speak out as “tea party people” with absolutely no vetting. They will cause any “movement” to implode.

  • 10ksnooker

    Nothing wrong with contested primaries.

    But trooofers, not for me. Beck beaned her real good.

    • streiff

      testing candidates

  • latinchic

    I’m a TP’er and I was not voting for Medina. Recently she did not rule out voting for the liberal Democrat in the general election if she lost the Republican primary.

    I mean…really??? My.Goodness.Alive.

    We have to be vigilant, TP’ers.

    • SoulEspresso

      … and I’m all for TPing intrusive government agencies, but just as much troofers and other lunatics.

  • traversecityconservative

    I can’t stomach people who use the word “involved” when they talk about America’s role in 9/11. That kind of talk is obviously crazy and stupid. Now on the other hand, I CAN buy that the government “allowed” it to happen – that’s totally different. It’s like what is happening now. Politics gets in the way of our safety. What needs to get done doesn’t get done. Same thing with 9/11. If the govt. was doing it’s main job of protecting us, then it wouldn’t have happened. They didn’t participate in it. They didn’t know it was happening and let it happen. But they also didn’t do what was necessary to stop it. As for the Tea Party candidates out there…we’re bound to get a few Froot Loops just like the GOP and the Dems do.

    • Scope

      just like Beck proved Medina to be today. I doubt you will be here long enough to respond.

      • Scope

        please get rid of this trash.

        • bk

          Couldn’t it be argued that the Clinton/Gorelick “wall” made it more difficult to gather info that could have prevented 9/11? Maybe that doesn’t rise to the level of “actively” “allowing” it but it certainly had a “passive” impact on “allowing” it to happen. That part seems pretty self-evident to me as part of figuring out what we could have done differently so that we help prevent the next one.

          The same is true of the (perhaps) unintended consequences of various Obama/Holder options. I think the day will come when we get bitten in the @$$ because of some of those decisions. I might not go so far as to say Obama and Holder “allowed” that next event to happen – at least not intentionally, but certainly it could be said if that comes to pass that maybe it could have been prevented had they not taken the actions people warned against.

      • smagar

        He didn’t say the US government actually perpetrated 9/11. Instead, they allowed it to happen by not being vigilant enough to stop it.

        If the govt. was doing it?s main job of protecting us, then it wouldn?t have happened. They didn?t participate in it. They didn?t know it was happening and let it happen. But they also didn?t do what was necessary to stop it.

        Emphasis added

        • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

          A lot of truthers think that terrorists did it, but Bush and Mossad allowed it to happen.

          The above commenter takes a while to say that the government didn’t know it was happening, either.

          Which is why I mis-read and banned the first time myself. :-)

      • traversecityconservative

        Obviously you didn’t comprehend what I was saying. 9/11 was “allowed” to happen just like the Christmas bomber was “allowed” to happen because of incompetence and politics. I don’t mind being chastised at for something I actually said but you obviously didn’t get the point – or I obviously didn’t make the point well enough which has happened before.

    • Vegas_Rick
    • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens
      • traversecityconservative

        Hey Neil…I wasn’t aware that I was banned. I missed all the excitement. Does that mean that I was banned as a person or just my comment was banned? And who can ban us? Should I be nicer to certain people?? Just kidding…By the way, why does everyone think I’m a guy?? Not true. Anyway, thanks for the un-ban, Neil. I’ll try to make my point a little more coherent next time.

        • bs

          Only the cool people get banned and unbanned. It’s like an extra stripe on your sleeve.

          • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens
        • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

          I just had a bunch of people telling me we had a truther and I was a bit quick with the ban.

          Thanks for understanding,

  • texasgalt

    Medina if a populist of theTea-Party wing. She is a former top volunteer in Ron Paul’s 2008 presidential bid. Paul has written a letter praising Medina as a “defender of liberty.”

    Medina has spoken of Texas secession, scrapping all property taxes and the new Texas Margins tax ( an ill conceived gross receipts tax). Somehow, she wants to finance Texas government by cutting spending (no specifics) and getting all revenue from the sales tax. That’s a lot of sales tax needed to cover the 182 billion (2 year) budget.

    Yep, like Paul, Medina is ’round the bend. Beck’s interview brings this into focus.

  • bigmaude

    in my car was like Charlie brown’s teacher Wauh WauhWauh. She seemed disingenuous to me and very much a panderer. There was no clarity in any of her responses to Glenn. ?

  • ktsub

    Meeting some of the 06′ supporters of Kinky Friedman, are very similar to the Debra Medina supporters of today.

    They like the different, anti-establishment, but really do not know their positions. Debra Medina’s support of legalization of illigal drugs and her “iffy” back and forth on gay marriage legalization, do not fit her conservative base.

    There is a spot for the libertarian wing in the Republican Party, but when she was sporting the doing away with property taxes, and without mention of the ramifacations was missing the point (we would have a very high sales tax rate to make up for it). Also she was a county chairman of the Republican Party, dont think she was that anti-establishment, and her suggestion of not supporting the primary winner (if it was not her) was a big negative.

    Hopefully this will put Rick Perry over the 50% and end this primary campaign, time to start looking at “fake moderate” Bill White.

    • audax

      ….property taxes he would pick up EVERY SINGLE ONE of the conservative property tax payers that would waste their vote on a Medina or Kinky who want to do something different to fund State government. Perry has had EIGHT years to do this and has done JACK! So WHY give him four more years to do nothing?

      Kinky wants to TABOR property taxes and have Casinos take up some slack. Medina wants to eliminate them and raise sales taxes that even illegals would have to pay. Perry wants to do nothing. KBH is a Washingtonian who probably likes the taxes right where they are.

      Before anyone gets all huffy about me supporting a truther or whatever, don’t. It has nothing to do with truthers and everything to do about the ONEROUS Texas property taxes! Perry isn’t doing anything about this issue but talk through his hat. If he had done anything to be effective on this issue in the last eight years he would have had my vote. Despite the crowded field there isn’t uch of a true choice out there for limited government.

      • Menlo

        I don’t know why so many people constantly talk as though the governor shapes and directs policy in the legislature. In Texas in particular, they don’t give a fig what the governor thinks; and the governor is just a figurehead.

        If Texas voters, particularly GOP primary voters, don’t pay more attention to the people in the legislative races beyond a voting record or name recognition, they will suffer regardless of who is governor. If the house doesn’t pick a new house speaker, it wouldn’t make any difference, policy-wise, if we were to get a Democrat for governor.

        All candidates for governor are being misleading when they say anything about taxes other than what they will veto.

        • audax

          Governors can support candidates for the Legislature that our on the same page re lower taxes. If Governors are so worthless why have them? A Republican Texas Governor is the de facto head of the GOP in Texas.

          County property taxes are the highest of all the property taxes in Texas. The State Legislature CAN TABOR these and the Governor can sign the law and pressure the Legislature to pass it. Perry has done JACK in eight years to bring property tax relief to Texans. KBH probably won’t be any better on the property tax issue.

          If Governers are just figureheads, and not so important, than a vote for Medina or Kinky doesn’t matter? A vote for or against Perry doesn’t matter?

          If you follow my writing you know that I am a big supporter of getting CONSERVATIVE NOUNS active in the party at the grass roots level to run for precinct delegate, Captian, District, State and National Conventions. To get on the Rules and Ccandidate selection committees, to bring your friends (CONSERVATIVE NOUN) and your family to the County GOP meetings. Every office matters both political, from Governer down; to Party, from precinct delegate UP!

          • Menlo

            You, like so many other Texans, must not know the people in the legislature. Did you follow what happened with regard to the house speaker and the “Polo Road” Gang?

            In fact, the legislature does not take on things that the governor supports, though he certainly never “tells” them what to do. More often, they actually OPPOSE what the governor has advocated.

            You have to understand that the “Polo Road” RINOs in charge of the Texas house cater to the Democrats in stopping conservative legislation from so much as a simple debate or committee vote.

            I can assure you that NO governor will “set the agenda,” and the house won’t listen if he or she tries. Unfortunately, the biggest problems are nowhere near my county.

          • Richard Mullins

            as President of the Senate and vote there, Lt Governor have a more shape on the State Budget. Getting the State house more fiscally conservative is a top priority but it really a Fiscally conservative State Senate that would be better(they could shoot down the House’s wild spending). Considerate on getting more conservative members of the State Senate first, then more conservative members of the State House. I think getting rid of John Carona in the State Senate is top priority while getting some feckless members out. As for Property tax things, I’ve known for years that it’s all a County thing anyway.

          • Menlo

            The problem is more what the House is NOT doing than what they are. They have passed nothing of significance in recent years. The most they can do are nanny-state business regulations that no one really cares about. I haven’t seen any “wild spending” because I haven’t seen them do anything at all.

            The Senate actually PUSHES its agenda and debates bills that Democrats rail against like voter ID. They aren’t afraid of appearing “divisive.” The House ought to do likewise.

          • Richard Mullins

            other than that it becoming a failure. A little less laws produced is what I want. If we go on the road of spend like there is no tomorrow, then we we’re doomed. Honest people don’t make cronies, so ethics laws are a waste of time.

          • Menlo

            I do not believe the state spends too much, but I am not a libertarian. I suppose I’m more of a fiscal moderate, and I would certainly vote AGAINST anyone whose only state-level priority was cutting spending. What you deem trivial “ethics issues” are key for my support. And unlike the federal government, certainly Texas DOES need more legislation, and if I had my way, longer sessions.

      • Achance

        The property tax is usually a purely county and local matter and state governments have nothing to do with it except sometimes using a sales or income tax to offset property taxes for things like schools and roads.

        • Richard Mullins

          There are County assessment districts that go out and assess the value of the property then send it to the County Tax Assessor. The County Assessment district evaluation of the property gets the other tax entities to get there share. You really pay more on the other tax entities than the property tax alone.

        • izoneguy

          Like Menlo said: “I can assure you that NO governor will ?set the agenda,? and the house won?t listen if he or she tries.”

          Medina tax swap proposal comes at a cost

          http://www.statesman.com/news/texas-politics/medina-tax-swap-proposal-comes-at-a-cost-219926.html

          The combined state and local sales tax rate is now 8.25 percent, which generated $21 billion for state services and $6 billion for local jurisdictions in 2009.

          The Texas Public Policy Foundation study found that an average sales tax rate of 14.5 percent could raise enough to equal all the property and sales tax collections without changing what is now taxed. Applying the tax to more services and to real estate sales would allow a lower tax rate of 9 percent.

          Any additions to the tax base, particularly real estate, would be likely to set off a political firestorm.

          Oliveira said the foundation’s research is based on outdated figures that reflect a period of healthy economic growth. After a precipitous decline in sales over the past year, collecting enough money now would require a tax rate as high as 21 percent , the lawmaker said.

          The result would be a generous tax cut for wealthier Texans, and low- and middle-income families would bear a disproportionate cost for public services, Oliveira said.

          “You want to make a tax system where everyone is participating and participating in as fair a way as possible,” Oliveira said. “Why would we want to shift an enormous amount of this tax burden to those who can least pay it?”

          I did not know that Medina was for helping the rich people in Texas, dang – you learn somethin knew everday

        • audax

          Now the State allows a 10% per year increase in the county property tax increase. This needs to be capped by the State.

  • tankertodd

    I almost ended the recording but I really enjoyed hearing Glenn Beck and his crew’s sheer amazement and what they heard. They’re as agape as I am.

    Beck made a great point: if you think your government had a role in 9/11 you should have no other priority. So what follows is that if you elect a Trufer then expect that person to go on a massive witch hunt trying to find the evidence that doesn’t exist. Expect a Soviet-style purge of anyone who says it wasn’t an inside job. Expect all the horrors of Mao and Stalin visited on us. It would be the rational thing to do. If you think the government caused it, and if you were elected to high federal office and you DIDN’T try to identify the conspirators and remove them, you’d be in violation of your oath. You’re OBLIGATED to pursue your twisted truth’s logical conclusion. Much like many others in power through history pursued their twisted truths to their logical conclusions.

    People aren’t destroyed for no reason. You burn a lot of calories destroying people. The reasons have been perversely sound and logical using twisted logic and bad facts. Not unlike a Trufer and his bad logic and non-existent facts.

    Say what you want about Obama but he doesn’t scare me half as much as a wacko Trufer getting elected. We must have a zero tolerance approach to these nutcases.

    • Third Street

      is that Beck, if I assume correctly, had thrown her a softball intended to allow her to refute the Truther rumors he’d seen buzzing around her. He expected her to knock it out of the park with an unequivocal “what are you, crazy? Of course I don’t believe this crap” and instead got taken on a journey through Toontown. These were 4 1/2 minutes of serious entertainment.

      Or maybe he did know for certain and the whole interview was a set-up meant to out her as a lunatic. Doubt that, though, as he and his staff really sounded floored by the response they got. Either way, thanks Glenn; you just did Texas a favor.

  • Richard Mullins

    So I figuring that it was a matter of time before we would have a little dig of her standings on issues. When I heard Ron Paul campaign manager here in Texas, that hair on the neck stood up. I knew there was something wrong with this person. I knew something wasn’t right here. I’ve also figured out why she ran for Governor instead of the more powerful Lt. Governor. She can’t make with either the Republicans or the Democrats in the State senate. I knew it was going to be a matter of time before the world would know as well.

  • http://www,livingfortruth.wordpress.com livingfortruth

    Funny, I knew they did that over at the DU. Did you even look at my blog? I am pretty conservative. I believe in justice, not punishment because that is what the Bible proscribes. That would be justice for both the victim and the perp. It would be a LOT cheaper to make them do restitution and see that they can be forgiven, but I digress.

    I simply cannot see why we are still supporting a party that NEVER GETS THINGS DONE, it is like the proverbial carrot that is hung out in front of the conservative voters. I mean, the NEWT BACKED REPUBLICAN IN NY 23 ENDORSED THE DEMOCRAT.

    You are going to the fringe of the Tea Partier’s when the Republicans ran ONE OF THE KEATING 5, One of his advisors threatened to endorse Obama, his Co-chair was indicted, Tom DeLay, I could go on. BUT BOTH PARTIES GOT US INTO THIS MESS that we are in now.

    Ronald Reagan is CHAMPIONED for saying, “I did not leave the democrat party, the democrat party left me!”

    IF WE REALLY WANT to get back to Constitutional Government, we need to support the conservative candidate. not the establishment candidate, DEEDEE was the ESTABLISHMENT CANDIDATE. And she endorsed a DEMOCRAT.

    I hope I have said that enough for you to understand that PARTY OVER PRINCIPLE IS TEARING OUR COUNTRY APART.

    You are aiming guns at the WRONG PEOPLE, you are shooting your foot in spite of your cause. Instead of winning them over, you are making them enemies.

    You can say all you want that they are not going to amount to much, but the Tea Party here in NE Wisconsin is doing pretty well and the Republicans are COURTING them. AND they are constantly informed by e-mail of events that are up coming, LIKE a forum on THE CONSTITUTION on March 13th.
    Are the Republicans doing that? NO. They are organizing neighbourhood get to gathers to discuss candidates and even invite them to speak.

    You may not think they are organized, but a loose organization like what I am describing is having an impact on elections, whether you choose to believe it or not.

    These are the facts, and you can ban me if you would like.

    I now get off my soap box!

    http://livingfortruth.wordpress.com/2009/10/24/questions-need-to-be-answered-in-health-care-debate/

    • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

      If you use this site to promote a third party candidate over a Republican, yes you will be banned.

      If you don’t, then you won’t be banned.

    • Third Street

      The one that’s linguini-spined and requires frequent kicks in the butt, or the one that can’t get elected to office in the first place?

    • hickorystick

      Bucktail Party, Know Nothing Party, Bull Moose Party, Patriot Party, Green Party, Socialist Party Communist Party of Am….. can’t finish that one, and one in South Carolina in the early 1800′s I can’t think of.
      Any organization is going to have it’s problems, especially when the participants are apethetic. Best thing to do is to spend your time to improve the pro-american Republican Party by supporting a better candidate during the primary.

  • http://www,livingfortruth.wordpress.com livingfortruth

    You would actually STILL support DEEDEE over the Conservative?

    I would REALLY like to know. I am not trying to bash you.

    http://livingfortruth.wordpress.com/2009/10/24/questions-need-to-be-answered-in-health-care-debate/

    • Leopard1996

      Supported Scozzafava, and we all cheered wildly when she dropped out, and lashed out when she endorsed Owens who only wound up winning by a few points because the GOP vote got split because her dumb ass was on the ballot. What we don’t want to see, it have someone come in and say they are with the “Tea party”, or the “Conservative Party” and wind up splitting the vote and letting the phony blue dog or outright lib winning in the general elections. From what I read here, and agree with is that we believe in a vigorous Priamary process, and supporting the more conservative candidate in that primary, but if that guy loses, we don’t take our ball and go home and allow a liberal to win the seat or throw a temper tantrum 3rd party candidate up in the race, and split the vote to allow same douchebag liberal to win in a walk.

  • http://www,livingfortruth.wordpress.com livingfortruth

    Not endorse anyone?

    • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

      It’s the site policy, and that’s it.

  • ryanj0772

    *

    Medina handled the 9-11 question with poise and I was very satisfied with her fair-minded response. When I first started watching Glenn Beck I definitely thought he was a neo-con but in the last few months it seems that he has moderated some of his more totalitarian ideals and come closer to the libertarian way of thinking. I guess I was a bit confused about his sincerity and his true political leanings but his interview with Medina yesterday showed his hand pretty clearly.

    I know that Beck is intelligent enough to realize that the 9-11 Commission was a farce and that the commissioners themselves even admit as much. John Farmer, senior council to the 9-11 Commission has been quoted as saying ?the public had been seriously misled about what occurred during the morning of the attacks,? and Farmer himself states that ?at some level of the government, at some point in time?there was an agreement not to tell the truth about what happened.?

    That being said, I think it is reasonable to further investigate 9-11 in a scientific manner without regard to emotions or politics. They already told us that we were lied to – therefore that step doesn’t seem quite so offbeat to me.

    Regardless, Beck chose to attempt to bully Medina into saying that she was a 9-11 ‘truther’ despite the fact – as Medina herself stated – that issue has absolutely nothing to do with the Texas Governor’s race. Then, when Medina declined to take a firm stand on the issue he tried to paint her as a rabid 9-11 truther.

    We are not stupid, Mr. Beck. We know who and what you represent. You may be fooling a certain segment of brainless morons who believe anything they are told and who are too afraid to question, but a vast majority of Americans are smarter than that and your little schtick isn’t going to play for much longer. Honestly, I am glad that you attacked Medina in the manner that you did because now you won’t be fooling me anymore. So I guess I just want to say thank you, Mr. Beck, for being just not quite slick enough.

    • Third Street

      Beck is Mormon, not Jewish. And hey, I know they’re scary and diabolical too, but let’s keep all our facts straight here. :)

      (, if it’s needed)

      • Third Street
    • Martin Knight
    • JadedByPolitics

      are flying outside your window and Glenn Beck is inside monitoring your every word….LOL!!!

    • mbecker908

      Oh?

      Well actually, ryaj0772, yes you are.

    • rsturm

      Nicely put, if you lead a pristine, roboto, emotionless, non-engaging life.. What a sad, boring, friendless life that may be.., BUT if so, you could rightfully indulge in pointing fingers at the imperfect wiles of Glenn Beck!

      See, Beck’s persona may be rife with conflicting idioms, skin-thin emotions, grating mannerisms – even a budding ego, in this surprising slam-dunk hero-role, foisted by his multi-million fans…, but he is indeed a player -without even a ‘safety net’ for his bullish take on politics – to say nothing of the rough feedback he gets from a now-skittish Admin OR those fearmongering mainstream newspeddlers.

      Some other critics, like O’Reilly, poke easy holes in the paper facades of today’s politicos, but like Bill’s friend Miller, Beck does his homework, bandies the constitution with pride, and will joust with anyone brave enough to do battle against patriotism.

      So… since you have ‘no dog in that race’ – that is, you have no DAILY Radio show nor DAILY TV show to produce – no call to research questionable data, nor take a fearless stand against anti-American blather, nor especially to indulge those unprepared, waffling guests, begging only to glean some popularity from your independant position…. well, you take my point.

      So since you are neither player nor producer, you may not grasp that ‘bullying’ might just force a waffler to commit – or ‘get off the pot’ – exposing them as a ‘rabid’ waffler, ergo a poor candidate for politics, if they fail to stand firm on the tough issues! Perhaps you too prefer the ‘backdoor’ on the many serious issues of the day, and can relate more to Ms. Medina than to Mr. Beck; perhaps you don’t know yet how spineless one becomes when they fail to stand firm, come what may, on every important issue in life.

      My old mama always said, “Nevermind glass houses, your whole life must be seamless before you take up pointing and insulting others,” – especially if you’re only a pointer and not a player….

  • yendor

    Every party has a few nuts, it’s just that we are (Tea-Party) all label as such and Medina falls hard into that category. She makes the rest of us look as bad as she sounded. What she could not bring herself to say was that Bush had nothing to do with planning 9-11. For God sake if she believes stuff like that what else does she believe? DUMP HER.

  • sdeakins

    If you mean birther then I are one.

  • sdeakins

    If you mean birther then I are one.

    • mbecker908

      contributing at WND or any other garbage dump.

  • http://thesandsinstitute.org Vassar Bushmills

    A 5-minute wonder, thanks to Mr Beck.

    However, I hope this does not turn out to be a broad indictment, as you say, of the Tea Parties as well. I consider them a work in progress as to their constitutional education. Being new, it’s only natural that their seine net be filled with gaping holes. Hell, the Dem’s seine net is 150 years old, and Bill Clinton and Barack Obama still slipped through.

    With the way Mike Huckabee was able to demagogue a one-issue base into an anti-Mormon vote in 2008, it was obvious, no matter how pure their hearts, no one had been tending to the continuing constituional education of the social conservatives for many, many years, just accepting their votes with a “Thank you, M’am.”

    One of the things we’ve been trying to do here at RS is get TP’s to advance that education by reading posts here. A good venue for the most part.

    This is just one more area where a more organized outreach by conservatives is long overdue.
    VB

    • mbecker908

      educable Vassar.

  • bigmaude

    and not truther? I think I do and it is not good.
    Next, FCC doesn’t allow for talk about the truth, whatever it is, about 9/11.
    Next, question with “boldness” the very existance of God, Mr. Beck? Really?
    all questions, not statements of fact.
    I don’t want to be banned here on RS, like it here, but, I know one has nothing to do with the other, any NATION that would allow the slaughter of 4,000 of it’s citizens everyday, well you know, which is more evil. I contend 4,000 a day, compared to 3,000 one time.??? Okay, another layer on my tin foil hat and more coffe.
    Gotta go, Glenn is on and “we will be the key” ? Really?

  • talgus

    Only can speak for NE DFW area, was that Debra deserved to be part of the television debates. Point was made not as a supporters, but as wanting to hear all sides.

    Beck asked a legit question. It was the good old boy bulls*t for the next 15 minutes that marked Glenn and his co-hosts as Perry shills. Especially egregious was the treatment of Texas callers.

    Personally, I am disappointed that Debra did not respond strongly to the attack. It does not speak well of the strength to recognize those acting to destroy you.

    That she did not respond strongly in follow ups …….

  • http://www.WILLisms.com WILLisms

    Perry was already getting 51% of Texas tea party folks, Medina was getting 24%, and Hutchison was getting 21%. This was BEFORE Medina’s disastrous Glenn Beck interview.

    Medina was not the tea party candidate. Rick Perry was and still is the tea party candidate in Texas. Medina, before the Beck interview, was drawing her support from liberals, non-Republicans, and Obama voters.

    Here’s the link to the poll showing those numbers:

    http://www.tcul.coop/2-10-10_Rick_Perry_s_Lead_Grows_to_Nearly_50_of_Likely_Voters_According_to_Texas_Credit_Union_League_Poll.html

  • qurys

    I have said it from the podium and I have said it on the air…..Our organization will not endorse candidates. I will not endorse candidates. The Tea Party movement does not belong to me. My mere organization of an event does not give me any more credence or credibility than Sean Penn or Oprah Winfrey. I support the Constitution. It gives all of us the right to vote for the candidate of our choice. Not the candidate chosen for us by the GOP or the Tea Party or any Hollywood star or media elite. It is our responsibility to exercise that right without outside influence. For the Tea Party to do anything but act as a forum for the people will be to hasten its demise. Glenn Beck did us all a favor yesterday. Any candidate can simply look at video of Tea Parties from last year or August Recess Townhall meetings and their talking points are written on the signs carried by Tea Party members. We have to look a little deeper because the value of a slogan lasts about as long as it takes to spit it out. If we don’t…the Debra Medinas will have found the exact same opportunity in the electorate that Barack Obama found in 2008. And we all know where that clear headed decision has gotten us. Please folks….vet your own candidates. Don’t talk to me about the Constitution and then ask somebody else to do the work for you.

  • http://www,livingfortruth.wordpress.com livingfortruth

    pro-family, pro-Constitution candidate…….. what about highly recommend? JUST KIDDING!!!

    No my question from before stands, do YOU (Redstate) choose the RINO over the Constitution, or do you just not endorse anyone?

    • Richard Mullins

      From time to time, I’ve consider running for state rep or something like that and right now as bad as debater as I am, I’m really confident of a smackdown of Ms Medina on one on one basis. I’m far more knowledgeable of things, so I’m not going to be off my game.

    • Scope

      if you are asking if Redstate would support Perry over Medina, let’s put it this way- Redstate would never ever ever endorse an admitted troofer. After that, the rest of her problems are beside the point. Anything else?

  • http://www,livingfortruth.wordpress.com livingfortruth

    that bad? Does RedState endorse? Yes or no. I am kinda basic in my ability to understand run on answers.

    If you do endorse, would the RINO republican get the endorsement over a GOOD (in your sight) conservative independent candidate?

    Thanks in advance.

    • gekster

      “Reply To This is your friend”

      • Richard Mullins

        I confident of that but course the REPLY TO THIS failure isn’t going to work. He failed in his mission.

    • Scope

      that in order to get your demanded answer to your trick question, click on the contact button above, and send the owners of the site an email.

      You want to know if Redstate endorses “GOOD conservative candidates.” Every candidate is a different case unto themselves. If, for example, a candidate is a conspiracy theory nutjob, I would have to say NO, even if they have other conservative tendencies.

      If you care to give us a name of your “GOOD conservative candidate”, there is a much better chance of getting an answer from the members. As I said, every individual comes with their own strengths and weaknesses.

  • Scope

    http://washingtonindependent.com/76486/before-she-was-a-truther-debra-medina-was-worried-about-brainwashing-and-bilderbergers

  • http://www,livingfortruth.wordpress.com livingfortruth

    I actually don’t have a person at this moment. But once one does show their head, I will give you one.

    I think you are getting the wrong idea here. I want our country to return to the nation that OBEYED and FOLLOWED the Constitution. I am tire of POLITICIANS on both sides raising their hands and SWEARING or AFFIRMING they will support the Constitution when inside they are “ravenous wolves” who can’t wait to get started dismantling it.

    It is interesting there are those who say the Constitution is a “living document”, that is written in butter, that is EXCEPT those things LIBERAL JUDGES ruled it meant, abortion on demand, homosexual marriage, separation of church and state, and soon universal health care. THOSE they say are written in stone.

    http://livingfortruth.wordpress.com/2010/01/14/how-the-west-was-lost/

    • gekster
  • http://www,livingfortruth.wordpress.com livingfortruth

    The change in my handle you gave me was pretty mature.

    Thanks

    • http://www,livingfortruth.wordpress.com livingfortruth

      There are three people that have responded, Scope is the one I am referring to on the “livingfortroofers” quip. Some (like the liberals mis-understanding of the Constitution, was just personal observation.) The questions on endorsing the best person for getting back to a Constitutional Government were to the mods who have responded somewhat vaguely to my queries on endorsements.

      Thanks,

      http://livingfortruth.wordpress.com/2010/01/14/how-the-west-was-lost/

      • Achance
        • http://www,livingfortruth.wordpress.com livingfortruth

          I am livingfortruth,

          It has nothing to do with 9/11, it is from my blog, and Truth is about Truth in General, and the Bible specifically.

          I DO NOT SUBSCRIBE to the “truther” conspiracy. Any SANE person who looks at any building demo film will NOTE, when imploding a large structure, the collapse starts from the bottom, not the top as we saw from the Twin Towers. The reason they collapsed was due to design, that NEVER expected a large plane full of fuel to be used as missiles against them.
          The truth usually is simple and can be explained simply as above. If it is complicated, it is either for obscurity OR there is a buck ($) in it.

          http://livingfortruth.wordpress.com/2010/01/14/how-the-west-was-lost/

          BTW, I am a birther, I can be proved wrong in my stance by releasing the long form certificate out of secrecy. What national security is being undermined by unlocking his certificate for public scrutiny? I also am a PHDer, if president BUSH released his transcripts, why can’t Democrats? The same thing happened with Kerry. Did their IQ’s equal 60? I don’t know, because their transcripts are LOCKED UP TIGHTER than Al Gores Social Security black box!

          That is just an aside.

  • auntredink

    Ms Medina spoke on radio and TV debates and did sound like a good conservative candidate. She was invited to speak at several Tea Party rallys – other candidates were invited too. Thank the Lord, he provided a way for the truth to come out. And it came from her mouth.

    Although some of us knew that she assisted Ron Paul with his campaign; her statements never reflected leaning toward validity of the 9-11 truthers.

    However, Tea Party Patriots are not espousing a “new party”. OUr goal is to inform the electorate and provide venues for those that want to run for office get an opportunity to speak to the electorate. The people decide for themselves.

    Tea Party Patriots want a return to governance under the US Constitution. If that means, reform of SS, Medicare/Medicaid, return the Education to the States; in other words limiting the federal government on the intrusion of our lives then so be it. As Americans; we’ve always been innovative on reform. Reform means spending less and making commen sense decisions.

    We are not seeking to be a political “Party”. We want to encourage integrity, accountability, responsibility, and transparency in government to our electorate and candidates. After all, the Constitution does say that our representatives and senators are to represent the people not special interests. Especially those interests that want to manipulate our lives and take our money.

  • thegadsden

    Look up Lt. Colonel Anthony Schaefer and his congressional testimony.

    There were dancing Israeli’s in New York reported on 9/11. They were dancing around a truck with a picture of planes flying into buildings.

    Fox News reported after 9/11 about the Mossad (Israeli CIA) “spying in and on the U.S.” (Britt Hume). There were Israelis arrested on 9/11 and can be seen being interviewed on Israeli tv.

    CNN reported no evidence of a plane when first on the scene at the pentagon.

    The Pentagon is the building with the most surveillance in the world. We have a sketchy video from the guard shack as the only video shown.

    “To question your government is the most patriotic thing to do.”
    -I believe that to be Thomas Jefferson

  • cyndezu

    A hypocritical ‘interview’
    Glenn Beck comes off as pro- establishment by trying to assassinate the character of a teaparty candidate.
    We need outspoken anti-establishment people running,
    I guess I misunderstood what Beck was promoting… it ain’t my cup o tea .

  • armymom1024

    The strength of the Tea Parties is that they are bottom-up organizations, not top down. This makes it difficult, if not impossible, to vet unethical opportuntists who are quick to self-identify as “Tea Party” Republicans or Tea Party activists. Locally, we have a very strong network of community leaders and we do vet speakers and candidates. The stronger we become the larger a target. In planning a large tax day rally one of the concerns we have is how to make sure tickets go to people who are interested in the speakers, not interested in disrupting the event. Unfortunate but true. I like to believe that people like Debra Medina will “out” themselves, because deceit and lying take so much effort.