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Tea Party Nationalism: A Critical Examination of the Tea Party Movement and the Size, Scope, and Focus of Its National Factions
By Devin Burghart and Leonard Zeskind
Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights.
The Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights is responsible for the content and analysis of this report. Additional materials, including updates and exclusive web content can be found at teapartynationalism.com. Copyright © 2010 Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights. All Rights Reserved. No Part of this report may be reproduced without the permission of the Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights except for sections quoted with proper attribution for purposes of reviews and public education. The Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights (IREHR) is a national organization with an international outlook examining racist, anti-Semitic, white nationalist, and far-right social movements, analyzing their intersection with civil society and social policy, educating the public, and assisting in the protection and extension of human rights through organization and informed mobilization.
Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights P.O. Box 411552 Kansas City, MO 64141 voice: (816) 474-4748 email: firstname.lastname@example.com website: www.irehr.org
Foreword .................................................................................................................................5 Introduction ............................................................................................................................7 Chapter 1: Origins of the Tea Parties .....................................................................................15 Chapter 2. FreedomWorks Tea Party .....................................................................................19 September 12, 2009, March on Washington and After .............................................. 21 Chapter 3. 1776 Tea Party .....................................................................................................23 From the Minuteman Project to the Tea Party ........................................................... 25 Interaction with Other Factions ................................................................................. 26 Chapter 4. ResistNet Tea Party ..............................................................................................29 ResistNet and Nativism ............................................................................................. 30 Chapter 5. Tea Party Nation ..................................................................................................33 Summer 2009 Altar Calls ........................................................................................... 35 Planning a Convention .............................................................................................. 36 Convention in Nashville February 2010 .................................................................... 37 Chapter 6. Tea Party Patriots ................................................................................................41 Tea Party Patriots Founders ........................................................................................ 41 Coalition Convention in Gatlinburg May 2010 ......................................................... 44 Chapter 7. Tea Party Express .................................................................................................49 Russo Marsh and Rogers ............................................................................................ 49 Mark Williams ........................................................................................................... 51 Tea Party Express Bus Tours ....................................................................................... 51 Interaction with other Tea Party Factions ................................................................... 53 Mark Williams in His Own Words ........................................................................................55 Chapter 8. Racism, Anti-Semitism and the Militia Impulse ..................................................57 Providing a Platform to Bigots ................................................................................... 57 Enter White Nationalists ........................................................................................... 59 Richard Mack and Militias ........................................................................................ 63 Bigotry and the health care reform vote ..................................................................... 64 Response to NAACP resolution ................................................................................. 64 Opinion Poll Data ..................................................................................................... 66 Chapter 9. 'Who Is An American?': Tea Parties, Nativism and the Birthers ..........................68
................27 Figure 7......78 Figure 17............................................................................................76 Appendix A: Is There a Correlation between Unemployment Levels and Tea Party Membership?............................................................................................ FreedomWorks Tea Party Membership Map ...79 4 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr ..................................... ResistNet Membership Map ......................................................................................................................................... Charts.............. Tea Party Membership and correlation with unemployment .................... 72 Tea Party Caucus in Congress ...................................................................... Tea Party Express Donors Map .... Tea Party Faction Growth Over Time ....... Aggregate Tea Party Membership Map.........................76 About the Authors .............. 69 Nativism and Support for Arizona's SB 1070 ...... Tea Party Nation Top 25 Cities .................................................................................. Tea Party Patriots Membership Map ............................................................................................................................................................................... Tea Party Express Top 25 Cities .............................54 Figure 15....................................... Gender Breakdowns of Tea Party Membership by Faction .................................80 Maps............S.................................................................................74 Figure 16..............................................................79 Notes ........................................................................................................ Tea Party Nation Membership Map ............22 Figure 5........... U...............34 Figure 10......47 Figure 13........................ ResistNet Top 25 Cities ..................14 Figure 3........................28 Figure 8.......... 1776 Tea Party Membership Map .....18 Figure 4.................77 Appendix B: Gender Analysis of Tea Party Membership .... Tea Party Patriots Top 25 Cities ....................................... 1776 Tea Party Top 25 Cities .....................................................................................................................................................40 Figure 11....................................................................... and tables Figure 1................... Tea Party Caucus.......................................................................................................................................................9 Figure 2.............................42 Figure 12.......................................................................... Congress .....................................48 Figure 14.............................. FreedomWorks Tea Party Top 25 Cities . 70 Contra Dick Armey and FreedomWorks .....24 Figure 6.........................................................32 Figure 9............................... 72 Acknowledgments ............Pamela Geller and Islamophobia ..........
At first. Local NAACP volunteers and staff members around the country were barraged by angry phone calls and death threats. or are formally affiliated with white supremacist organizations. a long-time NAACP supporter and the nation's first openly gay member of Congress. I hope the leadership and members of the Tea Party movement will read this report and take additional steps to distance themselves from those Tea Party leaders who espouse racist ideas. In March. delegates to the 101st NAACP National Convention unanimously passed a resolution condemning outspoken racist elements within the Tea Party.Foreword By Benjamin Todd Jealous President and CEO of the NAACP e know the majority of Tea Party supporters are sincere. and called upon Tea Party leaders to repudiate those in their ranks who use white supremacist language in their signs and speeches. Yet. something remarkable began to happen: Tea Party leaders W foreword | 5 . and those Tea Party leaders who would subvert their own movement by spreading racism. DC health care protest. amid the threats and denials. This July. Local NAACP members reported similar racially charged incidents at local Tea Party rallies. The resolution came after a year of high-profile media coverage of racial slurs and images at Tea Party marches around the country. Civil rights legend John Lewis was called the "n-word" in the incident while others in the crowd used ugly anti-gay slurs to describe Congressman Barney Frank. or the resurrection of long discredited racial hierarchies. These links should give all patriotic Americans pause. the threat of violence. principled people of good will. the resolution sparked defensive. First. advocate violence. misleading public responses from the usual corners. Then Fox News repeatedly circulated the false claim that we were calling the Tea Party itself racist. Then their commentators and other media personalities said the Tea Party was too loosely configured to police itself. In our effort to strengthen our democracy and ensure rights for all. Tea Party leaders denied our claims were valid. That is why the NAACP—an organization that has worked to expose and combat racism in all its forms for more than 100 years—is thankful Devin Burghart. Leonard Zeskind and the Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights prepared this report that exposes the links between certain Tea Party factions and acknowledged racist hate groups in the United States. members of the Congressional Black Caucus reported that racial epithets were hurled at them as they passed by a Washington. it is important that we have a reasoned political debate without the use of epithets.
a move they had previously refused to make. the response appears to have spread beyond the Tea Party itself. former Florida Republican Party Chair Jim Greer made a surprise public apology for the "racist views" among some members of his party. Tea Party leaders moved quickly to take on a communications strategy typical of corporate crisis public relations. Before the end of July. This report. The move was significant for three reasons: 1) it proved wrong those national leaders and news personalities who said the Tea Party was too loosely configured to insist its leaders act responsibly. 2) it sparked a rift among Tea Party leadership between those who are tolerant of racist rhetoric and those who would stand against it. Tea Party Nationalism is a product of the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights. then-president of the powerful and politically connected Tea Party Express for his most recent racially offensive public statements. There was a Tea Party leadership "race summit" facilitated by Geraldo Rivera. and 3) it showed our resolution was having an impact. 6 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . A "Uni-Tea" rally to promote Tea Party diversity was hastily organized. while FreedomWorks launched a "Diverse Tea" web initiative to spotlight pictures of nonwhite Tea Partiers. I extend my personal thanks to the Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights for this research report. These are welcome first steps. They promote diversity and acknowledge the inherent perception problem that plagues the Tea Party: that while many of its leaders are motivated by common conservative budget and governance concerns. Fox News personality and Tea Party icon Glenn Beck instructed his followers to leave all signs at home in the lead-up to his rally on the National Mall to avoid media scrutiny. in some instances. for too long they have tolerated others who espouse racism and xenophobia and. In the midst of all this. the Tea Party Federation had expelled Mark Williams. Montana conservative Tim Ravndal was fired as head of the Big Sky Tea Party Association after local media published messages posted to his Facebook account that appeared to advocate violence against gays and lesbians. Soon after. In September. In August.began to quietly take steps toward actively policing explicitly racist activity within their ranks." lest their signs and t-shirts distract from the fiscal message for which he would prefer the Tea Party be recognized. In some areas. Neither the NAACP nor its leadership was involved in its research or authorship. and has since admonished Tea Partiers across the nation to "dress normally. It is the most comprehensive research to date into the Tea Party's scope and emergence onto our political landscape. from the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights. serves as a cautionary reminder that Mark Williams is not unique within Tea Party leadership circles and that ties between Tea Party factions and acknowledged racist groups endure. are formally associated with organizations like the Council of Conservative Citizens—the direct lineal descendant of the White Citizens Council.
org). and bigots. many Tea Partiers are challenging the provision for birthright citizenship found in the Fourteenth Amendment." Rather than strict adherence to the Constitution. One temperature gauge of these events is the fact that longtime national socialist David Duke is hoping to find money and support enough in the Tea Party ranks to launch yet another electoral campaign in the 2012 Republican primaries. looking for potential recruits and hoping to push these (white) protestors towards a more self-conscious and ideological white supremacy. The result of this study contravenes many of the Tea Parties' self-invented myths. The leading figures in one national faction. an abiding obsession with Barack Obama's birth certificate is often a stand-in for the belief that the first black president of the United States is not a "real American. taxes and the power of the federal government. Tea Party Patriots. Both ResistNet and Tea Party Patriots. Tea Party Nation has provided a gathering place for so-called birthers and has attracted Christian nationalists and nativists. and membership concentrations of each faction. the two largest networks. Further.Introduction ea Party Nationalism is the first report of its kind. Tea Party Nation. While Tea Partiers and their supporters are concerned about the current economic recession and the increase in government debt and spending it has occasioned. It examines the six national organizational networks at the core of the Tea Party movement: FreedomWorks Tea Party. Tea Party Express so outraged the public with the racist pronouncements of its leaders. racists. And we begin an analysis of the larger politics that motivate each faction and the Tea Party movement generally. harbor long-time anti-immigrant nativists and racists. It looks at the actual relationships of these factions to each other. Tea Party organizations have given platforms to anti-Semites. This report documents the corporate structures and leaderships. there is no observable statistical link between Tea Party membership and unemployment levels. their finances. 1776 Tea Party. ResistNet. Instead. were imported directly from the anti-immigrant vigilante organization. and Tea Party Patriots has opened its doors to those aiming at repeal of the Seventeenth Amendment and the direct election of United State Senators. 1776 Tea Party (the faction more commonly known as TeaParty. and Tea Party Express. Readers will note a T iNTroducTioN | 7 . the Minuteman Project. particularly their supposedly sole concentration on budget deficits. hard-core white nationalists have been attracted to these protests. In these ranks. including some of the very explicit differences they have with each other. this report found Tea Party ranks to be permeated with concerns about race and national identity and other so-called social issues. that other national factions have (recently) eschewed any ties to it.
The oft-repeated Tea Party call to "Take it Back. H. the impact of President Barack Obama's election. That would be the outermost ring of support. only FreedomWorks Tea Party. however. which would put the number of sympathizers in the tens of millions.000 members in all fifty states who have signed up on the websites of the six national organizational networks that form the core of this movement. as this report documents. As this report highlights. Nevertheless. Several national opinion polls point to support for the Tea Parties running at approximately 16% to 18% of the adult population. created a stiff pole of opinion within Republican Party ranks.C. It is sometimes coupled with the assertion that there are "real Americans." as opposed to others who they believe are driving the country into a socialist ditch. all of the national Tea Party factions have had problems in these areas. non-party non-profit organizations. Take Your Country Back" is an explicitly nationalist refrain. and they have had a devastating impact on thoughtful policy making for the common good.R. headquartered in the Washington. The Tea Party movement has unleashed a still inchoate political movement who are in their numerical majority. Tea Party Nationalism focuses on this core of the movement. Brian Bilbray (R-CA). angry middle class white people who believe their country. has had an 8 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . Collectively they have erased the advantage that Democrats once enjoyed in the arena of internet fundraising and web-based mobilization. and the fact that the First Family of the United States has ancestors who were once the property of white people. D. Of the national factions. 1868. More. and this report manifestly does not make that claim. Michele Bachmann (R-MN). At the next level is a larger less defined group of a couple of million activists who go to meetings. area. both at the local and state as well as at the federal levels.regression analysis on this question done last January specifically for this report. And they want it back. has made an explicit attempt to narrow the focus of the movement as a whole to fiscal issues—an effort that has largely failed. At the core is the more 250. A quick look at the Tea Party Caucus in Congress. their nation. and political action committees. a number of these caucus members are also sponsors of a bill sitting in committee that would end birthright citizenship. buy the literature and attend the many local and national protests. And their storied opposition to political and social elites turns out to be predicated on an antagonism to federal assistance to those deemed the "undeserving poor." The Tea Party movement as a whole is a multimillion dollar complex that includes for-profit corporations. It would be a mistake to claim that all Tea Partiers are nativist vigilantes or racists of one stripe or another. has been taken from them. led by Rep. reveals a significant level of overlap with the enforcement-only House Immigration Reform Caucus led by Rep. They have resuscitated the ultra-conservative wing of American political life. The Tea Party phenomenon exists at about three levels of agreement and commitment.
and the relatively small size of FreedomWorks. Please note the rapid growth of Tea Party Patriots.Figure 1. tea party FaCtion growth over tiMe This graph shows the growth of the national factions between March and August. iNTroducTioN | 9 .
white power skinheads and white citizen council-types to create a single if not seamless white nationalist movement. and the mainstreamers who seek to win a majority following among white people. etc." Five of the six national factions have these "birthers" in their leadership. "scientific" racists. such as the Council of Conservative Citizens discussed in this report. one and all seek the establishment of total and unquestioned white domination. While this movement's goals are often divided between those who want to carve a whites-only republic out of the United States and those who work for a return to the pre-Brown decision. The contemporary white nationalist movement was created in the 1990s. and more likely to attract racist and nativist elements at the local level. This would tend to indicate a larger movement less susceptible to central control. These are all self-conscious racist ideologues. This theme began among those who regard him as a non-native born American who should not rightly (constitutionally) hold the presidency. some sorting out process is likely to occur--including a major segment of Tea partiers who move in to the Republican Party apparatus. It is not direct and mechanical. It is decidedly the mainstreamers. pre-civil right legislation era. In this instance. America first isolationists.effect. Simply put. and a strain of so-called paleoconservatives melded with Holocaust deniers. the white nationalist movement is divided between two strategic orientations: the go-it-alone vanguardists. as a realignment of forces brought the Klan-national socialist dominated white supremacist movement together with elements formerly associated with Buchanan-style conservatism. African witch doctor. while others shift closer to the white nationalist movement. neo-Confederates. This type of nationalism is akin to the ethnic nationalism of the post-Soviet era in Yugoslavia. The permutations go on from there: Islamic terrorist. are experiencing the fastest rate of growth. It should not be expected. as opposed to those who exhibit unconscious racist attitudes. however. locally-based organizational structures. Aryanists. But it is identifiable nonetheless. A look at the graph counting Tea Party numbers over time shows that the organizations are continuing to grow. for example. The Tea Party Patriots and ResistNet. the incessant depiction of President Barack Obama as a non-American. Consider. the only exception being FreedomWorks. If he is not properly American. 10 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . Posse Comitatus-style militia groups. The different factions are not all growing at the same rate. the Tea Parties are not going away after the mid-term elections. who seek to influence and recruit among the Tea Partiers. for the Tea Party movement to have the same organizational configurations for the indefinite future. and they can be expected to have a continuing impact on public policy debate into the future. however. like a cue ball hitting the nine ball into the corner pocket. anti-immigrant nativists seeking to maintain a white demographic majority. Toward these ends. then he becomes the ''other" that is not "us. and differs significantly from the post-World War Two anti-colonial national liberation movements in southern Africa and elsewhere. At a minimum. lying African. the two national factions with the most diffuse. socialist.
that creates their justification for militias. This form of nationalism harkens back to the America first ideology of Father Coughlin. Each traces the geographic location of the members. Militias are organizations of men and women with weapons. The 9-12 formations lack the same sort of national structure present in the Tea Party movement. it is the more mainstream-oriented militias that most interact with Tea Party organizations. who create a command structure based on rank. Despite the fact that Tea Partiers sometimes dress in the costumes of 18th century Americans. and those not deemed to fit within a "Christian nation. witch doctor caricatures and demeaning discourse suggest. Yet." The "common welfare" of the constitution's preamble does not complicate their ideas about individual liberty. The national 9-12 formations are important iNTroducTioN | 11 . The Posse's form of "state" citizenship predates the "national" citizenship of the Fourteenth Amendment. In this report.Similarly. This provides the most accurate assessment to date of where each of the faction's strength lies. they search in the Second Amendment. National Precinct Alliance and the John Birch Society." including the native-born children of undocumented immigrants (often despised as "anchor babies"). Also not included in this report was an analysis of the various national 9-12 groups. please note the maps (which are interactive at www. All of the local groups that are not affiliated with one national network or the other are outside the scope of this report. with rights and responsibilities that are presumed to be superior to that of those who they call Fourteenth Amendment citizens--all non-Christians and people of color. there are several militias that regard themselves as Tea Party organizations. Moslems. and provides a stunningly graphic overview of the size and scope of the Tea Party organizations. the relative size of each one of the members. and often engage in paramilitary training with the presumption that they will fight an enemy to be named later. As noted in this report.teapartynationalism. including: Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty. Americans for Prosperity. It is as inchoate as it is super-patriotic. as well as in the ideas of the 1980s-era Posse Comitatus. Otherwise these groups might otherwise be regarded simply as private armies. It is possibly an embryo of what it might yet become. That Posse Comitatus based itself on the arcane doctrine of a "sovereign" form of citizenship for white Christians. and when combined with other data not included in this report could help future analysts gather information about the Tea Parties' potential electoral impact. coupled with the Second Amendment. For justification.com). A word about Tea Party nationalism qua nationalism. wave the Gadsden flag and claim that the United States Constitution should be the divining rod of all legislative policies. Similarly beyond the reach of this report are the many ancillary organizations that have contributed to the movement since its inception. socialists. it is not a full-fledged variety of white nationalism. It is a nationalism that excludes those deemed not to be "real Americans. They await further examination and analysis in the future. As the Confederate battle flags. a bright white line of racism threads through this nationalism. theirs is an American nationalism that does not always include all Americans. and it is this state citizenship.
A note about the methodology and techniques used to gather the data for this report.1 During the past twelve months. For firsthand accounts. conventions. to Washington State. We also watched many hours of online video of Tea Partier and Tea Party events. Upon reflection. and tweets written by Tea Partiers. D. It was IREHR's goal to provide new data and analysis and to add something of use and value to the growing literature on the Tea Party movement. Moreover. court cases. much of the 9-12 group momentum was co-opted by the Tea Party movement.C... We also talked with numerous Tea Party activists. including the exceptional reporting that has already been done on the Tea Parties.C. The authors of this report also did a thorough scan of secondary sources. but as organizational actors they do not appear to play a notable role in the internal movement infrastructure. many local 9-12 Project groups hitched up with one or more of the national Tea Party factions. and unemployment statistics. campaign finance reports. articles. to electronic publications including emails. IRS forms. the authors dug through government documents and databases.peripheral forces. we've employed a variety of investigative reporting techniques to study the Tea Parties to keep up with the expanding and ever-changing dynamic of the movement. Following the 9-12 rally in 2009 in Washington. D. The authors of this report read through the Tea Party literature—from movement produced books like The Official Tea Party Handbook and Taking America Back One Tea Party at a Time. including corporate filings. We utilized computer-assisted reporting to collect additional data and help make sense of it all. and meetings from Washington. electronic newsletters. We also analyzed the considerable amount of polling that's been done on the Tea Parties. we think the following pages do just that. IREHR staff and volunteers attended Tea Party rallies. To follow the money. 12 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . blog posts.
Figure 2. aggregate tea party MeMbership Map HAWAii* 14 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr *Not to scale AlAskA* .
4 While working as the new media director of the Sam Adam Alliance. a 30-year old Chicagoan originally from Nevada. who had just lost the presidential election. developing outside the existing power centers in Washington. It has played a noteworthy role in the growth of the Tea Party movement. on the 234th anniversary of the original Boston Tea Party. In so doing. they planned to create an opposition to President Obama and the Democrats. even if few CFL members have enrolled in any of the national Tea Party groups. Michigan. Odom developed a virtual network of conservative activists that would later serve as a pillar of Tea Party organizing. and one foot in its far-right opposition. The Tea Parties also had points of origin within established right-wing organizations hoping to draw a line of distinction between themselves and the views of Sen. through Ron Paul Meetup and Campaign for Liberty groups. the Libertarian Party of Illinois began formulating a concept they called the Boston Tea Party Chicago and advertising it through the Libertarian Party of Illinois Yahoo and "meetup" groups. sent out a call on February 1. and in the more remote regions where conservative politics meets a more libertarian (rightwing and anti-statist) opposition. "we gave Rick Santelli the idea for the Tax Day Tea Parties. as well as the discredited conservatism of the Bush era. Ron Paul's supporters held a "tea party moneybomb" to raise campaign funds for his campaign in the 2008 Republican presidential primaries. 2009 for people to send tea bags to members of Congress — "a T chaPTer 1: origiNs of The Tea ParTies | 15 .5 At roughly the same time. D. One of the earliest moments leading up to the Tea Party movement occurred in December 2007. Several were grassroots in nature. Ron Paul has long had one foot in the Republican Party. John McCain." 3 One of the original cadre of Libertarian Party of Illinois list members discussing the Tax Day Tea Party was Eric Odom. membership-based non-profit institution headquartered in Virginia.Chapter 1: Origins of the Tea Parties he founding moments of the contemporary Tea Party movement were many. Dave Brady of the Libertarian Party of Illinois even claimed. His Campaign for Liberty (CFL) is now a significant stand-alone. FedUpUSA. Others derived directly from elements within the Republican Party apparatus and began as proxies for the party itself. A Republican Congressman from Texas who ran for president in 1988 as the Libertarian Party's candidate. as well as national anti-tax groups. a group founded by investors based in Troy. In August 2008. 2 During the period after the election of President Barack Obama but before his inauguration.C. he had worked on a twitter campaign that encouraged Republicans in Congress to fight against a ban on offshore oil drilling.
who packaged and re-packaged those loans until they were unrecognizable and untenable. Immediately following Santelli's scream. "Rick Santelli is right.C.-Beltway area.C. On February 16. Eric Odom put up a new website called officialchicagoteaparty. That afternoon.C. a Seattle "Porkulus"—a term popularized by radio talker Rush Limbaugh— protest drew about one hundred people. Yelling "This is America!" he attacked the home mortgage rescue plan the Obama administration had unveiled the day before. we need a Taxpayer (Chicago) Tea Party" was 16 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . to promote the stimulus bill. Americans for Prosperity and the Independence Institute hosted another "Porkulus Protest" in Denver." An unstated racial element colored Santelli's outrage over the Obama administration's home mortgage rescue plan. and called for a capitalist "Chicago Tea Party. who used the name "Liberty Belle" when posting on her blog Redistributing Knowledge. the localized anti-stimulus.11 On February 20.Commemorative Tea Party. Carender would later be brought to D. all you capitalists that want to show up to Lake Michigan.8 Shortly after the Seattle and Denver protests. a 30 year-old Seattle-area math teacher and improv actor. Rick Santelli.6 A conservative with a pierced nose. on February 19. by rewarding the "losers" who took on more debt than they could afford." it was the spark that conservative organizers had been waiting for. As they morphed into the Tea Party protests. The video clip of the whole scene was watched and re-watched. the short-lived "Nationwide Tea Party Coalition" was formed. the day President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Santelli became an instant right-wing hero." Also outside the D. she quickly became one of the more important figures as the Tea Parties emerged later that month. Their situations were worsened by derivatives traders. At the same time. I'm gonna start organizing. known for wearing Converse All-Star tennis shoes. Many of the so-called "losers" Santelli ranted about were black or Latino borrowers who'd been oversold by lenders cashing in on the subprime market. During the years leading up to the housing crisis. like Santelli. anti-tax protests changed character. a stock analyst for a cable television network.com. 2009. It was "promoting bad behavior. Santelli said that Obama was turning America into Cuba. She eventually became affiliated with the Tea Party Patriots faction.9 Nevertheless. Colorado. A small group of stock traders in the background sporadically cheered him on during his outburst. he visited Denver.10 And when he said "we're thinking of having a Chicago Tea Party in July. several of the characters who had organized previous protests took up the Tea Party torch." he argued. for additional training and support by the D. a new Facebook group. 7 Like many early activists. banks had disproportionately targeted communities of color for subprime loans. let loose a five-minute on-air rant from the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. On February 17. This event was organized by Keli Carender. 2009. a number of anti-"pork" protests fed the stream of events that became the Tea Parties as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed the Congress.-based FreedomWorks.
The turning point for the Tea Parties was the FreedomWorks-hosted September 12. March 10.created. Tea Party Patriots. Others formed almost immediately (1776 Tea Party. Tea Party momentum continued to build as the national factions stoked the local anger and fear that raged in health care protests and town hall meetings. one who had attended an earlier FreedomWorks training session. Many of these original players quickly faded away in importance as national structures arose. April 6). on February 27 the first official "Tea Parties" took place. February 20. Tea Party Nation. FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity. ResistNet. Some of the groups already existed (FreedomWorks. shared their stories and their anger.C. It was the intervention of Brendan Steinhauser and FreedomWorks that completed this initial transition. broke bread together.12 The night after Santelli's televised tirade. based lobby and training organization founded by former Congressman Dick Armey. Within weeks of the Santelli rant. the nucleus of what would become the six different national Tea Party factions formed. and he later described what happened. and made connections to one another. and recommended that she organize a protest in response to President Obama's visit to Ft.. And on February 9. a D. Throughout the summer. and administered by Odom. Before the last port-a-potties were removed from the Capitol Mall. organized primarily by the Sam Adams Alliance. He was also campaign director at the time for FreedomWorks. "I just wrote this little ten quick easy steps to hold your own Tea Party.C. wrote it up and kinda was proud of it and sent it to Michelle Malkin. Steinhauser was in a hotel room in Orlando." Steinhauser's website choked from all the visitors. D. Then FreedomWorks quickly announced the launch of a nationwide Tea Party Tour. and the Our Country Deserves Better PAC). Planning the massive event gave Tea Party groups an opportunity to work together. chaPTer 1: origiNs of The Tea ParTies | 17 . like Odom. can show President Obama and Congressional Democrats that their push towards outright socialism will not stand. She linked to it from her blog. FreedomWorks staff members called local supporters across the country asking if they were willing to organize a Tea Party. A week later. Steinhauser. The group was created by Phil Kerpen of Americans for Prosperity. Myers. Steinhauser had contacted a Florida activist. the Tea Parties had turned from periodic protests into a full-fledged social movement. "From this desperate rallying cry FreedomWorks has tapped into the outrage building from within our own membership as well as allied conservative grassroots forces to organize a 25-city Tea Party Tour where taxpayers angry that their hard-earned money is being usurped by the government for irresponsible bailouts. 2009 rally in Washington. Hundreds of thousands of Tea Partiers met in the streets."13 In the anger that the Tea Party theme captured.. was part of the under-35 generation of conservative activists that would play a significant role in the Tea Party movement. FreedomWorks would find the street activists they felt they'd been missing.
Figure 3. FreedoMworks tea party MeMbership Map HAWAii* 18 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr *Not to scale AlAskA* .
The emergence of the Tea Parties proved to be just what FreedomWorks needed. It sought alternatives to the grass roots organizing previously done by Democratic Party activists. Although FreedomWorks Tea Party has fewer enrolled members than several of the other national factions. the administration heaped praise upon someone described as a "regular single mom. for example. It has opposed efforts to address global climate change. Bush was pushing for Social Security privatization. it would be an analytical mistake of the first order to conflate FreedomWorks' corporate machinations with the grass roots insurgency of the Tea Parties. FreedomWorks Tea Party fter the 2008 election. and it has received sizable industry funding.com website. deregulation and free trade. tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey chairs FreedomWorks.000 in compensation from the foundation in 2008. it has the largest structure of support. He received $300.000 more than it received. including state directors in North Carolina. FreedomWorks A chaPTer 2. The FreedomWorks corporate complex includes both a foundation and a c(4) membership organization. was exposed by The Wall Street Journal. that campaigned against federal insurance to help refinance troubled mortgages.16 Similarly. In 2004.000 from the related membership organization that year. In the past. FreedomWorks was created. FreedomWorks has supported: Social Security privatization. The foundation took in more than three million dollars that year.17 Nevertheless. Commentators such as Paul Krugman have cited the presence of FreedomWorks inside the Tea Parties as proof that the Tea Parties are an "astroturf " phenomenon– a sleight-of-hand effort manufactured by inside-the-Beltway organizations to concoct the appearance of grassroots support.Chapter 2. FreedomWorks worked to develop an insurgency that would separate conservatives from the legacy of the failed Bush administration. when President George W. caps on lawsuit damages." This person turned out to be the FreedomWorks Iowa state director. When CSE's remaining remnants merged with a group called Empower America in 2004. the c(4) raised and spent more than four million dollars. As of February 2010.14 FreedomWorks was born out of one of the organizational splinters from a 2003 disagreement within a conservative think-tank known as Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE). One side of this conflict formed Americans for Prosperity. and another $250.15 This suspicion is not completely unfounded. FreedomWorks boasted a staff of thirteen professionals. according to the New York Times investigative story on the incident. Georgia and Florida. according to documents filed with the IRS. and spent about $100. In 2008. In fact. FreedomWorks' role in 2008 in creating the grassroots-looking angryrenter. freedomworks Tea ParTy | 19 .
36% female. There are a lot of people out there that have never done this before but they are having successful events by sort of following this recipe. A lot of that just entails paying attention to details. FreedomWorks created a website containing ideas for slogans on signs. They sponsored a weekly Tea Party conference call with activists from around the country. Washington. New York. so what we do is we help resource them with ideas for signs. Dick Armey announced that "his organization's members are ready to 20 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . Texas. locations. as of August 1."21 At a March 9. Just as the original Boston Tea Party was a grass-roots rebellion against overbearing government.26 At this early stage. Steinhauser described FreedomWorks' role with local Tea Party groups. for media outreach.19 The FreedomWorks Tea Party online membership is 40% male.C. even before the heat of the town halls. New York. Florida. a sample press release. Alexandria. They provided online and phone consultations on how to organize a local group. Florida.18 These are concentrated in the Northeast. D.C. FreedomWorks played an important role from the beginning. and following up with phone calls and things like that. particularly the corridor from Boston to New York City to Washington. Richmond. Virginia." After the initial burst of nascent activity. where activists got to know one another. described in the Introduction. Florida..24 FreedomWorks also facilitated intra-movement communication. as well as offering training and technical support for new Tea Party organizations. FreedomWorks provided organizers with information on health care and climate change legislation.20 According to Dick Armey. Director of Federal and State Campaigns Brendan Steinhauser described the Tea Parties origins in terms that flattered his organization. and sending email reminders.27 By August 2009. 2009 training of the Macon County.Tea Party membership is the second smallest of the national factions. D."23 In fact.25 FreedomWorks staff even provided technical support to other national Tea Party factions. coordinating Tea Party efforts. "Usually what happens is an organizer from anywhere in the country will contact me and say I'd like to organize a Tea Party and do something in my city. tea party participants are reacting to government that has grown too large. like signing up people when they come. 2010. Houston. and a map of local events. and Fort Lauderdale. Other clusters are in Texas and Florida. Nevada. and how to protest at town hall meetings. Virginia. how to hold rallies. North Carolina chapter of FreedomWorks. The top ten cities for FreedomWorks Tea Party membership include: Jacksonville. "Frustrated Americans began taking their grievances to the streets and the tea party movement was born. FreedomWorks was already asking people to take to the streets before the Stimulus passed. with 24% choosing to not self-identify. San Antonio. Las Vegas.. It had 15. Texas. Tampa. "Basically. 22 In a video interview.044 online members.. and we try to give them this list of things to do so that they can make sure their event is successful. And we've seen a lot of success. in anticipation of battles to come.
31 Attendance numbers for the September 12.37 Tea Party Patriots chaPTer 2. door-to-door and get-outthe-vote efforts with the hope of electing "ideologically pure conservatives. Free Republic. and National Taxpayers Union. she also had a FreedomWorks Tea Party membership listed on its website. a cap-and-trade proposal and other Democratic legislative priorities that are likely to stir the conservative base.C. the website Smart Girl Politics which had fewer than 15. Americans for Tax Reform.C." more than sixty leaders from two dozen states gathered in D.C.. 2009.32 Notably. The meeting developed 2010 midterm election plans. In January 2010. freedomworks Tea ParTy | 21 . D. lobbies such as Club for Growth. That number was up ten times from the two hundred that had attended a similar session the year before. which sports the FreedomWorks logo as one of several organizations promoted on its website's frontpage. Dubbed as "the first leadership summit of the Tea Party era.000 enrolled supporters at the time. Other organizations and websites with one foot inside the Tea Parties supported the demonstration: Campaign for Liberty with forty thousand plus online members." 34 FreedomWorks announced plans to fund opposition research.org). Another session was entitled "what you can and can't say: how to stay out of jail this year. CA on August 28 and ended with the 9-12 rally in Washington D. FreedomWorks joined with the Our Country Deserves Better PAC and six other organizations to launch a 16-day national Tea Party bus tour which would become the Tea Party Express.36 And Tea Party Patriots board member Diana Reimer has also been listed as a FreedomWorks volunteer. March on Washington and After FreedomWorks then turned the organization's attention to a planned September 12. sponsors included Tea Party Express.33 Also sponsoring this march were established D."28 On August 18.sabotage immigration reform.35 FreedomWorks has had a particularly close working relationship with Tea Party Patriots. FreedomWorks staffer Tom Gaitens runs the Tea Party Patriots listserv." according to one of its staff personnel. While FreedomWorks hosted the event. 2009 Tea Party rally in Washington. Estimates range between 60. There is no disagreement over the importance of the rally.000 to over one million. 29 The tour began in Sacramento. September 12. and gave FreedomWorks the opportunity to roll out their list of 65 targeted congressional races.30 Before the big rally the group offered a two-day grass roots training session that attracted more than 2. ResistNet (Grassfire. remain in dispute. Tea Party Nation. depending on who is doing the counting. 2009 march in Washington.C. (aka Our Country Deserves Better PAC). nor over the range of organizations that supported it.000 local activists. FreedomWorks began focusing their Tea Party activism on the 2010 elections. and Tea Party Patriots. A workshop taught effective television techniques and mastering social media. Leadership Institute. and Eric Odom's American Liberty Alliance. ResistNet's Darla Dawald claimed to be one of three national coordinators. mail. under its auspices.
............ 51 Texas .......................... "This threefold purpose is the source of our unity in the Tea Party Movement.................................................. more than limited government and fiscal responsibility is at stake for the Tea Partiers....................................... 36 North Carolina .........................39 The five page manifesto declared war against "the Democrat party" and moderate Republicans.......... and the two organization's have collaborated on local events.............. 2010 Atlanta Tax Day Tea Party.........." 40 The document tried to define culture war issues out of the Tea Party Doctrine................................................................................ 48 Florida ............ Figure 4.................................... 37 Texas ........... such as the April 15.............. Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets.... 44 Nevada.................................... 32 Pennsylvania ..............................participated in the January 2010 sessions in Washington.......................... 33 Arizona. 32 Virginia ........ 31 Texas ..................................................................................................................................... And it announced that "We are the Tea Party Movement of America and we believe in American Exceptionalism................................................................................................................................ D.......................................................................... 29 indiana .............. 57 New york ......................." According to this declaration.................... 46 Virginia ..... 54 Texas ............ 31 illinois ........................ 42 Florida .................... several Tea Party groups released the Declaration of Tea Party Independence (though the spokespeople refused to release the initial organizations involved in crafting the document). 59 District of Columbia."41 As this report will demonstrate...... 32 Florida ...... 28 Ohio ..................................................... 27 Texas ...................C.......................... The only three points of unity in the declaration were "Fiscal Responsibility.................. 30 Oklahoma ............... 37 North Carolina ....... 30 Virginia ............................................... 31 Virginia ........... 27 22 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr .. FreedoMworks tea party top 25 Cities CiTy Jacksonville Washington New york Houston san Antonio Tampa richmond las Vegas Alexandria Fort lauderdale Charlotte Austin raleigh Phoenix Pittsburgh Virginia beach Orlando Chicago Fairfax Fort Worth Arlington Oklahoma City indianapolis Cincinnati Dallas sTATe MeMbers Florida ...................... 42 Virginia ............38 After the January summit...........................................
1776 Tea Party he 1776 Tea Party. 27% female. "46 The organization's founding president is Dale Robertson. with no more than 30 members in any city. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. If the Republican Party or the Democrat Party does not turn Conservative. Robertson attended a Tea Party event in Houston with a sign reading "Congress = Slaveowner. Florida. Government Must Be Downsized. The top ten cities for 1776 Tea Party membership include: Las Vegas. Bail-out And Stimulus Plans Are Illegal.43 the 1776 Tea Party is the smallest of the national Tea Party factions. we step on necks!."47 In seeming furtherance of that goal. Deficit Spending Will End."48 On February 27."49 He's also sent out racist fundraising emails depicting T chaPTer 3.S. Austin. Nevada. as of August 1." The organization's platform includes points on immigration issues as well as taxes and federal budgets: "Illegal Aliens Are Here illegally.. Arizona. north of Houston area. Its membership is lightly dispersed around the country. Traditional Family Values Are Encouraged. Florida. It will welcome all peoples and ideological perspectives... with 66% of the online membership identifying as male. 2010. a former Naval officer who served with the Marines."42 With 6. Texas. and Miami. 2009. Texas. Colorado. According to Mr. in particular Democratic and Republican Parties.45 The 1776 Tea Party has adopted a deliberately confrontational posture. Robertson. New York... and 6% choosing not to self-identify. They called it a "Tea Party Money Bomb. also known as TeaParty. Constitution.. National Budget Must Be Balanced. The 1776 Tea Party describes itself as "a Christian political organization that will bridge the gap of all parties.org. Nevada. where a Texas Certificate of Formation Nonprofit Corporation was filed in February 2009.. the 1776 Tea Party website solicited money to use on campaigns. it is the most male dominated. with the intent to streamline government and adhere to the Constitutional Rights addressed in the U. Henderson. . Its corporate headquarters are in Woodlake. Its staff positions are situated in California. New York. Pro-Domestic Employment Is Indispensable. Phoenix. Taxpayer = Niggar. Texas. We tell the world we have Core Beliefs! We don't step on toes. then it will leave the Tea Party no choice but to take them over and clean house. English As Core Language Is Required. Houston. "Most of the other TP's [Tea Parties] are afraid to make such a powerful stand. 1776 Tea ParTy | 23 .Chapter 3. Gun Ownership Is Sacred. Arizona. Common Sense Constitutional Conservative Self -Governance. One of its leaders argued. Mesa. is the one national faction most directly connected to the Minuteman Project and the anti-immigrant movement. and by God above. and soon.987 online members.44 Of all the factions. Jacksonville. Denver.
Figure 5. 1776 tea party MeMbership Map HAWAii* 24 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr *Not to scale AlAskA* .
The nativist group had been fractured in 2007 by a series of lawsuits and counter-suits in which the Minuteman Project leaders sued each other for fraud.51 At that point Stephen Eichler. Records collected after the arrests indicate that Eichler was one of the last people Forde spoke to before she was arrested. Robertson is president of the Texas non-profit corporation.org website domain to the highest bidder on Ebay. From the Minuteman Project to the Tea Party Their path to the 1776 Tea Party corresponded with a sharp decline in the Minuteman Project's organizational fortunes. and to Bueler.President Obama as a pimp.50 Robertson also has a history of promoting anti-Semites on his "Tea Party Hour" radio program. the Minuteman Project. but its notoriety did not stop two leaders of an anti-immigrant vigilante group. stepped in. Eichler as treasurer and Bueler as secretary. Minuteman Project. a media savvy business-type. Anti-Semitism and the Militia Impulse" for more." Shawna Forde. defamation and business tort. He is also chaPTer 3. Eichler was its executive director and Bueler its media director.52 A second step in the Minuteman Project's decline occurred after one of its "border operations directors. Eichler and Bueler were in the process of affiliating with Robertson's 1776 Tea Party. At the same time as they have assumed roles which essentially put them in charge of the 1776 Tea Party. 2009.54 As scrutiny of the Minutemen increased dramatically. 1776 Tea ParTy | 25 . from stepping in to run the 1776 organization. According to records filed with the Texas Secretary of State. both men have maintained a number of other relevant business and political positions: Stephen Eichler has remained executive director of the Minuteman Project. and Tim Bueler. the organization continued to lose members and money. Both men were leaders of the anti-immigrant vigilante organization. 2009. who had graduated from Trinity Law School in 2005 but had never joined the California Bar Association. The murder of the Flores' was allegedly part of a plot to secure funds for their border war. [See the chapter "Racism. not to mention our growing relationship with Tea Party and 9/12 organizations. who became media director while also keeping his corporate board role. On June 8.53 Forde was charged along with Jason Eugene Bush and Albert Gaxiola."55 Actually. Eichler claimed. who became the 1776 Tea Party executive director in addition to his corporate board role. Robertson sent out a press release claiming that financial hardship would soon force him to sell the teaparty. while the Minuteman Project's fortunes plummeted. Although Robertson remained the public face of the 1776 Tea Party. Despite this chain of events. Eichler and Bueler formally became corporate directors of the 1776 Tea Party on October 28.] Both incidents increased the negative publicity surrounding the 1776 Tea Party. was arrested for the murder of Raul Flores and his 9-year-old daughter Brisenia in Arizona. "We are seeing a substantial increase of groups wanting to be Minuteman Project chapters. much of the day-to-day operations and the public relations shifted to Eichler.
listed as president of the Minuteman Victory Political Action Committee."61 Despite this denunciation.com. U. Bueler's past media work included a stint in 2008 with Jerome Corsi (of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth infamy). Corsi and Bueler were detained and eventually deported from Kenya while attempting to hold a press conference at which they promised to "expose secret ties between Obama and Kenyan leaders. Inc. a corporate officer in Minutemanbookclub. inviting supporters to attend 1776 Tea Party "Liberty Concerts."58 To complete the transformation from Minutemen to Tea Partiers.A. and fiscal responsibility within our government. and a board member of the American Civil Responsibilities Union (acru.S. maybe. the Tea Party Patriots website list of Tea Party groups still."63 Resist.65 While these two groups have been the ones most notoriously marred by racist incidents. Wake Up America U. as the report makes evident. Interaction with Other Factions Dale Robertson's grandstanding as "a founder of the Tea Party movement. the teaparty. election."60 Tea Party Patriots put out a press statement denouncing 1776 Tea Party leader Dale Robertson: "Tea Party Patriots wishes to make clear that our organization has never had any association with Mr. conservative America.org website was redesigned in May 2010 to look strikingly similar to that of the Minuteman Project. 26 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr .org). sending out email in December 2009.. Inc.56 As president of FaxDC. Media Direct. "While they [1776 Tea Party] are a separate group from us. they are not the only Tea Party factions with problems in this regard.62 Of all the other factions. We are not necessarily promoting their complete ideology. Robertson.57 Tim Bueler uses his public relations group." combined with the negative attention attached to his group." Further." and is an officer of the program's sponsoring corporation. has created some distance between the 1776 Tea Party and the other factions. which claims to be seeking a "better balance between civil liberties and civil responsibilities. included the 1776 Tea Party website. to do business with the 1776 Tea Party. ResistNet worked most closely for a time with Robertson's organization. as well as a mysterious plot that would be launched should the Democratic nominee win the U.S.59 FreedomWorks spokesman Adam Brandon stated. "There's only a handful of people we would categorically not work with—Dale Robertson.S. Nevada in March 2010."64 Robertson announced that he sent members of his own 1776 organization to a Tea Party Express bus tour event in Searchlight. a free. and that we stand firmly against any expression of racism and the kind of language and opinion expressed in his sign.Net later backed away a bit with an email to its supporters. we share many of the same goals. Eichler bills visitors to the 1776 Tea Party website who want to send faxes to Congress.com. Eichler continues to host a radio talk show on the nativist "Wake Up America Talk Show. as of August 2010.
............ 13 California .................... 8 Utah ............... 9 California ............................................................................... 8 North Carolina ................... 29 Maryland ................ 13 louisiana ............................................. 18 California ..... 7 chaPTer 3....................................................... 15 Arizona........... 9 California ....................................... 19 New york ........................................................... 14 Nevada.......................... 15 Texas .....Figure 6......................................................................... 1776 Tea ParTy | 27 ..... 12 California ........................................................................................................... 9 Texas .......... 9 Texas ...................................................................... 24 Texas ................. 8 Georgia .............................................................................................................. 7 California .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 8 District of Columbia... 8 California ............................................ 7 California ........................ 14 Guam ........ 11 Florida .................................. 11 California .......................... 1776 tea party top 25 Cities CiTy Houston bethesda Dallas New york rancho santa Fe san Antonio scottsdale las Vegas Hagatna New Orleans Woodside san Diego Tallahassee Newport beach sunnyvale Austin Fort Worth ridgecrest Washington Atlanta Charlotte Ogden Mountain View Portola Valley santa barbara sTATe MeMbers Texas ......................................
Figure 7. resistnet MeMbership Map HAWAii* 28 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr *Not to scale AlAskA* .
Chapter 4. Grassfire." This new website argued that. resisTNeT Tea ParTy | 29 . Grassfire also has a 501c4 non-profit corporation.66 To further complicate the structure.521 people (including 2. The 501c4 was created in 2004 and had total revenue of $1.org and join the resistance.000 people had signed it. Its first petition was sent to 200 friends on September 15. stopping internet porn.818 phone numbers and 1.com is similar to that of Russian nesting dolls. but the company's business address is in the small town of Maxwell.org. According to its website. "Resisting is just the first step.71 After the 2008 election. ResistNet is a for-profit project of Grassfire Nation. because Elliott uses web developers based there. 2000.211.667 in 2008.org Alliance. That is why we propose a three-phased recovery for conservatives: Resist. and R chaPTer 4. Grassfire started several petitions opposing meaningful immigration reform. Iowa (population 793). Grassfire had developed a contact database of 3. "stand for the unborn. Inc. Elliott lives in Virginia.415. when the number of nativist anti-immigrant groups grew by as much as 600%. a for-profit. and support for Judge Roy Moore's fight to place the Ten Commandments in his Alabama courtroom.000 for the year.68 Elliott served as president for twenty hours a week and was paid $61. "ResistNet is a place where citizens can resist — in a peaceful. patriotic way — the efforts to move our nation away from our heritage of individual liberties toward 'brave new world' of collectivism. Internet activism services organization privately-held by Steve Elliott.69 Petitions included: saving traditional marriage. a division of Grassroots Action. 70 During the period 2005-2007. supported the Boy Scouts [anti-gay stance]." People were asked to sign up to Grassfire.713. Grassfire's Email blasts warned that "what President-elect Obama and the Pelosi-Reid Congress have in store has the potential to rapidly move America to the socialist Left.com is a for-profit organization. supporting the Pledge of Allegiance. Within forty-five days more than 140. ResistNet is designed to give citizens a new level of networking resources to organize the Patriotic Resistance.608. Grassfire has grown through the use of a number of Internet petition campaigns." opposition to partial birth abortion.com website domain and soon after. it was officially launched as the "Home of the Patriotic Resistance. On December 15.259 opt-in email names). By June 2010. ResistNet Tea Party esistNet.67 In addition to its for-profit side to which ResistNet belongs. using a model once employed by MoveOn. Rebuild. make God Bless America the National Hymn." The corporate structure that envelopes ResistNet. Grassroots Action. with its corporate headquarters in Iowa. The nature of these petition campaign points to a political base with a set of concerns much broader than simply taxes and budgets. 2008 Elliott registered the ResistNet. is more a virtual rather than traditional bricks-and-mortar organization.
30 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . Phoenix."72 Soon after. and has worked at one time or another with all the national Tea Party factions. FL).75 Its membership is scattered around the country. director of the Florida chapter of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps (Orlando. ResistNet is the second largest national Tea Party faction. • Ruthie Hendrycks. Dallas. Indeed. and Dawald became one of the three National Coordinators for the September 12. for example. ResistNet had started working with FreedomWorks. Texas. As a sprawling online social network and Tea Party national faction. March on DC. 2009. who ultimately calls the shots).com. leader of the Tulsa Minutemen (Broken Arrow. 2010. 2009. ResistNet groups began holding Tea Parties as soon as the idea hit cyberspace. San Diego. unlike other male-dominated Tea Party factions.Restore. and during January 2009 she organized a team of volunteers to promote Tea Parties at every State Capitol. founder of Citizens for the State of Washington (Yakima. but the majority of the ResistNet members are men — 56% of members identify as male. founder of Minnesotans Seeking Immigration Reform (Hanska. As of August 1. What more must we wait for to take back this country of ours. Austin. Oklahoma. By early February. and Oklahoma City. FL). and 8% chose not to self-identify. • Robin Hvidston of the Southern California Minuteman Project and Gilchrist Angels (Upland. San Antonio. There is no good or bad Muslim. creator of IllegalAliens. Texas. Texas. We believe that resisting will create newfound unity among conservatives. all of ResistNet's leadership team are women. The top ten cities for ResistNet membership include: Houston.248 online members.78 ResistNet and Nativism Many leaders of state and local anti-immigrant groups have become active with ResistNet. Las Vegas. military and other offices. OK). Darla Dawald joined this social network. Its website proclaims: "We are at a point of having to take a stand against all Muslims. Texas. • Mike Jarbeck. a ResistNet group in Louisiana announced that they would be holding a "tea party" in the city of Lafayette that March.. • Wendell Neal. On February 24.76 The organization may have an all-female leadership team. California. Nevada. Tucson. 36% female. in every region. Texas. Arizona. Arizona. ResistNet has also become a gathering spot for bigotry against Islamic believers.us and Report Illegals (Pompano Beach. ResistNet listed 142 different local Tea Party chapters in 34 states.77 ResistNet has also created its own structure of state groups to "flip this House!" and return Congress to conservative control. There is only Muslims and they are embedded even in our government. Fort Worth.74 By April. CA). • David Caulkett.73 (Of course.. with 81. Dawald had a paid position as national director of ResistNet. including: • Robert Dameron. ResistNet is a project owned primarily by Steve Elliott. WA).
the statute faced immediate challenges in court. 2010 the Internal Revenue Service revoked its non-profit status. on January 27.? Are you legally eligible to hold the Office of President?" The ad argued that if Obama didn't meet all the group's demands. the Internal Revenue Service revoked the corporation's tax-exempt.com is an official website of the state of Arizona where "donations collected through this website will be deposited into the Border Security and Immigration Legal Defense fund to be used by Arizona on Border Security and Immigration matters. entitled "An Open Letter to Barack Obama: Are you a Natural Born Citizen of the U. In response. the group held a chaPTer 4. Jon Voight. ResistNet started a "We Stand With Arizona" project to support the law. So have celebrities such as Sarah Palin. and • Rosanna Pulido. Inc." who "would be entitled to no allegiance. 2009. An online home for many of those supporting states rights as a way of opposing the federal government. 2008."82 ResistNet. Among these partners is The Tenth Amendment Center.80 ResistNet is also soliciting donations for an Arizona defense fund. twenty six chapters in twenty three states. and Kentuckians for Immigration Reform and Enforcement.81 KeepAZsafe. Another partner is the We the People Foundation for Constitutional Education. including numerous local Tea Party and 9-12 groups. after a multi-year legal battle dating back to the George W."83 A year later. obedience or support from the People. on December 8. Nevertheless. On December 1 and 3. • Evert Evertsen. and Lou Ferigno. which had. Run by Bob Schulz. key provisions have been blocked by a temporary injunction. the Tenth Amendment Center popularizes legal theories such as "nullification" and "secession" as viable options in its fight against the Obama presidency. retroactively going back to 2003. Nearly one hundred sponsors. Although it started as a tax protest organization. in the current period We the People promotes conspiracy theories about President Obama's birth certificate. North Carolinians for Immigration Reform and Enforcement. Other nativist groups are also supporting this campaign. Bush presidency.79 After Arizona Gov. A boycott campaign and other protests have been underway to oppose the law. In addition. retroactively going back to 2003. the founder of the Chicago Minutemen and a former staffer for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (Chicago. resisTNeT Tea ParTy | 31 . We the People claims to be continuing its program. have signed on. We the People took out full-page ads in the Chicago Tribune. New York. Jan Brewer signed SB1070. which required local and state officials to enforce federal immigration law.com sports a section of links and "partners" which allows it to project itself into a larger network of ultra-conservative organizations. including NumbersUSA. 2010. On January 27. founder of Minutemen Midwest (Harvard. and as of the time this report went to press.MN). Ted Nugent. then he would be a "usurper. as of July 2010. IL).. Oath Keepers and a group called Well Regulated American Militias are on the We Stand With Arizona list. headquartered in Queensbury. IL).S.
.................................................. resistnet top 25 Cities CiTy Houston las Vegas Phoenix san Antonio Tucson Dallas san Diego Austin Fort Worth Oklahoma City Mesa Jacksonville Denver Colorado springs knoxville Orlando indianapolis Portland salem Atlanta scottsdale Tulsa Minneapolis louisville Fort lauderdale sTATe MeMbers Texas ............................................................................. Attending that event were Philip Berg and Orly Taitz...........211 Colorado ....... Figure 8...................160 Florida .........................................226 Florida ............................................. Another ResistNet partner organization is TakeAmericaBack......................................... as our wannabe president.................................. One article claimed that "multiculturalism" demands that "Americans learn to speak Spanish so illegals can take over America with foreign cultures.............629 Nevada.....................................................................................................................................235 Texas .............165 kentucky ...... both leading "birther" attorneys....................208 Tennessee .......251 Texas ........................................ [See Chapter "Who Is an American?"] It is this untenable attempt to vilify President Obama as "non-American" and "foreign" that pushes a significant number of ResistNet Tea Partiers out of the ranks of a responsible opposition and into the columns of bigots and xenophobes................ who has not only expressed his hatred of America...255 California ................188 indiana ...............173 Arizona...................................156 32 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr .........................."85 Also included among the official partners is a trio of groups run by anti-Islam activist Pam Geller................510 Arizona...........................177 Oregon ...... but is also an avowed Muslim....229 Oklahoma .176 Georgia ......."84 Another article on this site concluded that "a Kenyan......................... a website launched in April 2009 to publish anti-immigrant propaganda.....169 Oklahoma ...........................209 Colorado ....................................363 Texas ............................197 Florida ...................342 Arizona..................................................press conference at the National Press Club to further promote this point of view......168 Minnesota ....................................................228 Arizona............................ son of a terrorist........... Communist......................................177 Oregon ..289 Texas ...........................................................................org.........................
He is a local Republican activist and former assistant district attorney. Two early disputes revealed a fault line within the Tea Party over money-handling and the movement's relationship to Republican Party structures. We believe in Limited Government. Phillips helped organize a Tea Party rally in Nashville on February 27. Free Speech. the 2nd Amendment." explained Judson Phillips. His private practice. a volunteer who served as the group's founding webmaster. He claims the tax liens have been paid off. Tennessee. California. Tea Party Nation ea Party Nation (TPN) was organized by Judson Phillips. Phillips gave the impression that the newly formed organization was going to be a non-profit effort.402 online members. with an additional 4. and webmaster Smith resigned in protest on April 24. as a for-profit corporation.. a Nashville attorney. Moderates are just those who have no core beliefs. 2009. Tea Party Nation is now third largest national Tea Party network.000 attended. Tennessee. where about 10. That event attracted several hundred people. 86 TPN describes itself as a "user-driven group of like-minded people who desire our God given Individual Freedoms which were written out by the Founding Fathers. Tennessee.88 The birth of Tea Party Nation mirrors that of several of the other factions. Phillips and his volunteers organized April 15 Tax Day Tea Party protests in Nashville. Several became volunteers in the operation. as of August 1. Houston. New York. Phillips formally filed records with the Tennessee Secretary of State registering Tea Party Nation.90 A breakdown by gender of the online membership was not available. Chicago. specialized in drunk driving and personal-injury cases.Chapter 5.C.89 Geographically. New York.000. During the past decade he has had three federal tax liens against him. D. In an email sent to donors. On April 6. 2009. The success provided the impetus to officially go national. Secure Borders and our Country!"87 "I'm not trying [to] attract moderates. Murfreesboro. with 31. Tea Party Nation's top ten member cities are: Nashville. he registered the TeaPartyNation. and his wife Sherry Phillips. According to Kevin Smith. on April 21. according to public records. com domain name. 2009. Washington.91 This action led to the first internal clash. Inc. Smith apologized for participating in a deception and chastised T chaPTer 5. There are also sizable membership clusters in the Northeast. Illinois. in 2010. Texas. 2010. Florida. Nevada. totaling more than $22. Tea ParTy NaTioN | 33 . Judson Phillips had filed for Chapter 7 personal bankruptcy in 1999. in Texas. and San Diego. Tennessee. California. Illinois. Las Vegas. Franklin. our Military. the largest concentration of members is in group's home state of Tennessee.000. and Nevada. Denver Colorado. and in nearby Franklin. Nevertheless.
Figure 9. tea party nation MeMbership Map HAWAii* 34 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr *Not to scale AlAskA* .
Summer 2009 Altar Calls Throughout the summer 2009. Tennessee. TPN held a number of events in Nashville."92 Smith also attacked the direction the organization was heading. And a number of supporters quit after a contentious November 7 meeting at a Golden Corral restaurant. a for-profit company that sells playing cards featuring caricatures of Democratic leaders. 2009 "Altar Call" at the Cornerstone Church in Nashville. six hundred Christian conservatives gathered for a "call to arms. of Bothell. For this very reason. At a July 31.com. I believe that you gave generously of your time and money because you assumed."93 (Dave Kasold. president of the Chicago-based Surge USA Bruce Donnelly. "You must get involved. later replaced Smith as "technical director. like I did." which he believes threatens the American way of life. "Tonight we are doing a different kind of altar call. his sister-in-law Pam Farnsworth." Phillips said. donors. including Revival Rally on July 6 and an Altar Call on July 31. What began as cries for true liberty and a public showing of frustration with the big government policies of both Democrats and Republicans has now been co-opted by mainstream Republican demagogues determined to use this as their 2010 election platform. that this was a non-profit effort meant to plan and pay for rallies and advance the goals of the tea party.Phillips: "I certainly take strong exception with building a corporation using the altruistic contributions of hundreds of volunteers. including steering committee members. and vocal. The time for sitting on the sidelines is over." he said. He urged the crowd to fight what he called the "Obama-Pelosi-Reid axis of evil. the founder of Upper Deck sports cards." Kasold had helped form a group called the Eastside Tea Party. I cannot continue to be involved with Tea Party Nation. corporate sponsors. public champions of the tea party movement. "Tonight's altar call chaPTer 5. Judson Phillips. this smaller planning committee seemed to have the convention back on track.) Others. Kasold also runs HandsofLiberty. During the fall months of 2009.94 Instead of looking for ways to satisfy the concerns of the steering committee or conference planning volunteers. The group was also an official sponsor of the big 9-12 March on DC. and Hemrick's business partner Jason Lukowitz. Bruce Donnelly. a second set of disputes began. as Phillips and Tea Party Nation began planning a convention set for the following February. soon followed Smith out of the organization. Tea ParTy NaTioN | 35 . Phillips excluded both groups from the planning process. replacing them with a group of seven: Sherry Phillips. Several of the remaining steering committee members opposed the proposed $550 registration fee.95 By year's end. "It's become clear to me that Judson and his for-profit Tea Party Nation Corporation are at the forefront of the GOP's process of hijacking the tea party movement. Washington. Kasold is also a member of the ResistNet social networking site." Phillips exhorted the crowd to action. Bill Hemrick. writing.
it creates the appearance of an R. problems persisted. hijacking. however. com. It's for country. a group seeking to take over the GOP by filling the local ranks of the party. although Tea Party Nation had been one of the sponsors of the September 12. FAIR staff also reportedly expressed anxiety about the possibility of funds from the convention being funneled to political candidates. We want to focus on what we have in common.C. He called them "Republican National Committee-related groups.N." and added."101 The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).is not for God. 36 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr .98 The National Precinct Alliance." Some of the audience wore similar uniforms and brought their guns." Then.99 "We are very concerned about the appearance of T. at worst.N." The way money was being handled was the problem for ALA.P. profiteering and exploitation of the grass-roots movement. Bristol gave his audience marching orders to slay the socialist monster. like being anti-gay. one of the largest convention sponsors. FAIR abandoned the convention. Erick Erickson."96 The main attraction of that altar call was Ralph Bristol. the two Tea Party factions have worked together at other points. a local talk show host. The FAIR logo appeared on the conference website. said in a statement." ALA director Eric Odom declared. Philip Glass."103 Despite this criticism. the American Liberty Alliance (ALA).C.102 FreedomWorks also did not support the Tea Party Nation Convention. one the leading nativist antiimmigration organizations. initially signed up an official "bronze" sponsor of the convention." the organization's national director. "I think this national tea party convention smells scammy. the editor of the influential right wing blog RedState. "A number of people in Nashville might be focused on social issues. it is one. during the second week of January over concern that the for-profit status of the Tea Party Nation could jeopardize FAIR's 501c3 non-profit status. "The controversy surrounding the event involves conversations about the infrastructure of the Tea Party Nation and the way its finances are channeled through private bank accounts and paypal accounts. announced that it would "pass on being involved with the Nashville event. on January 11. In January 2010. Bristol wore a green Army jacket and a baseball cap adorned with the American flag on stage and played a character he called "Sergeant Bristol.97 Planning a Convention As Tea Party Nation continued planning its convention."100 Glass also expressed dismay about the role in the convention of groups like Tea Party Express and FreedomWorks. It was included in a January 4 press release by Tea Party Nation announcing the conference. joined in and said. which is opposition to big government and taxes. As FreedomWorks staff person Adam Brandon explained. "At best. or being anti-immigration and that is not a good way of building a movement. 2009 rally in D. also stated that they would no longer participate. and a workshop on "Operation Amnesty Shield" was scheduled.
Convention in Nashville February 2010 Despite all of these pre-conference difficulties. inside this movement generally. Scarborough told the room that the gap between "fiscal and social conservatives has got to cease. one of the Tea Party Patriots co-founders. Rick Scarborough. a former Southern Baptist pastor from Pearland. Vision America Action and the Judeo-Christian Council for Constitutional Restoration. "What we need is revival and revolt!" which brought cheers from the audience. Scarborough warned that we are moving towards a "collectivist" society. Underneath the hoopla attending Palin's appearance. Jerry Falwell published his first book. Sarah Palin spoke there. rumored to be over $100. described the coming Nashville event as the "usurpation of a grassroots movement. an older woman in the front row stood up and stated. indeed Christian nationalism."104 Commenting on the exorbitant price of the conference." he said. Moore was impeached from office after he refused to enforce a court order to remove a statue of the Ten Commandments from within his courthouse. Obama Tyranny National Coalition. The convention also built bridges to nativists and so-called birthers. After showing an eight minute video cataloguing his many television appearances. Texas. and got a standing ovation when he demanded. a project of the S. Moore was running in the Republican primaries for Alabama governor." and that "the war is inevitable. A fixture on the Christian Right for many years. the convention highlighted the place of Christian conservatives. Meckler stated. The theme continued when Judge Roy S. We have a Godly duty to defend "American exceptionalism. and in Judson's Tea Party Nation specifically. During his speech.O. Once an Alabama Supreme Court justice. the high cost of registration and Palin's speaking fee was later cited as one of the reasons why a second convention was soon organized in Tennessee by an alternative coalition of Tea Party groups. Moore gave the convention's lunchtime keynote speech. called the Mandate to Save America. [See Tea Party Patriots section]. He worked up the crowd in the room. Moore proclaimed that "we must fight. Scarborough heads up a constellation of corporations that includes Vision America.P. "most people in our movement can't afford anything like that. Scarborough used much of his speech to launch a new campaign. the Rev.T. "enough is enough!" When he finished." chaPTer 5." In addition to attacking the Obama administration for its commitment to including attacks on gays and lesbians into federal hate crimes protections. There was a marked shift away from a supposed focus on bailouts and budget deficits towards a culture war."105 In fact. the convention in Nashville was well attended. At the time of the convention.000. Tea ParTy NaTioN | 37 . Mark Meckler.Although Tea Party Patriots had a significant number of members in Tennessee and could have helped the convention. generating discussion about her speaking fee. This connection was apparent in the workshop of about 215 people led held Dr.
for example. Holding up a copy of Obama's birth certificate. where he blasted the legislation as the result of a "virulent strain of anti-Christian bigotry and hatred. supporting political leaders who uphold these values and opposing those who do not. Jackson. Bishop E. the California resident who has pressed the birth certificate issue the most loudly. however. I have found Americans who love their country and are prepared to stand up for the values we believe in. maintaining marriage as a sacred union between one man and one woman. to raucous applause. continuing to be the world's strongest military power. reversing our country's slide into secular atheism.110 Joseph Farah. Jackson declared. which claims to be "a national grassroots organization of Americans dedicated to preserving our Judeo-Christian History and Values."107 He was also at a rally against hate crime legislation."106 Jackson urged African-Americans to join the Tea Party movement. however." she finished. Miki Booth. not enough to go to war with anybody." According to Jackson.' Black Christians do not belong in a 'coalition of the godless. We must preserve the Republic and our faith in God. a noted conservative figure who is black. Jackson created the group Staying True to America's National Destiny (STAND). "The battle is here in America.He was not talking about Iraq or Afghanistan. saving the unborn from the slaughter of abortion. homosexuality and moral relativism is an affront to the values of the black Christian community. holding up a copy of her birth certificate. 38 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . "The Democrat Party's commitment to abortion. W. Nevertheless."108 Jackson also created the STAND AMERICA PAC through which he is "declaring political war on the Democrat Party and the liberal Congressional Black Caucus. gave the convention's Friday evening keynote speech. Farah spent nearly half his time cooking up a Biblical basis for his obsession with Obama's birth certificate. Some of the convention leading figures did not like this kind of "birther" conspiracy talk. or have it taken from us. Moore received some of the loudest applause of the entire convention when he spoke about "spiritual warfare." he said."109 The PAC had about $13. an Hawaiian-born woman who's also a member of the Route 66 Tea Party. and promoting a vision of America as one nation under God. When Orly Taitz." and declared that "it's time for Christians to take a stand. It is a 'Coalition of the godless. anti-Semitism and anti-Christian bigotry." Also at the Tea Party Nation Convention in Nashville. Andrew Breitbart. the issue of whether or not President Barack Obama is a natural-born American continued to percolate in Nashville. spoke briefly and prayed for Tea Party conventioneers. without regard to ethnicity. of the website WorldNetDaily.' and should not vote for those who are. announced her candidacy for the Oklahoma 2nd District Congressional seat from the convention floor.000 in revenue at the time this report was being written. privately criticized him for it. made an appearance at the convention. protecting Israel's right to exist and be secure within its borders. she said "this piece of junk is what you get when you don't have one of these. "I have not found Nazis here or racists here. For example. In 2009.
like those in the crowd. speaking at a meeting of the white nationalist Council of Conservative Citizens. During a 2006 town hall meeting broadcast with FAIR staffer Susan Tully. After all. He also seemed to conveniently skirt over the use of literacy tests to keep African-Americans away from the polls under Jim Crow segregation. Tom Tancredo. Valentine advised Border Patrol Agents to "shoot" undocumented immigrants. California in the fall of 2009. appeared to have missed the irony in his rant. as well as testifying before a Senate hearing. Phil Valentine. During the workshop." Tancredo. former Republican Congressmen from Colorado. Beck chatted with attendees about the issue of "anchor babies" and the birthright citizenship portion of the Fourteenth Amendment. spoke at the convention. And he admitted to being no stranger to the Tea Parties." Tancredo also said Obama won because "we do not have a civics literacy test before people can vote. opened the convention with a fiery speech attacking President Obama and "the cult of multiculturalism. Tea ParTy NaTioN | 39 . he spoke at an "anti-amnesty" Tea Party rally in Pasadena.112 Before that workshop formally began. do not. chaPTer 5." Commenting on the 2008 election. Beck is one of the anti-immigrant movement's most active spokespersons. but given the current Democratic Congress they were going to focus on legislation targeting immigrant workers.111 Further. Nevada during the month of October 2010. The Tea Party crowd on hand in the ballroom enthusiastically responded to Tancredo's racially charged remarks. "People who could not even spell the word 'vote' or say it in English put a committed socialist ideologue in the White House. Ma cDonald told the group that his organization's planned to have an "immigration expert" in each local tea party group around the country. Beck introduced Chad MacDonald. while people born here. He noted that it was on the NumbersUSA agenda. Tancredo also joined NumbersUSA head Roy Beck for a workshop focused on generating anti-immigrant activity. a Nashville radio talk-show host that has featured FAIR on his radio program numerous times. Tancredo declared. NumbersUSA director of social media marketing. who founded the so-called House Immigration Reform Caucus. Immigrants are required to take a civics test to as part of the process to become citizens and earn the right to vote. As this report was being written. Although the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) pulled out of the convention as discussed earlier.she was warmly welcomed and continually stopped for autographs. Tea Party Nation was planning a "unity" convention in Las Vegas. several of FAIR's allies still addressed the Tea Party Nation crowd.
...............................................................................................................................................138 illinois ............................................................................................... 73 Georgia ............. 85 Tennessee ................... 73 Tennessee ..........148 Tennessee .... 75 Florida ......................123 Colorado .......................................... 71 Tennessee .........................................................................................................105 Arizona........... 69 Tennessee . 72 Ohio .............................................................................................402 Nevada.............145 New york ........................ 75 Texas .............. 80 Texas .................117 District of Columbia...............Figure 10.... 68 40 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr .............. 90 Texas ...............................112 Tennessee .................................................................................................................................................................................................115 California .. tea party nation top 25 Cities CiTy Nashville las Vegas Houston Franklin Murfreesboro New york Chicago Denver Washington san Diego knoxville Phoenix Jacksonville san Antonio brentwood Austin los Angeles Miami Dallas Hendersonville Atlanta Tucson Columbus Mount Juliet Memphis sTATe MeMbers Tennessee ...........................................154 Tennessee .................................................. 78 California ..................................................103 Florida .......197 Texas .......................... 73 Arizona.................................................................
118 Tea Party Patriots financial information for fiscal year ending May 31. as of August 1. to claim our rights and duties which preserve their legacy and our own. the PAC had neither raised nor spent any significant amount of money. Its credo contains a statement of faith in the Founding Fathers and private property. Atlanta. We hold. Tea ParTy PaTrioTs | 41 . a 39 year-old from Atlanta. and Beverly Hills."113 In June 2009. Houston. Los Angeles. PAC.311 online members on its main website and 74. Phoenix. 2010. 2009. According to court documents.115 Tea Party Patriots online membership is dispersed throughout the country. 31% female. and ResistNet. with the top ten cities being: New York.009 and total expenses of $400. In January 2010. Tea Party Express. Georgia. 559 to program service. as did the founders. and 6% choosing not to self-identify. New York. in every region. more than all the other national factions combined. however. Las Vegas.116 Tea Party Patriots membership is also heavily weighted towards men. Mark Meckler. when the pair filed for bankruptcy in August of 2008.596 ($342. Nevada. Tea Party Patriots budget is considerably smaller than FreedomWorks. including over half a million dollars to the Internal Revenue Service.114 Of all the Tea Party factions. Colorado Springs. there are just over 2200 different local Tea Party Patriot chapters listed on its website. Texas.121 Though the Martin's financial woes occurred entirely under the administration of chaPTer 6.119 T Tea Party Patriots Founders The original Tea Party Patriots national coordinators. as heirs to the republic. There are 115. Arizona. once worked as a Republican consultant.779 registered to its social networking website. "The Tea Party Patriots stand with our founders.000 in tax debt. Georgia. Tea Party Patriots can rightly make the claim that it is the most grassroots. San Diego. and Amy Kremer. that there exists an inherent benefit to our country when private property and prosperity are secured by natural law and the rights of the individual. California.Chapter 6. Illinois. registered with the Federal Election Commission.037 to administration and management). California. Chicago. were Jenny Beth Martin. California. Tea Party Patriots Inc. Jenny Beth Martin. with 63% identifying as male.120 Her route to the Tea Parties includes a bumpy collision with tax collectors. Colorado. 2010 showed total contributions of $538. As of August 2010. Tea Party Patriots incorporated as a 501(c)4 non-profit organization. As this report went to press. Tea Party Patriots he Tea Party Patriots website was registered on March 10. Martin and her husband owed over $680. as listed on the group's Facebook page. $58.117 Despite its size.
Figure 11. tea party patriots MeMbership Map HAWAii* 42 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr *Not to scale AlAskA* .
"124 As new local groups continued to pop up. The firm aspired to work for GOP candidates and causes. Kremer worked as Tea Party Patriots organizer until she became Director of Grassroots & Coalitions at Tea Party Express. After successfully working with the other Tea Party factions on the September 2009 march in Washington. and on November 10 was granted an injunction against her using the Patriots name.123 Amy Kremer.122 She also serves as co-chair of the local Tea Party group in her hometown. Tea Party Patriots had its first significant conflict with another national group when Kremer jumped over to Tea Party Express. Bush. (see discussion below). if you're asking 'who do I join up with for July 4th and beyond in 2009?'. and I think they are the best equipped to provide a collaborative environment for what we built here…. Billie Tucker. "So. Meckler was also paid by a California Republican business group to gather petition signatures for an anti-public employee union ballot initiative. In 2007.C. 48. including FreedomWorks.. The national network grew rapidly. before cofounding Tea Party Patriots. they gravitated to Tea Party Patriots. the Tea Party Patriots vitriol is targeted squarely at President Obama. chaPTer 6. Mike Gaske. then as the California coordinator. Tea Party Patriots followed up in May as one of the sponsors for the "Tennessee Tea Party Coalition Convention Inaugural Convention" in Gatlinburg. Kellen Giuda. Meckler developed an internet firm. Tea Party Patriots should be your answer. Diana Reimer. a punk rock DJ turned business attorney. Tea Party Patriots formally removed her from its leadership with a letter from its board on October 15. Kremer organized Georgia Tea Partiers. Tea ParTy PaTrioTs | 43 . lives in southern California. as well as helping to coordinate with other local groups across the country during the first round of nationwide protests. Sally Oljar. He served as a coordinator for the Sacramento Tea Party group. The budding organizational network received a boost in April 2009 when Eric Odom posted a statement on the Tax Day Tea Party website declaring that the "place to shift the momentum to" was Tea Party Patriots. the two organizations stopped cooperating with each other. "Tea Party Patriots is being organized by a selfless group of grassroots minded individuals who have been a part of this since day one.Republican George W. Mark Meckler. of Roswell. D. was the third original Tea Party Patriot national coordinator. and Dawn Wildman." Odom wrote. Ryan Hecker.126 At that point. Tea Party Patriots national coordinating group grew to include Debbie Dooley.125 then filed a lawsuit against Kremer. Now Martin is pulling down around $6000 a month working as CEO of Tea Party Patriots. Georgia. Opt-In Movement. which aimed to build email lists on behalf of political candidates. A second imbroglio developed in February 2010 with Tea Party Nation (discussed in Tea Party Nation section).
To the casual observer. Notable among the workshops were presentations by Pam Geller. has long been a target of the far right.) and Tony Blankley. Among proponents of its repeal are Rep. this group formed in 2009 and launched its website in January 2010. the real power of the Tea Party Patriots lies in its network of allied state and local Tea Party chapters. Consider the Wood County Tea Party (formerly known as the Winnsboro. locally sponsored event that has been the hallmark of its growth. and told the press they expected more to attend.000 tickets to the event. More than twenty local Tea Party groups in Tennessee sponsored the gathering. Steve King (R-Iowa). Documents obtained by IREHR show that Karen Pack of Winnsboro. and co-sponsored events."128 While the group claims alliances with both Tea Party Patriots and FreedomWorks. which provides for the direct election of United States Senators. The Sixteenth Amendment. considerably less expensive and more accessible than the Nashville event. and it is precisely this kind of broad-based. These local chapters are its greatest strength. mixed a bit of Posse Comitatus-style rhetoric into their propaganda. and a set by the Oath Keepers. who generated considerably less media buzz than Sarah Palin. there never appeared to be more than 300 people attending at any one time. Samuel Duck. Limited Government. The sponsors claimed to have pre-sold 1.Coalition Convention in Gatlinburg May 2010 This gathering stood in marked contrast to the Tea Party Nation event. They consider repeal an extension of states' rights. a quasi-militia group that focuses on recruiting law enforcement officers and military personnel. Tea Party Patriots was listed as a Gold Sponsor (a $2500 payment). present it with its greatest political vulnerability. Free Market Society. Another workshop presenter. a Constitutionalist and a Patriot. a Tea Party Member. The entry fee was $35."131 Missing from that description. Ron Paul (R. A similar workshop with Spike Constitution Defenders. Tex.127 It was the only national faction among the Gatlinburg convention sponsors. Wood County Tea Party is lead by Karen Pack. repeal of the Seventeenth Amendment has to be one of the most anti-democratic proposals floating around inside the Tea Party milieu. however. is less widely discussed. Louisiana. which gave congress power to levy the income tax. is Karen Pack's history with the Ku Klux Klan. who describes herself as a "A Christian. however. Texas Tea Party). The militia members. an anti-Islam agitator. The big name keynote speaker was Rep. subscribed to the "White Patriot" tabloid.129 they also declare that they are not "affilitated [sic] with TP Nation or The National Tea Party Federation. racists and sympathizers in its ranks. Making a target of the Seventeenth Amendment. however."130 From the beginning the group has held local meetings. By any other measure. however. Its stated principles include: "The Constitution as the Supreme Law of the Land. conducted a workshop advocating repeal of both the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Amendment. Fiscal Responsibility. Located almost midway between Dallas and Shreveport. and defending their version of the Constitution. a conservative columnist. and that Thom Robb's Knights 44 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . BBQs. In fact.
and he positioned and repositioned the organization over the decades. Christianity and God given rights are being massacred in front of us today and Christians are doing nothing to stop it. and Bloomington."132 Founded by David Duke in the mid-1970s. New Mexico. It does indicate. Oregon. 137 Amarillo. If the Christians of this nation continue to sit on their church pews and turn a blind eye to what is happening. My professor used to tell me that people who curse lack the english [sic] language to express themselves but I hope here. the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan fell into Robb's hands after a series of factional disputes. History proves it.140 Militia infestation of Tea Party Patriots extends beyond the presence of a militia figure like Richard Mack. "There is no seperation [sic] of church and state.of the Ku Klux Klan listed her as an "official supporter." Pack declared that. There never has been. the Wood County Tea Party joined the Tyler Tea Party and the East Texas Constitution Alliance to sponsor a speaking engagement of militia favorite. The evil running rampant today will inevitably lead to tyranny. my friend."133 In another essay entitled "An Ardent Plea." Pack wrote. Several Tea Party Patriot groups officially call themselves militia groups or actively promoted militia formation. In an essay entitled "Texas…Silent No Longer.136 Other Tea Party Patriot chapters sponsored Mack. he will make an exception to his rule. Tea ParTy PaTrioTs | 45 . Minnesota."135 In May. Texas. "Those of us who work hard every day and are the backbone of this country all had one reaction to these power hungry mongrels.138 Silver City. however. Sheriff Richard Mack of Oath Keepers. is this not a denial of Christ and all the foundations of Christianity? Are we such cowards that we can't proudly proclaim our allegence [sic] to the fundemental [sic] Christian principles that founded and built this nation? How long will Christians wait? How long will they be silent? How much of the Constitution must the enemy shred before they figure out that the Constitution is the only law left in the world that garantees [sic] their religious freedom? Will they wait until they outlaw Christianity like they outlawed prayer in school? By then. including groups in Prattville. Only the historically ignorant or purposefully distructive [sic] will claim that there is. that a certain amount of overlap exists between the upfront racism of the Klan and the "we are not racists" denials of the Tea Parties.139 Prineville. an inheritor of the violent tradition associated with white supremacist organizations of that type. Alabama. however. chaPTer 6. Pack's association with Robb's Klan in 1996 should not be read as an indication that the entire Tea Party movement is like the KKK. it will be too late to preserve our nation without bloodshed. By the 1990s. despise our Country and will stop at nothing to destroy both Christianity and the United States of America. It was still a Klan. There are people at work today who hate our God."134 Park's vision of the country sees a violent conflict looming in the future: "Morality. Robb attempted to steer his Klan closer to a more mid-stream "Christian patriot" position. Our reaction was simple and it was not polically [sic] correct or socially nice.
The second solution. They are also scheduled to speak at the Tea Party Nation convention in Las Vegas in October.. such propaganda is far closer to the world of white nationalism than its is to simple concerns about budgets and taxes. NC Freedom leaders also work closely with Tea Party Nation. Washington. one unidentified female podium speaker asked the crowd. The fact that these workshops are on the periphery of the Tea Party Patriots tells us something about the significance of the fact that NC Freedom has also promoted the idea of secession. In any case. it emailed a newsletter to members which contained an article entitled by "Solutions to the tyranny of National government. Kent. other local chapters are promoting nativism and vitriolic anti-immigrant politics. The local Tea Party Patriots chapter."143 The article outlines two solutions. and 46 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . At a February 13." Just as some Tea Party Patriots local groups have latched onto armed militias and Christian Patriotism. but still bears serious consideration. In one instance. Patty Murray was applause.Tea Party Patriot local chapters have also been the scene of exhortations to political violence similar to those of the Posse Comitatus. In February 2010. "How many of you have watched the movie Lonesome Dove?. The "incremental" approach is to adopt a 10th Amendment position of state's rights and state sovereignty to stave off an overreaching federal government. Presenters from NC Freedom's were popular workshop presenters at the February 2010 Tea Party Nation Convention in Nashville. calling itself the North-Carolina American Republic. 2010 Lewis and Clark Tea Party Patriots event in Asotin.142 NC Freedom also publicized a series of seminars conducted by a third group. an immigrant rights group." promoted the notion that individuals can declare themselves citizens of the North-Carolina Republic—the "real government" that was taken away by the Reconstruction Acts after the Civil War. They have held workshops on topics such as "Republic vs Democracy. Tea Party Patriot groups urged supporters in Covington. now it is a Tea Party group. In Washington State. the Fourteenth Amendment is considered unconstitutional. By these lights. Help Save Maryland. has been holding protests outside the state headquarters of CASA. He got hung.. and groups such as the Freemen and Republic of Texas in the 1990s. secession. a statewide network known as the North Carolina Freedom Project (or NC Freedom) is listed with Tea Party Patriots. is described as a "quantum leap" that is "probably beyond the comfort of most citizens. entitled "Restore our Republics. These workshops.144 Help Save Maryland was founded in 2005 as an explicitly anti-immigrant organization." citizenship. Other Tea Party Patriots local chapters have appealed to a variety of strains of Christian Patriot ideas. and the Tenth Amendment that were staples of the militia movement of the 1990s."141 The response to the call for hanging Sen. And that's what I want to do with Patty Murray. These ideas are derived from the warped constitutionalism of the Posse Comitatus in the 1980s. What happened to Jake when he ran with the wrong crowd? What happened to Jake when he ran with the wrong crowd.
..................... as has the national leadership.................................234 Arizona. Issuance of driver's licenses would be prohibited without proof of immigration status......167 Georgia ....................153 Minnesota ..........................................217 illinois ...................................267 Nevada.......................... after the state passed the draconian SB1070 anti-immigrant law.............134 Florida .............................................................................196 Florida .......................135 Florida ........................................................139 kentucky ......................................................... tea party patriots top 25 Cities CiTy New york Houston Colorado springs las Vegas los Angeles Atlanta Phoenix san Diego Chicago beverly Hills Jacksonville Denver san Antonio Austin Marietta Minneapolis seattle Philadelphia brooklyn Orlando louisville Mesa indianapolis Miami Tampa sTATe MeMbers New york ........................ Georgia Tea Party held a rally to support Arizona.......................... 145 It would also require all private and public employers to "E-verify" immigration status of employees.180 Colorado ..... The nativist side of the Tea Party movement will be discussed further in the "Who Is An American" section... Figure 12............................................. Tea ParTy PaTrioTs | 47 ........................229 California .................................. Nonprofit organizations would be prohibited from offering employment services without proof of immigration status..147 New york .......................................... a measure similar to Arizona's SB 1070....................413 Texas .......133 chaPTer 6........................ and require verification of immigration status of applicants for many public benefits... that would require state and local agencies to assist in enforcing federal immigration laws......................174 Texas ............175 Texas ........146 The Columbus...236 Georgia ...............250 California ........................139 Arizona..............149 Pennsylvania ..319 Colorado .....................................210 California ................................Renton to gather signatures for Initiative 1056.......................................................................136 indiana ..................................................................................................................................................................................................147 Many other local Tea Party Patriot groups have also supported the Arizona anti-immigrant law...........141 Florida .............152 Washington ......
tea party express donors Map HAWAii* 48 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr *Not to scale AlAskA* .Figure 13.
149 T Russo Marsh and Rogers As of the time of this report.Chapter 7. Arizona. and has been most marked by public controversy. San Antonio. The top ten cities for Tea Party Express donors are: Houston. Nevada. and their parent company. the group has donors who give money. although his opposition to the ban on assault weapons garnered the support of Larry Pratt's Gun Owners of America Political Victory Fund. The firm was hired by the California Republican Party in 1996 to help pass Proposition 209. Its initial chairman. Guam. Further. Kaloogian ran a failed campaign for congress in 2006. a public relations firm that also does business under the names Kings Media Group and Russo Marsh & Associates. Las Vegas. the anti-Affirmative Action ballot measure. the Our Country Deserves Better PAC. there are many members in the organization's home state of California and in Texas. the chairman of Our Country Deserves Better PAC is Howard Kaloogian. Texas. Hagatna. has repeatedly crossed the line from civil political discourse into vicious rants and explicit racism. This faction has conducted cross-country publicity-driven bus tours.152 And it has been involved in chaPTer 7. New York. Dallas. lack an online social network presence like the rest of the Tea Party Factions.148 While donors are disbursed around the country. Our Country Deserves Better Political Action Committee. It is not a membership organization. as well as raised funds in support of Republican candidates. and New Orleans. Rancho Santa Fe. the group has only reported 1. Mark Williams. Scottsdale. Tea ParTy exPress | 49 . Though the Our Country Deserves Better PAC collected millions of dollars in donations during the current election cycle. Bethesda. its leadership has clashed repeatedly with other Tea Party organizations. This difference makes it difficult to draw direct comparisons to the other factions. and one thing that distinguishes the Tea Party Express from other national factions is that they are not attempting to build or support local groups. Maryland. Louisiana. Texas.151 Russo is a principal of Russo Marsh & Rogers. Inc.508 donors to the Federal Elections Commission as of June 2010. not members who can just sign up. (Pratt was one of the founding figures in the militia movement of the mid-1990s. Texas. a California Republican political consultant who had run Kaloogian's failed congressional campaign. Tea Party Express. California. New York. a former Republican California State Assemblyman. As a Political Action Committee.)150 The PAC's "chief strategist" is Sal Russo. Tea Party Express ea Party Express was created in 2009 by a pre-existing conservative operation.
"154 The bus tour for which the Tea Party Express became known was actually a tactic recycled from the Our Country Deserves Better 2008 "Stop Obama Bus Tour. McKalip's action was later condemned by the Florida Medical Association. "This will be a very sensitive matter that we will need to discuss in the coming days. "David. a memo by the PAC's coordinator Joe Wierzbicki outlined the project that would become the Tea Party Express.158 After the offending email surfaced and a controversy ensued. OCDB continued to support Sarah Palin. Kremer's blog. and a Georgia judge decided that the defendant had to return control of the organization's website. we all support you fully and are here for you. Recruiting Kremer away from the Tea Party Patriots exacerbated tensions that existed between the two organizations. then 50 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . She had previously served as its Director of Grassroots & Coalitions. we are not only NOT part of the political establishment or conservative establishment.a number of other GOP-affiliated campaigns. If he is eligible and really doesn't have anything to hide. However. We all have your back my friend!"159 McKalip was a featured speaker when a Tea Party Express bus tour stopped in Orlando."155 After the loss to Obama. but we are also sadly not currently a part of the "tea party" establishment . the two men formed Our Country Deserves Better PAC (OCDB) "to champion the Reaganesque conservatism of lower taxes. David McKalip. including his healthcare plan. she had been a staff member of a different faction: Tea Party Patriots. however. "We have to be very very careful about discussing amongst ourselves anyone we include 'outside of the family' because quite frankly. including running pro-Palin advertisements.157 A neurosurgeon practicing in Florida. In July 2008. more importantly than the reasons listed above. Palin later returned the favor by headlining two events on the Tea Party Express III tour. including repetition of the (false) charge that he is not a natural born American. As this report was going to press. Before joining Tea Party Express. "Southern Belle Politics. The Tea Party Express has had several re-configurations of its staff." Wierzbicki wrote. Amy Kremer took over for Mark Williams as the chair of the organization.. Florida the following November. The Tea Party Patriots sued Kremer. relinquish the use of the mailing lists and otherwise not take advantage of any inside information she might have gained while working with Tea Party Patriots. and respect for the strength of the family as the core of a strong America.. The memo suggests an initial gap between the Express group and other budding Tea Parties.156 Although Kremer has adamantly dismissed charges of racism in the Tea Party movement. "There are many reasons that I don't like Barack Obama. smaller government. Kremer wrote to a Tea Party email list." is filled with calumny for the president. and his big government and socialist programs that will be initiated through his massive tax and spend policies. I can assure you of one thing and that is we will protect our own. tax policies. strong national defense. she was quick to defend a July 2009 email featuring a racist caricature of President Obama sent to fellow Tea Partiers by Dr."153 In April 2009. I truly do not think Barack Obama is eligible to be President of this great country.
author.206 to TownHall. Human Events.161 Mark Williams The initial vice chairman of the PAC and chairman of the Tea Party Express was Mark Williams.com. and $36. Townhall. (which later changed its name to the National Association for the Advancement of Conservative People of ALL Colors).why not just produce the vault copy of his birth certificate and put the issue to rest?"160 On staff of Our Country Deserves Better PAC as a "spokesperson. including during the period when Mark Williams served as head of Tea Party Express." The African-American entertainer supported the re-election of George W. and they are gathering to Take Back America. entertainer. on his own web site. He consistently defended the Tea Parties from any charges that racists exist within its ranks. the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the country.'"164 Williams abruptly announced that he was stepping down as chairman of the Tea Party Express on June 19. who describes himself. including Newsmax. He is also president of the National Association for the Advancement of Conservative People of Color.162 Mark Williams has referred to President Obama as a Nazi.166 The need to "buttress our 'authenticity'" by using locals was also discussed in the memo. Marcus. $93.163 He has stated. The group is focused on ridiculing and opposing the NAACP. Tea Party Express Bus Tours Unlike the other groups. 'coup.800 to Human Events. 165 Expenditure reports filed with the Federal Elections Commission confirm that OCDB/TPE has paid $187." and "defeat Arlen Specter. Florida. a half-white racist. singer/songwriter. Tea Parties are "gatherings of people who believe in America and while maybe not knowing the Constitution verbatim nonetheless are still well schooled on its spirit. as a "(black) Unhyphenated American. artist. According to FEC records. The memo discusses renting the mailing lists of other right-wing groups. One Tea Party at a Time. chaPTer 7. WorldNetDaily." Reliance on mailing lists of existing right-wing groups to kick-start the Tea Party Express efforts. According to Williams. Tea ParTy exPress | 51 . and Tea Party patriot. Marcus received over $21. Bush in 2004.340 to NewsMax Media. parentheses included. Tea Party Express was designed at the beginning as a campaign vehicle to attack "politically vulnerable" electoral candidates. "it is time for not just Republicans but all Americans to regroup and stage our own coup." "defeat Chris Dodd.000 in consulting fees from Our Country Deserves Better PAC between March 2009 and May 2010. That's right. a half-black racist and an Indonesian Muslim turned welfare fraud. and others. The memo drafted by Wierzbicki also explains to potential donors how the OCDB PAC – Tea Party Express would establish bus tours to "defeat Harry Reid. a radio talk-show host and a past director of the National Association of Talk Show Hosts." and as a peripatetic pop-up figure at Tea Party events is Lloyd Marcus from Deltona.
The first Tea Party Express bus tour started in Sacramento on August 28. as well as in multiple places in the Midwest and Mid-South before arriving in Washington. The tour crisscrossed the country. Alabama. As the second bus tour concluded. (Bachmann and Rep.org. they rolled out two television ads and a 52 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . It concluded in Orlando. but pulled out. Mississippi. this was the "Scott heard 'round the world'" and Tea Party Express was quick to take credit for the victory. the Tea Party Express announced the endorsement of additional candidates. The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is an annual conference for conservative activists and politicians. a relatively unknown Republican state senator. including a rally stop by the Tea Party Express bus. Florida. conspiracy mongering John Birch Society—the first time in the thirty-seven year history of the conference that the John Birch Society was a conference sponsor. Tea Party groups played a significant role at the 2010 CPAC conference. entitled "Tea Party Express II: Countdown to Judgment Day. holding events in several cities in Nevada and Texas. however. on November 12. The October after that first tour. creating a bit of a rift between the two groups. to Tea Partiers. D. Also in attendance at the 2010 CPAC convention: the far-right. Whatever the reason for Brown's election. On January 20. for the September 12 March on Washington..C. On April 25. and Georgia. Hoping to make the election a referendum against health care reform. These rallies gathered support for the Tea Party movement generally. to coincide with the Tax Day 2010 Tea Party protests. on April 15. the group officially filed with the FEC to change the name of the PAC to the Our Country Deserves Better PAC—TeaPartyExpress. Tea Party Express announced their endorsement of Sharron Angle in the Republican US Senate primary in Nevada. and again included multiple stops in Nevada and the West before heading South through Texas. The tour concluded again in Washington. Tea Party Express was expected at a convention held by Tea Party Nation. On April 15.670 in support of Scott Brown. Nevada (Harry Reid's hometown). the attention of Our Country Deserves Better PAC -Tea Party Express turned to a special election in Massachusetts to fill the Senate seat left open by the death of Ted Kennedy in August. Tea Party Express held a rally at the annual Conservative Political Action Committee convention in Washington. A second tour. the PAC pumped in direct contributions of $348." kicked off in San Diego on October 25.C. 2010 Brown defeated Democrat Martha Coakley. D. Just two weeks later. D. Along the way. as well as finding new contributors to the political action committee.167 A third round of the bus tour was launched on March 27 with a big rally in Searchlight. The following February. 2009. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee had followed Tea Party Express' lead and pulled out of the Tea Party Nation convention in February)..C. trying to drum up opposition to Senator Reid. before winding across the country. including Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann. Tea Party Express III again visited towns in Nevada. Louisiana.
C.. One of those posting material on Free Republic claiming that President Obama had no birth certificate was James von Brunn. FreedomWorks participated in the first Tea Party Express Bus Tour.. which identifies itself as "an online gathering place for independent. Darla Dawald.176 He has also worked for the anti-immigrant vigilante group Minuteman Civil Defense Corps. 2009.radio spot in support of Angle.172 One of the official partners of the Tea Party Express is Free Republic."175 On the front page of its website.910.000 "Money Bomb" in support of Sharron Angle."181 Although Tea Party Nation also supported a tour. grass-roots conservatism on the web. D. and has spoken at Florida Tea Party events. It was scheduling. they ran a full-page newspaper ad in support of Angle.170 Within a week. using racist epithets and terms like "Ghetto street trash. Free Republic advertised the Tea Party Express Bus Tour.B. however.com featured a Tea Party Express $150. 2010 Tea Party Express jumped into the anti-immigrant fray.168 On May 11. "To entertain her daughter. was listed as part of the Tea Party Express "team. On May 4. Michelle Obama loves to make Monkey sounds. the white supremacist who killed the guard at the Holocaust Museum in Washington. Media" on Free Republic."178 Interaction with other Tea Party Factions Several Tea Party factions have been official sponsors of the Tea Party Express Bus Tours at one time or another. that kept Dick Armey off the bus. 2010 article entitled "Freedom Works Willing to Throw Tea Party Under the Bus to Appease Democrats. raising $80. Taylor wrote: "Freedom Works." The thread was accompanied by a photo of Michelle Obama speaking to Malia that featured that caption. but not the third round."173 It is an important space for the birthers and racist. In July 2009. however. supporting Arizona's controversial S. TeaPartyExpress. chaPTer 7. In a March 22. a Free Republic thread featured racially charged comments about President Obama's wife and children."180 ResistNet not only sponsored a bus tour. 1070 with an online petition. Tea Party Express cancelled a bus appearance at the Tea Party Nation convention in Nashville. "I actually think the bus is a really cool thing. Tea ParTy exPress | 53 . they were more than halfway there. after Obama's elevenyear-old daughter Malia was photographed wearing a t-shirt with the peace symbol. on June 10. (The Free Republic web page also features links to Tea Party Patriots and ResistNet).171 Sharron Angle came from behind to win the June 9 primary. FreedomWorks staffer Brandon Steinhauser noted that.174 This website has also posted racist attacks on the Obama family. Free Republic's Kristinn Taylor serves as a bridge between Free Republic and the folks behind the Tea Party Express.169 On May 16..177 He does not get along particularly well with factions other that Tea Party Express. the organization's national director.179 Although aware that some factions are upset with the Tea Party Express.latched onto the Tea Party movement last year is now threatening to abandon the grassroots movement in the face of a propaganda onslaught by the Democrat party and the media.
." because of its ties to establishment Republicans and a lack of support to local groups. They were kind enough to invite Tea Party Nation to join them at the huge event in Searchlight.................." Tea Party Patriots noted........"185 The competition and conflict between the two groups also revolved around money raising issues.. the political action committee (PAC) responsible for the 'Tea Party Express' bus tour conducted from 8/28 through 9/12 of this year. Tea Party Patriots dubbed Tea Party Express the "Astroturf Express.. just not their strategy......183 No official sponsorship relations exists between Tea Party Express and the 1776 Tea Party faction........"186 There was also a growing consensus among Tea Party Patriots that Tea Party Express was giving all Tea Parties a bad name... "wishes to confirm that it does not directly or indirectly support or endorse any activities of Our Country Deserves Better..... the Republican establishment and their PAC....... Figure 14.............." the statement noted..... Debbie Dooley...... "When people donate to Tea Party Express... an email from Tea Party Nation explained.."182 The Express faction's Amy Kremer was a presenter at Tea Party Nation National Convention in Nashville.......After a conflict arose over Tea Party Express' pre-primary endorsement of Sharron Angle.............. 24 Texas ......................... radical fringe... but 1776 Tea Party president Dale Robertson noted that members of his group traveled to Nevada for the kickoff rallies of the third Tea Party Express.... "The folks over at Tea Party Express are our friends..................." At the heart of the matter was the litany of offensive comments made by Mark Williams.................... the Tea Party Express chairman at the time. a national coordinator for the Tea Party Patriots......... 18 California .... 29 Maryland .............. and Tea Party Patriots issued a rare press release stating........ told Politico......... that it... since a lot of that is actually taking some money away from them....... Tea Party Patriots' prophecy became a fact in concrete evidence.. NV and we believe their hearts are in the right place........ "We've worked hard to distance ourselves from the Tea Party Express because of their close affiliation with the Republican Party.... "they think that they are donating to a tea party.........184 By way of contrast.... and an upcoming tour recently announced......... "Williams' antics play into the hands of mainstream media attempts to paint the Tea Party movement as a racist........ And that hurts the local grass-roots tea party organizers... 15 Texas .. because they don't read the fine print at the bottom of their e-mails that says it is a PAC..187 During the NAACP's 2010 annual convention... 19 New york ............. 15 54 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr ..... tea party express top 25 Cities CiTy Houston bethesda Dallas New york rancho santa Fe san Antonio sTATe MeMbers Texas ................
......... 8 California ..... 8 District of Columbia.." Williams claims that voting is not a right nor is it an absolute duty of citizenship...............scottsdale las Vegas Hagatna New Orleans Woodside san Diego Tallahassee Newport beach sunnyvale Austin Fort Worth ridgecrest Washington Atlanta Charlotte Ogden Mountain View Portola Valley santa barbara Arizona... 8 Georgia ...................................... In a chapter entitled "Some people should not vote.................. 7 California .188 Rather......."190 Another statement that places Williams firmly among the so-called birthers who echo similar views.................... "Sometimes the best choice for the rest of us is if some of us don't vote at all.................................................. 7 Mark Williams in His Own Words n 2009................................... 14 Nevada..................... Mark Williams of Tea Party Express self-published a book entitled It's Not Right versus Left........ 9 California ....................................................................................... Obama is improbably a native-born citizen of the United States..... if only to show that his racism and bigotry were articulated and well known in Tea Party ranks............... 14 Guam .................... 9 Texas ....................................... he declares................. 11 Florida ...................................... 11 California .................................. long before he was forced out of the Tea Party Federation in July 2010...... 7 California ................................ It's Right versus Wrong........"189 Williams writes that it's an "open secret that Mr...... 8 North Carolina ............................................................ Exposing the Socialist Agenda........................................................... Further.......... He republished the book in 2010 as Taking Back America One Tea Party At A Time.... 8 Utah ................... Any understanding of the Tea Party movement must include some knowledge of what Williams has written.............................................. "That Obama was elected largely because I mark williams iN his owN words | 55 .... he write.................... 9 Texas ...................... 9 California ................ 13 louisiana .......... 13 California ................................................................................... 12 California .................
inarticulate. Where the President deviates from garden variety liberalism and ventures deep into the depravity of authoritarian socialism is the sin of wrath. The details of how my assailant came to be my assailant really do not concern me.. you and I are still free to quit ours and be supported by the remaining fools who chose to participate.197 He also wrote that "Islam is a dangerous and savage culture that must either be tamed to live among us or be excluded to the wild corners of the Earth. are his future Schutzstaffel. No apology to Muslims was offered).of his pigmentation is not a difficult conclusion to reach given the void in Obama's words where substance should dwell. angry determination to not be disputed."196 Mark Williams latched onto this issue around the Islamic center in lower Manhattan months before many of his colleagues."194 "Obama – Reid – Pelosi & company exist as an elite corps of parasites that send their leftovers down the food chain to those forced into dependence by programs and usury taxation created for the express purpose of being an army in waiting" "Barack Obama and his followers embody the Seven Deadly Sins. who coughed up this twisted and violent ideology during seizures in the desert. or starve. class against class. he eventually apologized to Hindus for the remark. He pits race against race. and gluttony. He and his kind derive power from the exploitation and feeding of his followers' envy. greed. Americans against America. even genocide or perhaps an ethnic cleansing – or all three."192 "So-called Obamacare is essentially a version of eugenics." (After being widely lambasted for the stupidity of the statement."193 "The Chosen One's cult is remarkably unlike their Dear Leader. when blogging on the issue of the cultural center. is a "clean and articulate one." They—unwashed."198 56 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . pride.300+-year history of the 7th Century Death Cult we call "Islam" and how it came to be."195 "I am not going to go into a painfully detailed 1."191 "The sweet Irony of the potential first black president instituting a modified slavery is not lost on me. In May. wrath. our choice – at least for now. nor does it allow room for facts to derail his increasing. evolves and who controls it. augmented by an inbred paranoia and an imposed ignorance acquired and reinforced over the centuries. lust. I say 'modified' because while Africans could not quit their 'jobs' in the cotton fields. (My use of German is not unintentional). gluttony and sloth. it all depends on how it is implemented. sloth. greed. and brutish.. . He—as his running mate Joe Biden so famously said. to be used in the continuing Kristallnacht being waged against independent thought. Suffice to say that the story involves lots of bisexual men who are oddly homophobic and a psychotic pedophile. envy. Williams averred that Muslims worship "the terrorists' monkey god. The man and those around and allied with him are driven by a narcissistic pride that allows no room for being wrong in his worldview. I just want him contained or dead.
The venom (and spittle) directed at AfricanAmerican Congressmen during the health care debate carried an unmistakably racist message. signs that read "America is a Christian nation. Laurie Roth. people of color have been prominently put forward as speakers or entertainers at Tea Party rallies. as if to say: look. the chairman of the 1776 who displayed the infamous "n****r sign. Tea Party leaders have bristled at any mention of the racism. He now resides in southwestern Washington State. Robertson said. Confederate battle flags. Prominent among these few individuals has been Lloyd Marcus.C. He's been actually leading this fight long before I probably was even born. previously mentioned in this report as a paid consultant of Tea Party Express. aNTi-semiTism aNd The miliTia imPulse | 57 . And so you'll find that he agrees with you Laurie wholeheartedly that owning a gun is a constitutional right. It is not the contention of this report that all Tea Partiers are consciously racist. and analyzes the attempt by white nationalist organizations to find new recruits in Tea Party ranks. D. however. It's a pleasure to have chaPTer 8. The evidence presented. Beckman has been known for over twenty-five years for his anti-Semitic writings and his defense of militias.199 While introducing Beckman. Racism. this is a racially diverse movement that wants to add more color to its ranks. one is Walls in Our Minds. Christian nationalism and white supremacy that is a part of their movement. Nevertheless. In several notable instances. brought Martin "Red" Beckman on as a guest to the Tea Party Radio hour that he co-hosts with Washington state talk show host Dr. racism. speaks for itself. shows incidents where well-known anti-Semites and white supremacists have been given a platform by Tea Partiers." and racist caricatures of President Obama have been an undeniable presence at Tea Party events in both local communities and in Washington. another is Why the Militia. In 1994." for example. T Providing a Platform to Bigots Tea Party leaders have promoted and provided a platform to known racists and anti-Semites on multiple occasions. Dale Robertson. documents significant examples of racist vitriol on the part of Tea Party leaders. Anti-Semitism and the Militia Impulse his section of the Special Report compiles opinion polling data. "Red's a great guy. And he is an authority on the Constitution and what the government has done to undermine our authority as citizens. Red has written many books.Chapter 8. Beckman was evicted from his property in Montana by the IRS for refusing to pay taxes.
the band had been kicked off venues at Rutgers University in 2006 and a Ron Paul campaign event in 2007. Jews are considered a satanic force (or the incarnation of Satan himself ). He is the former Chaplain in Chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.205 He has spoken at "Christian Identity" gatherings in Branson. As such. According to Topete. the godfather of Holocaust denial in the United States. Texas.204 The site also indicates that Robertson attended that retreat. Pennsylvania. "The Rothschilds set up the Illuminati in 1776 to subvert the Christian basis of civilization. providing technical back up.208 The band."202 In a separate incident. and writing and performing for American Free Press—a periodical published by Willis Carto. playing music. and talk show hosts. Lead singer Paul Topete was on the public record calling the Holocaust a hoax. this would place Weaver just one step to the right of the most radical forms of Christian fundamentalism. Beckman promoted his book and noted that "Dale is talking about putting it on his website and I have no quarrel with that. The Constitution is founded on the principal of God and a moral people. Georgia. By contrast. A full line-up of speakers included representatives from several tax reform groups. "I've read his books. The Church has not exercised these rights and consequently is in decline. already had a reputation for anti-Semitism. According to Robertson."209 Because of their bigotry. and receiving nothing but plaudits from the crowd.207 The list of out-front anti-Semites on Tea Party platforms includes an event in July 2009. the white people of northern Europe are considered racial descendants of the Biblical tribes of Israel. from Lehigh Valley. Weaver. and the United States of America is considered their "promised land. and they are a must read. and people of color are considered less than fully human. Although Weaver describes his particular outlook as a variant of "Dominionism." 200 At the end of this program. Missouri in 1998 and 1999.210 But they made it to the stage of the Tea Party without any questions asked. 2009 "family retreat" with Pastor Weaver in Magnolia.206 According to this particular theology."201 Robertson added. without either then the Church and the people of this land will fall victim to an oppressive government.C." a theory descended from a theology known as British-Israelism. Once you read them you'll realize that we've definitely been deceived by our government and we need to do everything in our powers to take our nation back.him on board. "The Sovereignty of God and Civil Government" was listed in a book catalogue published by the British-Israel World Federation. has a sprawling set of connections to neo-Confederates and those preaching the so-called Christian Identity doctrine. Also on the platform that day was the band Poker Face."203 Robertson also used this Meetup site to advertise an August 29." his essay. "John Weaver is a very knowledgeable Christian leader who presents scriptural basis for Constitutional Rights. FreedomWorks. Robertson endorsed Pastor John Weaver on the 1776 Tea Party Meet Up website. 58 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . of Fitzgerald. One thousand people gathered in Upper Senate Park for a rally in D.
For example. became a director of Tea Party of Kentucky. one Hutchinson. and ensured that Louisville Tea Party events had an anti-gay cast to them. Frank Simon.C. called the Order of the Illuminati-Cabalistic bankers and Freemasons control WORLD finances.214 Members of this organization continued to participate and lead Tea Party events into 2010. since organizations usually associated with the so-called Christian right have been a part of this movement since the beginning. "we strongly condemn the use of anti-Semitic imagery in the promotion of a recent event. It sponsored a boycott of Disney because of its "attack on American families.. This should not come as a surprise.500 organizers to lead protests in their home towns during July 2009. California Republican Party chairman was moved to comment on an anti-Semitic graphic used to advertise a Tea Party event. The American Family Association. their goal is to degrade and enslave humanity. Hard core white nationalists use terms such as "racial realist" and "selfconscious whites" to distinguish themselves from the majority of white people in this country. for example. chaPTer 8. D. white nationalism has projected two slightly different visions of white supremacy.More insidiously.213 Founded by the Rev."211 The "Illuminati-Cabalistic" language is widespread among followers of the John Birch Society and more radical Christian patriot-types active in Tea Parties in the Midwest and South. using the name "salthawkmom. Kansas woman." and "Roseanne. aNTi-semiTism aNd The miliTia imPulse | 59 ."212 Signs claiming that "This is a Christian nation" have been part of many Tea Party protests. Notably. the San Mateo. In another instance. it is common for rank and file activists to use anti-Semitic rhetoric in their web postings.215 Enter White Nationalists Soon after the first set of April 15. but white domination is complete and un-complicated by civil rights laws and voting rights for people of color." in opposition to the supposed "antiChristian" character of these programs. Don Wildmon in Tupelo. Tea Party protests attracted members of white nationalist organizations and networks. in April 2009. this organization was initially known as the National Federation for Decency." recently wrote a message on a Tea Party website reading: "An international cult. signed up more than 1. the president of American Family Association of Kentucky." And it has otherwise attempted to make its narrow vision of Christianity the law of the land. One goal is a United States of America in which white and black and other people of color are all resident. racism. It organized boycotts of the sponsors of television shows such as "Saturday Night Live. Inc. according to local reports. 2009 events.. and they were in particular abundance in September 2009 during the large demonstration in Washington. As a movement. Inc. including those that simply exhibit racist or prejudiced opinions. An alternative white nationalist vision is a whites-only republic carved out of the remains of a collapsed and dissected United States of America. Mississippi.
org. a race war novel. 2009. and hand them material accordingly. although there are hard-core anti-Semites throughout its ranks and leadership." 60 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . and that Barack Obama and black people generally oppress white people. "I will be doing it again in July. the Stormfront discussion board aimed at a highly conscious intervention. one Stormfronter wrote. In contradistinction. The Council of Conservative Citizens. Keep it simple. This is the time and place. "I think the CofCC approach of representing whites without being able to be portrayed as racist boot wearing Nazis is the best approach.216 While highlighting the distinction between themselves and the majority of Tea Partiers who were not self-conscious about their own racism. And they planned to hand out a leaflet with a relatively muted political message."218 In this Stormfront discussion. is the largest white nationalist organization in the country and the group most active in the Tea Parties. They would gauge the individual Tea Partier that they were talking to. Louis with its strongest chapters in the South and Mid-South. Several people said they would bring a variety of pieces of propaganda.org. one person argued. As a non-CofCC member. I believe they have one of the most effective approaches. national socialists and other white supremacists created a discussion thread on Stormfront. a segment of white nationalists usually associated with the most outrageous neo-Nazi behavior acknowledged a shift towards a set of tactics more commonly employed by the Council of Conservatives Citizens (CofCC). In a sign that the Council's low key intervention in the Tea Parties was holding sway within the white nationalist universe. The Council does not itself advance the same kind of bald anti-Semitic conspiracy theories that motivate national socialists like those at Stormfront.In preparation for Tea Party protests held on July 4. One group decided against wearing any gear with swastikas or other symbols of their actual core ideologies." they wrote. I would suggest printing business cards with the web address of your group or organization. Take these Tea Party Americans by the hand and help them go from crawling to standing independently and then walking towards racialism. the largest and most widely accessed of the many white nationalist websites. They would carry Confederate battle flags and other more generic symbols of white protest. headquartered in St. the now deceased founder of the National Alliance best known as author of The Turner Diaries. "We need a relevant transitional envelop-pushing flyer for the masses. Nevertheless. "I distributed WN [white nationalist] literature at the last Tea Party in Phoenix. with elaborately construed pseudonyms and accompanying graphics—a number of which included pictures of William Pierce. Others had slightly different ideas. A direct lineal descendant of the white Citizens Councils that fought to defend Jim Crow segregation during the 1950s and 1960s."217 Some of the posts in this thread had an almost cartoonish aspect. with the intensity of racism apparent on a sliding scale. another messenger argued that there was no need to hide their core politics. For those on a budget. the Council of Conservative Citizens promotes the idea that the United States is or should be a white Christian nation.
12. a race-war terror novel carried around by Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. Roper was an enrolled member of the ResistNet Tea Party. an organization dedicated to the creation of an all-white country and the requisite expulsion and/or murder of Jews and people of color. which included Aryan Nations founder Richard Butler. "The future of this revolution. in Ripley on October 31. William Pierce. One of the most zealous white nationalists visible in Tea party circles has been Billy Joe Roper. According to a "Campaign Trail Report" posted by Roper. 2009. Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL) spoke at that event. he met with Tea chaPTer 8. Roper carried a sign that read: "Not Separate. Citizens Informer. On the positive side.. Roper's views are unabashed. the "negative tendency that plagues Tea Party activism.Through its periodical tabloid. and its website. but he went home to Arkansas and founded his own organization. one of the organization's leaders wrote. to protest the anniversary of Brown v.500. At that protest. At a Citrus County Tea Party attended by 4. as one of the great men of our race."222 Roper's sentiments did not change.cofcc. White children are taught his name right along with George Washington's and Adolph Hitler's. he continues to idolize its founder. and the Upper East Mississippi chapter sponsored a Halloween Tea Party at the Tippah County Courthouse. In Mississippi.500 people on January 16. 2010. A former Russellville. a "Mississippi for Liberty March" at the state capitol on April 17. the same chapter "worked [the] crowd. When Pierce died in 2002." and passed out two boxes of its tabloid and 250 Council business cards. Topeka Board of Education. depends on white zealots. Roper issued a statement saying. White Revolution. the 1954 Supreme Court ruling that outlawed Jim Crow segregation in education. One of White Revolution's rallies was held in Topeka.to deny the racial dynamic empowering the movement. He is also running a write-in campaign for Arkansas Governor.. "the fact that hundreds of thousands of white people got up the nerve to oppose the government [was] astonishing. 2009 Tea Party in Crystal River attended by about 1. Roper became the group's deputy membership director in 2000 and worked out of its headquarters in West Virginia."221 Little talk of taxes and budget deficits intruded into this analysis. Still Not Equal. the organization advertised a "Mississippi Tea Party" at Flowood City Hall on March 9. he noted." On the other hand. 2010. Kansas in May 2004." He concluded that. if that is what it is. "I promised him [Pierce] that I would do my best to spend the rest of my life making sure that one hundred and one thousand years from now." Roper remains the leader of White Revolution even as he uses his governor's race as a bid for more support. the Council of Conservative Citizens both led and promoted Tea Party protests. Pierce authored The Turner Diaries. www. Arkansas high school teacher.220 Despite these and other similar actions. racism. A one-time leader of the National Alliance. Jr.org. the Florida West Coast chapter distributed three boxes of tabloids as well as an unknown number of membership applications at a Sept.219 In Florida. aNTi-semiTism aNd The miliTia imPulse | 61 . the Council of Conservative Citizens remained ambivalent about the Tea Parties ultimate goals.
"Message to the Tea Party." and ended with his usual roundhouse attack on "the Zionists" (meaning Jews). David Duke's embrace of the Tea Parties reveals less about the Tea Parties than it serves as a reminder of the former Klansmen's never-ending opportunism.org posters and other white nationalists need be understood."223 At a July 4. and as potential supporters of a more ideologically defined white nationalism.) Duke's announcement that he will use a year-long speaking tour to gauge potential support for another campaign in the Republican presidential primaries (in 2012) should not be understood as anything more than a declaration of his perennial search for contributions from new followers. one more sign that hardcore white nationalists regard the Tea Party movement as a reservoir of racists. He is quite unlikely to repeat anything near the successes he has had in the past. however. the once and future Republican. he spoke at a meeting in Bahrain. In November of that year. in aggregate." And in 2009. The actions of the Council of Conservative Citizens. his write-in efforts nor did he stop describing his efforts to win votes from Tea Party supporters. of the Tea party movement's political characteristics. Duke had spent time flitting across the globe: In France. He used the Internet to broadcast a ten minute video speech.225 ResistNet pulled down Roper's website. he turned a 1995 meeting with Zhirinovsky into a spot at a 2002 "anti-Zionist" conference in Moscow. Roper's ResistNet member page was the site of a continuing discussion he has with other members of the Tea Party group. but he never abandoned his core national socialist ideology. After a Kansas City Star report on Roper's Tea Party efforts. Duke had his picture taken with Jean-Marie Le Pen.Partiers in Baxter County over one weekend in May. the Stormfront. was unceremoniously expelled from the Czech Republic (although the charges were later dropped. when he won a majority of white voters in two statewide Louisiana elections. Together they point to a truth many Tea Party leaders will not want to acknowledge. Roper's crew held signs opposing "illegal immigration." handed out leaflets stating general principles and then came back after the Tea Party disbanded to have a protest of their own.224 But the reception that he has had from the Tea Partiers has been ambiguous. It is. Over the decades Duke has switched organizational allegiances as new openings emerged for him. as one measure. In Russia." Duke began the "message" by paying homage to the Tea Parties and the "Founding Fathers. He reappeared in Iran in 2006 for a Holocaust denial conference where he thanked President Ahmadinejad for his "courage" and "foresight. and a Little Rock television news report. Most recently. among many. In some instances he has been shunned. 2009 Tea Party event in Russellville. and Roper lost his ability to use the Tea Parties as a launch pad for his electoral campaign. however. He did not abandon. 62 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . in others he finds what he is looking for—a few young people to recruit to his cause. In Mountain View he was introduced to a crowd at a folk music concert "as the candidate of choice for patriotic Arkansans with traditional conservative values. leader of the anti-immigrant Front National. David Duke. Tea Partiers in the region denied that they even knew him.
Richard Mack and Militias
Local groups affiliated with Tea Party Patriots that described themselves as militias included the Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia, the Billy Hill Militia in Oklahoma, and the nowdefunct North Coast Militia.226 Other Tea Party Patriot-affiliated groups actively promoted militia formation. The Pocatello Tea Party, for example, promoted the "Ten Reasons Why We Need a State Militia." Among the reasons given, "Cultural subversion, corruption, and dissolution," (including "Pluralism" and "multiculturalism"), "invasion by illegal immigrants," "Schemes aimed at overthrowing the Declaration of Independence," and "a staggering burden of governmental financial liabilities."227 In Springfield, Missouri the 9-12 Tea Party group advised followers to join the SW Missouri militia. Other signs of the militia impulse include the omnipresence of Richard Mack at Tea Partyrelated events—not just those of the Tea Party Patriots mentioned earlier. A former Graham County, Arizona sheriff (1987-1997), Mack first became prominent in 1995, after he sued the federal government over enforcement of the Brady Bill. During the mid-1990s, he became a popular speaker on the militia circuit. Indeed, he spent so much time outside his own county, that he was defeated in a primary election in 1996 and lost his office. Mack wrote, or co-authored, two books during that period, arguing militia-style that, "proponents of the New World Order are entrenched and moving forward aggressively with their plan." In Mack's view, Satan is acting through conspiracies every day. And like other Christian nationalists, he wrote, "The court-imposed separation of church and state is a folly, a myth, a lie." Further, in language reminiscent of segregationists in the 1950s and former Tea Party Express boss Mark Williams when he wrote about the NAACP: "The Reverend Jesse Jackson types and the NAACP have done more to enslave Afro-Americans than all the southern plantation owners put together."228 In the current period as a member of Oath Keepers, Mack presents himself as a defender of the constitution, in terms similar to that he used in 1990s, and the supremacy of the county sheriff over all other law enforcement agencies. He is not talking at these Tea Party events about fiscal policy, taxes and the national debt. He is talking about "states' rights." Yet, he is one of the most popular speakers on the Tea Party circuit. A coalition of Tea Party groups in four California towns, calling themselves the North Valley Patriots, sponsored an engagement with Mack in January 2010; he returned on July 10.229 The Silver City-Grant County Tea Party Patriots sponsored Mack's appearance in Silver City, New Mexico on March 1, 2010.230 In Tyler, Texas on May 29, he spoke at event organized by the Tyler Tea Party and the East Texas Constitutional Alliance.231 Among other Tea Party-related events this summer, Mack also visited Sarasota, Florida.232
Bigotry and the health care reform vote
Health care reform legislation had been a flashpoint for Tea Party protests, beginning with a
chaPTer 8. racism, aNTi-semiTism aNd The miliTia imPulse | 63
concerted effort to shout down Congressional Democrats at their "town hall" meetings during August 2009. The following November, at a Tea Party protest aimed at health care legislation, ten people were arrested for unlawful entry when they tried to force their way into the offices of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. As the bill moved closer to passage in March 2010, strident voices called for violence. One 1990s-era militiaman from Alabama, Mike Vanderboegh, urged whoever was reading his blog to break the windows of Democrats. "Break them NOW...Break them with rocks..."233 In the aftermath of this call, the office windows of several members of the House of Representatives were shattered with bricks. In Washington State, a man charged with making repeated death threats to Senator Patricia Murray, had attended at least one Tea Party event that April 1, although he did not describe himself as a Tea Partier.234 On March 20, 2010 a Tea Party protest grew ugly as a small group of congressmen walked through them to the Capitol to vote on health care reform. Chants of "Kill the Bill" turned to racist slurs and name calling. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) was called a "faggot." Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) was called a "n...er," and Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D. Mo.) was spit upon. Cleaver described the name calling as a "chorus."235 The meanness and racism of that particular event was compounded later by Tea Party leaders and others who claimed no such racist and bigoted name calling occurred. Among those denying the obvious was Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), who has since founded the Tea Party Caucus in Congress.
Response to NAACP resolution
During the NAACP's national convention during July 2010, the organization's plenary body passed a resolution that called upon all people of good will to repudiate any racism that manifested itself in Tea Party ranks. While the resolution noted the differences in opinions about racial justice issues between the general population and Tea Partiers, it did not attempt to categorize all Tea Partiers as consciously racist. The resolution was met immediately with anonymous death threats directed at the NAACP generally and to units around the country, and a barrage of verbal abuse was sent to the NAACP's web site. The reaction by the various Tea Parties to this resolution provided a useful window on the way that they respond to challenges of any kind. In a number of instances the resolution was misunderstood, perhaps deliberately so, as a broad-brush "attack" on all Tea Partiers. In many instances, the response was to deny that any racists were within Tea Party ranks. Several claimed that the NAACP was itself racist, or that the term "racism" had lost all real meaning. For his part, Tea Party Express leader Mark Williams used the opportunity to post one more obnoxious and racist statement on his blog. It should be noted that Williams already had a history of remarks such as his claim that President Obama was an "Indonesian Muslim turned welfare thug." His so-called satire, written after the NAACP resolution, belittling black people generally and the NAACP in particular, was not a new departure. Nevertheless, as noted elsewhere in
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this report, his "satire" eventually resulted in his removal from the Tea Party Express leadership. Nevertheless, a later comment by Amy Kremer muddied the situation: "...Mark Williams may speak on behalf of us in some circumstances and in some situations..."236 Tea Party Nation, by contrast, issued a statement that read: "The Tea Party Movement is not racist. Tea Party Nation and many other groups have repudiated racism and racists."237 Although it also described Mark Williams' remarks as a "a controversial blog that many took to be racist," it left unanswered the question as to whether or not Tea Party Nation leaders believed that Williams' comment were, in fact, racist. Perhaps the hesitancy to describe the Tea Party Express' leaders remarks in a straight forward manner stemmed from the fact that the two organizations had been intertwined as recently as the previous May, when Tea Party Nation issued the following statement: "The folks over at Tea Party Express are our friends. They were kind enough to invite Tea Party Nation to join them at the huge event in Searchlight, NV and we believe their hearts are in the right place, just not their strategy."238 Tea Party Patriots' spokesperson Jenny Beth Martin promptly issued a statement that declared, "A few offensive posters or obnoxious remarks of one person DO NOT represent the feelings or behavior of the Tea Party movement." In fact, Martin herself is not one of the birthers that populate so much of the Tea Party Patriots ranks. Nevertheless, when her statement argued that the "NAACP has a long history of racism," she joined the ranks of those that count as inherently racist any advocacy on behalf of people of color. And her claim that, "all these attacks," apparently meaning the NAACP resolution, "are untrue," simply denied obvious facts long in evidence.239 The St. Louis Tea Party passed a resolution which included language that: "The very term 'racist' has diminished meaning due to its overuse by political partisans including members of the NAACP."240 Taking much the same tack as the St. Louis Tea Party, the Council of Conservative Citizens, responded to the controversy by republishing parts of an essay by James Edwards entitled, "Racism, Schmacism." Edwards, an AM radio talk show host from the Memphis area, has been a denizen of the white nationalist movement, frequently providing a platform for David Duke and others. Edwards claimed that the term "racist" simply "means white person." Specifically to the charge of racism, he wrote, that Tea Partiers should respond, "'So what?' or 'Of course we're racists—we're white people.'"241 Here, Edwards and the Council of Conservative Citizens were re-articulating the entire white nationalist approach inside the Tea Parties: to push this budding movement ever further toward a self-conscious white racism. On July 14, The Tea Party Federation, of which Mark Williams and Tea Party Express had been members, issued an immediate rebuff to the NAACP resolution. "The Tea Party Federation (NTPF) today flatly rejected the NAACP's unfounded accusations that condemn 'racist elements' in the tea party movement."242 Just three days later, after the Tea Party Express had refused to expel Mark Williams from its leadership, the Tea Party Federation issued a second statement.
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signaled that two seemingly contradictory things (at least) were happening at once: For some Tea Partiers race was less important than ideology. when the "disapprovers" answered it. In any case. At the same time—as amply documented in this report—race and religion are powerful determinants of national identity for many Tea Partiers. at an August 4. The event.245 Further. Race & Sexuality. Tea Party leaders insist that their movement is not infested with racists or racist beliefs. conducted in March 2010. however. 55% agreed with the statement that black people were "VERY hard working. almost three-quarters of Tea Party supporters (73%).This one expelled Tea Party Express from its membership. In fact. Nevertheless." Not every Tea party supporter exhibited such feelings.244 A striking difference over positive attitudes towards black people showed up in a multi-state poll. attacking the NAACP was nothing new to these speakers.C." Despite this obvious pattern. Most of the speakers at this event were conservatives who were black and had long-standing ties to either the Republican Party or the conservative movement or both. 68% of the Tea party "approvers" believed that if only they would try harder.243 Notably. particularly in regards to racially charged issues. Louis Tea Party that read: "Honk if I am paying your mortgage. the Tea Party Federation took the appropriate corrective action. only 18% agreed with the statement that black people were "VERY hard working. Hence. Add opinion poll data to the evidence that a problem with racism and racial issues exists in Tea Party ranks. the signs such as one at an early St. these white Tea Partiers show noticeably different attitudes than those of white people generally. this second statement did not reference the NAACP resolution nor mention the word "racism. Opinion Poll Data Both polling data and observable evidence point to the fact that Tea Party attendees and their supporters are mostly white." Of those who strongly approved of the Tea Party. told pollsters that government programs aimed at providing a social safety net for poor people actually encourages them to remain poor." Nor did it mention the fact that the July 14 statement was wrong-headed.246 In fact. That number fell by almost half. then black people would be as well off as white people." This 24-point difference pointed at Tea Party supporters as more likely to have negative feelings about the work ethic of black people. more than a bit of anecdotal evidence shows hostility and resentment towards the poor and the programs designed to help them. Black conservatives active in the Tea Parties staged their own rejoinder to the NAACP resolution. Of those who strongly disapproved of the Tea Party. certainly. sponsored by Tea Party Express. by the University of Washington Institute for the Study of Ethnicity. 2010 rally in D. Tea Partiers are more likely than white people generally to believe that "too much" has been made of the problems facing black people: 52% to 39%. Significantly. but enough of it showed up in opinion polls to give 66 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . marking the border between "self " and "other. to 35%.
a quarter of Tea Party supporters polled on the question admit that they think that the Obama "administration favors black people over whites. Indeed." almost three-fourths of Tea Partiers (73%) said "no. Similarly. racism."247 When asked whether or not Barack Obama understood the "needs and problems of people like you. More is at issue here than a simple disagreement of social policy and legislation. aNTi-semiTism aNd The miliTia imPulse | 67 .credence to the description of Tea Parties as mean-spirited. both anecdotal evidence and poll data point to an irreconcilable gap between the president and Tea Partiers." These numbers indicate racial and cultural differences that morph directly into opposing beliefs about immigration." A similar number (75%) said he did not "share the values most Americans try to live by. national identity and a question that haunts this Tea Party movement: Who is an American? chaPTer 8.
I am proud of my country. It is a form of American nationalism. Doesn't the Constitution mandate he already be one to hold office?"251 In a Tea Party Nation website discussion forum..he needs to tell Nobama to bring his authentic birth certificate to the debate. Pam Farnsworth. On January 8. For example. 'Who Is An American?': Tea Parties."249 Among those promoting these ideas after the 2008 election was Tea Party Nation's marketing director. I am totally disillusioned after sitting and watching Congress certify the Electoral College vote on CSPAN without one objection. the yellow "Don't tread on me" Gadsden flags from the same era." It is the notion that President Barack Obama is not a real natural born American. our freedom. John McCain: ". that does not include all Americans. "Charles the pathfinder. in October 2008. one rank and file member. she wrote: "I have lost all hope on this issue of OBami's eligibility to be President of the United States.Chapter 9. the over-stated veneration of the Constitution. Much of this sentiment predates the actual formation of Tea Parties. wrote of Sen.250 She also remarked that. I am so tired of the spin from his spinmeisters! Johnny Mac. before the election. "New bill would make Obama a US natural-born citizen. however.. I am afraid it is already too late." wrote in a way that set the president apart as a non-American: "If obama [sic] is to be stopped. a recent Tea Party Nation Newsletter article entitled. who later became a figure from both Tea Party Patriots and Tea Party Express. the earnest recitals of the pledge of allegiance. and separates itself from those it regards as insufficiently "real Americans. TPN better stop preaching to each other and start some drastic action. T 68 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . Nativism and the Birthers he Revolutionary War-era costumes. Amy Kremer. unlike our President. our generosity. no apology from me. and the defense of "American exceptionalism" in a world turned towards transnational economies and global institutions: all are signs of the over-arching nationalism that helps define the Tea Party movement.. 2009.. but I have been studying obama [sic] since the start. 2009 tweet. "Where's the birth certificate?" in a June 4. who asked. "I am a arrogant American." Or the hand-drawn sign at a Tea Party rally that was obviously earnestly felt.just go straight to the source!"248 This sentiment was coupled with a profound alienation and distrust of established American institutions." Consider in this regard. Just my opinion mind you. that abounds in Tea Party ranks and draws this movement into a pit of no return. that he is some other kind of person. "Real Americans Did Not Sue Arizona.
255 Despite weeks of pressure from community groups who raised concerns about Geller's history of Islamophobia.I hope every one realizes now that he is full blooded Muslim. the Pew Research Center measured that number at 18%. 2009. and irrational. in March 2009. alongside racism. these claims became so widespread that they corresponded to an uptick in the number of Americans who believe that President Obama is not a Christian. those who do not believe that President Obama is a native born American have been widely visible. It is archaic. As such. anti-Semitism."254 Among the characteristic elements of Islamophobia highlighted in the report: Islam is monolithic and cannot adapt to new realities. In fact. As noted earlier. In the multiple Tea Party street protests since April 15. and Islam is a violent political ideology. and nativism. 11% of Americans believed he was a Muslim. In August 2010. And I have been told that Muslims are taught to kill all infidels and Americans especially. this was a period of intense protests and mobilization. Shortly after he took office. Among white Protestant evangelicals. These numbers were highest among conservative Republicans (34%) opposed to the president policies. Islam as a religion is inferior to the West. Pamela Geller stands out in this regard. and therefore fear or dislike of all or most Muslims.256 chaPTer 9. Islam is a religion of violence and supports terrorism. With strong Tea Party ties. Indeed. Tea Party organizations could have served as a perfect Petri dish from which this particular bacterium could have grown and spread. When is he going to have to answer for all his treasonous acts?"252 That sentiment. the elements of Islamophobia have found their way into the Tea Party Movement. Dick Armey and FreedomWorks' injunction that the Tea Parties should be limited only to fiscal policy matters was obviously rarely observed.253 While social scientists have not yet said that this jump in the numbers from March 2009 to August 2010 was caused by Tea Partiers propaganda. the percentage believing the president was a Muslim stood in August at 29%. the notion that Barack Obama is not a real American. NaTivism aNd The BirThers | 69 . And that Barack Obama was a non-American socialist who conspiratorially slipped into the White House. but a Muslim. Hundreds of posts echoing these sentiments are on the Tea Party Nation website. barbaric. that he was born in Kenya or Indonesia. Pamela Geller and Islamophobia The term "Islamophobia" was defined in a 1997 Runnymede Trust Report as "unfounded hostility towards Muslims. Islam does not share common values with other major faiths. 'who is aN americaN?': Tea ParTies." is also found across the entirety of the Tea Party movement. as he professes. rather than in Hawaii. Tea Party leaders and members have employed anti-Muslim language. Geller was a featured speaker at a Tea Party Patriots-sponsored convention in Gatlinburg. the convention organizers refused to reconsider their invitation to Geller. They have claimed he was a Muslim instead of a Christian. Tennessee in May. but a "lying African.
She is expected to be speaking at the Tea Party Nation Unity Convention in Las Vegas in October.. And at the rate he is going. at the Tea Party Nation convention in Nashville. it is not surprising to find language on a ResistNet Tea Party website that denigrates an entire grouping of people because of their faith. for example. "We are at a point of having to take a stand against all Muslims. and the Freedom Defense Initiative.What more must we wait for to take back this country of ours. (Although some Tea Partiers became upset with Tancredo later. If they stayed home and made half the effort to change their country as they do marching our streets demand- 70 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr ..258 She has appeared on the ResistNet radio program that was heavily promoted by ResistNet leader Darla Dawald." 261 Media Matters for America documented that Geller's blog contains 267 posts tagged. after he decided to run for Governor of Colorado on a third party ticket. wrote: "Yes.. he is going to get one — if he continues to ignore the will of the American people. she has written that: "It is increasingly clear that the most divisive President in history is itching for a civil war. things ran quite well before the swarm of manipulated underclasses invaded our country.) In fact. And the number of such posts on the Tea Party Nation website has been on the rise. All are listed as official "partner" organizations of the ResistNet Tea Party faction. military and other offices. In addition to claiming that Obama's birth certificate is a "forgery. As noted earlier. a TPN member from Gainesboro. Donna Baker. Atlas Shrugs. There is no good or bad Muslim.257 Geller maintains a tight-knit trio of organizational fronts: Atlas Shrugs."264 Nativism and Support for Arizona's SB 1070 These doubts and denials about President Obama's American-ness have been coupled often with a growing level of nativist activity and sentiment from both the grassroots and the leadership of the various Tea Party factions. SIOA (Stop Islamization of America).263 Among the many inflammatory statements Geller has posted on her blog." She has perpetuated the lie that President Obama is Muslim. Tea Party Nation is second only to the 1776 Tea Party in its connections to nativist groups and advancing anti-immigrant issues. like many Tea Partiers is also a birther. Geller has referred to Obama as "The Muslim president. and he and others conducted workshops along the same lines. There is [sic] only Muslims and they are embedded in our government.." she has called President Obama a "third worlder and a coward" who's "appeas[ing] his Islamic overlords. "Muslim in the White House?"262 She's gone as far as to seriously make the argument that Barack Obama is the illegitimate child of Malcolm X. Tennessee.259 With leaders like Geller."260 Geller. former congressman Tom Tancredo gave a rousing anti-immigrant speech.Geller also spoke at the anti-immigrant rally in Arizona sponsored by Tea Party Nation in August 2010.
The federal government doesn't give a hoot about us."267 After Arizona passed a piece of anti-immigrant legislation (SB 1070) and Gov. or if your business has gone under because your competition uses illegals. "If you have been the victim of a crime by an illegal. How can we restore our beloved nation with only one plank? Our borders are chaPTer 9. but will we stand with our fellow Citizens as the residents of Arizona are denied their domestic tranquility? Arizona needs the help of the Tea Party and every American Citizen as well. 2010 email to members asked recipients to post anecdotes to a new TPN forum about illegal immigrants. they could change their own lives. marched and protested big government. to ask affiliated members to hold sign waving events for one hour on July 29 to show their "support of the people and State of Arizona on the day SB1070 goes into effect. please share those as well. Tea Party Nation also joined the Patriot Caucus and United We Stand for Americans to support the event."269 On the list of "non-negotiable core beliefs" that the 1776 Tea Parties hold are the usual items about budgets and taxes..ing our laws not be enforced.." 266 From the leadership. Tea Parties have been drumming up support for SB 1070. [they are] a huge burgeoning looming voting bloc. was one of the sponsors for a United Border Coalition Tea Party in Arizona on August 15. or if you have lost your job to illegals. or showing racist posters). well that is the cost of doing business!"271 The 1776 group's executive director. Remember that this particular Tea Party organization imported two of its commanding executives from the anti-immigrant Minuteman Project. we want to know about it. a federal judge issued a temporary injunction blocking enforcement of many of the bill's most draconian measures. Jan Brewer signed it into law. Accordingly. . an August 3. the anti-immigrant statute roiling Arizona.] groups have only a plank or two on their platform we have 15 strong ones. Also included are "Illegal Aliens Are Illegal" and "English Only Is Required. kidnapped or abducted into Mexico. "The Tea Party? We stand with Arizona and why shouldn't we. for example. except we are the cash cows they must keep milking and if a few of us are murdered."265 Another member.. NaTivism aNd The BirThers | 71 ."270 This faction also supports SB1070. further spelled out his justification for supporting the Arizona anti-immigrant law: "The Tea Party has waved the signs.268 Similarly.. wrote: "WOW! I am so mad and pissed off at Obama. They come here for a legal Drivers [sic] License which is still possible and welfare and then work in the contruction [sic] trade thanks to Governer Granholm [sic] and the holes in our boarder [sic] with Canada. If you have photos and videos of illegals or their supporters doing outrageous things (like burning the American flag or putting the Mexican flag above ours. In response. They are blindly being used and manipulated by other forces . The matter is likely to ultimately go to the Supreme Court. Robert Matheson. I live in Detroit and between the Mexicans and the Arabs this area is run over by them. their chairman argued. While other [Tea Party-ed. the National Leadership Council of Tea Party Patriots voted overwhelmingly. 'who is aN americaN?': Tea ParTies. Tea Party Nation.
all of them Republicans. The group has also used Dick Armey's immigration position to freeze out FreedomWorks and create some space for nativist groups like NumbersUSA." and suggested FreedomWorks may be trying "to intimidate local tea parties" to shy away from the issue at the behest of "corporate benefactors [who] want the foreign labor to keep pouring in. In a blog post entitled "Dick Armey stuns tea partiers with open-borders advocacy. insiders are trying to keep the illegal immigration issue out of the tea party movement?"275 The ALI-PAC attack is a fight over turf. Michelle Malkin.hemorrhaging. the anti-immigrant group NumbersUSA is trying to make inroads into the Tea Party movement. sent out an email which read: "Dick Armey of FreedomWorks (The group trying to take control of the tea party movement) supports AMNESTY for illegal aliens. yet few speak up."272 Contra Dick Armey and FreedomWorks This exaggerated nativism and birther talk has been strong enough to result in something of a rift with FreedomWorks Dick Armey. Gary Armstrong. Founded in July 2010. One supporter of the Tea Parties. and the rest are scattered around the country—although none are from the northeastern part of the country. our jobs are being exported and our guns slowly being confiscated. from Minnesota's 6th District. big government Republican Sen. William Gheen.C.. a Tea Party organizer in east Tennessee. head of ALI-PAC has been trying to carve out a niche for ALI-PAC among the Tea Parties."276 Tea Party Caucus in Congress The link between the Tea Parties. the director of ALI-PAC."273Armey's position on immigration has angered many Tea Partiers. Bachmann. anti-immigrant politics and birthright citizenship shows up in Michele Bachmann's Tea Party Caucus in the House of Representatives. five are from Georgia and four are from California. said he unsubscribed from the FreedomWorks e-mail list after learning of Armey's record on immigration and told Politico. Are we to guarantee domestic tranquility for the rest of the world while our own Citizens hide in their homes for fear of an invading army of trespassers? . 72 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . the Tea Party Caucus quickly grew to include fifty-one representatives. "right now. We will NOT stand down and we will NOT go silently into the night."274 The North Carolina nativist group Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALI-PAC) jumped into the fray in March 2010. is the only representative from that state who is a member of the caucus." and asked "Does this explain why the D. when William Gheen. I think we should tar-and-feather Dick Armey.. Ten are from Texas. Like ALI-PAC. called Armey an "amnesty stooge" and "a clueless promoter of bailout-happy." NumbersUSA head Roy Beck charged that Armey "wants immigration to be treated as a social issue with no place in the tea parties. John McCain.
Notably. thirty nine of the Tea Party Caucus members are also co-sponsors of H. 1868. They will overtake us if we don't [sic] stop this now. slave trade. NaTivism aNd The BirThers | 73 . Esq. 'who is aN americaN?': Tea ParTies. and the fear of the new majority in American life. chaPTer 9. rapings. the ResistNet Alabama State Director. the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2009. currently sitting in a House committee. passed after the Civil War to guarantee the citizenship rights of the newly-freed slaves and their children. "The Mexicans reasons for invading America is certainly more than just for jobs and 'anchor babies'! The kidnappings. forty-two of the fifty-one are also members of the House Immigration Reform Caucus in Congress—the grouping of the most steadfast opponents to any reform legislation that would include a pathway to citizenship for those without proper papers. Opposition to "birthright citizenship" extends throughout the Tea Party movement. killings." Leverette wrote. the denigration of President Obama. This bill. at the conjunction of nativism. It would present a direct constitutional challenge to the Fourteenth Amendment. that the unstated racism embedded within the Tea Parties becomes vocal and unmistakable. and is often linked to an explicit fear of the demographic transformation underway in the United States. in which white people are projected to become one minority in a country of minorities during the next several decades. argued that real Americans were being "out-bred. A web post by a Tea Party Patriot activist using the name "No Anchors" was symptomatic: "We have to stop mexicans [sic] from having kids here and giving them citizenship. The 14th amendment [sic] needs to be respected. WTF!" 278 It is here. would end birthright citizenship in the United States for the America-born children of parents without papers."277 A similar post from Jason Leverette. In a second count.R. opposition to birthright citizenship. It is being misrepresented and no one stands up for this!! All politicians agree with it if they don't [sic] change it. smuggling weapons and drugs is just another part of their plan to occupy and outbreed the Americans and eventually become the majority who will rule America! If this trend continues…by 2050 the United States will be ruled by Hosea Jesus Delgado Gonzalez Calderon.
s. Name robert Aderholt roscoe bartlett Trent Franks Pete Hoekstra John shadegg Michele bachmann Wally Herger Todd Akin Tom McClintock blaine luetkemeyer Gary Miller Gregg Harper ed royce Denny rehberg Mike Coffman Howard Coble Doug lamborn sue Wilkins Myrick Gus bilirakis Adrian smith Ander Crenshaw Joe Wilson Cliff stearns Phil roe Paul broun Zach Wamp Phil Gingrey Joe barton Tom Graves Michael burgess Tom Price Party r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r State Al MD AZ Mi AZ MN CA MO CA MO CA Ms CA MT CO NC CO NC Fl Ne Fl sC Fl TN GA TN GA TX GA TX GA Dist 4 6 2 2 3 6 2 2 4 9 42 3 40 At-large 6 6 5 9 9 3 4 2 6 1 10 3 11 6 9 26 6 HIRC MEM yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes NO yes yes NO yes NO yes yes yes yes yes yes NO yes yes yes yes yes yes yes NO yes yes HR 1868 Co-Sponsor NO yes yes NO yes NO yes yes yes NO yes NO yes NO yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes NO yes yes yes NO NO yes yes 74 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . u. and cross-references it with membership in the House immigration reform Caucus and co-sponsors of a bill sitting in the House that would end birthright citizenship. tea party CauCus.Figure 15. Congress This chart shows the membership of the Tea Party Caucus in Congress.
NaTivism aNd The BirThers | 75 .Name John Carter lynn Westmoreland John Culberson steve king louie Gohmert Dan burton ralph Hall Mike Pence kenny Marchant lynn Jenkins randy Neugebauer Jerry Moran Pete sessions Todd Tiahrt lamar smith rodney Alexander rob bishop John Fleming Cynthia lummis steve scalise Party r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r State TX GA TX iA TX iN TX iN TX ks TX ks TX ks TX lA UT lA Wy lA Dist 31 3 7 5 1 5 4 6 24 2 19 1 32 4 21 5 1 4 At-large 1 HIRC MEM yes yes yes yes yes yes yes NO yes NO NO yes yes yes yes yes NO yes yes NO HR 1868 Co-Sponsor yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes NO yes yes yes yes yes yes NO yes NO yes chaPTer 9. 'who is aN americaN?': Tea ParTies.
The John D. LeonarD ZeskinD is president of IREHR and author of Blood and Politics: The History of White Nationalism from the Margins to the Mainstream. he served as director of the Building Democracy Initiative in Chicago. 76 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . Alabama. T About the Authors Devin Burghart is vice president of IREHR and coordinates the Seattle office. where he developed innovative new approaches to curtail growing anti-immigrant sentiment. CharLes tanner Jr. He was a 2007 Petra Foundation fellow. Militias & White Supremacy in 1996. and Catherine T. is a longtime civil and human rights activist. He began as a research analyst with the Coalition for Human Dignity in Seattle and was co-author of Guns & Gavels: Common Law Courts. Tanner has a master's degree in political science. From 1997 through 2008. He has conducted research and done community education on the organized anti-Indian movement.Acknowledgments hanks to The Firedoll Foundation for their support for this report. for his generous contribution of time and effort in the design and composition of this report. Mr. He is a lifetime member of the NAACP. We are grateful to Benjamin Todd Jealous for his foreword. MacArthur Foundation named him a Fellow in 1998 (one of its so-called "Genius Grants"). Thanks to Randall Williams of NewSouth Books in Montgomery. Thanks to the board and staff of the NAACP for their interest in and support for this effort to educate the public about the nature of the Tea Party movement. And a special thank you to the volunteers who have helped IREHR gather the all the data necessary to complete this project.
However. if A is said to cause B. In effect. When this is the case. [See Figure ? on next page. then A and B must at least be correlated—a change in one must be A aPPeNdix a: is There a correlaTioN BeTweeN uNemPloymeNT levels aNd Tea ParTy memBershiP? | 77 . Tea Party membership goes down). statisticians and social scientists generally conclude that they do not have strong enough evidence to conclude that these variables are related. This is true. ResistNet. It is often said that correlation is not causation.5) that there is not even any association between these two variables at all. doesn't mean that one causes the other. Tea Party Nation. This relationship is also not statistically significant—that is there is a greater than 1 in 20 chance (1/13.083. correlation is a necessary part of causation. To look for a correlation between Tea Party membership and unemployment rates. knowing the unemployment rate of a city tells us next to nothing about whether there will be a higher or lower level of Tea Party online membership in a city.80 very strong and below 0. Statisticians usually call any correlation above 0.] In this case. n IREHR analysis of Tea Party online membership and unemployment data demonstrates that there is very little if any relationship between unemployment and Tea Party membership. FreedomWorks Tea Party. we examined the unemployment rate data for all 372 cities available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for January 2010 (around the highest level of recent unemployment rates) with the online membership data for 1776 Tea Party. Tea Party membership goes right up with it) and -1 for a very strong negative relationship (when unemployment goes up.279 The correlation coefficient (r) provides a measure of how strongly related two variables are and in which way they vary together.Appendix A: Is There a Correlation between Unemployment Levels and Tea Party Membership? By Charles Tanner Jr.19 very weak to non-existent. and Tea Party Patriots for the same period compiled by IREHR. Just because two things are correlated. the correlation coefficient between unemployment and the percent of Tea Party members in a city is 0. These values could potentially range from 1 for a very strong positive correlation (when unemployment goes up.280 This indicates a very weak to non-existent relationship.
Percent Tea Pary Members in Population Tea Party Membership and Unemployment 0.4 0.2 0. it provides no convincing evidence that unemployment causes Tea Party online membership.associated with a change in the other.8 10 15 Percent Unemployment 20 Figure 16.6 0. This data—the most comprehensive available on Tea Party online membership—provides no convincing evidence of a correlation between unemployment and membership. tea party MeMbership and Correlation with uneMployMent 78 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . As such.0 5 0.
gender breakdowns oF tea party MeMbership by FaCtion FreedomWorks 1776 Tea Party ResistNet Tea Party Patriots aPPeNdix B: geNder aNalysis of Tea ParTy memBershiP | 79 .Appendix B: Gender Analysis of Tea Party Membership Figure 17.
the Tea Party Express. The data for the sixth national Tea Party formation mentioned in this report. Using software generously provided by Sequentum.org). We also normalized the data. 2009.com/2009/04/libertarian-party-of- 2 3 80 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . Tea Party Patriots. April 14. we then geo-coded the set using the city and state information. and gender. 2010. city. "Libertarian Party of Illinois: We gave Rick Santelli the idea for the Tax Day Tea Parties. Tea Party Chapter Data The Tea Party chapter information in this report was also collected during the period from May 1 to May 5. FreedomWorks Tea Party. we worked with the data to eliminate duplicates and extraneous data. Tea Party Members by Faction. using a process similar to how membership information was compiled. A crossover of only 93 unique usernames exists between the Campaign for Liberty online membership (http:// www. one site required manual data entry of the group data. It is important to note that there may be many more individuals who are not listed in these social networking directories – who either chose not to register. We also downloaded the contribution records from FEC. Once we had a completed Tea Party membership data set.com for the same period and imported those records. an automated process allowed for the copying and compiling of the website membership data into a local SQL database.php) compiled by IREHR in June 2010 and the membership database of the members of all the national Tea Party factions compiled by IREHR in May/June 2010. The data was placed into a separate Tea Party Chapter database. or who do not have sufficient computer skills. and Tea Party Membership Totals by City as a percentage of the City population.independentpoliticalreport. Tea Party Members by City. Tea Party Membership Data With the exception of the daily membership totals. the bulk of the Tea Party membership data used in this report was collected during the period from May 1 to May 5. Those queries included: Tea Party Members by State. Dave Brady. Some records were incomplete – missing city.campaignforliberty. After the importation process we ran specific queries to work specifically with Tea Party member data and to extract the information we needed. The data provides a partial picture of the Tea Party activist base. .com/memberlist. 1776 Tea Party (also known as TeaParty. not in areas where data was missing. country. http://www. Additional Data Sources In addition to the Tea Party data. 2010." Independent Political Report Website.Notes 1 TEA PARTY FACTION DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY The data in this report was derived from a collection of online directories on the major national Tea Party faction websites: Tea Party Nation. country. The city unemployment rate data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics January 2010 Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates for Metropolitan Areas Monthly Rankings. . The city population data came from the 2008 US Census Data. and ResistNet Tea Party. Records retrieved from all five Tea Party faction sources generally included: name. gender. who have registered on some other site (such as one or more of the many local Tea Party sites). That information was later used to map the location of membership location using Tableau Public. We used the same process as we did with Tea Party membership data to clean and normalize the Tea Party chapter data. Tea Party Membership by City vs local Unemployment Rate. was drawn from filings with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC). state. gov for Our Country Deserves Better PAC – TeaPartyExpress. We then imported that data into a main SQL database. From the initial captured material. and that state and abbreviations were consistent. etc. we relied on several other data sources in this report. making sure that column names were the same. state. We also geo-coded the data to be able to map the chapter locations. Incomplete records were included in the overall numbers. Due to poor site layout.
" New York Times. 2008. 2009." New York Times Website.freedomworks.illinois-we-gave-rick-santelli-the-idea-for-the-tax-day-tea-parties/.youtube." New York Times. Dick Armey." YouTube Video. 22 . April 12. December 11.freedomworks. The Sam Adams Alliance.com/2009/04/13/ opinion/13krugman. Andrews. IRS Form 990. http://ideas." The Kirwan Institute. Rob Jordan. Race and Recession: How Inequity Rigged the Economy and how to Change the Rules. Michael M. 8 . for examples of all of these. accessed at http://www.nytimes. "Jeff Frazee interviews Brendan Steinhauser of FreedomWorks to discuss the Tax Day Coalition. 2009. http://redistributingknowledge. "Tea Parties Forever.: Huffington Post website. Brian Stelter. FreedomWorks. "Jeff Frazee interviews Brendan Steinhauser of FreedomWorks to discuss the Tax Day Coalition. com/2009/04/11/armey-of-darkness/. 17 . The "DontGo Movement. 21 ." San Francisco Chronicle.com/whois-search/Officialchicagoteaparty. Alex Brant-Zawadzki and Dawn Teo. Foreclosure. 2004. http://www. 25 . 15 . 2009. 20 .org/view/2009/09/01-4." New York Times. Seth Wessler. "Limbaugh is talk host king. and the Credit Crisis (What Happened and Why? . 9 . State of the Dream 2008: Foreclosed (Boston: United for a Fair Economy. http://michellemalkin.com's most popular video clip ever. December. "Mortgage Bailout Infuriates Tenants (And Steve Forbes): 'Angry Renter' Web Site Has Grass-Roots Look.com/alex-brantzawadzki/anatomy-of-the-teaparty_b_380575.com/2010/02/19/us/19cncodom. Christy Rogers." YouTube Video.nytimes. Joe Garofoli.com/2009/02/23/business/ media/23cnbc. ""Yes. 2009. Inc.com/2009/02/08/porkulus/..nytimes.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/29/MNEU15IVR0. Applied Research Center. see for instance: Applied Research Center. "Inequality Has Rigged Our Economy and It Is Time to Change the Rules: The economic crisis is built on the country's long history of racial discrimination. 14 . 16 . September 1. 13 . "'Tea Parties': The Next Grass-roots Movement?" Atlanta Journal Constitution. 10 . . December 14.html.htm. 2009 http://www.youtube. http:// www. March 9. . 19 . http://www." Wall Street Journal.org/news/'tea-parties'-the-next-grass-roots-movement. http://krugman." 5 . May 16.html.A Primer). February 17. February 22. Paul Krugman.html?mod=hpp_us_pageone. April 15.. IamWithRick. Sturdy Roots in the Chicago Area.com/. The video clip quickly became CNBC. http://www. http://www. http://www.blogs." New York Times. "Anatomy of the Tea Party Movement: FreedomWorks. "Subprime Loans." New York Times. Daniel Libit. 7 .huffingtonpost.nytimes. Domain Registration: Officialchicagoteaparty. 23 . 2008. 2010. an organization that promoted "free market" economics. was also involved in building the network. "Jeff Frazee interviews Brendan Steinhauser of FreedomWorks to discuss the Tax Day Coalition. we care!' Porkulus protesters holler back. 4 NoTes | 81 . 2008. http://www.com. March 30. 2009. 11 . accessed June 1. 2009. "FreedomWorks Launches Nationwide 'Tea Party' Tour. "Armey of darkness.blogspot. FreedomWorks Foundation Inc. Redistributing Knowledge Website. "Porkulus.com/watch?v=yHDFWViHL7o.blogs. 2009. April 11. 12 ..org/publications/freedomworks-launches-nationwide-%E2%80%9Cteaparty%E2%80%9D-tour.com/2004/12/17/politics/17mom.com/article/ SB121090164137297527. IRS Form 990.com/2009/02/17/yes-we-care-porkulus-protesters-holler-back/." YouTube Video. See Note 1 for details on data collection and analysis methodology. 6 ." Michelle Malkin website. February 8.com. Amaad Rivera et al. See Note 1 for details on data collection and analysis methodology. See Note 1 for details on data collection and analysis methodology. not leader of GOP. "For the Tea Party Movement. http://online.com/watch?v=yHDFWViHL7o.wsj. 2009. May 2009. http://www. See the FreedomWorks website.nytimes. 24 .com. Paul Krugman. 18 . "Clamor Grows in the Privatization Debate.com/cgi-bin/article. 2008). Phillips. Network Solutions website. Edmund L. March 30.http:// www. "CNBC Replays Its Reporter's Tirade. 2009. 2010." FreedomWorks Website. February 18.nytimes. 2009. networksolutions. 2009.DTL&type=printable. http://www.html?ref=us.commondreams. For more on the relationship between racism and the mortgage crisis." Common Dreams website. January 29. But This Turf is Fake.html.sfgate. 2008. Michelle Malkin.
php.org/news/conservatives-plan-new-round-of-tea-parties. Alex Pappas. http://www. September 3. undated.org Social Networking site.org to supporters. See Note 1 for details on data collection and analysis methodology. 2010. Accessed August 5. 2010.org/news/freedomworks-tea-party-patriots-head-for-the-hill. "April 15th Tax Day Tea Party" Georgia Tea Party Patriots Website. "Still a Disorganized 'Tea Party'. 49 . Kate Zernike. accessed at http://www. Jake Sherman.org/profile/DarlaDNationalCoordinator.youtube. Darla Dawald profile page. "Tea Party Leaders Release List of Targeted Races at FreedomWorks Summit. 36 . 47 . Matthew Murray.pdf.freedomworks. http://tpmdc. April 20. Kathleen Hennessy. "Declaration of Tea Party Independence" document. "Tea Party Takes Over Utah!" email from TeaParty. 2010." Wall Street Journal.html. http://washingtonindependent. "Tea Party Money Bomb. 82 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . FreedomWorks Tea Party HQ Social Networking Website." Roll Call.org/news/tea-party-leaders-release-list-of-targeted-races-a. Brian Buelter. August 18. "We Agree On Most Points! Fight On!" post by Steve Eichler on TeaParty. "Industry-Backed Anti-Health Care Reform Group: Yeah. 2010.com/wp-content/blogs.freedomworks. accessed at http://www. 29 .ning. 33 . God Bless!" ResistNet Website. http://teaparty. accessed at http:// www. 32 ." New York Times.com/wp-content/blogs." CNN. 2009.com/2010/03/28/us/politics/28teaparty. 2010. 42 .dir/1/files/Tea-Party-Dec-of-Independence-22410. 2010. March 27. accessed at http://www. 2010. Tea Party Patriots Head for the Hill. 2010.org/news/anti-tax-groups-reprise-tea-parties.org/news/still-a-disorganized-tea-party. "'N-Word' Sign Dogs Would-Be Tea Party Leader.freedomworks. Rebecca Sinderbrand.pdf. 30 . 2010. Alex Pappas. 45 .freedomworks. 39 . Darla Dawald. 2010." Roll Call. "We Agree On Most Points! Fight On!" post by Steve Eichler on TeaParty. 2009. January 25.freedomworks. "Conservatives Plan New Round of Tea Parties.com/2010/02/24/tea-party-activists-circulate-declaration-ofindependence-and-distance-selves-from-republicans/#ixzz0qzlLXlW8. 28 . August 4. 2010. http://tpmdc." The Daily Caller. "FreedomWorks.com/profiles/blogs/we-agree-on-most-points-fight?xg_source=activity.talkingpointsmemo." Los Angeles Times. June 24. Tea Party Patriots Head for the Hill." The Daily Caller. http://dailycaller.com/2009/08/ anti-health-care-reform-group-yeah-were-packing-and-disrupting-the-health-care-town-halls. "Anti-Tax Groups Reprise Tea Parties. 48 . nytimes.org). 2009. "Industry-Backed Anti-Health Care Reform Group: Yeah. 41 . August 4. January 25. 2009. We're Packing and Disrupting The Health Care Town Halls.firenetworks. Plenty of Time for Tea Party.freedomworks. 27 . 40 .firenetworks. February 22. "FreedomWorks. September 3. http://www. 37 . David Weigel. 35 . leave me comment. "Armey Says FreedomWorks Ready to Mobilize Beyond Health Debate." Talking Points Memo. accessed at http://www.com/001646/dailycaller." Talking Points Memo. 26 .com/2009/08/antihealth-care-reform-group-yeah-were-packing-and-disrupting-the-health-care-town-halls.resistnet. Brian Beutler. http:// dailycaller. May 16. 2009.com/73036/n-word-sign-dogs-would-be-tea-party-leader.freedomworks." The Washington Independent.March 30. We're Packing And Disrupting The Health Care Town Halls. August 18.freedomworks. May 16." 1776 Tea Party website (teaparty. accessed at The Daily Caller. 46 .php .html?_r=1." CNN. http://georgiateapartypatriots.org/news/armey-says-freedomworks-ready-to-mobilize-beyond-h. http://www. "Declaration of Tea Party Independence" document. 2009. See Note 1 for details on data collection and analysis methodology. February 22. February 22. See Note 1 for details on data collection and analysis methodology. 34 . Accessed August 4. March 7. 2009. accessed at http://www. Take a look around. 2009.com/001646/dailycaller.com/profile/DDawald. http://teapartyorg. http://teapartyorg. http:// dailycaller.com/profiles/blogs/we-agree-on-most-points-fight?xg_source=activity. accessed at http://www.ning.com/watch?v=yHDFWViHL7o.org/teapartymoneybomb. 43 . "Welcome to my page. com/wordpress/?p=142. 44 .dir/1/files/Tea-Party-Dec-of-Independence-22410. http://teaparty. "With No Jobs. 38 . 2010. Jackie Kucinich.org/news/freedomworks-tea-party-patriots-head-for-the-hill. Rebecca Sinderbrand. accessed at The Daily Caller.talkingpointsmemo. 2010.org Social Networking site. January 4. "Tea Party activists circulate 'declaration of independence' and distance selves from Republicans. 31 .
" The Washington Independent. 58 . 65 .com/bastard/2009/06/right_wing_extremist_shawna_fo." The Washington Independent.S. 62 . 55 . Until around August 2010. 2010.A. 57 . "Corsi in Kenya: Obama's Nation Boots Obama Nation. see: Frank Mickadeit. January 4. http://www. Frank Mickadeit. Martin Wisckol.org/PressReleases.com/ mojo/2010/03/dick-armey-skips-reid-protest. 52 . Undated. 2010.php. 2009. 2010.com/releases/2009/06/prweb2510974. August 7. Minuteman Project Website. http://motherjones. March 12. Visitors to the 1776 Tea Party website who clicked on the "Fax Congress" link could be taken to a page where they would be asked to pay $57." The Orange County Register. January 18. January 28." Phoenix New Times. "Tea Party Email Shows Obama As Pimp." Time." The Washington Times. Shawna Forde was an early Tea Partier. "Web groups claim victory in bill defeat. Amy Lorentzen. September 2009. NoTes | 83 ." The Orange County Register. 2010. Shawna Forde. aspx?articleid=1108&zoneid=1.com/articles/2009/06/20/ news/76minutemen621.com/news/gilchrist-3217-minuteman-project. 53 . Nick Wadhams.com/articles/gilchrist-202875-coe-lula." The Orange County Register. June 8. http://blogs. http://teapartypatriots. http://www. "Tea Party Warns GOP of Fla. 2007.com/_/print/PrintArticle.grassrootsaction. "Thank You And Fight On!" Email message to all members of TeaParty.gov/sosentitysearch/CorpDetails.aspx?id=1611367799.html. May 17.html?imw=Y. June 20. Stephen Lemons. Miller. http://www. 2009.org. "Minuteman leader Gilchrist loses another biggie in court.txt." Mother Jones. 2010. http://minutemanproject. "Shawna Forde. http://www. Scott North. http:// www. October 25. 2010.talkingpointsmemo.aspx. *Say no to illegal immigration* Lock and Load.1847965. April 11.aspx?lx8nvq=XPMZz4NYoNT9RtS1WwSMdQ%253d%253d. 2010.com/faq."Legal Victories for Jim Gilchrist's Minuteman Project Continue. 2009.com/articles/ gilchrist-233048-courtney-board. 2010." Minuteman Express News. "Refuse to be part of a system only designed to enslave you and you children. http://www. 61 . phoenixnewtimes. 64 . thefreelibrary.html. June 30.com/article/20091025/NEWS01/710259945&news01ad=1.ORG for Sale – Tea Party Founder loses Home. She attended the April 15. "Entity Details. 2010. "Gilchrist foes fight the odds.76 to send faxes to members of Congress using FaxDC.50 .shtm.ocregister. 59 .gvnews.php 54 . Frank Mickadeit.com/2010/01/tea_party_fundraising_email_shows_obama_as_pimp.washingtontimes. "This is the time for all Americans to join organizations and REVOLT!!!.". Eichler is the president of the for-profit company FaxDC. 2008. "Dick Armey Skips Reid Protest. According to its website. 66 . David Weigel." Everett Herald. "Jim Gilchrist files another suit against ex-Minutemen cohorts. prweb.ocregister.html.ocregister." Nevada Secretary of State website. June 22. http://www. http://www. Times will get worse before they get worse. David Weigel. Repeat. "'N-Word' Sign Dogs Would-Be Tea Party Leader. S.com/73036/n-word-sign-dogs-would-be-tea-party-leader. 2010." PRWeb. 67 . which 1776 Tea Party utilizes. January 4. http://www. Stephanie Mencimer.html. October 7.teapartypatriots.ocregister. 51 . Accessed January 30. 60 . "Gilchrist and foes declare victory. Zachary Roth. January 6. http://www. "Tea Party Patriots Statement on Dale Robertson. Wake Up America U. Dale Robertson. Extremist. http://washingtonindependent. 1776 Tea Party Group Profile on Tea Party Patriots Website.8599." Tea Party Patriots Website. Phoenix Tea Party Attendee.grassfire. and Ghost of Tea Parties Future.com/articles/gilchrist-249195-courtney-jury..com/articles/gilchrist-196210-immigration-emotional. 2010. "Gilchrist abandons lawsuit.com/articles/gilchrist-229695-courtney-stewart. 63 . The company shares the same mailing address as the 1776 Tea Party address in California. Frank Mickadeit. org/GroupNew/1287db83-2a48-46cb-ac9d-27c388a56ba3/1776_Tea_Party." AP News. 2010. http://www. "Minutemen regroup after shootings. http://www.com Website. http://nvsos. Accessed August 9.htm. payments were going directly to FaxDC." Talking Points Memo.com/time/world/article/0. Alleged Kid Killer.ocregister.html.ocregister. For more on the various lawsuits. "Gilchrist wins court fight. 2009 Tea Party rally in Phoenix. 2007. "No Boundaries: Shawna Forde and the Minutemen movement. February 7." Green Valley News and Sun.00. "TEAPARTY. 56 . http://tpmmuckraker. "'N-Word' Sign Dogs Would-Be Tea Party Leader.com/73036/n-word-sign-dogs-would-be-tea-party-leader. 2008. "What is Grassfire Nation?" Grassfire. 2008. Daniel Newhauser. http://www.A." The Orange County Register.heraldnet.com/news/2010/jan/06/tea-party-head-warns-gop-florida-repeat/." The Orange County Register. accessed at http://www." The Orange County Register. April 24.html. time. Inc. http://www." Forde blogged from the Tea Party rally. http://washingtonindependent. April 18.com/newsmanager/templates/light. 2009. Last Accessed August 5.
2002. city.grassfire.net/mygrassfire. and state.org/content/emerging-right-wing-resistance. 2009. February 25.state. 15.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2010/05/05/DI2010050502168.html. . 2010.asp.net website. 84 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . In Colorado only. "Keep AZ Safe Donation Application." Take America Back Website. http://www. November 19.msn.net Website.takeamericaback. accessed August 1. IRS Form 990.xhtml. Grassfire.html. http://www.teapartynation.org/ReportNonProfit. http://www. According to the non-profit website. http://firstread.rightwingwatch.pdf. http://www." ResistNet Website.S. "PETITION TO SUPPORT THE PUBLIC DISPLAY OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITIES". https://az.com/market. org.. its clients have included Focus on the Family Action. Pennese. Accessed August 1. 2010. 2010." Take America Back website." ResistNet Website. "Tea Partying for profit?. . "An Open Letter to Barack Obama: Are you a Natural Born Citizen of the U. "Why Bipartisanship is Just as Dangerous as Multiculturalism. 2010.? Are you legally eligible to hold the Office of President?" is available on the We The People Foundation Website.org August 5. http://www2. 2010.archive. Accessed at archive. 2008. Domenico Montanaro.takeamericaback.msnbc. Darla Dawald. February 24. .asp?rid=. "Key Contacts on ResistNet. . ." ResistNet Website. 2010. 2010.org August 5.wethepeoplefoundation. . http:// www. Louisiana. Accessed July 30. May 5. was formed in 2004." Tea Party Nation website homepage. "The Emerging Right-Wing 'Resistance. "IT'S TIME TO TALK BACK OUR COUNTRY NOW!!!!!!. Judson Phillips. Accessed August 1. December 21.jsessionid=C2198A3 CCA36582397BCACC2B41FCBD6?page=order/online/datacard&id=74913. 2002. See Note 1 for details on data collection and analysis methodology. . Home of the Patriotic Resistance.do?ceId=38928. . . http://lists.us/ccsa/ViewSummary. Francesco V. and state of the ResistNet. . The names of the individuals listed were found by querying the username. See Note 1 for details on data collection and analysis methodology. Accessed at archive.html. December 9.archive. washingtonpost. http://www.resistnet.'" Right Wing Watch Website. http:// www. .resistnet. org/web/20021002223641/www. NextMark. .com/_ news/2010/01/15/4431927-tea-partying-for-profit . http://www.org Alliance Inc. http://www.sos. 2009. ResistNet Website.org Alliance Inc. . 2010. .org/id102. .co.com/. State of Arizona.org/web/20021221164825/www. 2010." ResistNet Website." MSNBC. "WE STAND WITH ARIZONA ON SB1070. Washington Post. "Grassroots Action Masterfile (Formerly Known as Grassfire.org/id95. Jan. Darla Dawald. http://web. The full-page advertisement. See Note 1 for details on data collection and analysis methodology. Accessed July 15. .net Masterfile) Mailing List" NextMark Mailing List Finder Website. Lisa Richards.com social network membership database compiled by IREHR in May/June 2010 against the IREHR-compiled database of State and Local Nativist organizations.nextmark. "'Tea Party' and 'Anti-Pork' Protest Rally in Lafayette. the National Republican Congressional Committee. See Note 1 for details on data collection and analysis methodology. 2010. 2008.aspx?ein=200440372&name=grassfire-org-alliance#. . December 20.com/notes/WE_STAND_WITH_ARIZONA_ON_SB1070. . and Reclaiming America. http://web.68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 com/. June 22. "Tea Party battles racism allegations.net/images/myGrassfire/faq.com/notes/Key_Contacts . "Constitution Suspended in 1933. Inc.com/.grassfire. Guidestar." Keep AZ Safe State of Arizona Website.org Alliance was suspended in January 2010. Grassfire.gov/app/keepazsafe/index. October 2.com. "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). http:// www. the non-profit fund-raising status of Grassfire. http://www. 2010. leader names.resistnet.guidestar. http://www.com/events/tea-party-and-antipork-protest." Live Q &A. See Note 1 for details on data collection and analysis methodology. . Figure available from Grassfire. "Welcome to Tea Party Nation!!!. 2009. The names that emerged from that query were then confirmed by telephone.org/UPDATE/misc2008/ChicagoTribune-ObamaLtr-Nov-2008. . People for the American Way. resistnet. city." Grassfire.com/group/resistnetradioshow/forum/topics/its-time-to-take-back-our-1. undated.resistnet. according to the Colorado Secretary of State website summary page for Grassfire.org Alliance. .
) Speaks at Tea Party Convention and Urges Blacks to Join. 2010. 93 ." MelissaClouthier.com/2010/01/15/tea-party-nations-judsonphillips-i-want-to-make-a-million-from-this-movement/. http://www. FEC Form 3X. Tea Party Nation Corporation. Full statement available at.html. "Tea Party Convention Loses Sponsor Following 'Whistleblower' Blog Post. Kate Zernike." in medias res blog. January 13. Bob Smietana.redstate. Erik Erickson. http://www. 2010.com/erick/2010/01/11/im-afraid-sarah-palin-might-be-ruining-herself-unintentionally/.com/2010/01/the_tea_party_movement_is_about_to_be_hijacked_act. "Tea Party Nation's Judson Phillips: 'I want to Make a Million From This Movement. 2010. NoTes | 85 .W." Staying True to America's National Destiny website." New York Times."Mission. http://www.ft. February 4.html?scp=1&sq=tea%20party&st=cse." Media Advisory. January 11." Nashville Post Politics Blog.php?option=com_ content&view=article&id=47." MelissaClouthier. http://www.com/2010/01/26/us/politics/26teaparty. January 12. Eric Odom. http://tnbear. 98 . "Entity Detail: 00600840: Corporation For-Profit – Domestic.melissaclouthier. Kate Zernike. February 5. "Tea Party Disputes Take Toll on Convention. Ed Luce "Wedge Issues Threaten Tea Party Unity.php. "Anti-Immigrant Group Bails on Tea Party Nation Convention. http://www. January 25. 100 . 2010." Tennessee Department of State website. 2010.tn.com/2010/01/13/key-sponsor-drops-out-of-tea-party-convention-after-accusation-against-organizer-surface/. http://www. Melissa Clouthier." in medias res blog.aspx?FilingNum=000600840.html. November 18.com/blog/2010-01-13/our-decision-to-sit-out-of-the-tea-party-convention/. Zachary Roth.com website. August 1. January 25. Devin Burghart. 2010.org/index.irehr. "Tea Party Nation's Judson Phillips: 'I want to Make a Million From This Movement. nytimes. April 21. January 11.com/cms/s/0/ c85b90b2-1287-11df-a611-00144feab49a. 2010. 2010. 109 . January 15.melissaclouthier." Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights website. http://www. August 1. 106 . http://www. Kevin Smith.in/inmediasres/2010/01/12/on-the-backs-oftennessees-middle-class-or-the-story-behind-tea-party-nations-dishonest-beginnings/. Christian Newswire.com/2010/01/15/tea-party-nations-judsonphillips-i-want-to-make-a-million-from-this-movement/." American Liberty Alliance website.nationalprecinctalliance. accessed July 1. "Highlights From the Anti-Hate Crimes Legislation Rally. http://www. "Tea Party Disputes Take Toll on Convention. January 11. 2009." Financial Times. "Black Minister Forms Political Action Committee (STAND America PAC) to Defeat Liberal Congressional Black Caucus and Break 'Death Grip' of Democrat Party on Black Community. 105 . 111 ." Talking Points Memo. 2010.gov/ECommerce/Common/FilingDetail. 99 . January 27.html?scp=1&sq=tea%20party&st=cse . 94 . Christian Newswire. "On the Backs of Tennessee's Middle Class (or." Media Advisory." Red State Blog. 2010. "'The Tea Party Movement Is About To Be Hijacked': Activists Slam Plan for Convention. 2009. "Altar call confronts worries of Christian conservatives.talkingpointsmemo. http://ksmith.org/content/highlights-anti-hate-crimes-rally. 2010 http://www." Talking Points Memo. The Story Behind Tea Party Nation's Dishonest Beginnings).php. http://www. "TN Talkshow Host Calls for Shooting of Immigrants. January 13. http://www." The Tennessean. 2010. 108 . 103 .com/2010/01/the_tea_party_movement_is_about_to_be_hijacked_act. July 15. nytimes.com/news/1337112967. 95 .christiannewswire. 97 . 2010. Kevin Smith. 110 . Jackson Sr.com website."Black Bishop (E. April 21.in/inmediasres/2010/01/12/on-the-backs-oftennessees-middle-class-or-the-story-behind-tea-party-nations-dishonest-beginnings/. 102 .nashvillepost. January 15.rightwingwatch. Zachary Roth.talkingpointsmemo. undated. 2010.us/node/90.html?nclick_check=1. http://tpmmuckraker." New York Times.91 .com/2010/01/26/us/politics/26teaparty.us/. January 12. Melissa Clouthier. "Altar call confronts worries of Christian conservatives. 101 . Devin Burghart." Building Democracy Initiative website. 2009. "'The Tea Party Movement Is About To Be Hijacked': Activists Slam Plan for Convention. 92 . Stand America PAC. Bob Smietana.com/news/1275613680." People for the American Way's Right Wing Watch website. 104 . http://americanlibertyalliance. 2010. "I'm Afraid Sarah Palin Might Be Ruining Herself Unintentionally. http://tpmmuckraker.christiannewswire. 107 . 2010. "On the Backs of Tennessee's Middle Class (or. http://ksmith." The Tennessean. 2009.standamerica. 2010. The Story Behind Tea Party Nation's Dishonest Beginnings). 96 . "Our decision to sit out the Tea Party Convention. http://politics.
April 28, 2006, http://www.buildingdemocracy.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=681&Itemid= 44 . 112 . Roy Beck spoke at the Council of Conservative Citizens national conference in North Carolina on November 14, 1997. Citizens Informer, Winter 1997/98, 1: Beck has given testimony before Congressional committees on numerous occasions, including June 3, 2009, May 9, 2007, March 24, 2004, and May 15, 2001, "Congressional Testimony," NumbersUSA website, http://www.numbersusa.com/content/publications/congressional-testimony.html-0. 113 . Tea Party Patriots, "Tea Party Patriots Mission Statement and Core Values," Tea Party Patriots Website, Undated, Accessed August 1, 2010, http://www.teapartypatriots.org/Mission.aspx. 114 . In fact, as of July 31, 2010, the PAC hasn't raised or spent anything for the for the 2009-2010 election cycle; "Tea Party Patriots Inc PAC: Committee (C00473660) Summary Reports – 2009-2010 Cycle" Federal Elections Commission website, Accessed September 4, 2010, http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/cancomsrs/?_10+C00473660. 115 . See Note 1 for details on data collection and analysis methodology. 116 . See Note 1 for details on data collection and analysis methodology. 117 . See Note 1 for details on data collection and analysis methodology. 118 . As a for-profit entity, Tea Party Nation doesn't make its revenue or expenditures available to the public. Hence, it is impossible to gauge how they would compare to other factions. 119 . "Summary Page: Tea Party Patriots, Inc." Colorado Secretary of State Licensing Center website, accessed August 1, 2010, http://www.sos.state.co.us/ccsa/ViewSummary.do?ceId=62632. 120 . Zachary Roth, "Top Tea Partier, Husband, Owed IRS Half a Million Dollars," Talking Points Memo, October 8, 2009, http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/10/top_tea_partier_husband_owed_irs_half_a_million_do.php; Oren Dorell, "Tax Revolt a recipe for tea parties," USA Today, April 13, 2009, http://www.usatoday. com/news/washington/2009-04-12-teaparties12_N.htm. 121 . Prior to the bankruptcy, the couple lived in a five-bedroom house in a Woodstock, Georgia subdivision. The couple had purchased twin Lincoln Navigator SUVs, contracted a yard service, purchased an expensive club membership, and more. For details, see Mark Davis, "Jenny Beth Martin: The Head Tea Party Patriot," Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 9, 2010, http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/jenny-beth-martin-the-522344.html; Bankruptcy details found in Ford Motor Credit Company, LLC. A Delaware Limited Liability Company v. Lee Sanders Martin, IV, Jennifer Elisabeth Martin, and Robert B. Silliman, as Trustee, Chapter 7, Case no. 08-76980CRM, United States Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Georgia, December 5, 2008; and Voluntary Petition, Case 08-76980-crm, United States Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Georgia, August 29, 2008. 122 . Mark Davis, "Jenny Beth Martin: The Head Tea Party Patriot," Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 9, 2010, http:// www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/jenny-beth-martin-the-522344.html. 123 . Zachary Roth, "Top Tea Party Leader Was Paid By GOP Biz Group's Campaign," Talking Points Memo, March 3, 2010, http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/top_tea_party_leader_being_paid_by_gop_biz_ group.php#more. 124 . Eric Odom, "Tea Party Patriots,' Tax Day Tea Party website, April 2009, http://taxdayteaparty.com/2009/04/teaparty-patriots/. 125 . Jenny Beth Martin, Letter to Amy Kremer, October 15, 2009. 126 . Tea Party Patriots, Inc. v. Amy Kremer, Civil Action no. 09-1-10603-42, Superior Court of Cobb County State of Georgia, November 10, 2009. 127 . For Gold Sponsorship, see, Tennessee Tea Party Coalition, "Our Sponsors," Tennessee Tea Party Website, undated, accessed May 15, 2010, http://tennesseeteapartycoalition.com/our-sponsors/; For $2500 Gold Sponsorship fee, see, "Tennessee Tea Party Coalition Convention – Sponsorship Packages," Eventbrite Website, undated, accessed May 15, 2010, http://tntpcsponsorship.eventbrite.com/?ref=ebtn. 128 . Karen Pack, "Texas…Silent No Longer," Winnsboro, Texas Tea Party website, undated, http://winnsborotexasteaparty.org/misc-articles-and-information/47-misc-articles-and-information/56-texassilent-no-longer. 129 . "Patriot Alliances," Winnsboro, Texas Tea Party website, undated, http://winnsborotexasteaparty.org/patriotafliances. 130 . "Wood County Texas Tea Party," home page, Winnsboro, Texas Tea Party website, undated, http://winnsborotexasteaparty.org/. 131 . Karen Pack, "An Ardent Plea," Winnsboro, Texas Tea Party website, undated, http://winnsborotexasteaparty.org/
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component/content/article/1-latest-news/99-an-ardent-plea 132 . The Knights KKK also listed Ms. Pack's husband as a member. In a phone call to Ms. Pack on Sept. 8, she agreed that she was the head of the Wood County Tea Party, but did not answer questions about her relationship to the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan during the mid-1990s. 133 . Karen Pack, "Texas…Silent No Longer," Winnsboro, Texas Tea Party website, undated, http://winnsborotexasteaparty.org/misc-articles-and-information/47-misc-articles-and-information/56-texassilent-no-longer. 134 . Karen Pack, "An Ardent Plea," Winnsboro, Texas Tea Party website, undated, http://winnsborotexasteaparty.org/ component/content/article/1-latest-news/99-an-ardent-plea. 135 . Karen Pack, "An Ardent Plea," Winnsboro, Texas Tea Party website, undated, http://winnsborotexasteaparty.org/ component/content/article/1-latest-news/99-an-ardent-plea. 136 . Event date, May 29, 2010. "Speaking Engagements," Sheriff Mack website, http://sheriffmack.com/index.php/ speaking-engagements. 137 . "Sheriff Richard Mack," Event Announcement, Tea Party Patriots website, January 18, 2010, http://www.teapartypatriots.org/EventDetail/2969/Sheriff%20Richard%20Mack. 138 . "Amarillo Tax Day Tea Party," Event Announcement, Tea Party Patriots website, April 15, 2010, http://www. teapartypatriots.org/EventDetail/3284/Amarillo%20Tax%20Day%20Tea%20Party ; Janelle Stecklein, "Amarillo Tea Party Patriots: A subdued gathering," Amarillo.com website, April 16, 2010, http://www.amarillo.com/stories/041610/new_news1.shtml. 139 . Kathryn Rombach, "Sheriff Richard Mack Speaking in Silver City," FreedomWorks Tea Party HQ website, March 1, 2010, http://teaparty.freedomworks.org/events/sheriff-richard-mack-speaking. 140 . Event Dates: Prattville, Alabama, January 18, 2010; Amarillo, Texas, April 15, 2010; Silver City, New Mexico, March 3, 2010; Prineville, Oregon, April 20, 2010; Bloomington, Minnesota, November 14, 2009. 141 . Stephanie Smith, "Full House at Asotin Tea Party," KLEW TV website, February 15, 2010, http://www.klewtv. com/news/84420877.html. 142 . David DeGerolamo and Erika Franzi were at the Nashville Tea Party Nation in February 2010. 143 . John (Hans) Mentha, "Solutions to the tyranny of National government," Triangle NC Freedom website, February 13, 2010, http://triangle.ncfreedom.us/2010/02/13/solutions-to-the-tyranny-of-national-government/. 144 . "Rally Against Illegal Immigration," Tea Party Patriots Website, undated, accessed June 18, 2010, http://www. teapartypatriots.org/EventDetail/5665/Rally%20Against%20Illegal%20Immigration. 145 . "Iniative[Sic] – 1056 Signing" Tea Party Patriots Website, undated, accessed June 25, 2010, http://teapartypatriots. org/EventDetail/5836/INIATIVE%20-%201056%20SIGNING. 146 . Respect Washington website, http://www.respectwashington.us/. 147 . Taylor Barnhill, "Columbus Tea Party 'Supports Arizona'," WTVM Website, July 11, 2009, http://www.wtvm. com/Global/story.asp?S=12788212. 148 . Our Country Deserves Better – TeaPartyExpress.com PAC query of individual donors, from "Detailed Files About Candidates, Parties, and Other Committees" databases, Federal Elections Commission, downloaded June 15, 2010, http://fec.gov/finance/disclosure/ftpdet.shtml. 149 . See Note 1 for details on data collection and analysis methodology. 150 . "Staunch Gun Rights Defender Vying for Open Congressional Seat," Gun Owners of America, December 1, 2005; Kaloogian was exposed during this campaign for using a photo of Istanbul and claiming it was a picture of Baghdad. Dana Milbank, "Baghdad on the Bosporus," Washington Post online, March 30, 2006, http://www.washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/29/AR2006032902277.html. 151 . "Principals," Russ Marsh & Rogers Website, undated, accessed, July 1, 2010, http://www.rmrwest.com/index.php/ RMRWest/Principals/. 152 . "Agency Experience," Russ Marsh & Rogers Website, undated, accessed, July 1, 2010, http://www.rmrwest.com/index.php/RMRWest/Experience/; Kaloogian led the successful 2003 effort to recall California Governor Gray Davis. He and Russo also produced a series of TV ads that claimed Iraq actually had weapons of mass destruction, launched an "I love Gitmo" campaign to support U.S. detention policies, and organized protests against anti-war demonstrators. "'I Love GITMO' Campaign Launched by Move America Forward," Move America Forward Website, June 17, 2005, http://www.moveamericaforward.org/index.php/MAF/FullNewsItem/i_love_gitmo_campaign_launched/.
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153 . Our Country Deserves Better PAC "About Us," Our Country Deserves Better PAC website, undated, accessed, August 1, 2010, http://www.ourcountrydeservesbetter.com/about-us. 154 . Joe Wierzbicki, "The Tea Party Express," Project Proposal –Draft Memo, April 17, 2009. 155 . Mark Williams, Taking Back America One Tea Party at a Time, (Mark Williams, 2009-2010), Electronic edition, 145. 156 . "Order Granting Plaintiff's Motion for Interlocutory Injunction," Tea Party Patriots, Inc. vs Amy Kremer, Cobb County Georgia Superior Court, Civil Action No. 09-1-10603-42, November 10, 2009. 157 . See, for instance, Kremer's response to the Mark Williams attack on the NAACP. "Tea Party Racism Rift Reveals Fissures," CBS News website, July 20, 2010, http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/07/20/politics/main6694191. shtml. 158 . Zachary Roth, "Conservative Activist Forwards Racist Pic Showing Obama As Witch Doctor," Talking Points Memo website, July 23, 2009, http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/07/conservative_activist_forwards_racist_pic_showing.php. 159 . Zachary Roth, "Tea Party Leader To McKalip: 'We All You're your Back My Friend!'," Talking Points Memo, July 24, 2009, http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/07/tea_party_leader_to_mckalip_we_all_have_ your_back.php. 160 . Amy Kremer, "College Football Sunday ~ Lawsuit Dismissed," Southern Belle Politics website, October 25, 2005, http://www.southernbellepolitics.com/2008/10/college-football-saturday-lawsuit.html. 161 . Lloyd Marcus, "Exclusive: Tea Parties – It's the Media, Stupid!" Family Security Matters website, June 30, 2010, http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.6601/pub_detail.asp; Lloyd Marcus, "Exclusive: Black Tea Party Spokesman Rebukes NAACP," Family Security Matters website, July 15, 2010, http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.6751/pub_detail.asp; Lloyd Marcus, "Exclusive: Tea Party 'Race' Issue Manipulated by the Media?" Family Security Matters website, July 20, 2010, http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/ id.6784/pub_detail.asp. 162 . Mark Williams, Taking Back America One Tea Party at a Time, (Mark Williams, 2009-2010), Electronic edition, 156. 163 . Alex Brant-Zawadzki, "Mark Williams Posts Offensive Image of Muhammad," Huffington Post website, May 17, 2010, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alex-brantzawadzki/mark-williams-posts-offen_b_576798.html. 164 . Mark Williams, Taking Back America One Tea Party at a Time, (Mark Williams, 2009-2010), Electronic edition, 19. 165 . Joe Wierzbicki, "The Tea Party Express," Project Proposal –Draft Memo, April 17, 2009. 166 . Our Country Deserves Better – TeaPartyExpress.com PAC, query of individual donors, from "Detailed Files About Candidates, Parties, and Other Committees" databases, Federal Elections Commission, downloaded June 15, 2010, http://fec.gov/finance/disclosure/ftpdet.shtml. 167 . Jonathan Karl, "Far-Right John Birch Society 2010," ABC News The Note Blog, February 19, 2010, http://blogs. abcnews.com/thenote/2010/02/farright-john-birch-society-2010.html. 168 . "Conservative Republican Takes on Harry Reid!," Tea Party Express Blog, April 25, 2010, http://teapartyexpressblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/conservative-republican-takes-on-harry.html. 169 . "Enjoy! Newspaper Ad to 'Defeat Harry Reid,' & Elect Conservative Republican Sharron Angle," Tea Party Express Blog, May 11, 2010, http://teapartyexpressblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/enjoy-newspaper-ad-to-defeat-harry-reid. html. 170 . "The $150,000 Tea Party MONEY BOMB For Sharron Angle's U.S. Senate Bid," Tea Party Express Blog, May 16, 2010, http://teapartyexpressblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/150000-tea-party-express-money-bomb-for.html. 171 . "Progress Report on $150,00 Money Bomb for Sharron Angle for U.S. Senate," Tea Party Express Blog, May 23, 2010, http://teapartyexpressblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/progress-report-on-150000-money-bomb.html. 172 . "Nearly 30,000 Back Arizona's Fight Against Illegal Immigration," Tea Party Express Blog, May 4, 2010, http:// teapartyexpressblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/nearly-30000-back-arizonas-fight.html. 173 . Free Republic website, http://www.freerepublic.com. 174 . James W. Von Brunn, "Obama is missing!" Free Republic website, taken down by Free Republic after the shooting, cache of the post available here, http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:niXSYG-nVO8J:www. freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2141655/posts+http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2141655/posts&cd
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http://dyn. 185 . Our Country Deserves Better and Move America Forward share several staff members. 2009-2010). http://motherjones. 196 . 147. "GOP Operatives Crash the Tea Party. http://dyn. In fact. 188 . an OCDB spokesperson. 177 . March 22. 2010. "GOP Operatives Crash the Tea Party. (Mark Williams. 122. NoTes | 89 . 2010. Taking Back America One Tea Party at a Time.cfm?uuid=FA90462A-18FE-70B2-A8C4C7D0CC493FF2 186 . "Dick Armey Skips Reid Protest. Taking Back America One Tea Party at a Time. Tea Party Nation. http://biggovernment. 175 . Electronic edition. 192 . (Mark Williams. 2009-2010). Electronic edition. 2010. (Mark Williams. Mark Williams. February 11. http://www." The Vancouver Sun. the pro-war. "Dick Armey Skips Reid Protest.teapartyexpress. March 12. Our Country Deserves Better PAC is the creation of the principles in the PR firm of Russo Marsh & Rogers. 2010. Taking Back America One Tea Party at a Time. Accessed June 1. Taking Back America One Tea Party at a Time. May 21. Media. Deborah Johns is MAF's director of military relations and. Taking Back America One Tea Party at a Time. "About" Tea Party Express Website. 2010. 2009-2010).php?option=com_ content&view=article&id=52.com/printstory. 2009. "Thank You And Fight On!" Email message to all members of TeaParty. 176 . (Mark Williams. "Revival and Revolt: Inside the Tea Party Nation Convention. 2010. 2009-2010). 194 . (Mark Williams. electronic purchase edition. Electronic edition.com/ mojo/2010/03/dick-armey-skips-reid-protest.irehr. (Mark Williams. Stephanie Mencimer. Russo Marsh & Rogers was the driving force behind Move America Forward.politico. undated. http://www." Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights website. Mark Williams.org. 2009-2010). 181 . 2009-2010). 190 . Electronic edition. "Conservative Free Republic blog in free speech flap after racial slurs directed at Obama children. Devin Burghart. 2010 now unavailable.vancouversun. Vogel. 178 . April 14. 180 .freerepublic. Kenneth P. whose leadership is also behind Our Country Deserves Better PAC. Taking Back America One Tea Party at a Time. Mark Williams. April 11. Taking Back America One Tea Party at a Time. Howard Kaloogian chairs OCDB and is the founder and former chair of MAF. 184 . 19.org/ about/. 147." Mother Jones. Mark Williams. Mark Williams. 2009.com/ mojo/2010/03/dick-armey-skips-reid-protest. 2009-2010). Mark Williams. 40. Joe Wierzbicki. Kristinn Taylor. "Freedom Works Willing to Throw Tea Party Under the Bus to Appease Democrats. Electronic edition. 189 . 2009-2010). 113. Chris Parry. "Author page" Big Government website.com/printstory. October 19." Free Republic Website. 182 . Kristinn Taylor. Mark Williams. (Mark Williams. 193 . April 14. Sal Russo serves as chief strategist for both groups. Kenneth P. "Tea Party Endorsements" email from Tea Party Nation to supporters.com/entertainment/Conservative+Free+Republic+blog+fre e+speech+flap+after+racial+slurs+directed+Obama+children/1782375/story. http://bluecollarrepublican. 2010. pro-torture group known best for harassing anti-war activists. Electronic edition.politico." Mother Jones. 152. 2010. Taking Back America One Tea Party at a Time.com/author/ktaylor/.cfm?uuid=FA90462A-18FE-70B2-A8C4C7D0CC493FF2 187 .html. 2009-2010). http://www. Vogel. July 12. "Tea Party Patriots Statement on Tea Party Express. Kristinn Taylor is a spokesperson for Free Republic and also works with Move America Forward. 183 . 191 . See. 195 . a principal in Russo Marsh & Rogers serves as grassroots coordinator for MAF and coordinator of OCDB. accessed August 1. Mark Williams." Politico.org/index." email archived on Blue Collar republican Website. 2010. Electronic edition.com/blog/?p=4571. (Mark Williams. 163-164. http://motherjones. March 12. (Mark Williams. Taking Back America One Tea Party at a Time. until recently.=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a. Stephanie Mencimer.com/focus/f-news/2477257/posts. 179 . Electronic edition." Politico. http://www. Mark Williams.
wordpress.shtml. 203 . July 5. 197 ." Vanguard News Network Website. 2010." Midwest Action Report. Taking Back America One Tea Party at a Time.teaparty. 2009. 1. March 27.com/locations. http://www.d.mp3." Huffington Post website.Revolutionary American Nationalist Rock.irehr. 206 . "Patriot Feed Post. April 20. Jason Linkins. Republicans and the Opposition to Obama.org to supporters. Washington chatting with Darin Stevens of the Spokane 9-12 Project.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1:tea-parties-race-republicans-and-theopposition-to-obama&catid=10:analysis&Itemid=23. 213 .com/demos/recent/hour2Feb2510. http://www.vnnforum. http://irehr. http://www. Electronic edition. http://www. undated. May 1999. Leonard Zeskind."Tea Party Radio Hour. unsigned. "American Family Association of Kentucky founder behind Louisville Tea Party. http://www. 9/11 a 'Positive' Thing. 207 . 2010. August 2009. 1.meetup. 2009.scvtoday. 2007 http://www. "Identity Super Conference. Mark Williams. unsigned. 82. 212 .org/ NewMemberProfile.org Meetup web page." American Family Association. either. 209 .therothshow. "Tea Party Radio Network Rocks" email from TeaParty. http://www. accessed August 10.com/2010/06/american-family-association-of-kentucky-founder-behind-the-louisville-tea-partykentucky-capitol-to-be-meeting-site. 215 .html .teapartyday. "Action Alert.teaparty.marktalk. accessed August 30." Folk and Faith Website. http://ladylibertyslamp. February 28.meetup. "Savage Islam Wants Mosque at Ground Zero – Monument To Hijackers. August 2009. Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights website.com/2009/04/21/california-gop-decries-an_n_189500." United We Stand website. "California GOP Decries Anti-Semitic Tea Party Activism. http://www. John Weaver. December 12. For instance." SCV Today website.org/content/american-family-association. accessed May 30. http://www. Susan Brubaker (salthawkmom).mp3.shtml. 201 . 199 .org/johnweaver. he was spotted at the January 12.php?t=63110. 2010.2006. "Pastor John Weaver Endorses Ray McBerry. "Hundreds Gather in Olympia for Sovereignty Winter Fest." The Roth Show radio program.com/blog/?p=9636" target=. accessed at http://www. 90 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr ." Tea Party Patriots Website. n.org Meetup web page. Canada.org/index. May 1998. http:// www.therothshow.rightwingwatch. February 25. Toronto. www. Ontario.com/2009/07/05/controversial-patriot-militia-rock-bandheadlines-tea-party-event-in-nations-capital/. June 28.80. June 19. Right Wing Watch." Lady Liberty's Lamp website." American Free Press.folkandfaith. http://www. "White Supremacist Band Poker Face Rocks for Ron Paul." People for the American Way.html.org/index. "The Sovereignty of God and Civil Government. February 28. Devin Burghart." Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights website. www."Pokerface . Devin Burghart. United We Stand Contributors. 204 "Family Retreat w/ Pastor John Weaver 29 Aug 10am" 1776 Tea party. 208 .com/showthread. 200 . Mark Williams.com Website. 2010.com/ Articles_Archive/AmericanFreePress/AFP2006_01-06/Michael_Collins_Piper_AFP20060327_Face_Off_At_Rutgers_University." Midwest Action Report.aspx . 198 . "Race. "Exposing the Christian Identity Super Conference. 2009.therothshow. 2010. "American Family Association. http://www. 2010 Tea Party-sponsored "Sovereignty Winter Fest" in Olympia. Michael Collins Piper.teapartypatriots.org to supporters." British Israel Book Room and Book Catalogue. http://mikepiperreport. 2010. 205 .php?option=com_ content&view=article&id=39. "Tea Party Radio Network Rocks" email from TeaParty.com/articles/pokerfaceinterview. 210 . 211 . January 20. 202 . 2009. May 18. (Mark Williams. April 21. "Controversial Patriot-Militia Rock Band Headlines Tea Party Event in Nation's Capital. com/demos/recent/hour2Feb2510." September 14. Devin Burghart. 2010.com/1776-Tea-Party/calendar/11230956/.com/demos/recent/hour2Feb2510.huffingtonpost." MarkTalk. American Family Association Tea Party organizers list. "Family Retreat w/ Pastor John Weaver 29 Aug 10am" 1776 Tea party. http://www. "Face Off at Rutgers. 2007. 2009.com/1776-Tea-Party/calendar/11230956/.aspx?Members=salthawkmom. 2009-2010). http://unitedwestandky. 2010.mp3. 214 . Beckman is no stranger to Tea Party events.
" Sipsey Street Irregulars website. http://whiterevolution. Bill Rolen." Merced Sun-Star.html. p. Whites Forward. "The Post-Egalitarian Age." White Revolution website. page cached by Google. "Tea Party Battles Allegations of Racism. "Campaign Trail Report. 220 ." Council of Conservative Citizens Website. The event was also publicized on the FreedomWorks Tea Party website. William Douglas." ResistNet website. So we came up with a scary name. "Tea Party protesters scream 'n**ger' at black congressman.com/2010/07/19/1372788/tea-party-express-in-anchorage. Christina Bellantoni. May 10. "Tea Party Nation Statement on Racism.org/2009/09/cofcc-receives-warm-welcome-in-crystal-river-florida.stormfront. November 5. Florida.resistnet. Western Washington District Court. last access June 27. "re: Over 500 Tea Parties Already Planned for July 4. Case No. "Statement from Billy Roper. Break their windows. http://teaparty." Tyler Tea Party website. 2010. 2010. tylerteaparty.org/forum/group.or/forum/showthread.org/index. April 5. 2010. http://cofcc. Richard I. Rawhide Western Publishing. May 1995. "Tea Party for Americans Coalition. "Billy Roper's Page . Located on Broadway Ave. 217 . 2010." Talking Points Memo. 234 . October 1994. 222 ." Stormfront website. "To all modern Sons of Liberty: THIS is your time. Mack and Timothy Robert Walters. "CofCC receives warm welcome in Crystal River. http://sipseystreetirregulars. accessed March 3. July 19. 218 . 2010. http://www.blogspot. Thomas. Joseph's in Lorain OH. 2009.Patriotic Resistance. 224 ." The Citizens Informer. "Man Charged with Death Threats Apparently Attended Tea Party Protest Targeting Murray.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14%3Aadmin&Itemid=18.googleusercontent. NoTes | 91 . pocatelloteaparty. 226 .com/Sarasota-Glenn-Beck-912-Project/calendar/14340278/. "Ten Reasons Why We Need a State Militia Now. 225 .com/2010/03/to-all-modernsons-of-liberty-this-is." March 1. 2010.com/index/ten-reasons-why-we-need-a-state-militia-now. lecturing in Sarasota!!" Freedom Watch: The Original Sarasota 9-12 Tea Party Meetup webpage. "Strange Scene: 10 Arrested as Tea Partiers Heckle Police. The page used to read. Break them NOW.stormfront. http://webcache. Sheriff Richard Mack. "The NorthCoast Militia Lorain County Ohio Keith Ten Eyck Tea Party Patriots Lorain County A small group of sportsmen and women that started out just hanging in my garage on Thursdays for a few hours drinking beer and complaining.net. php?t=597871&page=4. 233 .com/search?q=cache:olyGpPOOxSEJ:www. 2010.com/2010/06/17/1463420/north-valley-patriots-tea-party. vandal52900@earthlink. Mike Vanderboegh. From My Cold Dead Fingers: Why America Needs Guns. accessed June 22.php?groupid=162. Justin Elliott. Philip Rucker." McClatchy Washington Bureau.html 230 . http://www. 2009.freedomworks. Our location of choice is the offices of Sherrod Brown and Betty Sutton. 2010. 2010. August 10. July 16. 4. http://www. 232 . July 20. 2010.or/forum/ showthread.org/events/sheriff-richard-mack-speaking. February 1. 235 . March 19. March 25.teapartypatriots." Tea Party Patriots website. 2010. "Sheriff Richard Mack Speaking in Silver City. In Sept we decieded [sic] to make some signs and get outside. 2010. Judy L. United States of America v. "re: Over 500 Tea Parties Already Planned for July 4." Tea Party Nation email to supporters." Pocatello Tea Party website.adn.meetup. "North Valley Patriots Tea Party Group to host Sheriff Richard Mack.php?t=597871&page=2. 2002 6:38:20 pm Central Daylight Time. Council of Conservative Citizens website.mercedsunstar." www. 237 ." Anchorage Daily News. May 14. 221 . "Tea Party Express leader rejects message. "Tea Party rejects racist label.org/Group/The_NorthCoast_Militia.html. North Star Staff. "Former militiaman unapologetic for calls to vandalize offices over health care." The Washington Post. God and Freedom: A Fundamental Trinity. Sean Cockerham. "The NorthCoast Militia. Billy Roper. Tammy Blair. 2010.org. www. now removed. 2010. 2009. Wendy Suares. not messenger. 2010. p. com/?p=1799. Billy Roper." The Kansas City Star. Mack and Timothy Robert Walters. 228 .stormfront. 62. 2010. "The County Sheriff: America's Last Hope. p1. September 15. @ St. http://www. January 17.com/profile/BillyRoper+billy+roper+resistnet&cd=3&h l=en&ct=clnk&gl=us. April 7. 223 . Rawhide Western Publishing. MJ10-55. 236 . 2010. Government. 219 . March 20. http://www. http://cofcc. Felony Complaint. accessed June 22. 231 .216 . 3/1/2010. "Liberty defender. 229 ." 227 ." July 23." KARK 4 News. Charles Alan Wilson. but concerns remain. 2009." Talking Point Memo. April-June 2009. July 20. Richard I." www. http://www.
255 . 2010. Pamela Geller.resistnet. 261 . 243 ." Southern Belle Politics website." National Tea Party Federation Website. last accessed August 30. "Start discussion!!!!!!!!!!. 248 ." Blog Talk Radio website. undated." National Tea Party Federation Website. July 14. "Memo to media: Pamela Geller does not belong on national television. 242 . Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates May 21-211. http://atlasshrugs2000. 2010.htm.teapartynation.examiner. question 62. Pam Farnsworth (tnfiredup) on Twitter.thenationalteapartyfederation. http://crg. 2009. October 6. 2010." Southern Belle Politics website." The Tennessean. "As NAACP aims to stay in national debate. http:// www. "Welcome Y'all. 260 . 245 . 254 . 2010. December 9. "Resources." The New York Times . www." Washington Post. 250 .com/alexandria-conservative-in-huntsville/register-today-for-the-national-tea-party-unity-convention-1. "ABC News Discovers… The Muslim President! BHO: 'The United States is One of the Largest Muslim Countries on the Planet.238 . August 18.html.com/atlas_ shrugs/2009/06/abc-news-discovers-the-muslim-president. accessed August 14.edu/content/defining-islamophobia. July 14." ResistNet website.com/2009/01/congress-certifies-electoral-college. 239 . principal investigator." email from Tea Party Nation to supporters.com/forum/topics/start-discussion.berkeley. 2009. April 5-12. Eric Schelzig. 2009.thenationalteapartyfederation." University of Washington Institute for the Study of Ethnicity. 246 .com. June 4. Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. Partners. "2010 Multi-state survey on Race and Politics. 2010. Links. 2010. http:// www.com/article/20100521/NEWS02/100521007/TN-tea-party-won-t-drop-speaker-for-anti-Islamicviews .southernbellepolitics. "National Survey of Tea Party Supporters. questions 46.com website." ResistNet website. 252 . Like-Minded Organizations. 256 . 253 . March 2010. Schmacism. "A Message to all members of Tea Party Nations.tennessean. 2009. Charles the pathfinder. January 8._Links. Media Release. Pennese. "Resistnet [sic] Radio Welcomes Pamela Geller – Atlas Shrugs.com/ press_room. July 21. 2010. July 19. May 21.typepad. http://www. 2008. Pam Farnsworth (tnfiredup) on Twitter. 2010.V. July 17. pollingreport. "Speakers. com/2008/10/welcome-yall. Christopher Parker.html.com/race. 2009. 2010. undated. 257 . http://www. 262 . 247 . "National Survey of Tea Party Supporters. 7:10am. James Edwards. Darla Dawald. 47. http://tennesseeteapartycoalition. Krissah Thompson. http:// www." Political Cesspool website. 2010." Media Maters for America website. 2010. May 21. "National Survey of Tea Party Supporters.com/group/resistnetradioshow/forum/topics/its-time-to-take-back-our-1. and 52. http://www.thepoliticalcesspool.CBS News Poll. June 2.com/press_room.html. http:// www. "TN tea party won't drop speaker for anti-Islamic views. 8:44am.CBS News Poll. July 92 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr ." The New York Times . "Tea Party Endorsements" email from Tea Party Nation to supporters.CBS News Poll. Amy Kremer. 244 . August 19. 249 . "Growing Number of Americans Say Obama is a Muslim. 2010. "Congress Certifies Electoral College Vote. April 25. charge of tea party racism draws fire.southernbellepolitics. F. 2008." Tennessee Tea Party Coalition website. "National Tea Party Federation Rejects NAACP Accusations of Racism. 2010. Amy Kremer.resistnet. 2010. April 5-12. http://www." Examiner. cited at http://www. June 4. October 9." The New York Times . June 9. http://www. April 5-12.html. 2010._Partners." Results from the 2010 Annual Religion and Public Life Survey.com. 259 .blogtalkradio.'" University of California.com/patriotsheartnetwork/page/2.html. http://www. "Why is the NAACP and the Liberal Media Accusing Tea Party Patriots of Being Racist?" email to Tea Party Patriots members. 240 . Media Release.com/speakers/.org." Atlas Shrugs website. 251 . 2010. 2009. "IT'S TIME TO TAKE BACK OUR COUNTRY NOW!!!." Tea Party Nation website. "Racism. 258 . Berkeley Center for Race & Gender website. "Register Today for the National Tea Party Unity Convention. Prof._Like-Minded_Organizations. "Effective Immediately.com/notes/Resources. Race & Sexuality. question 72. Jenny Beth Martin. Tea Party Express is No Longer a Member of the National Tea Party Federation. "Defining 'Islamophobia. 241 .
typepad. Donna Baker. 271 ." ResistNet website. 278 . 2010. undated.com/printstory. "Illegal Aliens. in August of 1961 in Honolulu.htm. "Dick Armey of Freedomworks[sic] Supports AMNESTY for Illegal Immigrant. http://dyn. http://dyn.com/content/nusablog/beckr/march-15-2010/ dick-armey-stuns-his-tea-partiers-open-borders-advocacy-see-his-immigra. March 25. 2010" Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics website. Roy Beck.politico. Brian Baldwin. April 27." email from TeaParty." Tea Party Nation Website. "Illegal Anchor Babies. "Dick Armey Stuns Tea Partiers With Open-Borders Advocacy (see his immigration record here). ranging from +1 a perfect positive correlation to -1 for a perfect negative correlation. July 29. http:// www. A more intuitive interpretation is to square the value. 2010. Bureau of Labor Statistics.com/profiles/blogs/should-the-teaparty-founder. http://www. February 27. The Figure shows a plot of the percent of TP members in the population of each city against unemployment.com/forum/topics/illegal-anchor-babies. United States Department of Labor. Jason Leverette." 1776 Tea Party Website.ning. http://mediamatters. Pamela Geller. Lazerus1974. June 23. anything less than a coefficient of about . May 20. Pamela Geller.html. 263 . Though interpretations vary somewhat by authors. 2010." and "English As Core Language Is Required. and because Tea Party Express donor data for this period was not available." 1776 Tea Party Social Networking Website. or r-squared." Tea Party Nation Website.alipac. March 15. 2010." Politico. "Tea partiers air doubts about Armey. Monthly Rankings.numbersusa.resistnet.aspx?id=d9622523-9bc7-4342-8e5e-5d50df88f9fc. Vogel. 2010. accessed. August 3." email to Tea Party Nation members." email to Tea Party Nation members. "Stand with Arizona on August 15. 2010. http://www. 276 . the faction was not included in this comparison. As Tea Party Express is donor. 267 . reply to "The Horrors of Illegal Immigration.teapartynation. 264 .14. taking a conservative approach. Basically. this is a very weak correlation if it indicates any correlation at all. http://www.com/forum/topics/the-horrors-of-illegal?commentId=3355873:Comment:358397 . Kenneth P. 2010. 272 .html. Tea Party Nation.teapartynation. Those "Non-Negotiable Core Beliefs posted on the 1776 Tea Party Website have since been changed to read. 2010. 2010.typepad. August 18. August 8.08. it is a fairly flat line. "Arizona Support. This is called a proportional NoTes | 93 . 277 . when official University of Washington Records Show Her 2680 Miles Away in Seattle Attending Classes that Same Month?" Atlas Shrugs website. Dale Robertson." Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC) website.org/BlogPostView.gov/web/metro/laummtrk.com/atlas_ shrugs/2008/10/how-could-stanl. October 24. As this indicates. 2010. "Forecast: Blood on the Streets. 280 . http://teaparty. basically it is the line for this data that best reduces the overall distance between it and the data points and is the best overall visual summary of the strength and direction of relationship here). 266 ." Atlas Shrugs Website.cfm?uuid=9358EDDD-18FE-70B2-A858CD1002AAC34B.com/atlas_shrugs/2010/06/forecast-blood-on-the-streets. Correlation coefficients measure the degree of linear association between two variables. April 28. 2010. 2010. Unemployment data. August 3. 273 .cfm?uuid=9358EDDD-18FE-70B2-A858CD1002AAC34B.us/article4976. Robert Matheson. which produces the coefficient of determination. 279 . "The Horrors of Illegal Immigration.org/research/201007140035 . 2010. March 25. http:// www. http://atlasshrugs2000. 274 . 2010.teapartypatriots.politico. Kenneth P. 2008." Tea Party Patriots website. Run for Texas Governor. http://atlasshrugs2000. "Illegal Aliens Are Here Illegally. 265 .org/about. 2010.org to supporters. 268 . 2010. "Tea Party Says STOP Amnesty… Illegal Alien Violence On the Boarder [sic] & in Every American City. August 3. http://www. comment to "Should The Tea Party Founder Dale Robertson. "Tea Party Stands With Arizona" email from TeaParty." NumbersUSA website.php#beliefs." email to Tea Party Patriot Supporters. reply to "The Horrors of Illegal Immigration. Jan. "Tea partiers air doubts about Armey. Vogel. http://www. "Unemployment Rates for Metropolitan Areas.com/printstory. "How could Stanley And Dunham have delivered Barack Hussein Obama Jr. Not Seasonally Adjusted.bls. (This line is the best fitting line through this data . 269 . March 2.html. August 5. 2010.com/forum/topics/the-horrors-of-illegal?commentId=3355873:Comment:358525. Tea Party Nation. This is confirmed by the Pearson's r correlation coefficient of 0. 275 ." Politico. rather than membership based. 270 .it minimizes the sum of the squared deviations from the mean. meaning that visually there appears to be little linear relationship between the two variables.19 is considered to be a very low to non-existent correlation. http://teapartyorg.org to supporters.
. (2) does this 10. It is much less clear how well this data can be extended to inferences about the entire population of the 8000+ cities in the Tea Party membership database for the period or the entire population of cities across the United States. This isn't really explanation in a causal sense.3982. if we know the percent unemployment in a city our error in predicting the percent of Tea Party members in the city population is reduced by 0.083 gives 0. This data can then be used to answer the following question: how likely are you to see a correlation as strong as the value found in the original data (0. If in fact the p-value was 0.0741) we would get our coefficient (r=0. it is likely that this is a set of cities that is larger in population than the whole population. This means that the correlation coefficient in the first test I ran is inflated by the impact of a few outliers and that there is an even greater chance that you could get this coefficient when there is no relationship between unemployment and Tea Party membership. That is.5 times in a population with no relationship between these two variables. skew the line upward and make the correlation coefficient greater than it would be otherwise. Min.65 12. This indicates that 7. 1st Qu. 0.083) 1/13.05) is a measure of how willing you are to risk concluding that there is a relationship between the variables when in fact there is none. because the data was not randomly selected. We can confidently say that there is no meaningful relationship between these variables across these 372 cities.000 times and calculates a new correlation coefficient each time. Generally anything above 0. In social science lingo.00 10.076340 0.0064 — this is pretty much nothing.083) is so small as to be sociologically insignificant. for instance.001893 0. Median Mean 3rd Qu. I would still be confident concluding there is little if any relationship between unemployment and Tea Party membership because the magnitude of the relationship (r=0.0069. FL (the highest outlier) reduces the correlation coefficient to 0. how much does this reduce my error in predicting Y.0741. In this instance (p= 0.039350 0. However. in which there is no relationship between unemployment and tea party online membership. In this case. 5.014 and raises the p-value to 0. We also tested to determine the impact of removing further outliers.924200 94 | Tea ParTy NaTioNalism — a sPecial rePorT of The irehr . We did some other data transformations to make the data fit these requirements. normally distributed and the variances of the two variables were not equal Pearson's r can give a biased measure of statistical significance. just removing Nampa. Since this dataset is based on cities for which the Bureau of Labor Statistics had unemployment data on.0001. Max. you would conclude that you cannot reject the null hypothesis of no relationship between the variables at the 0. Removing the next 4 would make it go down even further because they are all above the line). squaring 0.4% of the values in this distribution are larger than the value we got (see the figure below for where our value landed in the distribution). In short. 1st Qu. and (3) creates a population of correlation coefficients from this data that is randomly distributed — i.00 22. This conclusion is strengthened by the fact that Pearson's r is easily skewed by outliers. One caveat regarding this statistical outcome: the conclusions that can be drawn from it are strongest for the data set on which it was based. We also tested whether this correlation coefficient was statistically significant. but these did not produce normal distributions. The resultant graph shows that the line is even flatter than in the first analysis. So.00 9. the p-value was 0.reduction of error statistic and basically indicates what percent of variation in Y (% TP members) is explained by the variation in X (% unemployment).e. For instance. at least as evidenced in this data.072 (and that's just removing one data point from a pretty sizeable sample. In this case. but rather if I know X.00 > summary(tp$permemb) #sumamry information for percent Tea Party members across the cities.05 is rejected a "statistically non-significant. Dropping out the highest 7 outliers reduces the correlation coefficient to 0. Max. Median Mean 3rd Qu. we used a randomization method that (1) mixes up the original data so that it is randomly distributed.00 10. this is one of those cases where statistical significance does not really tell us that much about the data. Generally social scientists says will risk this in 1/20 cases.059780 0. Summaries of the data: summary (tp$perunemp)#summary information for unemployment across these cities Min. To employ a proxy for statistical significance.092840 0. from the magnitude of the relationship it is safe to say that there is very little if any relationship between unemployment and online Tea Party membership.05 level." Basic this alpha level (the 0.08) if in fact there is no relationship between unemployment and Tea Party membership? This is the p-value. The high values.
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