One Thing I Like About the Tea Party

[Alan Grayson]

I'm not exactly a fan of the Tea Party. When a debate among Republican candidates was marred by Tea Party members in the audience urging the uninsured to die, I called that "sadism." I said on national TV that: "It's the same impulse that led people in the Coliseum to cheer when the lions ate the Christians."

The year before, I said that teabaggers attending a Glenn Beck rally "were wearing sheets over their heads 25 years ago."

At around the same time, when a reporter compared Ron Paul libertarians to Tea Party members, I said: "Many of the libertarians are physicists, and many of the Tea Party people don't bathe. There's really not much in common there."

Nevertheless, there is one thing that I like about the Tea Party:

They get their people nominated. And often elected.

I had a ring-side seat to a Tea Party take-out in 2010, because I served on the same House Committee as Mike

Castle, a Republican candidate for the Senate. Castle had been the Governor of Delaware for eight years. Then he served nine terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the ninth most-Democratic state in America, Republican Castle won every House race after his first one by at least 17 points.

But the Tea Party deemed Castle disturbingly normal. So they dumped him in favor of Christine O'Donnell, who is not a witch. At least she says that she is not a witch.

Here are some other things that Christine O'Donnell said:

"It's not enough to be abstinent with other people. You also have to be abstinent alone." On the same subject: "If he already knows what pleases him and he can please himself, then why am I in the picture?"

"One of my first dates with a witch was on a satanic altar."

"There is just as much, if not more, evidence supporting" creationism as evolution. "You know what? Evolution is a myth."

Having women in the military "cripples the readiness of our defense."

"American scientific companies are cross-breeding humans and animals, and coming up with mice with fully functioning human brains."

Christine O'Donnell didn't pay her taxes. She didn't pay her mortgage. She used campaign contributions to pay her rent. She lied to the Federal Election Commission. She lied about her education.

And yet, for all of that, Christine O'Donnell defeated Mike Castle. Because for Tea Party members, all that mattered was that Christine O'Donnell was a Tea Party member, and Mike Castle was not.

Same thing with Robert Bennett and Mike Lee, in Utah. Same thing with Trey Grayson (no relation) and Rand Paul, in Kentucky. Same thing with Richard Lugar and Richard Mourdock, in Indiana. The Tea Party puts its own people in, and puts everyone else out.

I respect that.

I want to see more progressive Democrats in office. Not only more Democrats, but better Democrats.Tomorrow, there are primary races in California and New Mexico. There are good Progressives in many of those races, and they need our help to pull this off. I have told you a little bit about three of them:

Norman Solomon, who had an FBI file when he was 14. (I didn't tell you about the time that Solomon stood in the path of a freight train that had a nuclear weapon on board.)

Eric Griego, who grew up dirt-poor, and hasn't forgotten what that was like. (I didn't tell you that when Griego was asked to identify the most important issue today, he didn't say jobsjobsjobsjobsjobs like everyone else, but rather the iron control that corporate special interests have over politics and government.)

Lee Rogers, a distinguished doctor, professor and medical researcher. (I didn't tell you what an utter dirtbag Rogers is running against.)

The Tea Party puts worse and worse Republicans in Congress – selfish, bigoted tools. The only way that we can counter that is for us to put better Democrats in Congress, Democrats who will fight for justice, equality and peace.

These primaries are tomorrow. If you want to help, then click here.

Courage,

Alan Grayson

[OffWithTheirHeads]

1. Hey Allan, I can't tell you how much it tickles me that you contribute here.

Can't wait for your next campaign. I will contribute what I can even though I live in JanBrewerstan.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

2. Alan, it troubles me that we don't have that passion on the Democratic Party side.

Last edited Mon Jun 4, 2012, 09:33 PM - Edit history (1)

When the Tea Party/Republican Party lose election and/or don't get what they want *when they want it*, they don't give up and go home. They double down. It is quite an admirable trait. We Democrats need to take a page out of that book without compromising our principles.

Off to DONATE...

[notadmblnd]

3. I don't think it can be done without compromising principles. Just look at the republicans and where

their principles have gone. Besides that, Democrats tend not to see the forest because of the trees. What I mean by that is; Dems can't stick together on any one issue, because they are always nitpicking and infighting over little things.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

4. Yes! Exactly! I'm there with you. It's really time for us to unite. How we do that will be

interesting to see. We need more brave Democrats like Alan leading the charge.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

5. Yes, they are selfish, bigoted tools

[Rhiannon12866]

6. K&R! Excellent post, Congressman!

And gave me my biggest laugh of the day: "Many of the libertarians are physicists, and many of the Tea Party people don't bathe..."

Thanks so much for sharing your ideas and information with us!