Mashed articles smoked by Pat Darnell | May 10, 2014 | Bryan TX
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Do you get emails from FreedomWorks? I do. Dozens of them. They think by using the same methods that the Democratic and Republican Party use they will persuade me to join their "Grass Roots" movement. What is their movement? I don't know. But grass root it ain't.
I think FreedomWorks backed TEA PARTY wants me to vote to unplug the Federal Government, and rely on local and state governments to run things. I am not sure that is possible, but surely they have a big funding base behind them because they grew from nowhere when we "elected" our most recent Manchurian candidate, Barry Obama. Like cockroaches no longer afraid of the light, Tea Party-ers crawled into our streets and gutters and plodded along with misspelled slogans.
The referenced article claims the Grass Root rampage began in the 1980's by tobacco cartels who were attempting to stop all the governmental vice-taxes foisted upon their products, by creating a good old grassroots group of grass widows against taxation.
‘To quarterback behind the scenes, third-party efforts’: the tobacco industry and the Tea Party -- Fallin et al. -- Tobacco Control: "...Abstract Background The Tea Party, which gained prominence in the USA in 2009, advocates limited government and low taxes. Tea Party organisations, particularly Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks, oppose smoke-free laws and tobacco taxes...
"...Methods We used the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library, the Wayback Machine, Google, LexisNexis, the Center for Media and Democracy and the Center for Responsive Politics (opensecrets.org) to examine the tobacco companies’ connections to the Tea Party. Results Starting in the 1980s, tobacco companies worked to create the appearance of broad opposition to tobacco control policies by attempting to create a grassroots smokers’ rights movement. Simultaneously, they funded and worked through third-party groups, such as Citizens for a Sound Economy, the predecessor of AFP and FreedomWorks, to accomplish their economic and political agenda. There has been continuity of some key players, strategies and messages from these groups to Tea Party organisations. As of 2012, the Tea Party was beginning to spread internationally."
'via Blog this'
CONCLUSION
It's ho-hum politics as usual. We are sorry we descended into this quagmire once again, but when grown people act the way they do in a circus like Federal government, we get antsy. Watching Rand Paul and other anti-establishment types jet around and hold rallies for Tea Party-like wannabe's, it makes our eyes twitch.
Developing an eye twitch can be worrisome in the blogging business. If the stuff Rand Paul and his followers are doing is "Grass Root" I think a new definition is needed. Just what is a Grass Root movement in 2014? Well, some of the discussion is about 'restoring liberty,' using designed, clearly articulated, effective strategies, tactics, and ideas which liberty activists can use on campus or in campaign work to win with their 'principled message.'
So we worry. But like our mentor, we should follow his lead: "What, Me Worry?"
____________________Reference
http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/early/2013/02/20/tobaccocontrol-2012-050815.full
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QCzww6EG7E
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2014/04/rand-paul-raises-big-dollars-from-small-donors.html
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00493924&cycle=2014
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2014/05/rand-pauls-ties-with-losing-nc-primary-candidate-run-deep.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brendan-demelle/study-confirms-tea-party-_b_2663125.html
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