Anyone feel like celebrating Tea Party relevance with a shirt?  If so, you can’t beat this wonderful new addition to real American patriotism and courageous dissent. Buy the “DON”T RENIG” shirt.  Guranteed to get the movement’s point across quite vehemently.

The new rallying cry for the Tea Party?

By the way, the word “RENEGE?”  It’s spelled R-E-N-E-G-E.

Any questions?

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Facebook always gets you in trouble.  Read this exchange between Montana Big Sky Tea Party Association president Tim Ravndal and others in a Facebook stream:

Tim Ravndal: “Marriage is between a man and a woman period! By giving rights to those otherwise would be a violation of the constitution and my own rights”
Keith Baker: “How dare you exercise your First Amendment Rights?”

Dennis Scranton: “I think fruits are decorative. Hang up where they can be seen and appreciated. Call Wyoming for display instructions.”

Tim Ravndal: “@Kieth, OOPS I forgot this aint America no more! @Dennis, Where can I get that Wyoming printed instruction manual?”

Dennis Scranton: “Should be able to get info Gazette archives. Maybe even an illustration. Go back a bit over ten years.”

Ravndal was relieved of his duties as president.

Look, this is America.  No question.  These people have a right to say and feel what they want.  But there are repercussions sometimes to saying and feeling what you want.  You are more than entitled to your opinion, but when it borders on hateful and harmful speech–even anecdotal as these people might think this is–it crosses the line.  Apparently others in the Tea Party agree with me.

This doesn’t prove anything to me I didn’t already know about the National Tea Party.  Their brand of conservatism is ultra-conservative, and I don’t think it gels with mainstream America.

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I suppose this was inevitable.  Mark Williams– author of the super offensive, incredibly racist letter to Abraham Lincoln mocking NAACP chairman Benjamin Jealous, and all black people– has resurfaced.  Williams, former leader of the Tea Party Express, apparently is feeling like his level of contrition (as if he ever truly exhibited any for his ignorance) was sufficient to warrant his return to poisoning the political debate even further.  Via CNN:

Mark Williams, who recently resigned in disgrace as Tea Party Express spokesman, exclusively tells CNN that he is rejoining the conservative grassroots movement. As Williams revealed his new plans he also took a swipe at the Tea Party movement for not being able to move beyond “the cheerleading stage.”

Williams revealed, first to CNN, that he is helping to form a political action committee that will channel “Tea Party passion” into electing conservative candidates.

Williams said the effort will be called the “Citizens Reclaiming Constitutional Liberties PAC.” He told CNN that paperwork is currently being filed to establish the group and that it should be up and running by August 16. From there, the PAC will proceed in raising seed money and finding candidates it deems conservative enough, Williams said.

Of course.  That’s just what our discourse needs:  An idiot wingnut– totally devoid of rational thought, and full of racist bile– organizing other like-minded bigots in an attempt to hijack debate.  I’d like to see what candidates Williams manages to round up.  I would imagine David Duke is available.

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Wow.   Most racists don’t even know when they’re being racist.  And this, my friends, is the problem.  Kris Broughton has done a great job shedding light on the ridiculous Tea Party Comix that have seemingly popped up overnight.  These amazingly crafted, amazingly bigoted comics first appeared on Ebay,  apparently the brainchild of Tom Kalb.  Mr. Kalb has decided to take his grand creation off of EBay.  The reason?  Well it isn’t quite known, but I’m sure it’s not due to his sudden change of heart about being offensive.  He’s not certain how his comics equate with racism:

I do not understand the connection with “big ears” and “racism”, and I do not understand how a “dark face” implies racism…… The accusation of “Hate” is true, but it is the hate of an IDEOLGY, not a of race of people….. I understand that the ideology has captured 80 or 90% of the race(s) in question, but it is STILL a AN IDEOLOGY and NOT a “race” that this comic book attacks…. Cartoonists have historically drawn “the enemy” in a negative light…

So he admits he’s drawing President Obama in a negative light.  Okay, that’s step one.  Let me try to enlighten Mr. Kalb about the connection with the “dark face” and racism.  See if you didn’t already know this Mr. Kalb, throughout American history, Black people have been mocked, scorned, ridiculed, caricatured, satirized and insulted for having dark skin.  In fact, it was pretty standard practice for white folks to exaggerate the skin color and facial features of black Americans in dehumanizing ways.  The darker the skin depiction– the more evil, cunning, and dangerous that black person was.  Mr. Kalb, your comics bring back rancid memories of the Sambo stereotypes–the days of the shuffling, lazy negro whom Americans of good conscience are trying to forget.

No matter your rationale, this brand of entertainment is about as subtle as a cudgel– and just as effective in stoking emotions, and inflaming passions.  Black folks don’t really want to relive such a dark chapter in our American history.  A chapter in which my family and ancestors were treated worse than chattel, because of what they looked like.  But I wouldn’t expect someone like you to understand that.  After all, you couldn’t possibly know about the pain and anguish Black Face depictions have cause black Americans.  They are indelibly seared into the black experience– and thanks to you– they seem to never be far from the thoughts of many.  Holding up Alan Keyes as an example of your racial tolerance is not an exemplar of your understanding the senstitivites of this issue.  In fact, it’s quite patronizing.

Please understand something:  Ideologues such as yourself, bring nothing substantive to the debate on policy.  Your comics offer nothing more than fuel for the race blaze that’s already burning white hot.  What you hoped to accomplish in villifying President Obama in this manner has less to do with political differences–and more do do with race-baiting rancor.  More evidence that political ideologues and racist reporobates are one and the same.

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I wouldn’t usually dignify what you’re about to see with its own post, but today I’ve decided to make an exception.  This greasy used car salesman (sorry to all used car salesmen for the snide comparison) gives you an illustration as to the depths of bigoted ignorance and callowness some of these tea party people possess.  I’d really like to know what these tea partiers think bigoted looks like, if they’ve got no problem with this.  I feel dirty just watching this:

Also, what’s with the mmh.. hmm… hmmm at the beginning? Channeling Crash Test Dummies perhaps?

h/t  Rump Roast via TeamSarah.org (Those Sarah Palin supporters display a certain eloquence through ignorance don’t they?)

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But this isn’t any evidence of bigotry is it?  This is just your average teacher, banker and farmer expressing themselves, and loving America right?  Hmmm…

Now, if you attend some tea party meetings in Indiana, a different kind of challenge is emerging. On the information tables, along with candidate brochures and handouts from right-wing blogs, is a stack of DVDs, one of them titled ‘Rothschild’s Choice: Barack Obama and the Hidden Cabal Behind the Plot to Murder America.’

As described in breathless narration over ominous, pounding, suspenseful music, the cabal is made up of Jewish financiers and billionaires, run today by Lord Jacob Rothschild, the 4th Baron. Along with Jewish-run secret societies and globalist organizations, their control of Barack Obama has turned him into a water boy to their causes.

The Zionist Occupation Group is popular with many anti-government groups, racists, and other good American folk of temperate ideology.  The fact that a strain of Tea Partiers support it is hardly shocking–at least to those with half a brain cell. Dammit people!  I am tired of all this non-evidence point to intolerance and bigotry in the Tea Party.  Would someone please show me some hard evidence so we can stop this vicious witch hunt?  Anyone?

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Tea Party Federation leader David Webb speaks about the release of Mark Williams from his role as leader of the Tea Party Express.  Footage courtesy of Patrick Henseler and Newsy.com:

Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

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Finally!  Someone is showing a modicum of leadership–although this seemed like a pretty easy call to me.  Nevertheless, Tea Party officials answered the bell here:

The federation, an umbrella organization that claims to represent 85 Tea Party groups, kicked out Williams’ group when it wouldn’t fire him.

“We have expelled Tea Party Express and Mark Williams from the National Tea Party Federation because of the letter that he wrote,” federation spokesman David Webb said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

Williams is still defiant.  After his expulsion, he was quoted saying the move was “grandstanding from a minor player on the fringe.”  He’s going down swinging, even in the face of unyielding pressure.  You’d almost have to admire that, if it weren’t for the fact that Williams is a degenerate racist.

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More glorious examples of Tea Party non-racism and uber tolerance.

Photos courtesy of Huffington Post

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Once again, the president slams republicans on their inaction on the unemployment and jobs bill in his weekly address:

the GOP leadership has chosen to “filibuster our recovery and obstruct our progress” by blocking votes on agenda items the president says would breath life into the economic recovery. “These steps aren’t just the right thing to do for those hardest hit by the recession,” Obama said. “They’re the right thing to do for all of us.”

What is the conservatives’ plan for full employment?  Here’s one step:

Remove financial support for those out of work including unemployment, welfare, food stamps, etc…

Here’s a graph from Ezra Klein explaining why voters are angry:

You don’t say?

But as ThinkProgress has documented, there is racism in the Tea Party movement. Moreover, a new report from the Kansas City Star digs deeper into the racist elements of the Tea Party and citing various instances of racism linked to the movement, concludes that “it’s clear that some with racist agendas are trying to make inroads into the party,” noting that “in several instances, tea party members with racist backgrounds”…

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