Tea Party Patriots wishes to confirm that it does not directly or indirectly support or endorse any activities of Our Country Deserves Better, the political action committee (PAC) responsible for the ‘Tea Party Express’ bus tour conducted from 8/28 through 9/12 of this year, and an upcoming tour recently announced.
The
Vice Chairman of OCDB and
spokesman for the Tea Party Express,
Mark Williams, has described
President Obama as an “I
ndonesian Muslim turned welfare thug,” and the “
Racist in Chief“, phrases he defended recently in an
interview on CNN. Tea Party Patriots disagrees strongly with
President Obama on many issues, but we believe such statements are inappropriate and harmful to the healthy debate our country demands on challenging issues. Furthermore, Williams’ antics play into the hands of mainstream media attempts to paint the Tea Party movement as a racist, radical fringe as opposed to the genuine grassroots movement representing all walks of American life that it truly is. In addition, in June, at a Tea Party Patriots event in Sacramento, Williams was requested to stop his verbal criticism of local
law enforcement officers who were trying to stop him from interfering with other lawfully assembled citizens. Among other things, Williams used his megaphone to warn those present that they needed to move away from the officers by shouting through his megaphone, “Trust me, I grew up in Boston, you don’t want a cop on horseback swinging at your head.” People on the scene objected to his behavior, and in fact, law enforcement officers on the scene were polite and respectful, and were merely trying to get Mr. Williams to respect the rights of other individuals who had lawful permits. Full video of the incident is available on request. Subsequent to the event, Williams issued a written apology for his outrageous behavior towards law enforcement officers (again, available on request). Again, this type of behavior is precisely the brush with which our opposition wishes to paint us, and we believe it is important to decisively separate ourselves from people who behave in this way.
Furthermore, Williams directly attacked the genuine heart and soul of the tea party movement on, of all days, the morning of September 12th. While patriots from around the country were gathering in Washington, Williams posted a vitriolic blog entry about the August 28th Sacramento Tea Party event (where the Tea Party Express started its tour) in which he declared that he “can now report that at the Sac828 ‘Tea Party’ event was anything but”, describing it as “a rally representing tax-subsidized agricultural and industrial interests” whose speakers were “lobbyists and other representatives of big business.” On the contrary, the organizers and speakers at the Sacramento event represented a tremendous grassroots effort on the part of hardworking local organizers from across California fighting the worst aspects of big government gone wild. Williams further bragged in an email to TPP leadership that “The national media embedded with me has been waiting for me to publish this story [with a link to his blog post] so that they can run with it.” On the day when our fellow patriots were gathering in and focusing all eyes on the amazing event in Washington, Mark Williams was apparently focused on promoting divisive and false accusations about the Tea Party movement to the mainstream media.
Finally, Our Country Deserves Better is a PAC. And while we have no problems with PACs, and they definitely have their place in the political system today, they fulfill a very different role than the tea parties. If you take the time to review
OCDB’s FEC filings, you will find pages and pages of expenditures for Republican candidates and against
Democrat candidates. Equally important, the political knowledge, muscle and primary operations of the PAC appear to come from a
political consulting firm in Sacramento called Russo Marsh & Rogers. A review of the
RMR website shows that they are long time Republican
political consultants. As of this writing, their website appears to indicate that their electoral work across the country has been on behalf of Republican candidates whom they are paid to represent, and has been for many years. And if one looks at the
FEC filings, it appears that the largest portion of the money raised by OCDB gets paid directly to Russo Marsh & Rogers. Please look at the
filings for yourselves and make your own determination.
While there is nothing improper about this type of partisanship, it is our belief that this is not what the tea parties are about. Tea Party Patriots has worked very hard to be issue oriented regardless of political party affiliation. We support our core values: fiscal responsibility, Constitutionally limited government, and free markets over any political party. In order to remain non-partisan, we must separate ourselves from organizations that are partisan and are attempting to raise money using the non-partisan tea party movement.
Because of Williams’ actions and his leadership role in OCDB and the Tea Party Express, and because of the partisan fundraising nature of OCDB and the Tea Party Express, the Tea Party Patriots cannot and will not support OCDB and in particular urges all local tea party activists not to participate in or support OCDB’s second national Tea Party Express bus tour. We firmly believe that the fight for limited government and the Tea Party movement has room for many groups of all types, and we effectively work with many of them. But it has no room for those who attack grassroots organizers, use the tea party movement for partisan political fund raising, or who go out of their way to make offensive statements that serve only to drive people away from our cause.
Sincerely,
Tea Party Patriots, Inc.
Note: Williams un-published his 9/12 blog post several days after posting it, and so the link no longer works. He has never apologized or retracted his statements, however; the full text of his post can be provided upon request.
October 17th, 2009 at 9:20 am
This is simply childish. We’re on the same team working for the same ends… So Why in God’s name can we not work together to achieve them? The mass e-mail sent out to the TPP e-mail list was childish and exposes the true nature of the TPP board and staff to the rest of the world.
There is no need to alienate conservative friends in our ultimate goal to transform our government from a bunch of liberal tax-and-spend elites to a true limited republic based on our founding values.
The Tea Party Patriots team is going to need to learn to play in the same sand box with other groups and organizations to obtain the larger goal of transforming our government. We should be focused on building these alliances and nurturing them as we move forward, not expose petty infighting to the rest of the world. This is a poor move by tea party patriots and has completely lost my support and the support of many others here in Central Texas.
If another tea party group or conservative group comes out with statements that you don’t agree with, are you going to throw them under the same bus you threw TPE under? Will they get the same treatment with an e-mail blast to your e-mail list? Why would anyone want to partner with TPP knowing you have treated an ally in the fight for American Freedom like this?
Your arguments against Mark Williams are petty. I may not agree with him all the time, and his delivery is harsh. Yet you have to admit, the American people are expecting a harsh response to the absurd policies that come out of Washington. We’re expecting a harsh response when Nancy Pelosi asks us where are swastikas are and calls us un-American. We’re expecting a harsh response when the President of the United States plays the race card against us.
His PAC helps get conservative Republicans elected… GOOD! That’s what we need! The ultimate goal for all of us should be to get conservatives in office. When is the last time a conservative ran with a D after his name?
Your petty differences with this guy have caused an irreparable rift in two groups seeking the same means. That is unconscionable. You either need to go back to the drawing board to figure out how you can work with other groups and build strong conservative alliances, or you need to get out of the tea party name and let the grassroots lead the charge, because, let’s face it, we’re doing it so much better. We’re spreading the message. We’re building alliances while you’re breaking them down. Get your priorities right or get out of the way. We don’t need this mess in Texas.
Michael
Waco Tea Party
We wish the Tea Party Patriots good luck, and God Bless each of them. We hope to see you along the highway, hopefully with less mud being slung from your bus
November 18th, 2009 at 8:26 am
[...] Desert Conservatives Tea Party Issues Statement [...]
November 19th, 2009 at 8:11 am
[...] Express Re-Tea Party (ironically, the “principles” page is “not found”) Desert Conservatives Tea Party Issues Statement Albuquerque Tea Party Brentwood tea [...]
January 20th, 2010 at 8:19 am
The only way Tea dunkers are going to gain any credibility is by disassociating themselves from the racists. If you don’t have the integrity to do that it sort of makes the rest of your statements just so much hyperbole and the stuff of flatulence. You chose a silly reference, trying to usurp the first three words of a document about which you are clueless as well as torturing logic by choosing a moment in our history, the Boston Tea Party, that has nothing to do with today except in deluded minds. That’s your problem.
January 20th, 2010 at 8:21 am
You might try getting rid of the ridiculous Omama which is clearly a play on Yomama and again betrrays your underlying racism about which you seem so clueless. No wonder you invite the derision of the name Teabaggers.
January 20th, 2010 at 8:23 am
You fools are your own worst enemies.
January 20th, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Jurgen, You are the racist…not Tea Party folks…Tea Party members are Mr and Mrs America, Conservative and TRUE Americans. They are made up of White, Black, Asian descendants and the people that destest Maxism, Socialism, high taxes and a One World Government. For the most part they are Christian and God fearing men and women that are tired if Liberalists and politically uneducated types of FREELOADERS and work for their money…So…Say what you will we, me included, will help people like you whether you like it or not!
February 4th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
I am very disturbed at some posts on the “think-Israel” portion of this website. As I quote Eliezar Edwards I pray that you will step back and think of the words spoken. “The Arabs created a phony people in 1964, called the “Palestinians.”" It is this form of degrading humanity by singling out a nationality, race, or religion that brought about the holocaust. The people who suffer to survive along the west bank and gaza strip are God’s children same as you and I. I have love for the Jews that live by the teachings of Moses, “love thy neighbor as thyself,” but I shall warn you as John the baptist did that God could turn a rock into a Jew, and a Jew into a rock.
February 4th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
Remember the blitzkrieg of Lebanon in 2007
February 4th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Michael, I think the Bible must be consulted. The Lord clearly established the boudaries of Israel. How any man can think to change them is far beyond me!
February 17th, 2010 at 11:53 am
Anyone who doesn’t agree with a Liberal is a Racist ! Can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this on issues regarding illegal immigration, affirmative action, health care, etc…. They use the word racist for character assasination of anyone that opposes them. We all need to fight Political Correctness and don’t let these people use the word ‘racist’ to keep us from telling the truth.