From C-SPAN's Washington Journal, during open phones on a question related to a recent E.J. Dionne Washington Post column: "Where is the left's tea party movement equivalent?" Following a perfectly sane question on Twitter from someone on the left,
October 3, 2011

From C-SPAN's Washington Journal, during open phones on a question related to a recent E.J. Dionne Washington Post column: "Where is the left's tea party movement equivalent?" Following a perfectly sane question on Twitter from someone on the left, host Libby Casey had this exchange with a Republican caller from New York.

CRAIG FROM DOWNSVILLE, NY: I believe the reason the tea party is viewed as a peaceful force is because the tea party is a peaceful force. And the tea party's not top down, as the leftists would like to have you believe. The tea party... my tea party was started when one of my neighbors asked me to go on a bus trip to Washington D. C. to try to put an end to the government ruling the people, as opposed to the people running the government.

Now you look at these leftists protests and you tell me there's someone there you're proudly associated with, looking at their behavior. And then you look at the tea party record and then you look at the way the left wing media represents everybody. Then you tell me that's an honest and fair comparison.

CASEY: Craig, after you went to that... I'm assuming you did go to the rally in Washington...

CRAIG: What's that?

CASEY: I'm assuming you did go to that tea party rally...

CRAIG: I have been to every rally in Washington...

CASEY: And what have you done to keep up with it?

CRAIG: And I'm not interested in having the public decide what my health care is going to be. I'd prefer to do that myself.

CASEY: Okay. What we're wondering is how you've stayed involved? What are you doing on the activism level locally in your community...

CRAIG: I'm a union laborer, and I do not accept what I consider to be propaganda at work. I spread the word of independence. I've got my shop steward reading Atlas Shrugged right now. That's what's going to happen. A little truth is going to be taught in this country instead of the propaganda that's been taught here for thirty years.

There are so many things wrong with this crazy person's phone call it's hard to know where to begin, but for one, I'm pretty sure he isn't aware of who was paying for those buses he was riding to go to those “tea party” rallies on Washington D.C. if he's even telling the truth about anything he's saying here and isn't just off his meds for the day. And second, if the man is actually in a union, he doesn't deserve to be.

Can you help us out?

For nearly 20 years we have been exposing Washington lies and untangling media deceit, but now Facebook is drowning us in an ocean of right wing lies. Please give a one-time or recurring donation, or buy a year's subscription for an ad-free experience. Thank you.

Discussion

We welcome relevant, respectful comments. Any comments that are sexist or in any other way deemed hateful by our staff will be deleted and constitute grounds for a ban from posting on the site. Please refer to our Terms of Service for information on our posting policy.
Mastodon