Of Tea Bags and Epithets

[ReverendHellh0und]

I agree.

President Obama recently focused on ordinary people in the Tea Party movement and expressed support for their concerns and outlined preliminary steps he had already taken to address some of them.

He said there probably would never be a meeting of the minds with a core group in the movement who are determinedly antagonistic to him and his policies, but, he believes the majority of Tea Party people are reachable and have insights into the proper governance of the country that he feels should be heard and acted upon.

I think that's kind of impressive on his part.

PostPartisan - President Obama hears the Tea Party

I think they call that pandering, to which I for one an not impressed. lets see him cut some spending and then well be impressed.

 

[Chappy]

So, the question remains, what is the proper way to refer to people involved or sympathetic to the Tea Party movement?

 

[Josie]

So, the question remains, what is the proper way to refer to people involved or sympathetic to the Tea Party movement?

Tea Partier? It's not that difficult to figure out.

 

[Coronado]

Tea Partier? It's not that difficult to figure out.

It's sorta difficult if one chooses to be intentionally obtuse.

 

[Chappy]

Tea Partier? It's not that difficult to figure out.

'Kay.

In British slang, the ‘T’ stands for toilet, see ‘tea room’.

In 2007 Idaho U.S. Senator Larry “I am not gay” Craig was charged with attempted “tea-partying” at the Minneapolis airport.¹²

But words are used in context, so, we'll keep it straight. No problem.

 

[jallman]

'Kay.

In British slang, the ‘T’ stands for toilet, see ‘tea room’.

We're not in Britain.

In 2007 Idaho U.S. Senator Larry “I am not gay” Craig was charged with attempted “tea-partying” at the Minneapolis airport.¹²

I imagine the huffington post would attempt such an asinine association.

But words are used in context, so, we'll keep it straight. No problem.

Great, thanks.

 

[Geo Patric]

TPers?

geo.

 

[Chappy]

TPers?

geo.

 

[ReverendHellh0und]

'Kay.

In British slang, the ‘T’ stands for toilet, see ‘tea room’.

In 2007 Idaho U.S. Senator Larry “I am not gay” Craig was charged with attempted “tea-partying” at the Minneapolis airport.¹²

But words are used in context, so, we'll keep it straight. No problem.

You are all up on that sort of thing. :ssst:

 

[Chappy]

You are all up on that sort of thing. :ssst:

All the complaints about terminology has compelled me to become better informed than I would otherwise choose to be. Personally, I'm going with “those people” until a less burdened term is identified.

 

[lizzie]

he believes the majority of Tea Party people are reachable and have insights into the proper governance of the country that he feels should be heard and acted upon.

See? That's part of the problem. He tries to manipulate people by saying rosey words, but insists that he is the one who knows best, and implies that surely these people can see this. It would be better for him to just ignore them rather than take a superior attitude and condescend to them. I would rather hear honesty, no matter how ugly, than be lied to.

 

[ReverendHellh0und]

All the complaints about terminology has compelled me to become better informed than I would otherwise choose to be. Personally, I'm going with “those people” until a less burdened term is identified.

I think someone thinks they are far more clever than the rest of us think he is. :ssst:

 

[Chappy]

See? That's part of the problem. He tries to manipulate people by saying rosey words, but insists that he is the one who knows best, and implies that surely these people can see this. It would be better for him to just ignore them rather than take a superior attitude and condescend to them. I would rather hear honestly, no matter how ugly, than be lied to.

Whoa, I don't think he took a superior attitude at all and I am impressed that he is looking past the nasty, loud element in the movement and seeing the ordinary, concerned citizens.

“I think that there’s a broader circle around that core group of people who are legitimately concerned about the deficit, who are legitimately concerned that the federal government may be taking on too much. And last year, a bunch of the emergency measures we had to take, in terms of dealing with the bank crisis, bailing out the auto industry, fed that sense that things were out of control. And I think those are folks who have legitimate concerns.

“And so I wouldn't paint in broad brush and say that everybody who is involved or have gone to a Tea Party rally or meeting are somehow on the fringe. Some of them, I think, have some legitimate, mainstream concerns, and my hope is that as we move forward and we’re tackling things like the deficit, imposing a freeze on domestic spending, taking steps that show we are sincere about dealing with our long-term problems, that some of that group will dissipate.” — President Barack Obama¹​

 

[lizzie]

All the complaints about terminology has compelled me to become better informed than I would otherwise choose to be. Personally, I'm going with “those people” until a less burdened term is identified.

Frankly, you can call them whatever you wish. Teabaggers, Tea Partiers, Nutbaggers, whatever. It's really not that critical, and it really doesn't change the intent of the movement. If anyone thinks it's fun to ridicule people, it speaks volumes more of the one ridiculing than of those being ridiculed. It says there is nothing substantive in the criticism, and implies desperation to lable others negatively based on an emotional overreaction. It does more harm to the person who ridicules than it does to the targets of the insults.

 

[MyOwnDrum]

:2brickwal

Look guys, let's make this simple, so we don't get 20 more threads about this today. Yes, Tea Partiers used the term Teabagger too. Yes, there is some hypocrisy there. Both these are irrelevant. The Tea Partiers here prefer to not be called "teabaggers", and it's a painless thing to accede to that request. There are things worthwhile to put effort into, but this ain't one of them.

Conversely, those crying about the use of the term do need to realize that it's a weak point to rally around. "Oh noz, we are being called a name" is not going to gain alot of sympathy considering that basically every political group gets called names regularly. Take it from your left wing friend, the socialist, commie, pinko, Obama worshiping, fascist, terrorist sympathizing, troop hating libtard.

LOL :rofl ...

 

[lizzie]

“I think that there’s a broader circle around that core group of people who are legitimately concerned about the deficit, who are legitimately concerned that the federal government may be taking on too much.

Uh, Yeah.:roll:

And last year, a bunch of the emergency measures we had to take, in terms of dealing with the bank crisis, bailing out the auto industry, fed that sense that things were out of control. And I think those are folks who have legitimate concerns.

Uh, Yeah again.

“And so I wouldn't paint in broad brush and say that everybody who is involved or have gone to a Tea Party rally or meeting are somehow on the fringe.

Awfully kind of the guy to come out and say they aren't all nuts, when it's already pretty obvious they aren't.
Should he even have addressed the issue? He hasn't made any moves to actually address these issues from what I have seen. He talks about what we need to do, and what we should do, but does he do it?

Some of them, I think, have some legitimate, mainstream concerns, and my hope is that as we move forward and we’re tackling things like the deficit, imposing a freeze on domestic spending, taking steps that show we are sincere about dealing with our long-term problems, that some of that group will dissipate.”[/I] — President Barack Obama

Why does he express a wish that some of the group will dissipate? Why would he have a problem with the Tea Party movement any more than he has a problem with any other political/issue activist group? Has he been calling for the dissipation of anti-war protestors or environmentalist groups? If so, I haven't seen it in the news.

 

[Chappy]

Frankly, you can call them whatever you wish. …

I suggested “those people” because it seemed safer; less likely to have unintended revealed connotations down the road. But, again, I would prefer to refer to those people the way they would have me refer to them. You suggested “Tea Partiers” and I am good with that, too.

 

[lizzie]

I suggested “those people” because it seemed safer;

Don't worry- they are pretty peaceful people who have lives, and dont wish to harm you.

 

[Chappy]

… He hasn't made any moves to actually address these issues from what I have seen. He talks about what we need to do, and what we should do, but does he do it? …

A lot of Liberals hated his budget this year because he froze most domestic spending for the remainder of his term. It's a small step, but, it's certainly a nod to fiscal conservatives of both parties that something must be done to address the ballooning budget deficits of the coming decade.

As to dissipation of the Tea Party movement, that's what has happened to most movements as their driving issues and concerns are incorporated in one or the other or both of the two major party platforms. I think the record shows that Democrats have been fiscally more responsible in the past three decades than Republicans but I don't doubt that some Tea Partiers are predisposed to choose a different course than that one.

Excerpted from “Obama Budget Freezes Much Domestic Spending” By JACKIE CALMES and ROBERT PEAR, The New York Times, Published: January 30, 2010
[SIZE="+2"]P[/SIZE]resident Obama will send a $3.8 trillion budget to Congress on Monday for the coming fiscal year that would increase financing for education and for civilian research programs by more than 6 percent and provide $25 billion for cash-starved states, even as he seeks to freeze much domestic spending for the rest of his term.

The budget for the 2011 fiscal year, which begins in October, will identify the winners and losers behind Mr. Obama’s proposal for a three-year freeze of a portion of the budget. Many programs at the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the Energy Department are in line for increases, along with the Census Bureau.

Among the losers would be some public works projects of the Army Corps of Engineers, two historic preservation programs and NASA’s mission to return to the Moon, which would be ended as the administration seeks to reorient the space program to use private companies for launchings. Mr. Obama is recycling some proposals from last year, including one to end redundant payments for land restoration at abandoned coal mines; Western lawmakers blocked it in 2009. Mr. Obama will propose a total of $20 billion in such savings for the coming fiscal year.

Exempted from the cuts, however, are national security, veterans programs, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security — the most expensive and fastest-growing areas of the budget.

By filling in the details behind the freeze, the administration hopes to show critics that it used a scalpel rather than an ax to keep spending for the targeted domestic agencies to $447 billion through 2013.

The three-year freeze would save $250 billion over the coming decade, assuming the overall spending on the domestic programs is permitted to rise no more than the inflation rate for the remainder of the decade — an austerity that neither party has ever achieved in Washington. Even so, the $250 billion in savings would be less than 3 percent of the total deficits projected through 2020. …

My emphasis.

 

[lizzie]

I would say a $3.8 trillion budget needed to be frozen about 2 trillion dollars ago (actually more than that, truth be told).