Joe Barton's column RE: his joining the Tea Party ..in my paper today

http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2010/07/27/opinion/doc4c4eeeb3812d2602923301.txt

Enough!
Published: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 9:52 AM CDT
Joe Barton
U.S. Congress

What started out as a grassroots movement in communities – large and small from Texas to Maine – has now become a national powerhouse.

The Tea Party began as a way for people to voice their frustration with liberals in Washington stealing away their personal liberty — from ObamaCare and a national energy tax to out of control spending and bailouts.

They were simply fed up! So Tea Party members turned their frustration into action. They started by voicing concerns at rallies across the country, including large gatherings in cities and towns across the 6th district from Arlington to Ellis County and Crockett to Corsicana. Next they jumped into the legislative process. Each time the Democratic leadership imposed their liberal agenda with a lopsided proposal, Tea Party members pushed back by flooding my office – and others all over Capitol Hill – with phone calls and letters.

The passion and patriotism displayed by these people is inspiring.

It has been gratifying to see that their beliefs in smaller government, lower taxes and more personal freedom aligned perfectly with mine. Those core values are the reason I ran for Congress 26 years ago and they are the same things I still fight to achieve everyday.

So I got involved. I joined my neighbors at Tea Party rallies in Arlington and Fort Worth last year and have continued to meet personally with local leaders in the movement.

It is important to me to let people know their voices are being heard in Washington and apparently I am not alone.

Representative Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota recently started the Tea Party Caucus in Congress. The goal is simple – to serve as a non-partisan “informal group of members dedicated to promoting Americans’ call for fiscal responsibility, adherence to the Constitution and limited government.”

I gladly attended the first caucus meeting last week where we heard from Tea Party leaders from across the country. These hard-working Americans are genuinely concerned about the direction of our country. They echoed the same sentiments I have heard from Texans all over the 6th District: We have had enough of exploding federal spending, a bloated bureaucracy and the ‘government knows best’ ideology now prevalent in Washington. After an excellent dialogue and a positive exchange of ideas I became one of the 24 founding members of the Tea Party Caucus (By the way, Texas is the best represented state with eight members).

The role this new group will play in Washington is still being defined, but our mission is clear: We are here to listen to your ideas, stand up for your principles, and change the direction this country is headed.

I look forward to the expanding role of the Tea Party not only in Washington, but also around the state of Texas and the 6th District. Together we can take back our country from the big-spending, tax-raising, pro-bureaucracy folks who are in charge now and give it back to those who strive for fiscal responsibility, limited government and individual liberty.

Rep. Barton represents the 6th District of Texas. He is the highest ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. You can learn more about him by visiting his website - http://joebarton.house.gov

6th district is Austin zip code 78701. I live in Ca but google is your friend.

If they were sincere they'd push to end expensive wars, at the very least.

It exists to corral the last of a dying breed, it's the tailend of the Southern Strategy as its political value fades away. The perception continues to be created that teabagging is a widespread phenom. The hope is that eventually all the kids left on the block will want to "own one". Just like all that other crap and attitude corporate powers sell us every fucking second of every gosh-darn day.

The teabag "movement" creators equate irrational fears, racism, and ignorance of the economy, democracy and history as being one with a historic event: The Boston Tea Party. Only now the participants are siding with King George against their own best interests. They are a people turned against themselves, and taught to love it.

Teabaggers are having smoke blown up their backsides.

It's mostly the same perennially empty phrases so perfectly mouthed by teabaggage redcap and failed Governor Sarah Palin. It's dressed up in kicky tri-cornered hats and reassurance. The "my kids don't understand me" folks are being led by the nose. Sara Palin is the daughter they WISH they had, instead of the one who wants you to be logical and coherant when reacting to the world.

It will have a number of uses, perhaps in helping to cover stolen elections, as in "I know that the lefty was leading in the polls, but the teabaggers really came out in force overnight and turned it around for the righty."

Even though the turnout doesn't happen now and will not happen then.

*Madam Kurovska has spoken*

using the lower,uninformed,uneducated to do their dirty work..so they can get rich through no unions,oil and gas,no taxes(hence no road repair).A bunch of greedy bastards,plain and simple

"Representative Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota recently started the Tea Party Caucus in Congress. The goal is simple – to serve as a non-partisan “informal group of members dedicated to promoting Americans’ call for fiscal responsibility, adherence to the Constitution and limited government.”