Bluff called
President Obama said the following at a town hall meeting/100th day in office sermon:
“Those of you who are watching certain news channels on which I’m not very popular, and you see folks waving tea bags around, Obama said, “let me just remind them that I am happy to have a serious conversation about how we are going to cut our health care costs down over the long term, how we are going to stabilize Social Security.”
Strange that Obama could so easily reference something he was unaware of, but nonetheless, tea party organizers are taking the president up on the offer (they say “accepted his offer” because “called his bluff” sounds too harsh for hope):
The National Leadership Team of the Nationwide Tea Party Coalition today accepted President Obama`s invitation “to have a serious conversation about how we are going to cut our health care costs down over the long term, how we are going to stabilize Social Security.”
The invitation was extended by the President at a Town Hall Meeting held in Arnold, Missouri today. Michael Patrick Leahy, a member of the National Leadership Team of the Nationwide Tea Party Coalition, said “We want to broaden the scope to address the President`s runaway march to socialist-statism, and the rampant across the board irresponsible spending he is promoting with his $787 Billion Stimulus Plan and his $1 Trillion Annual Deficit, his takeover of General Motors, Chrysler and the Banks.”
The rest of that press release is here.
Of course, the president’s “invitation” was of the “kiss my royal butt” variety, so don’t expect an actual meeting to come from any of this.
You’ll notice how the entire tea party movement is being dismissed as a Fox News stunt, which anyone who’s followed this since the beginning knows is a complete pile of Pelosi. As a matter of fact, didn’t this whole thing, at least in part, get rolling because of Santelli’s “rant” on CNBC?
One frustration for the left that lingers from the Tax Day tea parties is that when the liberal sock-puppet media did show up, they were only fishing for wackos to discredit the tea party movement and instead ended up providing everyone with laughable examples of their own bias.
Thanks though to the president for helping boost attendance on July 4th even higher than it would have otherwise been.
See what others have said
Note from Michelle: This section is for comments from michellemalkin.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that I agree with or endorse any particular comment just because I let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with my terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege.
Trackbacks
- Doug Powers: Bluff called - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!
- Obama, Was Janeane Garofalo Too Busy to Mock Law-Abiding Americans, So You Gave It Your Best Shot? | Karl Rove Video on 100 Days of Obama « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- Obama’s Many Misstatements | NEOAVATARA
- Jules Crittenden » 101 Days!
- What tea Parties? So Obama LIES… AGAIN! - The Angry White Guy
- HOMELAND SECURITY UPDATE - April Fool’s Day - Mail Order Tea Party « Designated Conservative
- CNN/CENSOR UPDATE: Michigan’s “Chicago Tea Party” « Designated Conservative
- Obama Slurs Fellow Americans Yet Again » Pirate’s Cove
- Right Wing News
- Got Tea? Round 2 - Tea Party Day July 4th! Update: Obama takes shot at tea parties - invitation accepted « Jim Blazsik
- The Radio Patriot
- Conservative Democrats said they would vote for their district’s Republican candidate. « Goodtimepolitics
- Obama has largely done the fun part of governing: promising people free stuff « Peace and Freedom Promises
- GayPatriot » Tea Party Success: Libertarian Ideas Still Resonate
- Time for Tea Partiers to Raise the Stakes « The Right Knight
- Tea Partiers Accept Obama Invitation for ‘Serious Conversation’ | The Great Illuminator
- Hard Starboard
- On Today » Blog Archive » “If you don’t like me, well, then you’re wrong”
- Obama - from being “unaware” of April 15th tea parties, to talking them down on his 100th day in office! July 4th, 2009 tea parties are on! | Fire Andrea Mitchell!
- Hey, Mr. President, Here’s Why I Went To a Tea Party (hint: nothing to do with FoxNews) « Quick Daily Hits (Politics and Such)
- Obama’s M.O. with Americans who disagree with him: ridicule - Saul Alinsky anyone? « Jim Blazsik
- President Obama Sneers At Tea Partiers « Jane Q. Republican
- Obama Sneers At Us « Asheville “Tea Party” Protest
- silent E speaks » Blog Archive » The Invitation….
- Nationwide Tea Party Coalition Accepts Obama's Tepid Invitation | Political Lipskip
- Liar, Liar? « Tai-Chi Policy
- Is Christopher Buckley Legally Retarded? « DONE (Democrats Over Nominating Elitists)
- Put Up Or Shut Up, Mr. President « Justbkuz
- Why So Glib, Mr. Obama? | shyspeak.net
- TEA PARTY DIRECTORIES ALL-IN-ONE…& Facts (update 4/30/09) « FactReal
- ShortsandPants - Your Daily Malkin
- Obama Suddenly Aware Of Tea Parties « Beltway Snark
- Obama Suddenly Aware Of Tea Parties « Beltway Snark
- Worm is the word… « DaTechguy’s Blog
- Insane douchenozzle Michael Patrick Leahy continues to imagine, accept White House invite « Teablogging
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Categories: Barack Obama, Tea Party
Power Line
» More From the East Anglia Archives
Pundit & Pundette
» Various and sundry
Stop The ACLU
» Obama To Hold Another Prime Timer To Explain Our Afghanistan Strategy To Islamic Extremists
AmSpecBlog
» Lieberman Says He's "Stubborn" on Gov't Plan
TigerHawk
» Negative equity
















Apologies IF so. Boy…
Junior Troll, Obama National Civilian Army.
They’re worried…too much handwriting on the wall.
This is a good video you will like it. This incorporates Lincoln Obama’s inspiration on so many levels.
http://youhavetobethistalltogoonthisride.blogspot.com/2009/04/100-millon-dollar-budget-cut-how-to.html
Economic hard times. Just another reason to hit the Bamster harder.
If we have self-appointed spokespeople for the Tea Party, then what happens when they say something wrong, or misrepresents our values, etc.? It could destroy us. The MSM would pick that up and run with it so fast! THAT is why we can’t allow someone with a big ego to presume to speak for us without our permission.
I won’t say any more on the subject right now, but I seriously would like some feedback from Michelle and anyone else on these threads who might have some ideas on the subject.
jang,
look at this blowhard crap:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20090406/pl_usnw/tax_day_tea_party_planning_calls_broadcast_live_tonight_on_pjtv
happy,
I got mad when there was such a push to trash GOP by some, that did not sit right to me. It was as if in order to be credible tea party participant you had to trash the GOP to enter.
Now we have a leader and a group of people who have decided there will be just 36 of them ( um there are 50 states no idea how they came up with that # ).
Anyway yes MM and Doug as heposted this need to clarify one way or another do they back this guy/group?
how about a lil transparencyyyyy
This is insane! Now they say they SPONSERED THE TAX DAY TEA PARTIES??? NO ONE sponsered the tax day tea parties. Who do they think they are? This is serious. It may already be out of control and impossible to stop.
Bans;
I read what from the site you posted.
Now, be gentle…
please explain what bothers you about what was there.
Seriously, point out what you take exception to, please. Pretend I’m a slow kid…
If MM says this is o.k., then I will back off. But it sounds all wrong to me. This is not what we are about. This is getting too “professional” and “sponsored” to be a true grass roots movement of the people. Even having FOX News have such a big role made me uncomfortable, but we needed the publicity that the rest of the media wasn’t giving us. I was not happy with how huge Sean Hannity made it with guest stars, etc. Maybe down the road, it will grow big enough to have famous sponsors, etc. That might be the outcome and maybe we need the professional assistance. But not from someone who just steps in and assumes the role without anyone saying it was o.k.
There was a sponsor?
What is going on?
Rags…do you think it is just fine for someone to up and appoint themselves spokesperson for a huge group of people without some sort of election or something? What is to stop someone who does that, who is not on our side or is not doing it in our best interests?
Scrappy,
No, I don’t think that is OK. But I also don’t know the background here. I have to know that.
There are some really good people…and I don’t know all of them by any means…who were behind this. It was not without some organization, and I don’t know who did it.
I am very chary about people usurping this movement. On the other hand, I’m also concerned about eating our own.
Again, it is predictable that people…the wrong people…will try to derail this thing.
I just don’t know enough to know these are those kinds of people.
Color me ignorant.
Happy,
I don’t care if MM backs this guy or not I wont back off this is WRONG.
Rags,
call me lazy but if you can’t see what is wrong I can’t splain it slow or fast
Rags,
eating our own? what the
lets go back to square one:
This blowhard Michael Patrick Leahy said as the LEADER of the tea party movement will meet with obambi and define what WE feel on the issue of social security and healthcare.
Rags…fair enough. But this just seems wrong. I need to know where MM stands on this. And where these folks came from. I was under the distinct impression that we were not sponsored by anyone and had no specific spokesperson. If that is wrong, why didn’t I know about it? I am very informed and up on the latest. So I should have heard about this before today!
When MussObamalini talks about giving gifts, he puts a ribbon on something of yours and gives it to himself.
Hope your wallet isn’t allergic to gift wrap.
I hope my wallet gives them crotch-rot and a raging case of the red a$$.
Scrappy,
I only know what filters through here.
I am not a mover/shaker type, and not much of a joiner.
I heard various TEA chairpersons around this area on radio. I dunno how they got to be chairpersons, but SOMEBODY had to obtain permits, arrange for PAs and other basic organizational stuff.
I can only reason that there were people at different levels putting this thing together.
Speak,
did you miss this nugget about obambi’s gift:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090427/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_reid_obama
Everything seems to be a crisis with Obama….
Is this the BOY that called wolf too often??
Rags,
you are missing the point. There were thousands of people involved in organizing the tea parties and these few yahoos and this one guy michael patrick leahy have appointed themselves leaders. You seem to have had an about face over the last few hours of discussing this.
Bans;
Who…if anyone…organized the organizers that you see as legit…?
I read the material on the link you provided. I just didn’t see anything nefarious about what they were doing/saying…
IF they were the movers behind the thing.
On the other hand, if you have some self-promoters trying to shang-hi this thing, that will become apparent with more exposition. I AVIDLY support taking those people off at the knees.
It is part of my personality and training to be careful about turning my guns on people in the absence of good data. That goes with the potential I have to bring hellfire into the lives of people. I have potential clients I won’t sue people for, and for the same reasons. I hope you wouldn’t want it any other way.
Two things wrong here:
1. He didn’t ask us our opinion…
2. He’s from Chicago (so I’m gun-shy…live with it!).
Rags…this is what has us upset. This self-appointed spokesperson has accepted the role and is willing to go and meet with Obama and debate him, in our name! Is that right? NO. I understand that some people who organized the tea parties are now very active and are speaking for them…that is bound to happen. We need people like that who will pick up the ball and run with it. But when one person sets himself up as THE one, it is wrong.
Actually, there are three issues:
There are a WHOLE LOT MORE ISSUES than these two alone, Jack!
You can reason wrong. This isn’t like an immigration rally – there aren’t any high paid lobbyists behind the scenes.
Dick Armey’s group took over one Tea Party pretty easily because they have deep pockets, but the original organizers were happy to have the help.
Fox News picked one to broadcast from, but the location wasn’t selected at their request.
It’s not hard to get permits, and it tends to be pretty inexpensive too.
Absolutely nothing needed to be done on a national level, and other than the Facebook group selecting the date, nothing was.
Does that mean you are afraid to complain because he might be a Chicago thug? You can’t mean that. Can you?
lgm is in Missouri…just sayin’.
happy,
you didn’t ask me but my point about the website going back to chicago is twofold:
1 this leahy clown doesnt live in chicago he lives in tenn
2 why does contact info and other links revert to that website vs the one we link to
3 ( yes am using biden math now )
who the hell are these people THEY DONT SPEAK FOR ME?
Rags…no one organized the organizers! I can’t believe you don’t see that. We had people step up and do the organizing in their city. They called for the permits, selected the location, etc. It doesn’t take anyone organizing the organizers. This doesn’t need to turn into the equivalent of BIG GOVERNMENT with multi-layers. If it gets to that point, we lose total control of this thing. It really only takes ONE person to set things up in each city. The people who come to protest will do the rest.
No.
That gives me pause to consider complaining all the more.
Sorry Jangar, you lost me. What are you talking about?
look call him yourself I did and was given brush off as soon as I asked him with very civil sexy phone voice who are you to represent yourself as spokesman for the tea parties.
http://www.nationwidechicagoteaparty.com/contact.php
Local radio, soccer moms, dads fed up at the watercooler, etc. It went viral the day we conservatives saw that the moderates started complaining (that there feller on CNBC) about their boy’s ideas as how to run the country (at least that’s my own interpretation from my small town perspective, in the middle of nowhere).
That is curious. What would Chicago have to do with it? Anything connected with Chicago sends up warning signals to me.
Understand…
I am not saying anyone here is wrong.
You may all have excellent instincts at work here. My caution may prove unfounded.
I do not know the what’s what here.
I certainly can reason wrong. I have, do, and will.
But, I have found that most often happens when I try to reach conclusions without enough information.
This whole deal is news to me, and I need to know more before I condemn anybody.
Here’s something I have to consider;
1) SOMEBODY…or SOMEBODIES… will have to meet with THE ONE if there is a meeting. I don’t know how they will be selected, and I seriously doubt they will consult me.
2) If you present more than three things to a jury, you are doomed. Maybe that isn’t a bad start.
3) There is NOTHING about THE ONE that tells me he will actually listen to anybody that opposes him.
I need to know a lot more about these people.
okay well this guy and group are either backed by MM or they are using her name to legit themselves:
http://www.nationwidechicagoteaparty.com/media.php
we need to know who to further direct our outrage towards and if MM is part of so be it.
This is WRONG
Scrappy – what gives you the idea that there is fear here? It’s a noise coming from Chicago…there is a lot of noises coming from Chicago…namely BHO…
Not fear, but caution.
Rags,
lawdyy hon so stop blathering and help us find out!!
Where is our leader, by the way? I didn’t see her this a.m. on F&F. I know she is busy. But we need her to clear this whole thing up before we go any further. I will be a little bit disappointed if this has been foisted on us without any warning and we are left to wonder about it. MICHELLE…IS THIS GUY OUR SPOKESPERSON, OR ISN’T HE?? If he is, why don’t we know about it? I am going to leave it for now and hope she can clear it up soon. Nothing more we can do. I have to leave for a while now. Have a good evening, if I don’t get back!!
So, he is legit!
I’m happy to report on several new protest events now on the docket.
My friend Michael Patrick Leahy of Top Conservatives on Twitter and his crew are spearheading “simultaneous local tea parties around the country, beginning in Chicago, and including Washington DC, Fayetteville NC, San Diego CA, Omaha Nebraska, and dozens of other locations” for next Friday.
Time: February 27, 2009 from 12pm to 1pm
Location: Chicago, Washington DC, other cities, Twitter
Go to OfficialChicagoTeaParty.com for all the info.
Co-sponsors of the events with #TCOT include #DONTGO, Smart Girl Politics, Americans for Tax Reform, Heartland Institute, and American Spectator Magazine. The tea parties will be “simultweeted” with the hashtag #teaparty. You can find me tweeting here.
The foregoing was from Michelle’s column.
I still don’t have enough information to jump anybody, but this guy seems to be on the level if you look at the history here.
I can relate on the “who made you god” issue. And I don’t have any answers, Bans. Sorry.
happy,
I have to eat dinner as well. From my perspective if MM does approve of this guy that is very bad news
NOBODY is spokesman PERIOD.
tea party doesn’t need a cindy sheham!
am telling you we should have called it a whiskey rebellion tea parties are for cityfolk and they tend to complicate things
on the level legit?
HE DOES NOT SPEAK FOR EVERYRONE
enuff I have to get some chow ta
A quick note before I leave…I think he is legit from the standpoint of being a friend of MM and spearheading some of the tea parties. But legit as to being the spokesperson for the tea parties…that I don’t buy. Like you said, we don’t need another Cindy Sheeham and this gets into dangerous territory when one person claims to speak for 250,000.
Good ’nuff…back to playing Halo with my kid (future right-wing extremist).
Who cares who the spokesperson is? Every movement has people that lead and organize the effort. Do you really believe that Obama would have been elected if it wasn’t for people like Soros and organizations like ACORN and Kos? As long as they are sincere, reflect the true nature of the movement and are not criminals, then let them support the cause.
Friend of ours, retired U.S. Marine, refers to ‘the Won’ as “the Poserdent” ………………..
Semper Fi’
DM
Oh my Mr. Prsident, what is that on your shoe?
Priceless.
Oh well, that’s dingy Reid, he probably thought Barack was about to anoint him with sacred oil.
Leahy doesn’t speak for me. He never asked if he could, and I definitely haven’t given permission.
Would Obama condescend to speak to people who have not first devoted their utmost loyalty and selves to HIM?
That was a rhetorical question…
Don’t know how I missed it, but there’s going to be Tea Parties on July 4th??? How perfect. I’m SO there!
Mr. Leahy could garner a little credibility by inviting Libertybelle to join the management of his group.
Remember, we know how this got started.
Ain’t that the truth.
RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com