Long Island Tea Parties on 04/15/10 (Hauppauge, Glen: home equity loan, homes, buy)

[TomMoser]

Originally Posted by dman72

The thing about the tea party movement is this: where were they when Bush was running up deficits?

Nowhere. They were glued to their radios, that's where. Now they are being led around like sheep by their radios and bloggers. I never head a Republican use the word "deficit" for a span of 8 years, now they can't stop saying it. What a joke.

I think that the Tea Party movement grew out of an accumulation of frustration that developed over many years. Starting with Clinton, then Bush, now Obama, ordinary citizens felt that they were not being heard. It came to a head after Obama was in office and people realized that, although he ran as a centrist, he was governing from the far left.

While conservative voters were not happy about Bush's deficit spending, they saw the deficit absolutely explode under the relatively short time that Obama has been in office.

Here in New York, the movement does not seem to be as strong as in other parts of the country. Long Islander's are a strange bunch politically. Although most espouse fiscal conservatism, at the polls they will generally vote for liberal candidates.

[Burb]

Putting faith in the fiscal habits of either party is like puttng faith in my teenage daughter at the mall with a credit card.

• Democrats are the tax and spend party
• Rebublicans are the spend party

NY residents are right behind California for bearing the highest tax burden. Load the County and Town burden on top of that, Long Islanders are among the heaviest taxed citizens in the country.

This isn't new. Why jump on the bandwagon now? I'm much more concerned about Albany, Nassau and Suffolk.

[Smash255]

Originally Posted by dman72

In the same breath, talking about taxes and missile defense shields. Oh, the irony. Talk about a waste of money. Our biggest threat is a someone physically bringing a nuke in, not someone launching it via a missile.

The thing about the tea party movement is this: where were they when Bush was running up deficits?

Nowhere. They were glued to their radios, that's where. Now they are being led around like sheep by their radios and bloggers. I never head a Republican use the word "deficit" for a span of 8 years, now they can't stop saying it. What a joke.

I drove past the tea party on Friday in Hauppauge...heavy traffic, I hear 2 beeps for the "honk if you hate Obamacare" sign or whatever other silliness there was.

Agreed, one thing that tends to be 'forgotten' is the massive deficits Obama was facing when he took over. For example the vast majority of last year's deficit was based off policies put in place prior to his inauguration. The 2009 projected deficit on Jan 20th of last year was already at $1.3 trillion.


To get this back to LI for a minute, it really amazes me when we have those responsible for many of the same things the tea partiers are complaining about, taking part in the tea parties, but get a free pass because of the R they have next to their names. Not sure if they took any roles in this year's tea parties (likely did) but with Venditto and Schmitt last year. Venditto took part in last year's tea party right after a 11% increase in TOB's taxes. Schmitt, well we all know what he is about, and he was an extremely close Gullotta ally during the time Nassau was running up massive deficits under Gullotta ten years ago. Yet they get cheered on by the tea party folk.

[Smash255]

Originally Posted by TomMoser

I think that the Tea Party movement grew out of an accumulation of frustration that developed over many years. Starting with Clinton, then Bush, now Obama, ordinary citizens felt that they were not being heard. It came to a head after Obama was in office and people realized that, although he ran as a centrist, he was governing from the far left.

While conservative voters were not happy about Bush's deficit spending, they saw the deficit absolutely explode under the relatively short time that Obama has been in office.

Here in New York, the movement does not seem to be as strong as in other parts of the country. Long Islander's are a strange bunch politically. Although most espouse fiscal conservatism, at the polls they will generally vote for liberal candidates.

That simply isn't true. For starters Obama's Presidency isn't that much different from what he campaigned on. Secondly, while Obama did certainly add to the deficit, the explosion was under Bush. The projected budget deficit for 2009 on the day Obama took office was already at $1.3 trillion.

[I_Love_LI_but]

Originally Posted by TomMoser

I think that the Tea Party movement grew out of an accumulation of frustration that developed over many years. Starting with Clinton, then Bush, now Obama, ordinary citizens felt that they were not being heard. It came to a head after Obama was in office and people realized that, although he ran as a centrist, he was governing from the far left.

While conservative voters were not happy about Bush's deficit spending, they saw the deficit absolutely explode under the relatively short time that Obama has been in office.

Here in New York, the movement does not seem to be as strong as in other parts of the country. Long Islander's are a strange bunch politically. Although most espouse fiscal conservatism, at the polls they will generally vote for liberal candidates.

Actually, Obama is doing some of the same things I was afraid McCain would do, so how is that far left? Really ...

TARP bailout ... rescue the rich with our tax dollars ... would McCain do it? Check!

"Green" jobs initiative sham ... companies getting our tax dollars for green industries, are, as I type this, merrily having their wind turbines manufactured in China ... would McCain do this? Check for yes, as he said, he is the "Ultimate Free Trader." Who loses? Taxpayers of course! Their money, plus to add insult to injury, the companies benefitting have no restrictions on offshoring the work ... even though we are in a bad situation with unemployment ... nobody cares!

Healthcare reform ... no public option; Obama didn't fight for it, instead gave the health insurance conglomerates more captive customers ... check ... McCain wanted to do something very similar.

Not end Iraq War ... Obama did McCain one better by starting military action in Afghanistan ... check ... stay at war was a McCain thing too.

[dman72]

Originally Posted by TomMoser

While conservative voters were not happy about Bush's deficit spending, they saw the deficit absolutely explode under the relatively short time that Obama has been in office.

Didn't the economy crash a few months before Obama took office? You think that might have anything do to with it?

Tea party people didn't know what a deficit was until Glen Beck told them they should take to the street about it. Print up a sign and call the not-white guy Obamao..socialist. "Obamacare stinks" It's fun. Yeah. It has nothing to do with "fiscal responsibility". The tail is wagging the dog.

[I_Love_LI_but]

Originally Posted by dman72

Didn't the economy crash a few months before Obama took office? You think that might have anything do to with it?

Tea party people didn't know what a deficit was until Glen Beck told them they should take to the street about it. Print up a sign and call the not-white guy Obamao..socialist. "Obamacare stinks" It's fun. Yeah. It has nothing to do with "fiscal responsibility". The tail is wagging the dog.

I wonder what Glen Beck would be telling them if McCain had won and was doing the same things ...

[MikeyKid]

Seriously... It used to feel like candidates mattered more then party. As a side note I still feel as if the Republicans should be too embarrassed and ashamed to talk in public after the weakest campaign known to man in '08.

So they put that behind them and continue to try and perpetuate that everything has degraded into a party war... Everything that's happened so far is because the Dems are in power. Forget that Bush got 8 years - let's TEABAG everyone!

I have no clue how they take themselves seriously.

[dman72]

Originally Posted by I_Love_LI_but

I wonder what Glen Beck would be telling them if McCain had won and was doing the same things ...

Whatever he was telling them during the Bush years. "he's not conservative enough, but he's better than the liberals!!! Support the troops!!"

[dman72]

Scott Brown, Mr. Independent on face the nation yesterday.

"I can't vote for THIS bill regulating banks and the derivatives trade, BUT, I'm willing to work on a bill that is DIFFERENT. This bill hurts business".

Really? Sounds like the banks have you bought and sold, and I"m betting you won't vote yes on ANYTHING the President proposes. Brown said he'd filibuster the bill.

Sound familiar?

"We're willing to do something on health care, just not THIS bill".

Really? considering you did nothing when your party was in power for 8 years, why was Obama stupid enough to think you'd cooperate with anything other than the status quo?

The Republicans exist now to say no. Period. Tea party people are led by the media apparatus of the Republican party. I look at the folks on the side of the road in Hauppauge last week, and I see a bunch of people with too much time watching Fox News under their belts.