Nashville, TN – Twenty prominent tea party and conservative groups in Tennessee have signed a letter asking Senator Lamar Alexander to retire. The letter was authored by Republican activist Matt Collins and circulated amongst tea party and conservative groups across the state.
Below is the text of the letter:
An Open Letter To Senator Alexander
Senator Alexander,
You have served a long and marked career. You have been a part of the Tennessee political scene for as long as most of us can remember. You have worked for Howard Baker, Winfield Dunn, served as Governor, were appointed to be the Secretary of Education of the federal government, President of the University of Tennessee, were a serious contender for the nomination of the Republican Party for President, and of course you are currently serving as a United States Senator. Your life-long career in government service is noteworthy.
During your tenure in the Senate we have no doubt that you voted in a way which you felt was appropriate. Unfortunately, our great nation can no longer afford compromise and bipartisanship, two traits for which you have become famous. America faces serious challenges and needs policymakers who will defend conservative values, not work with those who are actively undermining those values. Quite honestly, your voting record shows that you do not represent the conservative values that we hold dear and the votes you have cast as Senator are intolerable to us. Furthermore we have serious doubts about your ability to fix our problems since you have played such a significant role in creating them.
The Little Plaid Book you authored contains very sage advice on politics. Rule #297 is especially important because you advise anyone running for office to “Serve two terms, then get out.” Are you willing to follow your own advice, or will you fall into the mire of hypocrisy?
As you are likely aware, there have been polls conducted that show your vulnerability. While no viable contender has yet emerged, it is becoming more probable with each passing day that one will rise to the challenge. When a serious contender eventually does enter the race, the moment their fundraising capability makes them a viable candidate, your re-election is in serious jeopardy.
Therefore, we urge you to conclude your long and notable career by retiring with dignity instead of fighting against a serious conservative primary challenger who would expose to all Tennessee voters the actual history of your voting record.
Sincerely,
Sevier County Tea Party
Tea Party of Lincoln County
Gibson County Patriots
Benton County Tea Party
Carroll County Tea Party
Jackson Madison County Tea Party
Dickson County Tea Party / 912 Project
Obion County Tea Party
Stewart County Tea Party
Tennesseans for Liberty (Madison County)
Volunteers for Freedom (Henry County)
We the People (Tipton County)
Rutherford County Tea Party
TN 9-12 Project
Caney Branch Tea Party
TN Republican Assembly
Smoky Mountain Tea Party Patriots (Blount Co)
McMinn County TEA Party
North Sumner Tea Party
Tennessee 8th District Tea Party Coalition
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26 comments
Interesting article in the New York Times yesterday about the end of the Tea Party as a serious force in American politics.
South Carolinians will figure that out after several years of electing more of these nut-cases to Columbia and Washington.
Question…. does the MSM ever tell the truth? Are they just a propaganda arm for the government? They will put out articles to try and convince people of something they want, it doesn’t mean it is true. The Tea Party is a party that wants the Liberty and Freedoms we are suppose to have. Is that really bad? Also the government and media obviously don’t want that, in fact they want an Orwellian society where they watch us in our homes. So is it any wonder they are trying to make the Tea Party fade away? Consider the source before you believe something is true. If the source is and MSM outlet… then doubt it.
Interesting article in the New York Times yesterday about the end of the Tea Party as a serious force in American politics.
South Carolinians will figure that out after several years of electing more of these nut-cases to Columbia and Washington.
Question…. does the MSM ever tell the truth? Are they just a propaganda arm for the government? They will put out articles to try and convince people of something they want, it doesn’t mean it is true. The Tea Party is a party that wants the Liberty and Freedoms we are suppose to have. Is that really bad? Also the government and media obviously don’t want that, in fact they want an Orwellian society where they watch us in our homes. So is it any wonder they are trying to make the Tea Party fade away? Consider the source before you believe something is true. If the source is and MSM outlet… then doubt it.
No lessons were learned in 2012. Repeating the same thing over and over expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.
No lessons were learned in 2012. Repeating the same thing over and over expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.
Let me rephrase the letter if I can to cut out all the BS.
Dear Senator Alexander,
As we have said many times, we are not Republicans, we are members of the Tea Party. We know you are a Republican, and our party has not made the effort to field a candidate of our own. Nonetheless we are asking you to resign, because we do not like you.
Sincerely,
Not Republicans
Actually I am the author of the letter, and I am a Republican, have been for years. nice try though.
Where is your laundry list of Senator Alexander’s not acceptable voting record – not the eluded to – but the actual? Votes are public anyhow so what will you be exposing?
Here you go… http://tncampaignforliberty.org/wordpress/2013/02/senator-alexanders-bad-votes-for-big-government-more-spending-more-debt-against-the-constitution-and-against-liberty/
The letter was not from you. It was from the Tea Partiers who have repeatedly asserted they are not connected to the Republican Party.
Or has that changed? Are they now admitting they were created by and are an affiliate of the Republican Party?
Let me rephrase the letter if I can to cut out all the BS.
Dear Senator Alexander,
As we have said many times, we are not Republicans, we are members of the Tea Party. We know you are a Republican, and our party has not made the effort to field a candidate of our own. Nonetheless we are asking you to resign, because we do not like you.
Sincerely,
Not Republicans
Actually I am the author of the letter, and I am a Republican, have been for years. nice try though.
Where is your laundry list of Senator Alexander’s not acceptable voting record – not the eluded to – but the actual? Votes are public anyhow so what will you be exposing?
Here you go… http://tncampaignforliberty.org/wordpress/2013/02/senator-alexanders-bad-votes-for-big-government-more-spending-more-debt-against-the-constitution-and-against-liberty/
The letter was not from you. It was from the Tea Partiers who have repeatedly asserted they are not connected to the Republican Party.
Or has that changed? Are they now admitting they were created by and are an affiliate of the Republican Party?
There are a lot of so celled Republicans that should retire or change to the Democrat Party.
There are a lot of so celled Republicans that should retire or change to the Democrat Party.
“…our great nation can no longer afford compromise and bipartisanship…”
In other words, these TEA Partiers believe that our great nation can no longer afford to continue in the manner that allowed our great nation to actually come into being.
Is there really a more blatant statement of their authoritarian and fascist intentions than that?
“…our great nation can no longer afford compromise and bipartisanship…”
In other words, these TEA Partiers believe that our great nation can no longer afford to continue in the manner that allowed our great nation to actually come into being.
Could there be a more blatant statement of their authoritarian and fascist intentions than that?
“our great nation can no longer afford compromise and bipartisanship”
Any group that agrees with this sentiment is unfit to govern. Government ABSOLUTELY REQUIRES COMPROMISE AND BIPARTISANSHIP!
“our great nation can no longer afford compromise and bipartisanship”
Any group that agrees with this sentiment is unfit to govern. Government ABSOLUTELY REQUIRES COMPROMISE AND BIPARTISANSHIP!
http://www.fascismusa.com/
– Fourteen Characteristics of Fascism –
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of “need.” The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
4. Supremacy of the Military Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
5. Rampant Sexism The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.
6. Controlled Mass Media Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
7. Obsession with National Security Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
8. Religion and Government are Intertwined Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions.
9. Corporate Power is Protected The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
10. Labor Power is Suppressed Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
14. Fraudulent Elections Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
Dr. Lawrence Britt
Good post. I would also urge anyone interested in this subject to read Hannah Arendt’s classic work “Totalitarianism.”
Another important work in understanding how the state uses the media is “Propaganda” by Edward Bernays.
http://www.fascismusa.com/
– Fourteen Characteristics of Fascism –
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of “need.” The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
4. Supremacy of the Military Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
5. Rampant Sexism The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.
6. Controlled Mass Media Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
7. Obsession with National Security Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
8. Religion and Government are Intertwined Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions.
9. Corporate Power is Protected The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
10. Labor Power is Suppressed Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
14. Fraudulent Elections Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
Dr. Lawrence Britt
Good post. I would also urge anyone interested in this subject to read Hannah Arendt’s classic work “Totalitarianism.”
Another important work in understanding how the state uses the media is “Propaganda” by Edward Bernays.