Occupy Wall Street

Conservatives To Occupy Wall Street Protesters: Get A Job

Jillian Rayfield | October 12, 2011, 10:16AM

Conservatives love saying that Occupy Wall Street has no coherent idea of what it wants. But it is pretty clear that though demonstrators may disagree on the details, the protests are driven by a bad economy, growing income inequality and the fact that a lot of people can't get jobs.

So how have Republicans, tea partiers and Fox News hosts responded? By telling demonstrators to stop complaining and get a job...

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Tea Party Nation

Tea Party Nation: Hold Your Horses -- We've Got Some Other Questions About Obama's 'Eligibility'

Jillian Rayfield | April 27, 2011, 12:54PM

Judson Phillips, leader of Tea Party Nation.

Judson Phillips, founder of Tea Party Nation, says that it's all well and good that President Obama has released his long-form birth certificate, but there are still several other questions about his "eligibility" and background that need answering. Among them: Why won't the President release his school records, and is he hiding the fact that he was on a foreign student scholarship?

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Tea Party Patriots

Tea Partiers Descending On D.C. To Pressure GOPers They 'Absolutely' Don't Trust

Jillian Rayfield | January 4, 2011, 8:41AM

Tea Party activists in Washington, D.C.

Various tea party groups are already amping up their efforts to keep Republicans in line as the new session of Congress kicks off, sending activists to D.C. to put pressure on newly sworn in Congressman as they take office on Wednesday.

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Tea Party Nation

Tea Party Nation Names DHS, NAACP Among 2010's 'Liberal Hate Groups'

Jillian Rayfield | December 30, 2010, 8:26AM

Judson Phillips, leader of Tea Party Nation.

Tea Party Nation founder Judson Phillips put out a list yesterday of the "top five liberal hate groups," because "while the Left loves to accuse the Tea Party and Conservatives to be members of hate groups [sic], the simple fact is, there are a lot of liberal hate groups." And who made the cut for the top five? The NAACP, the Department of Homeland Security, the ACLU, the SEIU, and of course, the Southern Poverty Law Center.

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RNC

After Palin Rebuffs Them, Tea Party Nation Backs Saul Anuzis For RNC Chair

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 7, 2010, 10:06AM

Fmr. Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis

Tea Party Nation chief Judson Phillips isn't going to get his first choice for Republican National Commitee chair, so he says he'll settle for Saul Anuzis instead. Yesterday, Phillips implored Sarah Palin to make a run for the top job, claiming that Palin was the best chance the tea party has to keep the "establishment" from taking over. Palin said thanks but no thanks, stating that "there are others who would probably be much more comfortable asking people for money than I would be."

In a new statement on the Tea Party Nation website, Phillips said he expected Palin to say no to his idea, but "I was surprised at how quickly that 'no' came." Still, he writes, Palin's rejection doesn't mean the tea party can't have a candidate in the race for RNC chair.

"Fortunately for us, there is a conservative alternative," Phillips writes. "Saul Anuzis."

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RNC

Tea Party Nation Calls On Sarah Palin To Run For RNC Chair

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 6, 2010, 9:30AM

Former GOP Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin

The national Tea Party Nation group is planning to send a letter to Sarah Palin asking the former governor of Alaska and John McCain sidekick to run for chair of the Republican National Committee.

Tea Party Nation leader Judson Phillips says in his letter to Palin that without her at the helm of the RNC, the party will fall back into "establishment" hands.

"We need you as Chairman of the RNC. You have shown in the past no hesitation to take on the establishment. You did it in Alaska," Phillips writes in the letter. "If we end up with establishment control of the GOP and their support for an establishment candidate in 2012, Obama and the socialists will have won...We need someone who will put conservatives in control of the party apparatus, not RINOs."

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Judson Phillips

Tea Party Nation Doubles Down On Rhetoric Against Muslim Rep.

Eric Lach | October 27, 2010, 5:53PM

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN)

Tea Party Nation founder Judson Phillips is defending an email he wrote calling on supporters to help "retire" Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) because, among other reasons, "He is the only Muslim member of congress." In an email to supporters sent last night and in an interview with The Daily Caller, Phillips said he wouldn't apologize for having a "problem" with Islam.

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Keith Ellison

Tea Party Nation: Retire Rep. Ellison For Being A Muslim

Eric Lach | October 25, 2010, 6:06PM

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN)

This weekend, Tea Party Nation (TPN) sent an email in support of Lynne Torgerson, who is running against Rep. Keith Ellison in Minnesota. In the email, TPN lists the reasons Ellison should be "retired." Among them: "He is the only Muslim member of congress."

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National Tea Party Convention

Vegas Hotel: The Tea Party Convention Is Canceled

Evan McMorris-Santoro | September 20, 2010, 1:44PM

The Mirage Hotel

According to the Las Vegas hotel that was supposed to play host to the second national tea party convention, the much-hyped event has been canceled. Organizers of the convention haven't returned my calls, but grassroots tea party leaders I talked to today said that they haven't heard a word about the convention in awhile -- and Nevada leaders told me that if the event is canceled, good riddance.

If the convention really is off, the loss of the event will stand as the third high-profile tea party organizing fail in a month. With the election rapidly approaching, the failure of the LibertyXPO in DC this month, the second DC 9/12 rally and now the second convention suggest those that hope to leverage the movement for big, nationally-covered productions may have tapped out the tea party grassroots.

The evidence is certainly mounting that the convention -- which was moved from its original July date to October 14 earlier this year -- is officially not happening. First, Tea Party Nation, the controversial group that many tea partiers reject as a fake, has removed all reference to the event from its website (see a cached version of the page here to get a look at the convention's former prominence on the site.) When I called the Mirage, the hotel where the convention was supposed to take place, the sales office told me the event was canceled last week.

Judson Phillips, Tea Party Nation spokesperson and the organizer of the event, didn't answer his cell phone when I called. Mark Scuda, the Memphis, Tennessee tea party leader who helped organize the first convention in Nashville, told me he's not involved in organizing the Vegas convention and didn't know if it was happening or not.

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Immigration

Tea Party Nation Asks: Has An Illegal Immigrant Taken Advantage Of You?

Christina Bellantoni | August 4, 2010, 10:05AM

A protester at the May 2010 ''Buy Cott Arizona'' rally in Tempe, AZ.

Tea Party Nation is asking its membership to tell the "true story about illegal immigration" and any abuses they've seen. In a new posting to members that is likely to make pro-immigration reform advocates cringe, Tea Party Nation asks about "The Horrors of Illegal Immigration."

They don't mean how illegal immigrants have been taken advantage of. Here's the pitch, in a message talking about President Obama's "regime" and the media's desire for amnesty:

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Tea Party Nation

Tea Party Nation Announces New Dates For Tea Party Unity Convention

Evan McMorris-Santoro | July 26, 2010, 6:32PM

The Mirage Hotel, Las Vegas.

After failing to pull it off the first time, tea partiers say they're finally ready to party. The Tea Party Nation says this year's National Tea Party Unity Convention -- delayed from its originally-scheduled July 15-17 dates in Las Vegas due to the "heat," according to organizers at the time -- is back on, and back in Vegas.

The convention will be held Oct. 14-16 at the Mirage hotel and casino on the Vegas strip. Other than the giant volcano out front, the hotel is an interesting choice for another reason -- as Christina reported over the weekend, the massive Venetian hotel was selected by conservatives gathering for RightOnline because it's the only non-union hotel on the strip. The employees of the Mirage, like the rest of the hotels around it, are represented by the city's powerful hospitality unions.

In announcing the new dates today, tea party organizers seemed excited to have a new home for their second national convention, regardless of who may be staffing it.

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Tea Party

Second Tea Party Group Distancing Itself From Mark Williams

Evan McMorris-Santoro | July 19, 2010, 11:11AM

Tea Party activists in Washington, D.C.

There's evidence this morning that even more tea partiers are seeking to distance themselves from the Tea Party Express' Mark Williams and his racially-tinged rhetoric. In an email sent to its members this morning, the Tea Party Nation group appeared to back away from Williams and make it clear that it doesn't agree with his controversial anti-NAACP blog post.

"As most of you are aware, one of the leaders in the tea party movement posted a controversial blog many took to be racist," Tea Party Nation leaders wrote in the email obtained by TPMDC. "Tea Party Nation and many other groups have repudiated racism and racists ... We have banned members who were racists and will ban any members who show themselves to be racist."

"The Tea Party Movement is not racist," the leaders add. "Tea Party Nation welcomes all patriots, regardless of gender, ethnicity or national origin to join us and help save this great country."

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Supreme Court vacancy

Tea Party Targets Lindsey Graham Over Kagan

Christina Bellantoni | July 14, 2010, 1:25PM

Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC)

Tea party activists are claiming victory over the one-week delay until Solicitor General Elena Kagan receives a vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and one group is going after Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) as the most likely GOP "Yes" vote to confirm Kagan to the Supreme Court.

"This gives us more time and we must not fail. We must keep calling Senators and tell them to stop Kagan," Tea Party Nation wrote supporters in an email obtained by TPM Organizers misspelled Graham's name, then said he's "the most likely" to support Kagan's nomination.

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Tea Party Nation Convention

Tea Party Nation Defends Canceled Convention With Photo Of Overheated Dog: It's Sooo Hot In Vegas

Christina Bellantoni | July 12, 2010, 11:09AM

Don't you dare call the tea partiers weather weenies. Tea Party Nation officials are defending the cancellation of their Las Vegas convention this month with evidence that it really is that hot.

As we reported, the Tea Party Nation "unity" convention had been set to go off at the end of this week with Senate hopeful Sharron Angle (R-NV) at the top of the bill. But they announced at the last minute that it would be pushed to the fall -- i.e., closer to the midterm elections that would help the movement's "momentum."

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2010 elections

Tea Party Convention Postponed -- Vegas In July Is Too Hot!

Christina Bellantoni | June 28, 2010, 8:30AM

A planned "unity" convention for tea partiers is being pushed to the fall, with organizers scrapping a major gathering with just 19 days before it was scheduled to go off. They cited heat and not being professional event planners, but the abrupt change in plans without a new date firmed up doesn't bode well for the fledgling group.

Tea Party Nation announced in an email to members this weekend that their "unity" convention, planned for July 15-17 in Las Vegas, would be delayed. Organizers didn't give a new date, but said in an email obtained by TPM they think holding it closer to the midterm elections would help the movement's "momentum." It's not clear yet if keynote speaker Senate nominee Sharron Angle (R-NV) will still be attending or if anyone who already booked rooms at the ritzy Palazzo where the convention was to be held or who paid the $399 registration fee will get refunds.

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NV-SEN

Sharron Angle To Headline Tea Party Nation 'Unity' Convention

Christina Bellantoni | June 17, 2010, 1:54PM

Sharron Angle, Republican candidate for Nevada US Senate seat

Tea party hero and newly elected Senate nominee Sharron Angle (R-NV) will be a featured speaker at the Tea Party Nation's Unity Convention in Las Vegas this summer, the group announced.

Angle was boosted in the June 8 primary above other contenders in part thanks to support from tea party groups, and Tea Party Nation asked members in an email this afternoon to donate to the Angle campaign to unseat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).

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Financial Reform

Tea Party Targets 'Bailout Bob' Corker

Christina Bellantoni | April 23, 2010, 11:57AM

Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) and protestors at a Tea Party rally

As Republican Sen. Bob Corker works with Democrats to strike a deal on financial regulatory reform, tea partiers are coming after him. They are crying that Corker is a "Republican in name only!" who is bending over backwards to help Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) instead of joining the GOP in a filibuster threat.

Tea Party Nation has enlisted members to bombard Corker (R-TN) with phone calls pleading with him "not to compromise" with the majority party. In an email obtained by TPMDC as a member of the group's mailing list, Tea Party Nation leaders give out Corker's six state office numbers and his Washington line.

The tea party group's facts aren't quite accurate, since Corker was one of the 41 Republican senators who signed a letter last week pledging to block the bill in its current form. But as we've been reporting on our Financial Reform Wire and in detail here, Corker and other GOPers are cooperating with Democrats.

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NV-SEN

Nevada Tea Battle: Grassroots Groups Call New Third Party Fake, Ban It From Events

Christina Bellantoni | March 15, 2010, 9:48AM

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and a tea partier

Is there a fake tea party brewing in Nevada? Tea partiers who have declared Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) public enemy No. 1 sure seem to think so.

The Tea Party of Nevada formed an official third party in the Silver State, with candidate Jon Ashjian hoping to defeat Reid. But tea party groups that oppose becoming official third parties cried foul. Some conservatives have even accused Ashjian of being a front for Reid supporters who hope to dilute the Republican and tea party votes in the fall.

Twenty of Nevada's self-proclaimed "grassroots tea party groups" signed a statement denouncing the Tea Party of Nevada. The groups issued a blanket ban, saying the third party won't be invited to or welcome at any grassroots events in the state.

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Tea Party

Tea Party's First Birthday Highlights Divisions In Movement

Christina Bellantoni | March 1, 2010, 2:25PM

Dick Armey of FreedomWorks speaks with a tea party enthusiast

The tea party movement officially turned one over the weekend, drawing various celebrations, laudatory statements from Republican leadership and boastful emails about all the group has accomplished since 2009. But even those anniversary milestones highlight deep factions within the movement and how Republicans are bending over backwards to be associated with the tea partiers.

For example, the Tea Party Express organizers cited several odd accomplishments, including a political race that ended up with a Democratic victory and a Senator's retirement that had nothing to do with the tea party at all.

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Tea Party Nation

Tennessee Dems Plan Happy Hour To Counter Palin At Tea Party Convention

Christina Bellantoni | February 3, 2010, 11:13AM

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

The tea partiers are coming to Nashville tomorrow for their first official convention, and the state Democratic Party is holding a counter happy hour where they'll serve "anything but tea."

As we've been reporting, former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) is the keynote speaker at tomorrow's Tea Party Nation convention at Opryland. The Tennessee Democratic Party is trying to get Democrats to show up at the Cabana Restaurant in Nashville. (See the actual invite here.)

"This event is about bringing people together to celebrate our hope for the future," the Dems wrote in an email. The "Anything but tea!" happy hour is free (compared with a $549 banquet ticket for the convention).

IL-SEN

Tea Party Uses (Republican) Scott Brown's Victory To Target (Republican) Mark Kirk

Christina Bellantoni | January 20, 2010, 5:35PM

Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL)

Tea Party Nation members spent less than an hour celebrating Republican Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts before they got to work to end another Republican's Senate candidacy.

Organizers of the Tea Party Nation, which has banned "liberal trolls" from its Web site in advance of next month's convention in Nashville, last night told members the "next battle" is in Illinois to make sure Rep. Mark Kirk does not win the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate.

The primary is Feb. 2 and the Tea Party Nation warns that if Kirk (R-IL) wins, "this fall Illinois will have a choice between two liberals for the Illinois Senate seat." They call Kirk a "RINO," which stands for Republican In Name Only, with a "consistently liberal" record compared to Pat Hughes, who they called a "solid Conservative."

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MA-SEN

Tea Party Nation To Rhode Island Members: Cross Border For Brown This Weekend

Christina Bellantoni | January 15, 2010, 3:55PM

Anti-health care reform protester and MA Senate candidate Scott Brown (R)

The Tea Party Nation has banned "liberal trolls" from their Web site but members have no problem crossing state lines to help Republican State Sen. Scott Brown in the final hours of the race for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts.

Tea Party Nation member Marina Peterson sent a message today to the group's mailing list addressed to "Rhode Islander's" (sic) and asking them to help Brown defeat Democratic Attorney General Martha Coakley.

"The momentum is high!! Let's give this our all!!" writes Peterson, adding that volunteers this weekend can canvass neighborhoods or use the automated phone call system, which make it "easy to leave voice mails automatically and easy to record voters responses - making it fun."

Brown "could be the 41st vote needed to frustrate Harry Reid, Barrack Obama (sic) and their attempt to shove socialism down our throats!" she writes.

Peterson also references Rep. Patrick Kennedy's reelection campaign in Rhode Island, saying that a Brown win Tuesday would, after all, give Kennedy's Republican challenger John Loughlin free national media.

Excerpts from the email obtained by TPMDC as a member of the mailing list, after the jump. It's slightly edited to remove emails and phone numbers for the campaign.

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Tea Party Nation

Tea Party Nation: Liberals Have Attacked And Are Uploading Porn To Our Site

Christina Bellantoni | January 11, 2010, 9:01AM

A Tea Party protester in Washington.

It was a rough week for Tea Party Nation.

The group first accused MSNBC's Rachel Maddow of joining as a sort of liberal spy, and after TPMDC's coverage of the issue (and Maddow denial) the site seems to have gotten a flood of liberals engaged in apparently suspicious activity.

Organizers with Tea Party Nation, planning a convention in Nashville next month starring Sarah Palin, sent out an email blast late Friday detailing what they have seen, and noted they will "correct these problems."

"They have joined en masse, coming on the site to offend, disrupt and interfere as much as they can," organizers wrote. "They have uploaded inappropriate content, sent us obscene messages and even uploaded pornographic images."

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