Let’s start with this; there is no “tea party”. There is a “tea party movement,” there are “tea party groups,” there are “tea party activists” and there are “people who agree with tea party principles.” In that tea party movement, there are libertarians, social conservatives, immigration activists, fiscal conservatives, Second Amendment defenders, and other conservative-leaning Americans.
While I haven’t seen it, I’m sure there are people that identify with the tea party movement who, like this Hillary Clinton supporter, think that the President is an “inadequate, black male” , and hold on to the notion, like these Clinton supporters, that he was born in Africa. Interlopers infect every populist movement, sometimes intentionally, and sometimes because they think a frustrated audience might be receptive to conspiracy theories. At the end of the day though, most serious tea party activists rally around two common themes: we’re spending more than we can afford and the U.S. Constitution ought to be followed by the people whom we elect.
I want to re-emphasize those unifying points: we’re spending more than we can afford and the U.S. Constitution ought to be followed by the people whom we elect.
I have no idea how that can be considered an “extremist philosophy” but I know why Democrats embrace the meme– it serves to have a bogey-man to demonize while they arrogate more power from you. What is sad is that, rather than state his case for moving towards European-style welfare states (which continually fail), Scott Peters seeks to divide San Diegans into labels, He profits by fueling divisive debate about what should be a robust discussion about the legitimate size, scope, and role of government in our lives.
Carl DeMaio is not a tea party extremist. Like Bob Filner did, he spoke to the San Diego Tea Party. Filner offered praise for the group:
“Thank you for inviting me. I have been in politics for the better part of my life which is to say I am active in my community. Whenver I see an active group who want to take part, want be informed, and want to see politics work, for all the people, I want to be there. So I thank the tea party for its active involvement.
...and we tend to divide people up into various categories…I think what you want…I THINK, is intelligent, common-sense approaches to the problems that we face and those have nothing to do with the parties…we gotta work together and talk about issues that unite us and not tear us apart.”
That was former Congressman and San Diego Mayor Bob Filner, a deeply-flawed individual and politician with whom I disagreed much more often than not. It was however, in the 5-6 years I’ve watched Bob Filner, in my opinion, his finest moment (h/t to La Playa Heritage for this video).
My question to Scott Peters— Does that make Bob Filner a “tea party extremist”?
I suppose Scott Peters could answer that Carl DeMaio’s platform is closer to the beliefs of smaller government, reduced spending, and constitutional fidelity than Bob Filner and that would be irrefutably true but the labels Scott have got to stop. Attempting to demonize me, for believing that our government spends more than it collects (fact) and that its elected representatives refuse to follow the constraints of the US Constitution (fact) makes you a hustler, a charlatan, a divider, and the one of the most craven kind of politicians. You are seeking to divide the electorate by turning them all against people like me because you think it might snare a precious few votes.
You’re a petty little bully Scott Peters and frankly, I”m calling you out for it. If Carl DeMaio wants to show me something, he’ll say exactly what I just said.
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Thank you Brian! I told people in Scott Peters camp that Carl was not in the Tea Party. They really do not care. They are banking on the liberal detest of anyone remotely involved with anything Tea Party.
Bob Filner is the reason we are in this position today. The anti-gay sentiment is what got Filner elected. Let’s not forget history. What have we learned from these elections? We have to let go of the discrimination and vote for the fiscal conservative. That’s all! Period!!
But they know that most of the electorate are simply too stupid to analyze what you just said…they are too busy seeing what color Kim Kardashian’s underwear is to care…..they hear the Tea Party bogey man that the buffoon on late night TV says is bad as they watch from the parents basement and guess what ……IT WORKS! Democrats have been doing this for decades and when you OWN the media, you can create any meme you want and have it repeated over and over and over to create results. (see I can see Russia from my front porch or Mitt’s 47% comment for prime examples)
Bottom line is Peters is admitting he is a total FAILURE as the incumbent should be running on his record, of which he has none so turn Carl into some evil tea Party radical……shame on Scott Peters and this district so deserves better!
Normal election for the 52nd Congressional District are no one fault.
There was no gay baiting by the campaign. Bob Filner previously lived in Hillcrest, north of Balboa Park.
http://tinyurl.com/20140815a
Bob Filner was elected San Diego Mayor because:
Promised and delivered a 5-year pensionable pay freeze.
Promised to move the annual $180 million in new Revenue of the Redevelopment Property Tax Trust Fund (RPTTF) for use in neighborhood for infrastructure.
Promised to End Veterans and Chronic Homeless in all San Diego by 2015 and fund the Elementary Schools before and after school 6 am to 6 pm programs by Repayment of the $144 million in HUD Office of Inspector General (OIG) Successor Agency (SA) debt to Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) Income.
Promised to keep both Emergency Shelter Tents opened year round until they were no longer needed.
Promised to move the $281 Million in Successor Housing Entity assets in the new Low Moderate Income Housing Asset Fund (LMIHAF) from Civic San Diego’s control to the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) for use immediately.
http://tinyurl.com/20141006b
Instead of maxing out Enforceable Obligation (EO), the City Council let $200,969,500 slips through their hands for the benefit of the City, County, and School’s General Funds. Instead of paying down the $1.67 BILLION in Successor Agency debt.
“Normal election for the 52nd Congressional District are no one fault.”
Huh?
@La Playa Heritage I know more than anyone that Bob Filner did appeal to voters.
The point here is that the anti-gay sentiment is a major reason conservatives chose to not vote for their party. Many Republicans do not support the party’s choice to endorse Carl DeMaio.
If Bob Filner had not been elected then conservatives would not be in this heated debate over Carl DeMaio vs Scott Peters.
This election is not normal for Republicans because it is dividing a party that is struggling to unite.
Author
Bigotry isn’t limited to one party or ideology; there are plenty of bigoted Democrats and plenty of bigoted liberals. Click the links in the second paragraph of my post for proof
Author
“There was no gay baiting by the campaign.”
La Playa Heritage, there most certainly was. It might not have been from the Filner campaign but it was certainly from his allies and buddies. Lorena Gonzalez used a lot of tweets as an opportunity to call Carl’s partner “his lover”. The manufactured Lily Pond crisis was directed to highlight Carl’s relationships.
I had an exchange with Gonzalez and called her out on Twitter for use of the word “lover”. She feigned astonishment and tried to make it sound like I had “bigotry in my heart”. It was a sophisticated tactic but she got busted. Gonzalez has never referred to my wife, Bonnie Dumanis’ wife, Toni Atkins partner or Filner’s (then) fiancee as “lover” but she did for Carl
Why? It was used as.”bait” to draw a response. That’s actually called “gay baiting”.
I said in my post that the SDTP speech was Bob Filner at his best and I meant it. The gay baiting, disregarding his personal psychiatric issues, was Bob Filner at his absolute worst.
Ditto: “There was no gay baiting by the campaign.”
Anyone who believes that wasn’t paying attention.
http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/208451/san-diego-reporters-work-called-opposition-research/
“The information dredged up went largely unreported because many in the media considered it old, irrelevant and an untoward attempt to draw attention to DeMaio’s homosexuality during the race.”
There were several attempts to get someone in the media to cover the info.
At least one of Lorena Gonzalez’s tweets referencing DeMaio’s sexual orientation was taken down after SD CityBeat Publisher Dave Rolland took her to task over it.
Rolland, despite CityBeat’s opposition to DeMaio, clearly saw the attempt by some on the left to draw attention to his orientation for what it was. Hypocrisy.
Author
Here we go again:
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/10/carl-demaio-sexual-harassment-bribery-claims-111720.html
Agreed that many Democrats played the gay card. But not the campaign.
As a person who has followed the Tea Party movement from its beginnings — first with enthusiasm and now with glum disappointment — let me point out an important change.
The Tea Party started out as a low tax, small government movement. It grew faster than anyone anticipated, and caught the nation’s attention (as it merited). In San Diego County, I spoke to rallies as big as 4,000 — an amazing phenomenon.
But that Tea Party — the one Carl DeMaio spoke to — is gone. It’s evolved into a cabal of social conservatives, single issue Pro-Life activists, conspiracy enthusiasts, anti-Mexican fanatics and Obama haters.
Fiscal issues are just a side show for today’s transformed Tea Party outfits — though they still give lip service to such tax-and-spend matters still being a top priority. They are not. Not anymore.
Recently I was stunned to go on the Tea Party Facebook page — a group with over 35,000 “friends,” and find not a SINGLE fiscal issue post in the 60 or so posts I scanned through. Not ONE.
Nothing on taxes, regulations, deficit spending, runaway government pensions, wasteful spending, overly-generous welfare giveaways (to both individuals and corporations), failing government insurance programs including social security, etc. When a fiscal issue finally WAS posted, it was an anti-free trade screed.
By far the biggest, most active San Diego County Tea Party is “Stop Taxing Us.” Well it WAS the biggest. Now it is totally disbanded — its quality website closed. Apparently the leaders tried to keep it on track as an organization concentrating on small government issues, but the far right was muscling in.
So it’s no surprise that left wing polling obviously has discovered that today’s tea party movement is largely unpopular and rightly viewed as a fringe movement. But it’s not the same tea party that DeMaio (and I) spoke to just a few short years ago.
Like DeMaio, I’ve stopped speaking to such groups, and they in turn have no interest in having me discuss fiscal issues.
Sadly, the Tea Party is dead — long live the Tea Party.
Brian,
Do you think that sexual harassment is only a problem when the perpetrator is a Democrat?
The dirt on Carl is out there. It’s not just Todd Bosnich. There are other incidents like this that have been reported on over the years. Voice of OC reported on the bathroom incidents. http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/politics/Carl-DeMaio-Allegations-Masturbation-Bathroom-City-Hall-Voice-of-OC-221379541.html
My gut is this is fabricated and Todd was merely a political pawn by the Dems. They play dirty with spies on the inside.
Will conservatives turn? I believe more dirt will follow.
They will be dropping bombs weekly — Fridays seem to be their favorite for the long weekend chatter.
I think the Republican Party has a lot of responsibility in these allegations against Carl. These tactics are nothing new and they should have been anticipated. I have a lot of questions. If conservatives are going to unite it may be against their own party. Change is eminent.
What does Tony Krvaric think of what is happening now?
Who was at the Central Committee meeting that endorsed Carl?
Was Carl really the right candidate? Did the party even consider other candidates or was Carl their guy all along?
Why did the Republican Party put all their eggs in one basket? There are other races that are being severely neglected. How about the party starts supporting all their candidates so at least some districts can make headway for change?
The new conservative revolution is here. Grassroots will change politics. One Man Can do it!
Author
“I think the Republican Party has a lot of responsibility in these allegations against Carl. These tactics are nothing new and they should have been anticipated”
That’s ridiculous. Similar tactics could have been deployed against any candidate. If Fred Simon was polling close in a run off, they might have accused him of Medicare fraud. If Kirk Jorgensen were polling close, they might have accused him of torturing prisoners.
Both “might haves” would have been as ridiculous as the accusations against Carl DeMaio.
Let’s keep our eye on the ball here.
“Was Carl really the right candidate? Did the party even consider other candidates or was Carl their guy all along? ”
You haven’t been reading Rostra; we’ve exhausted this subject.
Exhausted is right! Try nauseating! I have been reading and I still do not understand how Carl was chosen. Carl was behind my partner in the recall. It has been dirty inside politics in San Diego for a long time. Time for a change and I think it needs to start in the Republican party.
@Elisa:
“Carl was behind my partner in the recall.”
What does that mean?
Brian,
WRT hypothetical allegations of Simon or Jorgensen, the pink rhino in the room is while there is virtually no credence or validity that would lead anyone to remotely consider allegations without serious evidence to the contrary, many could see the allegations against DeMaio as not only possible, but, sadly, probable. (leading to a major story on CNN’s Jake Tapper’s The Lead, putting their investigating reporting reputation in the limelight as they could be accused as “beating up on the Gay Guy..” if there wasn’t something to the evidence) The truly sad part is there are those so invested that they may be turning an eye to presented evidence, or they realize that if true, there were those that warned of this potentiality, and they ignored them anyways. I’m sure there are those same powerful investors that are asking some tough questions about the level of due diligence that was conducted or ignored. A lot of egos, millions in investment, and high level political influence have been brought to bear to ensure DeMaio wins. Humans get weird when their egos, money or their influence get threatened.
For the first time in my voting life, I can say I’m actually relieved I am not invested in the GOP as this soup sandwich unfolds. I feel sorry for those good people still hanging on to this bad investment. But like a bad movie, it’s a sunken cost and one can leave the theatre any time, regroup for 16″, as this movie doesn’t appear to be getting any better.
Mr Pallamary and Carl DeMaio were working together to recall Bob Filner.
I am writing in Fred Simon for the 52nd Congressional District. These dirty politicians need a wake up call.
Carl DeMaio was working to recall Bob Filner? Wait, weren’t you working to recall Bob Filner? So, how is DeMaio dirty for working to recall him?
Is Fred Simon qualified as a write-in candidate?
Greg Larkin — You don’t understand Elisa’s reasoning regarding gays.
DeMaio is gay.
Gays are dirty.
DeMaio worked to recall Filner.
ERGO: It was dirty to work to recall Filner.
Hope that proof is helpful, Greg. But then, you’re likely not the only one who has difficulty following Elisa’s nuanced thinking.
Or it could be that she was critical of him for leading a recall based on acts similar to those that he is now alleged to have committed.
@Richard Rider
POLITICS IN SAN DIEGO IS DIRTY! Dirty is a nice way of putting it — it is far worse.
I was never involved with DeMaio, my partner was.
Why didn’t you stand up against Bob Filner or any other corrupt politician in this city? It’s the system that is fouled up and voter apathy that keeps it perpetually spinning. Let’s not forget it is the media’s complacency to keep the newsworthy stories and big money’s puppet strings that really have San Diego in the negative place we are in now.
I stand up to restore integrity! The party is broken — let’s fix it instead of bickering at each other. This is a waste of all of our time. Be productive!
@Elisa
“Why didn’t you stand up against Bob Filner or any other corrupt politician in this city?”
Oh my. LOL! A word of advice. If you’d like to paint yourself as the proprietor of integrity, have at it. But, do your homework.
Mr. Rider has a long career of calling out corruption and other wrongs among politicians, regardless of party. He certainly did so with Bob Filner. Whether they agree with him or not, there are very few in town in politics and the media who don’t know Richard can be relied on to take a stand, no matter how unpopular it may be.
Why didn’t he take a stand? You must be from out of town. Or state.
TA, with all due respect…are you kidding? …that is perhaps the grossest of vagaries; the notion of Rider as some impartial Crusader for corruption simply does not pass the giggle test. While he certainly has called out democratic policy chicanery, he simultaneously has been the greatest defender or conveniently silent on some of the most unethical and unseemly GOP political antics San Diego County has endured over the last several years;
Where has Mr. Rider been on the widely acknowledged and continued alleged unethical behavior of the RPSDC, that has documented episodes of intimidation, coersion, and insider nepotism and cronyism that has spanned the last 7 years? (the references to this in several articles and documents are too numerous to list)
Where was this “knight for right” in support of those that truly and bravely stood up with truth to power and have been run out on rails from the GOP? Some of them friends and colleagues of many within the party?
Where was Mr. Rider’s “voice of righteousness” when KFMB’s Roger Hedgecock denied a combat Veteran a chance to speak on his “conservative” talk show or the UT’s selective and marginalized coverage of the jungle primary where the former and latter had influential personalities openly in the bag for Carl?
Where was Mr. Rider”s “we’re not going to take it anymore” schtick when the GOP and DeMaio’s camp repeatedly denied a debate between the Republican candidates, thus denying a fair and equitable assessment of all the Republican candidates for the 52CD?
Where was Mr. Rider”s “that just ain’t right” klaxon when he himself was (allegedly) victimized by the very endorsee, in a phony email antic besmirching an honorable Marine Officer with lies about his tax position, that is now embroiled in an exploding sex scandal CNN’s Jake Tapper aired this week ? Rider was called on it by said officer and a very influential and generous Republican donor, who was the target of the deceitful act that he acknowledged was conducted by DeMaio, whom Rider has not condemned?
Your “Sir Richard” is at best selective in his “outrage” and “crusading” for corruption and graft. His inaction and virtual silence in the GOP’s unethical behavior and its enablers (who I and many would consider him as one) has spoken volumes as to his true intentions. All of this was in a toxic atmosphere where he was the most vociferous of attack dogs where he repeatedly defaulted to immediate and ad hominem attacks on anyone who didn’t prescribe to his “pragmatic” brand of libertine anti-Christian anti-conservative rants… He has viciously berated little old ladies in tennis shoes (on this very blog), former loyalists to the Party, and newcomers for their conviction and principled concerns about Demaio where he has gone to exhaustive lengths to prop up and defend what many are concluding is increasingly the indefensible.
I’ve said this before..Rider is a bully….the difference is I don’t wear tennis shoes.
or …I guess I could have just called “bullshit!.
OK. I apologize for trying to defend Elisa.
We get it. You disagree with Rider.
I do not know Mr Rider. I am a political newcomer. Don’t knock me for that. We need to stop arguing among ourselves and unite to fix the problems in the party.
My point about the recall is that there was a lot of talk but no action. You can be a voice but can you organize the 4th largest grassroots effort in US history? I was a stay-at-home mom who had the time and energy to get the recall efforts going. I am satisfied with the outcome. The city UNITED put pressure on FIlner to resign.
We need a whole lot more newcomers to get involved and BE PRODUCTIVE IN FIXING OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM!
I realize now this is just a chat room with tainted views and this constant complaining gets us nowhere. I have faith in our citizens and I am working on uniting them to vote out the career politicians. There is real power when everyone votes.
Best of luck!
Great work, Elisa!
The 4th largest grassroots effort in US history!
Good luck to you.
Author
Elisa,
Your work on the Filner Recall is appreciated and applauded. As you learned, weird things happen when you try to do what you think is the right thing to do. Allies become adversaries over what, in hindsight, seems trivial when compared to the big goal.
I hope I didn’t sound too dismissive when you asked about the RPSDC endorsement process. That, like the Filner recall, had a lot of moving parts, personalities, and passion. It’s chronicled here on SDRostra in posts and comments sections.
If you ever want to dive deep into it, I’m happy to do it over a long lunch. Here is the short version:
1- Every endorsement is going to leave some people unhappy.
2- Following the rules preserves the integrity of the endorsement.
3- Changing the RPSDC endorsement rules isn’t a bad thing to consider
I had a hangnail yesterday and Richard was silent on that issue too.
Better than the alternative…how hangnails are a symptom of bigoted, anti-gay, Tea Party Extremists that are in his gray-bearded experience either too stupid or too delusional to get on board with his “rational & pragmatic” approach to the world.
Lucky you! 🙂
Top US Grassroots Movements in History:
1) Abolition of Slavery
2) Women’s Right to Vote
3) Civil Rights Act
4) Recall of Bob Filner
Does anything else in US History come even close to number 4 ?
See…now I would have cited the efforts of Americans fueled by their faith and unwavering belief in their inalienable rights bestowed by a Creator that manifested in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution as the premier significant American grassroots movements; in fact, the original ones.
Perhaps that’s the rift…many within the GOP saw that as rudimentary and paramount; the preeminence of the Judeo-Christian Ethic in the forging and driving those unparalleled American achievements…and some choose to ignore that, marginalize it, and have gone to great lengths to de-couple and extinguish this universally recognized tenet from our political foundations, or villify, and strive to eliminate those that had found a home in the Republican Party that USED to recognize and espouse that…
Nah..that’s just cray-cray talk.
@FF, for the record, that was my first inclination. You are correct. But, it occurred to me that Elisa’s reference to the greatest grassroots efforts meant after the US became a nation, as in fomented by citizens of the US. I would say that the grassroots effort leading to the US becoming a nation took place before that significant date, then. The Bill of Rights, however, could have very easily been on the list.
But, I quibble over a quick decision to list some things to simply show that the Recall of Bob Filner is not likely even in the top several hundred.
Which was the only point. Not to debate the most significant events in history.
But, clearly, the most significant grassroots event or events in American history and to the US as a nation was the Revolution and all that followed, including those unparallelled in human history documents you note.
Damn Spin…(ding, ding, ding…) did we actually agree on something? Don’t let some on here see that…they’ll certainly disown you… 🙂 (especially if you’re a member of any of the local RWFs…yikes..)
In all candor, I too was making an oblique point, albeit a well-intentioned one, as well; If we agree that both those documents are paramount (which I believe we do), and if we acknowledge the historical record and widely accepted thrust of the forging of said documents was steeped and at its core fueled by the Judeo-Christian Ethic held by the vast preponderance of the signors, then my Dear Man/Lady, why is the GOP so surprised and incredulous when good people, with strong and loyal conviction, question the very construct within the current GOP that had recognized that for virtually centuries only to have it now questioned, then “debated”, then now ignored/removed within the last two years?
THAT is a question I would truly enjoy and answer to.
@Elisa Brent — “Why didn’t you stand up against Bob Filner or any other corrupt politician in this city?”
Oh my!! Did you just drop in from Mars?
I called for a criminal investigation into Filner’s apparent violation of the Hobbs Act with his demand for a $100K “donation” from a builder. Indeed, I submitted a DETAILED analysis to substantiate my concerns — and they were widely covered. It included 50 pages of exhibits.
Here’s the SDRostra version of the story.
http://sdrostra.com/?p=34439
@Mr Rider
“Oh my!! Did you just drop in from Mars?”
As noted earlier, I am a political newcomer. I am glad to see you did step up — being productive is what matters most. We can not just sit online chatting about the troubles in our city, state and nation. We all need to take an active part in our government and hold them accountable.
Thank you for your participation. I apologize for not knowing what you did. I respect your efforts.
Author
“Oh my!! Did you just drop in from Mars?”
It might be more accurate to ask if she just dropped in TO Mars–we Rostramartians might remember that, while we have a long, documented history of inside baseball interactions, newcomers aren’t always aware of that history.