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IrishAyes

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83. Well, they hated dear sweet old Harry Bridges just about as much as they did JFK.

Sun Oct 20, 2013, 04:41 PM

Oct 2013

Part of Harry's alleged crimes? He refused to refuse to hire Communists. Wouldn't give a litmus test to be in his people's union. Said they were good workers and that was all that mattered to him.

Oh, yes, now I remember another little dustup though not first hand. When Harry closed down the entire West Coast maritime trade with the Big Strike. One of my uncles got a souvenir steel plate in his noggin from scabs hired in part by Koch Sr. Uncle gave as good as he got, though, you'd better believe. Classic big Irish bruiser, became Harry's business agent too, so he could talk or fight either one.

I do remember the day JFK was assassinated, though, because we got the news in gym class. A vast majority of students cheered. I can still hear the tongue lashing coach gave them. One of the best and most righteous rants I ever heard. Nearly broke my heart when RFK was shot. I loved his older brother but for some reason he was still my favorite, Bobby.

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Please start using the "Bircher" identity when talking about Tea Party. [View all] grasswire Oct 2013 OP

That would only have currency with political junkies and older people Nuclear Unicorn Oct 2013 #1

Could get a few other people onboard by quoting General Ripper NuclearDem Oct 2013 #4

Okay, I'm only 25 and despite being a political junkie Nuclear Unicorn Oct 2013 #15

Well said. ScreamingMeemie Oct 2013 #18

No, you label yourselves with narrow and lazy minds, and you DO have awfully long snouts, IrishAyes Oct 2013 #67

Ummm.... ScreamingMeemie Oct 2013 #69

And still so little progress since then? IrishAyes Oct 2013 #73

I stand by my original statement. ScreamingMeemie Oct 2013 #74

Quoting your own words: IrishAyes Oct 2013 #80

Well now papa3times Oct 2013 #23

True, they can't google something they never heard of. IrishAyes Oct 2013 #72

Yes, because we only want people who share our arcane trivia to vote with us Nuclear Unicorn Oct 2013 #103

Well, it's not really politics. NuclearDem Oct 2013 #29

General Ripper on Fluoridation: SeattleVet Oct 2013 #40

Thanks for posting this; good to see it again- No Vested Interest Oct 2013 #92

Yes, Unicorn, that IS the point. IrishAyes Oct 2013 #64

clue-by-four: I couldn't care less about an old black and white movie about the Cold War Nuclear Unicorn Oct 2013 #104

Fortunately for you, not everyone takes such a shortsighted and self indulgent attitude. IrishAyes Oct 2013 #105

It was relevant in its day. Nuclear Unicorn Oct 2013 #107

It's shortsighted and self destructive not to look beyond yourself to the whole big wide world IrishAyes Oct 2013 #109

And? I'm still not seeing the relevance to political campaigning Nuclear Unicorn Oct 2013 #110

That's called tunnel vision. IrishAyes Oct 2013 #115

I just wanted to know how Dr. Strangelove was relevant to 2014. Nuclear Unicorn Oct 2013 #116

Well, I'm tired of trying to explain it to you. IrishAyes Oct 2013 #118

No, you keep treating my call for relevance Nuclear Unicorn Oct 2013 #119

I can assure you that it is. IrishAyes Oct 2013 #120

Senators are not affected by redistricting. No Vested Interest Oct 2013 #121

At 58, I'm probably at the lower age limit for remembering the JBS at all Cirque du So-What Oct 2013 #7

Didn't other Birch billboards also say 'Get US out of UN"? No Vested Interest Oct 2013 #46

I know that was on their 'wish list' Cirque du So-What Oct 2013 #54

Well, that anti-UN billboard was a long-time fixture No Vested Interest Oct 2013 #61

I grew up not all that far from your locale Cirque du So-What Oct 2013 #65

Sadly a mentally ill relative was a bircher and they were very racist group lunasun Oct 2013 #87

By any chance, was your relative J. Edgar Hoover? Cirque du So-What Oct 2013 #88

And Oh, how they hated it when MLK won No Vested Interest Oct 2013 #91

But birchers had photos they distributed of communist meetings with MLK in it + also were active lunasun Oct 2013 #94

I saw one a few years ago in SE Idaho. I'm sure it is still there. truebluegreen Oct 2013 #114

Look how easily the Repugs get their branding Mesages out to the public Heather MC Oct 2013 #27

Repugs have it easy. Messages that resonate with RWers are killed by scrutiny. Gidney N Cloyd Oct 2013 #62

Isn't the conventional wisdom that Teabaggers Skidmore Oct 2013 #44

Lots of Tea Party 30-50 somethings at my work... 2theleft Oct 2013 #106

Well, not that we old political junkies are ready for the trash heap just yet, IrishAyes Oct 2013 #55

I prefer Confederates or NeoConfederates... VanillaRhapsody Oct 2013 #81

TeaCrackers jbond56 Oct 2013 #2

*1 Hoyt Oct 2013 #17

I would go with that lunasun Oct 2013 #95

Yup I've been thinking that for a long time! gopiscrap Oct 2013 #3

Most repubs don't even know what the John Birch Society was/is. pangaia Oct 2013 #5

Yes, there's a lot of John Birch Society in teabaggerism... HooptieWagon Oct 2013 #6

Know-Nothings, KKK, Birchers, Teabaggers............ kestrel91316 Oct 2013 #21

Fred Koch begat the JBS and his sons begat the Tea Party. Yeah, I'd call that a connection. Gidney N Cloyd Oct 2013 #8

The connections also run by way of the Council for National Policy starroute Oct 2013 #47

. Squinch Oct 2013 #9

I was thinking more along the lines of "The Seditions Party". russspeakeasy Oct 2013 #10

Might as well call them Whigs. 1KansasDem Oct 2013 #11

Definitely Koch connections to birch and teabag funding. Mc Mike Oct 2013 #12

You are absolutely correct about this. BlueMTexpat Oct 2013 #13

This JFK Wanted for Treason poster in Dallas newspaper that day. ErikJ Oct 2013 #45

I've never seen that before. Shocking. No Vested Interest Oct 2013 #56

Just one of 1000's of things I picked up listening to Thom Hartmann ErikJ Oct 2013 #66

Seen it many times War Horse Oct 2013 #70

If you were living in Norway, you probably BlueMTexpat Oct 2013 #111

Well, they hated dear sweet old Harry Bridges just about as much as they did JFK. IrishAyes Oct 2013 #83

Printed by Fred Koch???? FarPoint Oct 2013 #100

Excellent post, thank you. IrishAyes Oct 2013 #77

Thanks. I believe that some of those involved in early BlueMTexpat Oct 2013 #112

You and me both. IrishAyes Oct 2013 #117

Neo Klan valerief Oct 2013 #14

even those who don't actually remember the Birchers... grasswire Oct 2013 #16

The New Klan. nt TeamPooka Oct 2013 #19

I'm going with the Tyranny Party Coyotl Oct 2013 #20

Like the name and the art work. Good job! kiranon Oct 2013 #31

How about a teasaurus? Coyotl Oct 2013 #51

Perfect! We have a winner, folks! IrishAyes Oct 2013 #86

yes, perfect.. mountain grammy Oct 2013 #38

How about Teazilla party SummerSnow Oct 2013 #59

Wouldn't it offend other primates to lump them in the family? Coyotl Oct 2013 #78

I'm truly impressed. IrishAyes Oct 2013 #85

I don't think many people even know what a Bircher is. progressoid Oct 2013 #22

Agree.. They are Birchers all right.. busterbrown Oct 2013 #26

Teabagging Birchers. (nt) Control-Z Oct 2013 #24

Teabagger pisses them off but no reason I can't use neo-bircher also. mulsh Oct 2013 #25

95% of people don't know who brichers are. iandhr Oct 2013 #28

R#17 & K for, they only change their names every generation or so n/t UTUSN Oct 2013 #30

Sedition Party montex Oct 2013 #32

Let's credit a recent Adam Gopnik (The NewYorker) article for this idea.... mrsadm Oct 2013 #33

Excellent article, thank you. mountain grammy Oct 2013 #36

Thank you from me too! BlueMTexpat Oct 2013 #113

Tea Birch Society? Tea-Birchers? Birther-Birchers? Bernardo de La Paz Oct 2013 #34

That is their new nom de guerre Botany Oct 2013 #39

This message was self-deleted by its author Cronus Protagonist Oct 2013 #35

Yep. mountain grammy Oct 2013 #37

The Chad Mitchell Trio wrote a song about them. Hear it below. alfredo Oct 2013 #41

This message was self-deleted by its author starroute Oct 2013 #50

Additionally...the Tea Party FarPoint Oct 2013 #42

The John Birch Society is still active SeattleVet Oct 2013 #43

I prefer to call them: OldRedneck Oct 2013 #48

I've been calling them Born Again Birchers. dgibby Oct 2013 #49

thanks I will check them out lunasun Oct 2013 #96

Excellent suggestion. IrishAyes Oct 2013 #52

But the Birchers were nuts scared to death of Commies AlbertCat Oct 2013 #53

John Birchers accused Eisenhower of being a "Commie".... NCarolinawoman Oct 2013 #57

Call them what they are - Republicans. Scuba Oct 2013 #58

+1 ScreamingMeemie Oct 2013 #71

I tend to think the Alex Jones Crowd is more Bircher than the teabaggers. stevenleser Oct 2013 #60

Most under the age of 35 wouldn't have a clue what Bircher society was glowing Oct 2013 #63

+1 ScreamingMeemie Oct 2013 #75

it's time they learned nt grasswire Oct 2013 #76

Under 55, even. Lizzie Poppet Oct 2013 #79

Reading Wrapped in a flag samplegirl Oct 2013 #68

The John Birchers wrote books quoting each other Thirties Child Oct 2013 #82

I much prefer "Teabagger". Marr Oct 2013 #84

Absolutely libodem Oct 2013 #89

Teabagger=Republican. City Lights Oct 2013 #90

What relationship would DUers say the Federalist Society No Vested Interest Oct 2013 #93

and younger-The Student Division has more than 10,000 law students as members lunasun Oct 2013 #97

Sounds as though they're recruiting them at that vulnerable stage No Vested Interest Oct 2013 #98

NO thanks, I LOVE calling them Republicans! Rex Oct 2013 #99

Here is an excellent link FarPoint Oct 2013 #101

They are just republicans. HappyMe Oct 2013 #102

Birchers and Tea Party should be called by their true name, Republicans Bluenorthwest Oct 2013 #108