Gingrich: Tea Parties are ‘likely to end up as the militant wing of the Republican Party.’

[jefferson_dem]

Gingrich: Tea Parties are ‘likely to end up as the militant wing of the Republican Party.’

Last week, when former President Bill Clinton compared the political atmosphere around the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing to the political atmosphere today, conservatives freaked out and claimed that Clinton was trying to “smear Tea Party protests” — ignoring the fact that Clinton said he welcomed the Tea Parties. Speaking in Pennsylvania yesterday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich described the Tea Party as potentially “militant,” a description that might draw similar ire from Tea Party supporters:

But while attendees supported many of Gingrich’s assertions, his characterization of the Tea Party as “militant” was lost on and others.

Reading a selection of questions to the former Speaker, asked Gingrich about the future of the conservative group.

Gingrich said the movement is a “natural expression of frustration with Republicans and anger at Democrats,” which is “more likely to end up as the militant wing of the Republican Party” than as an independent or third party.

“I wouldn’t use the word ‘militant,’” Livermore said, adding that she supports the Tea Party tenets of lower taxes and “government getting out of my life.”

In the same speech at the Manufacturers’ Association of South Central Pennsylvania’s 104th Annual Event, Gingrich also attacked unemployment benefits, saying that “last year’s extension of unemployment benefits was like a bribe to people to tolerate legislators’ incompetence.”

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/04/22/gingrich-tea-militant/

[Kahuna]

1. No shit, Sherlock. nt

[IndianaGreen]

2. Like the GOP's version of Hitler's brownshirts

Gotcha!

[Vinnie From Indy]

4. My first thought exactly!

n/t

[Cirque du So-What]

12. Teabaggers would do well to learn from history where the brownshirts are concerned

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERnight.htm

Once the powerful interests have finished with their 'useful idiots,' they will get cast aside like yesterday's newspapers. In the case of a true fascistic takeover, the teabaggers would meet the same fate as the brownshirts: disarmed & systematically destroyed in the interests of the regime as it consolidates power.


Caption: they salute with both hands now

[yellowcanine]

3. Sometimes the truth just comes out of even the most unlikely sources.

Newt has a history of letting his mouth get ahead of the political calculation part of his brain, making him one of many Republican gifts that keep on giving. Right up there with Michael Steele, Michelle Bachman and Barby Doll.

[Brother Buzz]

5. By design, and no question about it, and they've served their purpose

Newt, can you say, "blowback and unintended consequences when your time comes to try and fold these nuts back into the flock?"

[JuniperLea]

8. Or under the bus...

If they don't assimilate voluntarily:)

[political_Dem]

6. Oh, they're more than that. They're racist monsters the RNC unleashed on America.

Every time the camera fawns on these "media darlings", the world gets a chance to observe the bargain basement of American culture. Their misspelled signs and lack of political acumen produces guffaws whenever the unending gaze of televisual scrutiny falls upon them.

What is worse is that because of their exposure, they create an image of America that can be easily not taken seriously. The Bush Administration has already caused us to be shunned terribly throughout the rest of the world. Now, these troglodytes are making sure that the world sees the United States as a realm of uncontrolled persons who simply are proud of their ignorance and refuse any attempts to raise their intelligence quotient.

And because the RNC can't rein them in, the Teabaggers are going to end up causing a lot of damage.

[JuniperLea]

7. "Likely" ? Hahaha!

:rofl:

[old mark]

9. Or, Neut, they will split, dragging the right with them, leaving the GOP an

empty, useless husk.

I bet this happens after the election this fall when the GOP loses again.

m

[Blue Meany]

10. I'm sure that is their intended function, but I'm surprised

Newt let it out of the bag. The contemporary RNC has few if any constraints; they lie, cheat, spy on opponnents, suppress voters, and steal elections with no apparent regrets. I really don't think violence and intimidation are outside their range of tactics as long as the leaders can distance themselves from these activities, while privately condoning them. Perhaps it was always like this, but I have the impression that in the past even Republican politicans were more hostile to external enemies than to domestic political opponents, But they seem to see domestic politics as akin to war, in which conflicts are be won by any means and at any costs.

[Phx_Dem]

11. Wind up?? You mean they aren't already the militant wing of the GOP?

Newt, you're a day late and a dollar short. Try to keep up.

[mikekohr]

13. "End up?" that's were they came from in the first place