Meeting with Michael Steele and the Tea Party Groups

As many of you know, Cheryl, Terri and I went to the grassroots private meeting with Michael Steele last evening. We understand there is some controversy within the various conservative groups surrounding this meeting. Some are saying we shouldn’t be taking a seat before what could be considered a “part of the problem”. We felt strongly that without having a face to face with party leaders we would be effectively shutting down the most important part of the process: that of allowing our group’s voice to be heard to the powers that be.

Over the course of the next few days, we will be explaining what happened here in detail, but first we wanted to give an overview of the takeaways from this meeting and address the concerns and the news.

We believe that to be effective leaders for the group, one of our main responsibilities is to take advantage of any opportunity to be heard by the leaders of every political avenue available. We believe that to be fully aware of someone’s intentions, it is the best and fastest to simply ask them.

We were very direct as a group last night to ask the RNC Party Chairman if his intentions were to co-opt the various groups and if the GOP’s intention was to fold on Healthcare Reform. We were very pleased by his answers on these questions and many others.

Overall, this was a fantastic meeting. Not only because of what Michael Steele said to us, but more than that, how much he listened to what we had to say. I mean really listened. We were slated to be there for one hour, we were in that meeting for going on 3.5 hours. That was quite a telling statement to us. The RNC is getting that it is high time they sat and listened, took it on the chin and heard what the groups that were represented wanted from our various leaders. It is important to note – we were not there representing the “movement”, we were there representing our group.

Mr. Steele made three key points to us:

1. Maintain the energy in our groups, amp it up even. We are having an earth shattering effect on Washington in general and the DNC/Progressives and their state-run media in particular. In fact, he stated it was nothing short of the effect that the founders had in the first revolution.
2. Made the very strongly stated point that we are the answer to this country’s problems, not those in various offices or in party leadership. The RNC is looking to us for their marching orders, not the other way around. We are shattering the standards, we are the voters, but we are acting in a way that old established Washington has no idea how to handle, understands it is way bigger then they, and has a sense of fear they will lose this particular war. They don’t know how to poll it, play it, combat it, and they don’t know what to do with it. The old standards aren’t working anymore and we need to keep that up. We learned that Michael Steele originated from DC and is a grassroots based individual whose goal is to shake up party establishment and return to a bottom up organization.
3. Get out the vote and run them if you’ve got them.
   

He also taught us the roles of the parties versus the roles of the GOP, the DNC, the candidates, the elected, and the people. It was very interesting and will be the next topic we go over on Friday. This is something we did not understand and we don’t believe many people do understand.

We made many points to him, which we will go over in detail in the coming days. The main ones were:

1. We do not desire to be co-opted. He answered very clearly that is not a threat at all. What we are hearing is spin and word twisting from left based media and the democrats, not the RNC.
   
2. We do not feel he is stating his message clearly at all. He is confusing the issues by what he says versus what he states he feels personally, namely that he is one of us and not of “old party” which makes him the odd man out in Washington. I responded directly to that statement, then rid yourself of the “politi-speak” and make your messages very clear, direct, exact, because we aren’t getting your message.
   
3. Part two of that same question was that the ground game for conservatives is not there. We don’t hear the message as conservatives and if we aren’t hearing it, many voters not yet immersed in the movement aren’t hearing it or seeing it. He stated that this will change within the next few weeks. There is an entire bottom up program being finalized now that the RNC will run with to provide us with avenues to utilize.
   
4. We stated we are VERY concerned about the Blair House meeting and we want a definitive answer on what their response will be. They aren’t strategizing and we require a strategy. He wrote that down and stated he would talk to minority leaders to encourage them to consider their alternatives and game plans.
   
5. We don’t want “the party of no” label. We want “the party of HELL NO!” label.
   
6. We voiced quite a few concerns about local issues, and he directed us to involvement with our local RNC and our voice there. Additionally he was very encouraging about the precinct involvement and explained where his duties lie in the scheme of things.
   In addition there were many interesting points made, things we didn’t understand but better understand now. Those we will save for different editions.

What Mr. Steele meant by “Republican’s aren’t ready to win” among other key questions we have had were explained in depth and made great sense, however he did agree that he is not being clear enough.

The key issue I raised was grassroots doesn’t speak politispeak, he needs to be very clear when he makes these statements and he agreed that he was not clarifying his thoughts enough. This is going to hopefully be the beginning of an ongoing dialogue. We are very encouraged and excited by the outcomes last night.

The RNC from Mr. Steele’s perspective is that they don’t want to co-opt us. They are willing to do what we need them to do within the perimeters of their role in politics and the political process. They hear us, and they do fear us.

When we ended our after meeting dinner meeting the group leaders agreed that our motto is “Independent but Together”.

Next edition will cover the role of the NC’s in politics. What we can expect from them as the election moves forward and what is not within their charter to do.

To Hoffman or Not To Hoffman?

NY’s 23rd District Candidate Doug Hoffman Gave an Excellent Interview Under a Very Tough Opening Question while the Tea Party Express Endorsed Hoffman Yesterday in spite of Gingrich’s Tough Talk.

Mr. Gingrich simply isn’t getting the message the Tea Partiers are trying so hard to send.

Conservatives don’t want “moderate Republicans”, we want conservative candidates. Whether that means we have to risk losing a few races now, or we actually succeed and win it, the effort will mean a win for conservatives, because before the GOP gets it, they must understand we mean business. We must get the message across that we will not be controlled by fear-mongering any longer.

In trying to insure we listen to him by calling it “a win for Pelosi” if we back Doug Hoffman for NY23, Gingrich is doing that very thing. He is creating fear to control the segment of the population he needs to control. It is wrong and it has to stop.

I’m sorry Mr. Gingrich, but you kicked that dog the moment you walked away from your Contract With America. We don’t believe you are THE conservative voice anymore. Once burnt, twice shy…all that.

You certainly are not the conservative voice at this moment Mr. Gingrich, right now you are simply toeing the party line and we all know it. You, Mr. Steele and the GOP really need to understand the party line no longer cuts it with us. The Sleeping Giant is AWAKE!

Right now Mr. Gingrich, Mr. Hoffman is the conservative voice and all of conservative America is climbing behind him because his is the first meaningful election since we gave our country away last year. You then essentially say that we have no business being involved in this race, and by saying that local elections shouldn’t be attended to by the general population, well, might I remind you that you are not a New Yorker living in Albany and yet you are supporting the liberal moderate RINO Scozzafava, as is the RNC who so relentlessly pursues our dollars….

When exactly are we supposed to be concerned with the Congresspersons being elected? Only when you or the GOP tells us to? Perhaps when the RNC takes our donations and floods the playing field for the moderate/liberal ‘conservative’ with our dollars? Or should it wait until perhaps when they are actually in office signing on to TARP or cozying up to the Spendocrats to spend our money collectively?

No. Politics are changing in America Mr. Gingrich, the people are taking it back. We are awake, we are watching and we are silent no more.Stop fighting us and join us, or we stop buying your books, donating to your causes and listening to you.

It’s that simple.

It’s that real.

You don’t seem to understand that we aren’t Republicans, Democrats or Independents, we are THE people. We are the ones written about in the Constitution. We are U.S. Constitution believing citizens who believe that the founders had it right and we have NO REASON to back away from that.

We know we can’t spend ourselves into “prosperity”, we bought that lie once, and it blew up in our faces. We get that it is just a shiny new phrase that simply means politicians want to redistribute our wealth, obviously to themselves with pay raises, repatriating terrorists, buying up companies, and giving to banks filled with toxic debt! We understand that the government is now in the business of privatizing the gains of the usurped companies at the same time they publicize the losses.

We finally realize that the only difference between the accepted parties at this time is how quickly and to what degree they believe they can achieve the goal of centralized government while ensuring themselves power in perpetuity.

Politicians don’t yet understand that we get it now. That it is simply a question of what level of socialism they are trying to bring to bear upon us, not whether or not it will be crammed down our throats.

We believe we CAN fix these problems as capitalists, we can still work with other countries (been doing so for centuries) without the UN's involvement. We CAN still have tolerance (as long as you will afford us the same luxury) but we cannot support huge centralized government or lose our sovereignty over who is the turtle and who is the rabbit as far as bankrupting us and our country goes.

Take a minute Mr. Gingrich to listen to the shocking Dobbs video from October 26th, 2009 and the 45th anniversary week of this Reagan speech from Tuesday to get the message. The difference now is that the threat they both speak of is not external anymore, it is strictly internal within our own government. This is our last best shot to begin to fix the destruction and waste that government, labor and special interest has thrust upon us, and we are going to take that shot.

We simply aren’t doormats anymore. We are awake and we are big.