Bachmann Is Latest To Pull Out Of Tea Party Convention

[brooklynite]

Source: Talking Points Memo

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has become the latest to pull out of a scheduled speaking gig at the controversial National Tea Party Convention next year.

Like Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) earlier today, Bachmann's office cited concerns about the event's financial arrangements. Some Tea Partiers have accused the convention's organizer, Judson Phillips of Tea Party Nation, of seeking to profit from the confab.

...snip...

Bachmann's office had earlier said it was concerned about the possibility of violating Congressional ethics rules.

Sarah Palin is currently still scheduled to speak, but is reported to be under pressure to bow out as well.

Read more: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/01/bachmann_is_latest_to_pull_out_of_tea_party_conven.php?ref=tn

---

Shouldn't be hard to convince her; I understand she's good at quitting...

[Dennis Donovan]

1. Ha! When your shit is TOO crazy for even Bachmann to attend....

:rofl:

[Mithreal]

9. You may be misunderstanding what is happening, or I may, for that matter.

But I don't think it is as simple as that.

[daa]

19. correct, Palin=$115,000 Bachman=expenses eom

[BunkerHill24]

21. Hmmm....do you suppose there is, "oh, here comes "O'keefe", let's jump the ship connection here?

[WhiteTara]

26. no...Crazy Bachmann is doing a CYA

for the ethics committee...and the Quitter gets money, the Crazy doesn't.

[brooklynite]

27. The REASON given is complicated.....

Ethics rules and 501c4s and all, but I think the reality is very simple.

[Freddie Stubbs]

2. Two lawmakers drop out of Tea Party Convention

Source: Associated Press

NEW YORK - The National Tea Party Convention has lost two of its major speakers.

Minnesota Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann says she won't attend the event, scheduled for early February in Nashville, Tenn. Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn has announced she's dropping out as well.

Both lawmakers are prominent backers of the tea party movement. However, their offices released statements Tuesday citing concerns about how funds raised by the convention might be used.

Many tea party activists across the country are boycotting the convention over its $550-per person ticket price and the $100,000 speaking fee being paid to Sarah Palin, the former Republican vice presidential nominee.

Read more: http://www.startribune.com/politics/82943302.html

[tridim]

3. Ahhh, FAIL never felt so good!

The teabaggers were just teabagged by their corporate teabag masters.

[SemperEadem]

25. on the real, though

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

4. Actually, $115,000 for Sarah

It's looking more and more like Ol' Moose-elini is going to be addressing an empty convention hall.

[BOSSHOG]

5. Another sign of conservative insanity

PAYING SARAH PALIN TO SPEAK.

[louis-t]

7. But who will Michelle have if she

throws the teabaggers under the bus?

[bergie321]

17. She can always

Speak at the John Birch Society sponsored CPAC...

[Rambis]

6. Why would klanspeople

be afraid to attend one of their own rallies?:shrug:

[truthisfreedom]

8. Palin needs the cash... she'll be the very last person to drop out, if at all.

She'd rather speak to an empty hall than give up the money.

[ellenfl]

12. she just made a bunch on her book. why does she need the cash?

she won't show. haven't you noticed? she rarely shows and/or quits. it's who she is.

ellen fl

[euphoria12leo]

30. Palin owed more than

$500,000 in legal fees. Even though that was last year more ethics complaints were filed against her. More cases more money for her attorneys. And they probably are charging more and hoping for more cases to be filed against her. The book tour could end up not doing her much good. I'm assuming she had to pay for planes, buses and all that fancy food they were eating. Knowing Sarah she probably thought someone else would be responsible for payment. Then again she has made money from speaking engagements so who knows. Sarah thinks she'll be rich but the sharks that surround her know she's not smart.

[tammywammy]

34. To pay for that giant second house she's building.

http://www.themudflats.net/2009/12/09/palins-new-house-photos/

[tom_paine]

10. Sounds to me like the Tea Party performed it's astroturfing function, now is being dismantled

and left to die by the Corporate Bushie Aristocrats who founded it, finnaced and coordinated it.

If they had left it going on, the greater the risk it might be discovered, which would make the modern-KKK mad and the Bushies will need to keep their stupidity and relentless cruelty on their side.

So now it will be left to quietly die, an artifical creature conceived by wealthy aristocrats as well as their PR/marketing henchmen and left to die by those same people before it poses an actual threat to BushCorporate (i.e Repug) Interests.

And it just keeps working and working and working...

[SpiralHawk]

11. The 'Corporate Bushie Aristocrats' who founded it...spot on

You nailed it, Tommy P. The fatcat republicon corporatist chickenhawks at the top of the Teabagger shitheap don't give a fig about the Teabaggers or the citizens of the USA. This has just been all about manimpulation, conquer and divide, shock & awe to benefit republicon fatcat corportists...

Maybe some of the Teabagger Kool-Aid Proles are getting a clue...?

It could happen...

[tom_paine]

14. Teabaggers getting a clue? Might as well hope for the Nazis to start inviting Jews over for Xmas

Not gonna happen.

[ellenfl]

13. the corporations have the supremess now. they don't need the teabaggers. eom

[SpiralHawk]

22. "Toss the Teabagger Proles under the bus. Smirk." - FatCat Republicon Corportists

[tblue37]

15. The convention is not the actual Tea Party, but another (Repub fatcat)

"Tea Party," which is using the Tea Party brand to scam money from the grass roots Tea Party. The grass roots TP is boycotting it, and it is they who are pressuring politicians to stay away.

[Catshrink]

16. Tea party convention too elitist for teabaggers.

[tomm2thumbs]

18. It's not sex if she pulls out

She's not that kind of girl.

[felinetta]

20. Sounds like Palin may once again be a quitter.

[happygoluckytoyou]

23. BACHMANN....YOUR CAVE CALLED.... they want their batshit back!!!!

[Mithreal]

28. +1

[bongbong]

24. Historical

This is a historical moment in the teabagger's short life. It's just like June 30 1934.

Now that the SCOTUS has ruled on the "Buy A Legislator" suit, the rabble aren't needed anymore. Who will play the role of Ernst Röhm in the teabagger movie?

[NICO9000]

29. I'll bet this whole thing gets canceled

The rank-and-file deluded tea bagger doesn't have $550 to attend this nonsense. Maybe if they charged $20 to get in, they might get the (de)base to go, but not at the current "Cadillac" admission price.

[jmowreader]

35. Even rich teabaggers don't want to spend $550 on this

I can see charging $550 for a 10-person table, but $550 per person? No.

[tanyev]

31. The party's over....

[BrklynLiberal]

32. That is really too bad. All those birds of a feather should flock together so

everyone can see what they really are.

[theothersnippywshrub]

33. Bat Shit Bachmann is trying to have her guano and eat it too.

She praised the teabagger convention in her statement saying that she would not attend. And blamed it on unclear ethics rules. Like she's an ethics virgin.

[sabra]

36. Tea Party Convention loses speakers, steam

Source: MSNBC

Two lawmakers cancel appearances; Palin will still headline event

NEW YORK - A planned convention of Tea Party activists lost two prominent speakers Thursday, the latest sign of disagreement over how best to showcase the movement's growing political force.

Republican Reps. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee canceled their appearances after being billed as speakers at the gathering next week in Nashville, Tenn. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin remains a headline speaker at the event.

...

But other tea partiers have openly balked at the $550 ticket price and $100,000 fee being paid to Palin for the keynote address, saying the high prices are contrary to the movement's grass-roots image and preclude many activists from attending.

Palin told FOX News Thursday that she still intends on appearing and that speaker's fee she receives will "go right back into the cause" through future donations to candidates and events.

"You betcha I'm going to be there," Palin said.

In separate statements released by their congressional offices, Bachmann and Blackburn said appearing at the convention might conflict with House ethics rules. But they also said they had concerns about how money raised from the event would be spent.


Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35126561/ns/politics-more_politics/

[CAG]

37. Well, geez, Sarah, if you plan to put the money right back into the

cause, why don't you let the tea-baggers keep the money, which is the cause, right???

[Lasher]

41. "...future donations to candidates and events."

Hmm. Reminds me, did she ever give back the expensive wardrobe the RNC bought for her and her family?

[jsgindc]

38. The $550 fee doesn't not include

entrance into the Palin speech.
It's like $250 extra to hear her speak.

[Rozlee]

39. How sad when lovers quarrel

Especially when no one wants to go dutch for dinner.


:nopity:

[bowens43]

40. OMG!!!!!

Did that babbling idiot really say 'You betcha'?

[HughBeaumont]

42. Yes, she did.

57 million people.

Idiocracy wasn't supposed to have a precursor.

[yellowcanine]

43. If Palin does the speech someone should sponsor Levi Johnston to attend.

That would be a hoot.

[TlalocW]

44. Bachman's crazy

But even she's come to the realization that while Teabagger means conservative loony, it does not always equal Republican Voter. Palin is all about the Benjamins so, yeah, she'll be there. Also, if she does decide to run for president (and I think that's iffy), she would get destroyed in the debates with the other, slightly more intelligent candidates. The Teabaggers don't seem to have anyone as a presidential candidate - partly because they're still relatively new and unorganized, but I'm sure the plan is to make them a viable 3rd party by the time 2012 rolls around, and I'm sure Palin is looking at them as a possibility for any aspirations she has.

TlalocW

[zbdent]

45. she will continue to attend

until the check clears ... then she'll leave ...

or she'll quit 1/2 way through her speech ...

[Roland99]

46. Wait? What? Republicans that don't have a few hundred dollars to spare?

I thought all Republicans were rich and didn't need any gov't assistance nor have to worry about healthcare or college costs or down payments on a house or....

[Stevenmarc]

47. You would think people who sing the praises of the Free Market would have figured out......

you can't overcharge people who by their very nature are selfish, self-centered, greedy and cheap.