Key Sponsor Pulls Out Of Tea Party Convention

[ck4829]

One of the key co-sponsors of the National Tea Party Convention has pulled out of the event, citing concerns over the financial arrangements of Tea Party Nation, the group organizing the confab.

Eric Odom of American Liberty Alliance is seen by many as one of the founders of the Tea Party movement. His group had been listed as a "gold" co-sponsor of the convention, and in an interview Friday with TPMmuckraker, Odom sounded bullish about it. But today he writes that his group "will sit out" the event:

"The controversy surrounding the event involves conversations about the infrastructure of the Tea Party Nation and the way its finances are channeled through private bank accounts and paypal accounts.

To be clear, the for-profit model has its place in the movement. Many, MANY groups in the movement operate this way. But these groups should always have boards and oversight, and should never, ever process donations through personal paypal accounts.

In this particular case, it's entirely possible that those involved are operating in a fair way. But when we look at the $500 price tag for the event and the fact that many of the original leaders in the group left over similar issues, it's hard for us not to assume the worst."

As we've reported, some activists have raised concerns over the $549 price tag for the event, and have suggested that the prime organizer, Nashville attorney Judson Phillips, is seeking to profit financially from it. And RedState founder Erick Erickson has written that the convention "smells scammy."

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/01/key_sponsor_pulls_out_of_tea_party_convention.php

Hey Tea Party Nation, have you figured out that Rachel Maddow is secretly behind the attempts to make your convention seem like a scam yet?

:rofl:

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. it is sad, in a way.

When the Teabaggers were starting a movement on their own, they actually represented a potential political and social movement. Clearly, there were many misinformed people who feared the present, and even more, were petrified of what our future will be as a nation, and to them individually.

Part of the misinformation was deliberate, and brought on by the health insurance mobby (A lobby consisting of financial thugs and mobsters) and ther parts were due to rumor and innate stupidity. But it was a force, no different than the Luddites of old, of the workers who took to the streets against rampant capitalism in many capitals throughout Europe, and even in Chicago, New York, Boston, and other US cities. (Even today, too little is taught or written about the labor movement here and the violence it met from the Haves and Have Mores)

But it was not to be. From early on, a few rascally rats (See Koch family, generally, for one example) began pushing the Teabaggers and provided secret, or rather, deeply hidden, funding. Once the rumors of such activity became known, the Teabagger individuals began questioning their own disorganization. It was the stake in the heart that cannot be avoided.

Watch for the national confluence to flush away from lack of attendance. I bet that even Sarah Palin will "quit" and fail to show up.

Why is this sad? Because seeing all these nuts in one place makes for great sign reading, and provides endless amusement for the rest of us. It also helps identify which pols are craven enough to identify with these people.

[damntexdem]

2. They need to be investigated, and perhaps charges filed.

However, I do not recommend that a Bill of Attainder be passed prohibiting Federal funding -- that would be unconstitutional; and I am sure that it would never be proposed against any political organization, whatsoever. ;-)

[bullwinkle428]

3. This convention is going to fall apart completely, before it even starts!

Oh, it will be glorious! :party: