Tea Party Movement Spreads To Military

[ProSense]

Tea Party Movement Spreads To Military

Zachary Roth

The Tea Party movement has gained a foothold in the armed forces.

A new Tea Party group, Armed Forces Tea Party Patriots, has grown quickly since being launched last month by an active duty Marine Corps sergeant. The group, which vows to "stand up on the very soil we defended to preserve common sense conservatism and defend our Constitution that is threatened by a tyrannical government," currently has over 400 members, who have signed up through its Facebook page, though many are not active duty military. And it has close ties to the broader Tea Party movement.

"People in the military need to be heard," the group's prime organizer, Gary Stein -- a Marine Corps sergeant stationed at Camp Pendleton in southern California -- told TPMmuckraker in an interview. "Our opinions do count."

<...>

Stein's political activism seems to have raised some concern among his superiors. Late last March, he wrote online: "Was just told by a Marine Corps Officer to watch what I say about Obama... I think not..." And later that same day: "I was just told to keep my opinons (sic) to myself about Obama, by my Officer-in-Charge (OIC)."

Indeed, Stein may be violating military policies that restrict political statements and activities by active duty personnel. "I've seen military command go against people on a lot less," Mike Lebowitz, a former JAG lawyer who's an expert on issues of military expression, told TPMmuckraker. Lebowitz said one key question is whether the activity is judged to be "partisan." Though the Tea Party movement has formed political parties in a few states, and has endorsed and supported candidates in some races, there's no evidence that Stein's group has done so.

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:wtf:

[JuniperLea]

1. They better be careful...

about how they talk about their Commander in Chief... just sayin'

[jenmito]

6. I hope they're NOT careful and get kicked out...

purge them from the military.

[MUAD_DIB]

9. Dishonorable discharge.

[jenmito]

11. Yup. I hope they ALL get that.

[tsuki]

25. Too difficult. Do what they did to returning Viet Vets. Give them a

general discharge.

[villager]

2. If this infection in the body politic isn't dealt with clearly and unambiguously...

...well, let's just say the country can't really weather further "sepsis..."

[WinkyDink]

3. I think this constitutes grounds for a dishonorable discharge.

[bluestateguy]

4. We have a Fifth Column in this country

and any active duty serviceman had not dare better utter critical remarks of their commander in chief.

A court martial will be slapped on their ass faster than they can say Leavenworth.

[LakeSamish706]

5. Send him to combat duty in Afghanista, that might shut him up. n/t

[Cha]

7. Doesn't the military take an oath when

they are inducted to serve under the current CIC?..or something to that effect?

No one ever said they can't be heard but they're showing their hate and ignorance..Obama was elected by a margin of 11 Million People and every law has been voted on in Congress.

So where the fuck do they get their information from ..that they're being railroaded? Do they not know that elections have consequences? We knew this wouldn't be easy but JHC! The ignorance fed by hate radio & fauxsn00ze is killing brain cells.

We hear the bad news..about 400 of these traitors and growing..wonder what the number is of those who aren't ignorant?

[ShortnFiery]

13. Yes, but our Active/Reserve Duty oath requires us to " ... defend the Constitution ...

against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

The teabaggers' interpretations are a little different than ours. :shrug:

[proud patriot]

8. couple of pictures anti- commander and chief

seems to be a bit of a line crossed there imo

[ProSense]

10. This is where the hypocrisy sets in

"stand up on the very soil we defended to preserve common sense conservatism and defend our Constitution that is threatened by a tyrannical government,"

During Bush's two terms, the media never failed to make an issue about the status of soldiers questioning administration policy.

CBS fired a retired General (John Batiste) for criticizing Bush.

Where is the outrage now?

In what alternate universe is it possible for an active duty soldier to be linked to this group?

[ShortnFiery]

14. SGT Stein probably ekes by because he's a "Non-Commissioned" vice "Commissioned" Officer.

IMO, the Officer Corps would not tolerate a leader in this group but sometimes NCOs are not held to as high a standard.

Still an NCO is "a leader" and it is IMO, conduct unbecoming to criticize the Commander-In-Chief in an open, public forum.

UCMJ provision is Article 88, which makes it a crime for an officer to use contemptuous words against the president, the vice president, Congress, the secretary of defense, the secretary of a military department, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, or the governor or legislature of any state, territory, commonwealth, or possession in which he is on duty or present

[xsquid]

16. No sometimes about it, NCO's are not officers they are

enlisted. Calling them Non Commissioned Officers does not make them an officer as per the UCMJ and they are not covered under article 88.

I did 12 years USN, the last several as a master at arms (navy shipboard cop) and wrote up all of the cases.

[tsstranger]

32. Common sense conservatism??????????????

WTF is that? Is that anything like the bullshit "compassionate conservatism" that AWOLBush tried to claim?

[chollybocker]

12. Time to institute DADT - Don't Ask, Don't Teabag.

These dangerous idiots will be coddled by the military, while gay service members with impeccable records will be ousted.

USA! USA! ;(

[Canuckistanian]

15. Soldiers are trained to carry out orders from their CIVILIAN CinC

If that isn't to their liking, they can STFU, resign or go AWOL and face a court martial.

That's the way the Armed forces work in America and that's how it's ALWAYS worked..

And God help us if that WASN'T the case.

[HughMoran]

17. "...400...many not active duty..."

Sounds like a few fools - who may end up getting the boot if they're not careful.

[FrenchieCat]

18. Thank the media for this. They are the ones doing the non-stop reporting

on this nonsense.

[emulatorloo]

33. I agree. I have no idea why cable news is trying to "mainstream" these fringe views

[FrenchieCat]

36. We are doing it too. count how many Teabagger treads at DU

right now, and see what I mean. I'm not sure if we are helping ourselves,
by constantly talking about them, instead of talking about our own agenda.
It's starting to appear like we are helping grow this movement....at this point.

[emulatorloo]

38. DU understands they have fringe views. The number of threads is in response to the media elevation

At least that is my take on it.

[elleng]

19. I LOVE the confluence of these articles!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4341438

[Yavin4]

20. Can Someone Explain To Me How Obama's Government Is Tyrannical?

They keep using that phrase without any evidence. Obama and the Dems won huge elections in 2006 and 2008, and they enacted laws based on what they campaigned for. The Senate and the House had open votes on the HCR law.

So, where is this "tyranny" that they keep crying about?

[ehrnst]

22. Because they create new definitions for words, like Bush did.

They think that it means that an uppity boy is in the White House. He could not have gotten there by any reasonable means, because they *know* that's not possible.

Obama has usurped what is rightfully white and decent, therefore he didn't do it fairly and *constitutionally.*

[srf Rantz]

23. my reactions exactly, it drives me crazy

and they keep using it without any explanation either.

day after day, in article after article, repeated over and over.

no one in the media ever asks them what they mean either. or calls them on it.

it simply exists in their minds and the constant repetition spreads it and embeds it.

The Big Lie.

[HughMoran]

26. They were saying this shit before he even took office

They're just mad about what a failure GWB was and they've decided to simply take the words liberals used against Bush and say the same about Obama. Other that 'socialist' and a few other left-identifier words, 90% of the words they use apply to GWB.

Simple is as simple does.

[Dappleganger]

34. When your side wins you have a mandate. When your side loses it's a tyranny.

Simple as that.

[Blue_Tires]

35. they think if they keep spitting out the word it will stick...

[craigmatic]

21. Obama should have any one of these assholes who refuse to follow orders court marshalled.

There should be no tolerance for this shit. If they put deserters in jail under bush they should do the same to these bastards.

[polichick]

30. +1

[southernyankeebelle]

24. If these guys did this under Bush they would have already been disciplined. Believe me, you

don't think Bush/Cheney would except something like this do ya? Why do you think we went to war in Iraq and nobody called them on it.

[karynnj]

27. Scary - do you know if armed services radio still includes Limbaugh et al?

[emulatorloo]

28. He seems to be calling for a MILITARY COUP in the last paragraph

For Stein, Tea Party activism is a natural offshoot of the military's main mission. "The U.S. military has been around for over 200 years," serving America by deploying to war-zones around the world, he said. "Now its time to do what we need to do to get this country moving in the right direction."

=====

I get the feeling that this guy may want to be discharged, so he can become a martyr.

[polichick]

29. Why not? Christian zealots infiltrated the military long ago. nt

[and-justice-for-all]

31. common sense conservatism?

Bwahahahahhaa!!!! Those words can not be used together.

[Blue_Tires]

37. Once they start railing against the largesse of BIG GUMMITT spending

I'll know irony is dead...