Tea Party

What will it take to get Republican tea party congressmen and liberal Democrats to morph into representatives of the people willing to compromise for the common good? Answer: a new election. It's easy for the voting public to see that a change of scenery (the unemployment line) for a lot of current politicians is sadly needed. The next election is right around the corner. John McCartin, Parkville

The Congressional tea party caucus has not and will not withhold disaster relief funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and tea party members have already appropriated more FEMA funds for 2012 than were originally requested. But of course, those "insignificant" facts were never mentioned in your latest editorial attempt to discredit and disparage the GOP-led U.S. House of Representatives ("Shortchanging FEMA," Sept. 5). When The Sun publishes its daily partisan half-truths, it would do well to preface them with a disclaimer: "Read the following at your own risk, as our innuendo, distortions and outright lies may actually cause your head to explode.

Like Garrison Keillor, whose column used to appear in The Sun, Dan Rodricks underestimates the power of the tea party in American politics ("Question for tea party: What now?" Aug. 4). He should have read John Malagrin's letter right across the fold ("Tea party congressmen are the last great hope," Aug. 4). The tea party isn't Republican or Democrat, but the embodiment of the American peoples' frustration with the current direction our country is heading and the continued growth of government.

Like most people, I was originally horrified by the reported targeting of tea party groups ("IRS head forced to go," May 16). I am now less horrified. It is reported that various tea party groups were requesting tax exempt status as a "social welfare" group. We now need to know the definition of a "social welfare" group. Entities operating under the umbrella of the tea party would not appear to qualify. Of course, this tempest in a tea pot does highlight some interesting issues. Do we wish to expand the number of entities claiming tax exempt status or should we limit the number of groups not paying taxes?

After reading Dan Rodricks diatribe in today's Sun ( "If John Boehner is a moderate, we have a problem," July 28) I was tempted to opine that his column was what one would expect a loud-mouthed liberal to spew out. But then I decided to simply challenge him to prove - prove - even some of the allegations he had made in his column: the tea party freshmen class created the mess over the nation's debt ceiling, the tea party's agenda is...

In response to Doug Mainwaring's op-ed piece ("Why the name calling?" Aug. 10), I agree that the name calling is not appropriate and that there should be more civil ways to communicate disagreement and different views. But I do have two questions which may point out why I think the tea party is just another political group with their own selfish motives and not the good of our country. 1. Why is the deficit only President Barack Obama's fault? 2. Where is Mr. Mainwaring when the Republicans are calling President Obama and the Democrats names?

The Tea Party - however you define it - is a favorite punching bag of the left.  But recently the verbal attacks haven't just been about policy, or even personalities. They've been downright craaazy. Democrats have begun calling those in the grass roots conservative effort barbarians, terrorists, racists and, most recently, profanely insulting their moms and threatening to personally send them to hell. I get that there's a bit of hyperbole in these political statements. When Sarah Palin tells followers “don't retreat, reload,” she doesn't actually mean for conservatives to pick up guns and shoot liberals.

I attended the tea party rally at the Towson Courthouse last Thursday. I was surprised to see so many mainstream Republicans in attendance giving speeches along with the rabble rousing, somewhat seditious, tea party folk. The hatred of President Obama was palpable. I stayed for the entire two hours, expressing my opinion with my placard and many shout-outs to the speakers at some of the outrageous stuff they were saying. After a year of watching the rude (to say the least) tea party folk disrupt Democratic meetings across the U.S., I felt entitled to abandon my Southern gentleman upbringing and respond in kind.

Despite the tea party's childish antics, there are reasonable Republicans out there; When will the party's adults call the children to order for the sake of our country? Like Leon Reinstein, I also am astonished at the "chutzpah" of the Republican tea party caucus ("GOP offers new definition of chutzpah," Aug. 9). They hold everyone hostage for weeks over the debt ceiling while insisting there can be no compromise on raising revenues, at the same time saying the debt-ceiling vote isn't really that important.

A tea party was held at Mary Reed's home in Bel Air Sunday, Feb. 19, hosted by Reed's niece, Alfreda "Freda" Phillips. The reason for the gathering was to visit with the remaining family members of the older generation to reminisce about days gone by. It was also Reed's 92nd birthday. The family is getting smaller and it is harder to get everyone together to visit especially the older ones. Some don't drive anymore, some don't drive at night, and many have aliments that restrict them from doing the things they used to do. Tea and finger sandwiches, small cakes and cookies were made and served by Debbie and Amber Lassen, Phillips' daughter and granddaughter.