The convention is capitalizing on the energy of the grassroots organized, but often Republican Party fanned movement, that mounted up first in early 2009 in opposition to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, better known as the federal stimulus package; and then in opposition to national healthcare reform in August.
But rumblings have been heard for weeks now over the nature and purpose of the convention as constructed. Allegations started from local Nashville Tea Partiers that the event was basically a for-profit sham, co-opted by the national republican party; whereas activist in the movement see the movement as something meant to be grass-roots and party independent.
In December some convention steering committee members began to quit the committee in protest, and took to the internet to denounce the convention, the convention organizing entity, Tea Party Nation, and its president Judson Phillips; blasting its $549 registration price. The complaint from defectors tends around the notion that movement people are mostly working and middle class folks who can’t afford a price tag like that, and that the event is really for elites. Some have called it nothing more than a Republican Party fundraiser.
Further, Tea Party Nation is not a non-profit activist organization; but a for-profit business set up by Philips in April 2009 after he helped organize two of Nashville’s earliest Tea Party events at the capital in Downtown Nashville. Judson is a lawyer in Williamson County just south of Nashville.
Not only is Tea Party Nation a for-profit business, but the convention’s chief merchandiser is also a for-profit company set up to capitalize on the movement. Tea Party Emporium is self-described on it’s website as follows:
Tea Party Emporium was established by jewelry industry veterans, a family who has manufactured the world's finest gold and diamond jewelry for over one hundred years. Today, inconspicuous, as opposed to conspicuous, consumption is very much in vogue. Affluence and the attainment of wealth seem to have fallen out of favor. What has not changed is appreciation for something beautiful. In that vein, and in the light of the current climate of a government hell bent on the largest redistribution of wealth in history, we designed a small, delicate piece of jewelry which we hope will galvanize feelings felt by millions of Americans.
The site does say that “a portion of proceeds will be donated to the Heritage Foundation”, though not what portion. The Heritage Foundation is a conservative establishment, policy think tank, and not exactly a grassroots movement organization.
It all really started to break down publicly when Kevin Smith owner of a Nashville web design company, and webmaster for Tea Party Nation, posted a 6,000 plus word piece entitled “On the Backs of Tennessee’s Middle Class (or, The Story Behind Tea Party Nation’s Dishonest Beginnings)” on his personal website.
Smith lamented how Phillips took advantage of his volunteer services in building a site for Tea Party Nation, just to see Phillips then go register what he thought would be an activist organization as a for-profit business; as well as various funding discretions, including acceptance of donations when Tea Party Nation has no separate non-profit arm to process such donations through.
Nationally, RedState.com's Erick Erickson began taking umbrage, mostly with concern for Sarah Palin's reputation. From there many national mainstream publications begin picking up the story.
Then the most well known Tea Party group sponsoring the convention, the American Liberty Alliance backed out on January 13th, announcing its disentanglement via a statement posted to the Alliance’s webite* from Odom partially stating that:
“Earlier yesterday we announced our support of the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville this February. At the time, we were basing our support on limited knowledge of those involved and we trusted that all was well…But at this point, we have to respond to the concerns and wishes of our membership. And quite a few of our members have asked that we consider sitting this one out.”
Odom would further go on to write that the fact of Tea Party Nation being a for profit business in-and-of itself is not the deterrent that gave the Alliance pause, stating that:
“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.”
A January 4th Tea Party Nation press release about the convention that thanked Odom and the American Liberty Alliance for their support, also announced that the Tea Party Express will be rolling in and joining us for the convention.
The Tea Party Express, which goes by the slogan Just Vote Them Out, is an outfit that the Alliance had already labeled as an astroturf organization back in the fall of 2009, a pejorative termed used in rightwing activist circles to refer to what are seen as counterfeit organizations that only appear to operate on principle on the surface, but have other ulterior underlining motives. The Huffington Post reports that:
“Tea Party Express, operated by Our Country Deserves Better PAC, is a series of bus tours which travel the country holding rallies and fundraisers that garner FOX News coverage. Sal Russo, chief strategist for Our Country Deserves Better, is also principal partner at Russo Marsh & Rogers (aka Russo Marsh & Associates), a Republican-affiliated public relations firm in Sacramento. Joe Wierzbicki, another RM&W principal, is the PAC's coordinator.”
Finally, last week, two of the three most prominent speakers backed out, Republican Representatives Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. Keynote speaker Sara Palin has maintained her intent to speak, yet; found herself feeling the need pledge her 100,000 plus speaking fee to charity.
Bachmann and Blackburn, citing concerns about possible campaign finance violations, withdrew from participating in the convention. Read more: http://www.blogdoctor.me/2007/02/expandable-post-summaries.html#ixzz0fvTXmFSF
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