April 16, 2009 04:31 PM UTC

"Discombobulation"

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• by: Colorado Pols

The arch-conservative Colorado Springs Gazette editorial board stays true to form, but has some interesting criticism for yesterday’s “Tea Party” protesters:

It was good of Republicans and self-professed “conservatives” at Wednesday’s TEA parties to protest massive federal spending. It was a righteous action with a righteous message.

Unfortunately, some of the rhetoric and vibe at various TEA parties made clear the fact conservatives remain discombobulated, devoid of a clear direction or a unified understanding of where this country should go to maximize freedom and minimize government…[t]hough the Colorado Springs party stuck mostly to fiscal matters, speakers, protesters with signs, and supportive radio talk show hosts at some events throughout the country sprinked the TEA the parties with messages about illegal immigrants, and advocacy of American domination and foreign intervention to spread “democracy.”

One Colorado radio host, broadcasting from the TEA Party at our state capitol, began the morning by inviting nearby Democrat Gov. Bill Ritter to join him on air. After the governor declined, the host insulted Ritter for not protecting him from illegal immigrants. Weren’t these protests about less government intervention in the course of human events, not more?

…Sean Hannity explained the TEA parties were about lower taxes and less spending, of course, but were also to promote “American Exceptionalism” (read: “American imperialism”?).

Anthony Gregory, writing for LewRockwell.com, said Hanity and his wannabes promote “the idea that the American national warfare state is just and good, even holy, and that we oppressed patriots will not countenance a president insufficiently enamored of American imperial glory. Presumably, as today’s conservatives see it, the American colonists dumping British tea were also upset that the British Crown was inadequately boastful of English Exceptionalism, cutting spending on the British Empire and coddling the enemies of England’s occupying armies.” Touché.

…Most of the Republicans and “conservatives” who protested Wednesday were well-meaning, patriotic citizens angry at Obama. Yet they never protested a Republican president who more than doubled our federal debt [Pols emphasis] and mired us in efforts to gift other countries with freedom and economic development. Too many of them want less government, while asking government to fence out Mexicans. They want less from government, but more American imperialism. Unless they change their vision, embracing a non-partisan and genuine love of freedom through limited government, Obama is their man.