Way to go Mark Fiore!

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What is the Tea Party? I’ve been asking myself that for about a year now. What I’ve gleaned from snippets here and there is that it’s a new political party that is supposedly free from affiliation with either the Democrats or the Republicans. I started hearing about them a year ago, little protests springing up, lamenting about the “porkulus bill” and taxes, etc. I thought it was just a little gimmick that would die out within a few months at best. Now, I’m reading an article from the AP talking about how the Tea Party has upset races across the country, including giving Kennedy’s old seat to a Republican. This movement has grown into a force that can organize meetings, protests and marches overnight, causing much political upset. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who dismissed them off-handedly. So I’ve decided to sit down, and find out what this Party is all about.

The Tea Party is obviously supposed to remind you of the Boston Tea Party, and conjure up images of the American Revolution. TEA actually stands for Taxed Enough Already. While taxes are one of the polarizing issues for the Tea Party, it’s only part of the equation. From one of their websites, I have their mission statement: “The impetus for the Tea Party movement is excessive government spending and taxation. Our mission is to attract, educate, organize, and mobilize our fellow citizens to secure public policy consistent with our three core values of Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets.” And their philosophy: “Tea Party Patriots as an organization believes in the Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government, and Free Markets. Tea Party Patriots, Inc. is a non-partisan grassroots organization of individuals united by our core values derived from the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States of America and the Bill Of Rights as explained in the Federalist Papers. We recognize and support the strength of grassroots organization powered by activism and civic responsibility at a local level. We hold that the United States is a republic conceived by its architects as a nation whose people were granted “unalienable rights” by our Creator. Chiefly among these are the rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The Tea Party Patriots stand with our founders, as heirs to the republic, to claim our rights and duties which preserve their legacy and our own. We hold, as did the founders, that there exists an inherent benefit to our country when private property and prosperity are secured by natural law and the rights of the individual.“

Since their inception, the Tea Party has hosted a variety of events, ranging from Tax Day events to marches on Washington, to disruptive tactics in town hall meetings. These events were met with the usual elitist plays from the political playbook. Democrats and liberal leaning media chose to marginalize, demonize, and dismiss the Party. There has been an ongoing issue with people referring to members of the Party as “Teabaggers”. Tea bagging is a slang term for a perverse sexual act (if you want to know exactly what, you can look it up). I was first exposed to it through Xbox’s video game Halo. Two people would shoot at each other, and the victor would often tea bag the victim’s body, rubbing in the defeat. I’ll admit that some politicians and pundits used the term by accident, but most knew exactly what they were saying, and chose offensive elitism as a strategy. NPR is hosting a little animation by Mark Fiore that just rips the Tea Party as vindictively as they can. I’m SOOOOOOO glad that my tax money is paying for the causes NPR supports (extreme sarcasm). Even Republicans (who theoretically stood to gain more from the Tea Party due to an overlap in ideology) largely ignored the burgeoning movement. Much to their chagrin.

As the AP article I cited earlier points out, the Tea Party is a force with which to reckon. Charlie Crist (Republican endorsed) was considered a shoo-in before the Tea Party backed his rival, Marco Rubio. Now, it’s a very tight race. Martha Coakley should have had an easy win, but her weak campaign, coupled with the Tea Party targeting the independents, we saw one of the most surprising wins in years. Republicans and Democrats are now trying to catch up with the momentum of this movement.

One thing that the politicians and pundits don’t seem to understand is that they don’t pick their targets based on Republican or Democrat. We’ve been stuck with a two-party system for so long, that we have a hard time thinking outside of that box. Here’s a group that’s based on ideals, not party. Democrats think that they can ignore or push over this movement. They can’t. Republicans think that they can guide this movement, or that they can own it. They can’t. I may not agree with everything they say, but their drive and independence is something I can’t help but respect. This movement has shot both parties in the foot, and if they don’t get it yet, they’re likely to see even more hurt in the upcoming elections.

Obama’s State of the Union Address tonight will have to address the Tea Party one way or another. Either he’ll dismiss, marginalize, or demonize them (as the Dems have been doing so far), or he’ll have to cater to their demands of reduced spending and taxation. So far, it looks like the latter.

Another great animated cartoon by Mark Fiore!

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No, I’m not talking about the crazed Somali extremist who tried to kill Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard last week in retaliation for that old Mohammed cartoon with the turban-bomb (tur-bomb?).  That was last week’s news, and I slept blissfully through it.  I’m talking about USian cartoonist Mark Fiore, who had the audacity to put up this little vid awhile ago:

Three… two… one…

OUTRAGE!

Right-wingnuts went apeshit-bananas, and Fiore reports that the death threats continue to roll in apace:

The death threats keep coming this fine morning.  I guess the Tea Party crew is determined to have “death panels” one way or another.

“Learn to Speak Tea Bag” ran on my usual client sites, including NPR, which really set off the guys over here, here (note Condi giving child flowers down by “donate” button), here, here and here.  Before you could say, “due to a pre-existing condition, your health coverage has been denied,” there was a full-fledged viral campaign by right-wing media outlets and blogs to jump, scream and shout about this animation.  Which, to me, is just great!

I say that not because I get some thrill out of receiving emails that are in all capital letters or have more exclamation points than letters in the alphabet, I say that because one of the most important functions of a political cartoon, or political animation, is to foster a discussion.  With thousands of comments posted, loads of emails and tweets, discussion was definitely fostered, and then some.  It’s the “then some” that worries me.

Fiore goes on to note the coincidence of being on the receiving end of death threats over a cartoon at the same time as the Danish cartoonist, saying “Muslim extremist, meet tea party extremist”.   Great Caesar’s Ghost, it’s the Teabaggin’ Taliban!

Who says irony is dead?  It’s just been resting.

Another great animated cartoon by Mark Fiore! This one recaps 2009 as it comes to a close..

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but don’t hold your breath that much will change.

Mark Fiore is an editorial cartoonist and animator whose work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Examiner, and dozens of other publications. He is an active member of the American Association of Editorial Cartoonists, and has a web site featuring his work.

Until a couple days ago, I’d never heard of Mark Fiore or his political satire cartoons. To be perfectly honest, I think he’s an incredible bore with nothing interesting to say, now that I have heard of him.

However, he’s apparently set the conservative blogs afire with a video he put up on npr.org called “Learn to Speak Tea Bag.” Before you watch that, though, bear in mind that it is stupid and might well offend you.

As I read some of the vitriol spewed at this piece, though, I have to wonder … is the Right really that thin-skinned? Seriously?

The people who refer to Dummycrats, “Dingy Harry” [Reid], Airhead America, Daily Kooks, and so many other nicknames can’t take a little cartoon? That’s kind of sad.

For my own part, I look at this and wish it was never made. It serves no purpose, informs no one, and is simply there to mock. That’s not good satire, it’s juvenile. I don’t see that that piece by Mark Fiore is any better than the garbage served up on talk radio. (With one exception — it’s about 90 seconds long rather than three hours.)

That being said, I’m not sure that it’s any worse.

Then again, I like to think that I have a pretty good record of calling this stuff out from either side.

So, while I agree with critics that the video is stupid, and frankly I’m disappointed that NPR would put something so juvenile on its site, I find it difficult to work up much sympathy for a lot of the people who now claim that their fragile feelings are hurt by the mockery. I was always taught growing up that if you can’t handle the same kind of teasing that you’re doing, you’d better stop.

In response, by the way, to the idea that NPR wouldn’t have any kind of anti-Obama mockery, here’s another video by the same character. It’s slightly better … at least the bit about the Peace Prize approaches clever.

Loud Protests on NPR’s ‘Tea Party’ Cartoon

Learn to Speak Teabag:

Now you’re ready to join the right.

(Hat tip to Juan Melli and Jorge Santos via Rob Tornoe)

NPR's 'Tea Bag' video.

Wonder what you would find if you frisked National Public Radio?

Answer: They used taxpayer dollars to promote a Tea Party bashing video.

I just saw this video on Gateway Pundit and figured I would throw on my blog.

Way to stay classy NPR… Once again, the liberals are out and about looking to exercise their main strategy against the opposition:

A prime example of radical socialist Saul Alinksy’s Rule #5 (Ridicule) is featured prominently on NPR’s website — in the form of a flash animation titled “Learn To Speak Tea Bag” — which ridicules tea partiers, pro-lifers, opponents of the Democrat Party’s health care reform, and more specifically, three Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives (John Boehner, Eric Cantor and Michele Bachmann).

[...]

The Bottom Line: NPR is using taxpayer money to call those who have participated in Tea party events and their supporters idiots. With the liberal Democrats in Congress in charge of NPR’s purse strings, those who make NPR’s decisions have calculated that they can get away with it scot-free.

If you would like to see the screenshot of this video posted on NPR’s website, click here.

Jim Hoft (from Gateway Pundit) made a great point about the video’s stance on Republican campaign donations:

The video bashes Republican Representatives who took donations from insurance or pharmaceutical companies but totally ignores the seedy Chicago style backroom deals made and bribes offered by democrats to get their massive takeover of the health care industry rammed through Congress.

If you would like to know the details about all of the Democrat’s shady/backroom deals regarding Obama-Care, click here.

Side-Note: Honestly, it’s time to retire the term “teabagger.” It’s truly derogatory and disrespectful. The correct term is Tea Partier… meaning ‘Taxed Enough Already.’

Mark Fiore – from San Francisco – created this video… Shocking! Haha.

A holiday animated cartoon by Mark Fiore!

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Which are you? Tough? Or wuss..

Another great animated cartoon by Mark Fiore!

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Because other languages are just too hard…

Another good one by Mark Fiore.

From Mark Fiore:

“You can be fluent in conversational Tea Bag in just a few short minutes!”… “Socialist! Socialist!”… “Nazi! Nazi! Nazi!”

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Another great animated cartoon from Mark Fiore!

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From Mark Fiore!

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From Mike Fiore

Another great animated cartoon by Mark Fiore!

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Another great cartoon by Mark Fiore!

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“Reach for the beer that makes friends!” By Mark Fiore!

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