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Rick Barber -- a Tea Party Republican competing in a congressional run-off down in Alabama -- is airing the first TV ad this reporter can remember that advocates taking up arms against the United States.
Seriously.
In the ad (below), Barber has a discussion with men dressed up as America's founding fathers. "I would impeach him," Barber says at the beginning, obviously a reference to impeaching President Obama.
Barber continues, "Today we have an Internal Revenue Service that enforces what they call a 'progressive' income tax... Now this same IRS is going to force us to buy health insurance, cram it down our throats or else. Now I took an oath to defend that [the U.S. Constitution] with my life, and I can't stand by while these evils are perpetrated. You, gentleman, revolted over a tea tax! A tea tax! Now look at us. Are you with me?"
One of the men dressed like a U.S. founding father -- George Washington? -- replies, "Gather your armies." And to drive home the point, there are clear images of pistols in the ad.
Barber is running in a July 13 run-off against Martha Roby for the right to take on incumbent Alabama Rep. Bobby Bright (D) in the fall. Roby got 48.6% of the vote in the June 1 primary, and is the favorite in this contest.
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As a red necked , white haired, blue collared worker from Arkansas, I say join us in going to the Gulf and helping clean up the mess there first. THEN, worry about politics. We are Pagans and Atheists, Jews and Christians and we have no problem driving down there together. If you are not part of the solution.........
And may we all have exactly the God/Goddess we deserve.
My question to the media. Are you really going to air this ad? Are you really going to conspire to have this nut job's incitement to violence aired for money? Where is the line that you will not cross? Now that you have exposed him, please send him and his money packing, his attorneys probably will need it for his defense. It appears this type of rhetoric is fervent with the GOP in which they use carefully tilted words to incite violence and then claim it was taken out of context. Be careful GOP in what you wish for, you might end up in the cross fire.
clear images of pistols - OMG!
So, how did this country get into this situation? Was it Obama? How can we turn it around tomorrow? Is it government that got us here? The answer is yes, and it's going to take government to get us back on track with jobs. It's a process that's going to take time and leadership that republicans can't do and will not do as long as their wallets are fat. Dem or Repube, think about who you vote for and what we need to do to get our jobs back and make living affordable for us and our children. Health care, Get over it. We still need a single payer option to compete with the for profit middlemen corporations.
As a red necked, white haired, blue collared worker from Arkansas, I say join us in going to the Gulf and helping with that mess first. Then worry about the Politics. We are Pagans and Atheists, Jews and Christians and we're cramming together in a minivan for 10 hours. If we're not part of the solution............
May everyone have the God/Goddess they deserve!
Rick Barber should be arrested under the patriot act and sent to Gitmo.
The tea-baggers don't want more of the same, either. Most are ready for a change. Remember? We were promised a change, and all we got so far has been lies, subterfuge, and national debt spiralling out of control. As a former member of the military, it sickened me to watch that phony-baloney bow to a Muslim, and not recite the Pledge of Allegience, nor put his hand over his heart when the National Anthem is sung or the Pledge is said by others in his presence. How many of you posting on here HAVE served in the military for the U.S.? You were never released from the oath you took. Your oath did not include the protection of the president of the United States of America. Your oath was to protect the Constitution of the United States of America, and Barry Sotoro is trampling ALL OVER IT!!!
Can you give me ONE instance of President OBAMA trampling the constitution?
I doubt you know what the constitution says.
NoJo, please explain where this president is trampling on the constitution specfically. Is it because you believe trampling over the constitution is bowing to the Saudi royal family, or would it be he illegally wiretapped US citizens,or possibly outed a CIA agent, or illegally tortured enemy combatants, or lied to get us engaged in war? Please explain. Inquiring minds want know.
NoJo - OK, I keep asking this of just about every Tea Bagger I meet in the streets or come across on these boards. Where were you all, not only during the prior administration, but for the last 30 years? You see, from where I stand, the only reason deficits and the national debt are issues for you is that you are in the minority party. From where I stand and what I've seen over the last 36 years of my life is that deficits only matter to the minority party...for the majority party "Deficits Don't Matter" -Ronald Reagan. I mean I think I've seen this movie before; it came out in '94 and was called the Contract for America. It was a great little movie and all for about 6 years while a Democrat was in the White House. Unfortunately, it ended abruptly when a fellow conservative took the White House and Republicans consolidated power. Poof.....contract over!
Oh, and at least Obama didn't kiss him or walk around the neighborhood holding hands or anything. And as others have asked....exactly which one of your rights has been trampled on?
BTW I am a former Marine.
Typical GOP tactics. Use hate with fear and follow that up with lies. They have no game or agenda. I want my country back.
I wonder if ANY of the tea-baggers writing here has EVER read the Constitution; it is a fairly short and non-specific document giving most powers to the Federal government. It replaced a confederacy- which was our first, failed attempt at self-governance. The authors show their intent in the Federalist Papers; written by the authors as selling points for ratification, and why a strong central government is necessary. States' rights lost in the civil war. Get over it. Just because you lost and the other folks won doesn't mean anyone is a traitor; it means democracy works. If you don't like it, then actually do some reading and learning instead of just listening to others so they can tell you your opinions. Oh, and vote. Most really loud complainers don't vote. Check out Palin's record- she hardly voted as an adult until she entered politics...
So in the case of our current government, your strong central government is obama and his goons strong-arming his health care reform down the throats of the country, the majority of who did not want it!
I was lead to believe they VOTED healthcare in.
But maybe you know something the rest of us don't.
NoJoBLOwe.. The Majority want regulation back, Whether it be health care monopoly's or wall street, bankers. I will say it again, we need a single payer option to compete with for profit middlemen health care corporations. Are you sure that was health care that was rammed down your throat?
I'm very tired of the trite talking point of 'jam or ram health care down our throat'. Why does every wing nut repeat this mantra over and over. It must have come from one of the hate radio jocks. Nobody jammed health care reform down my throat. The vast majority of people I come in contact with think reform of the system is a good thing. Personally, my family has excellent low cost health insurance, so the reform won't benefit us at this time. However, Many people need help and I, for one, am glad they'll receive it. I just wish all the whiners out there would grow up and appreciate what they have and stop griping.
WalterPaul, you need to learn to spell, you look like an idiot. On your comment, anything that cost the taxpayers billions of dollars to proceed is a good thing, right? And why the h*ll should I pay for something I probably never will need to use so all these illegals in our country can continue to live here for freaking free? BTW, name-calling doesn't bother me, but proves you, like the rest of obama's followers are still drinking too much of the flavor-ade.
Clark ong - There are too many articles available on the bribes that took place so the health care bill could be passed. There are also articles about the ones who's payoff didn't come thru for them, and now they are calling "foul". Do your research.
NoJo - and what was the cost of not doing anything on health care? From most figures I've seen, the cost to the tax payer of doing nothing was greater than reform. You sound like my wife when I told her I wanted to get the NFL Sunday Ticket and she said "it costs too much"..."there's no budget". That is until I put it down on paper and showed her how much we would be saving by getting the package in lieu of me going to the bar every Sunday to watch the games.
As far as being "rammed down our throats"....I don't think so, it was voted on by our elected representatives and passed. Not only that, but Obama was elected President by the majority; he said from day 1 that health care reform was one of his top priorities and advocated for a single payer system (which unfortunately we didn't get). So, it would seem that our democratic republic is working as designed....as you have pointed out in earlier posts, it is a democratic republic NOT a democracy.
And lastly, why do you focus strictly on "illegals" or the "lazy". What about small business owners who have a hard time or flat out can't afford insurance for themselves or their employees. Yeah, there's always going to be that 10% that milk the system, etc but ultimately, the majority of this will benefit hard working Americans. It will also require insurance companies to cover individuals with pre-existing conditions, makes it illegal to drop people's coverage when they get sick, covers young adults (through their parents insurance) through college, etc etc etc. But of course, sounds like you've never had insurance so you wouldn't have a clue as to what it's like dealing with them and all of those issues. I'm sure you'll never get sick or hurt and have to go to the hospital. Yeah right!
If we had had regulations, perhaps the banking industry would not have created derivatives so they could sell most of us down the river while destroying the economy, so they could profit. Perhaps we would have stayed focused on the real war and not gone into Iraq to avenge his father's lack of balls in the first gulf war. Perhaps if we had regulations Big Oil would not have been able to destroy the Gulf of Mexico.
Oh No! Â Why did it have to be Alabama? Â We still haven't recovered from George Wallace and Bull Connor. Â Not to mention Montgomery bus drivers or Selma. Â This guy does NOT speak for all Alabamians. Â I sincerely wish that he did not speak for any!
'Bama born and bred.
This is the BEST ad I have seen this year! You have my support!
You should probably just go ahead and put your balls in the cannon and fire. They're obviously not helping you.
This proves that idiocy and hatred still reign in Alabama. Wow...Tea Baggers showing their true colors. What a bunch of goose stepping brown shirts.
Why not?...Somewhere in NY the minorities get 6 votes each?...Congress spends 2+ dollars for every dollar we give them?...Our troops have to consult a lawyer before shooting?...God is out?...Allah is in?
I could go on and on, so I ask: Why not?
Casey....and where's the proof to support your mindless allegations?
You need proof? Sir, you cannot handle proof....Live long and prosper on my dime.
Or perhaps "The Rise of The New Reich"......................
Republicans always go for the lowest common denominator...............and everyone loves roll playing, right?
This little "show" has nothing to do with the here and now.......................it is just a little commercial sized movie to get conservative thinking mob mentality types to feel like they are doing what the founding fathers would have wanted them to do.....................
The Founding Fathers would be aghast at how our politics are run today.........the amount of money and corruption and the lack of patriotism and honesty. I imagine the last thing they would do is sit down with a Republican..........they would likely go straight to the UN and address the world as a whole and admonish the shame and corruption that has become the democratic process they all either gave their lives for or dedicated their lives to..........
They sure as heck would not let themselves be used as a spokesman for any party.....................they would likely just roll over in the graves and refuse the invitation altogether......as if to say "I risked everything to give you this gift and you did what with it?!"
Tea party folks are just angry and are using this to vent (cheaper than a shrink?) but they are unfocused and have no agenda or format, so they are being used by the same old same old republicans..............anger, the new natural renewable resource---now if we could just get our cars to run off of it.
Debbie....excellent.....You said it all.
Stupid Ad... He should have went the "Kick Ass", or " get in their faces and scream", or "bring a gun to a knife fight" route... Just like the President ! Thats ok, right ?
It's absolutely amazing how low the bar is set for republican candidates. I just nuttiness rather than intelligence rules their day.
Just how stupid do you actually have to be to fall for this kind of tripe? Losers with chips on their shoulders, that's Mr. Barbers base.
Hey Rick, you're encouraging people to take up arms against the government... if you get elected to Congress, you ARE government. So the people can start with you?
Hey, I'm just wondering where these First Read "Truth Seekers" were at when Obama said "If they bring a knife, we'll bring a gun".
Selective journalism / journalistic malpractice ..... again !!
Ummm- who was it exactly that took the largest fiscal surplus in HISTORY and turned it into the largest deficit ever recorded? That would be George W. Shrub and his corrupt cronies!!!
Just more tea-bag wacko violence innuendos - you can thank that ditz Palin for starting the gun and army analogies with her stupid "lock and load" crap. If they keep it up, they're going to over-stimulate one of their own nut-bags who's going to go wacko with his weapons.
George Washington abored political parties, but THAT is the ONLY similarity that our first president shares with the "Tea Party." Our founding fathers were further left than the progressives of today when looking at the political spectrum of their day. King George III, the THEN reigning monarch, had ignored the colonies under his rule, had allowed his Parliament to engage in a war for territory in the new world, and was mystified when the colonists objected to such things as the Quartering Act (forcing folks to house the soldiers), the Stamp Act and the Tea Act to either support the troops sent to fight that war (we call it the French and Indian War, or the Seven Years War), or to pay for it. The common though amongst the members of Parliament was -"the war is for their benefit, so they should pay for it." Yes, one of the rousing cries of the late 18th century (the 1700's, folks) was "Taxation without representation," but it was much more than that. We, the then colonies, were looking for outright representation in Parilament, and that was something that King George III and the Parliament was NOT going to allow. We were colonists. We were basically indentured servants to the Crown and government. THAT is what we rose up and fought against. John Adams (lawyer, not brewer like his cousin Samuel), Thomas Jefferson (not pictured in the ad), Benjamin Franklin all TRIED to reason with the British Crown and government BEFORE they rebelled. It is BECAUSE they rebelled against the established order that makes them the progressives of their time. When their reasoning failed (because the said Crown and government refused to listen or entertain discussion), they broke away. The Revolutionary War was fought because the Crown and government refused to accord the colonists the rights of all free men (and now women), as it was too dangerous for such people to be either a part of government, or God forbid, to govern themselves. THAT, my fellow Americans, is what was SO progressive about their actions at that time. What this Alabama polititian has done is hijacked our history. I resent that. I resent the "Tea Party" hijacking the Gasden Flag ("Don't Tread On Me"), as that flag is an historical symbol of our country's birth, and should NOT be used for any political agenda. Likewise, the facsimiles of our founding fathers should NOT be used for political purposes. They risked all, gambling on the belief that they were right. they should not be used for ANY one persons agenda. Now for those folks who say this Alabama politician was treasonous in his ad, I would say this - The Alien and Sedition Act was found unconstitutional. Sedition is the act of criticising of our government. He was (sort of) carefull not to call for the act of armed rebellion, but he came close. that's not treason. Stupid, yes, but treason, no. Let's be true to our history, and let's NOT let our history be hijcked ANY more!
Right wing blow-hards come off as blow-hards because they never give facts to back up their attacks. It's always about "I want my country back," or "We used to be a nation that stood for freedom," or "This president should be impeached." Never, never do I hear facts to back these statements up. It would be refreashing to hear a fact or two, instead of general statements of fear.
And this guy in Alabama is cut from the same beaver skin. No facts, just theatrics. Treason? This guy isn't advocating treason. He doesn't have the stones to advocate treason. He's just another small minded chump masquerading as a patriot.
Buckgarcia
without fear there would not be a gop
Cram health care down our throats? I voted for our president elect just so he could do that. The tea partiers lie and say they reflect true america. The truth is they just represent the losing side from the last election and are trying to say they stand for everyone.