Activism, Political Activist Groups and the MSM
June 21st, 2009 . by TexasFredActivism, Political Activist Groups and the MSM
On Saturday afternoon the members of The Rowlett Texas TEA Party sponsored a training session for it’s members. A training session on how to be an effective activist.
Sometimes a grassroots campaign needs a little water.
That was the idea behind a gathering Saturday in Garland, where organizers of the Rowlett Tea Party offered training in activism alongside an Austin visitor.
Joyce Leggett is with Americans for Prosperity, a group that advocates for limits on government spending and more control for taxpayers.
Full Story Here:
Rowlett Tea Party group sponsors activism primer in Garland
That’s great, we got coverage from the Dallas Morning News. And they got it wrong. The story goes on to say,
Leggett, grassroots and communication director for the Austin office of Americans For Prosperity, stressed that her group doesn’t organize local tea parties; it works the other way around.
Joyce Leggett is a really nice lady. I know Joyce Leggett. She is a member of The Rowlett Texas TEA Party, and a really dedicated hard worker for the TEA Party effort. The class was taught by Cindy Mallette from the Austin, TX office of Americans for Prosperity. I guess we should just be happy that The Rowlett Texas TEA Party got some coverage from the MSM, even if it was inaccurate. And the MSM wonders why readers have lost so much faith in them.
One of our officers on The Rowlett Texas TEA Party, Suzan Fulton, has a real burr under her saddle about addressing the BIG PICTURE in Washington, D.C. I am of the opinion that Suzan is onto something good too! It seems that Cindy Mallette of Americans for Prosperity has been schooled in the method of grass roots, local activism as an effective way to be a political activist. Perhaps she wasn’t prepared for the knowledge of politics and already in the picture activism some of our members exhibited.
In any case, as the topic of addressing the NATIONAL level was brought up, I mentioned that we needed to start with our 2 highly disingenuous U.S. Senators, Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn. Both Hutchison and Cornyn voted FOR the 1st bailout under George W. Bush, against the express wishes of the MAJORITY of their constituents. It was obvious that the room was in nearly full agreement. Or, so I thought.
Once the meeting was over and we had returned home I was looking at the Americans for Prosperity web site and found this:
Sen. John Cornyn to headline “Take Back America�?
“Sen. Cornyn is a strong conservative voice in Washington, D.C. and we appreciate the leadership he’s shown in fighting the agenda of his tax-and-spend colleagues in the Senate,�? said Peggy Venable, AFP-Texas director. “We encourage everyone in Central Texas who cares about the direction this country is headed and wants to make a difference to come to the Take Back America Tea Party on July 4.�?
Full Story Here:
Sen. John Cornyn to headline “Take Back America�?
Hold the phone and STOP the presses. As I said, I brought up the fact that Cornyn was one of the original Senators to expose himself for the socialist he really is, and Cindy Mallette was nodding in agreement. I noticed a brief look cross her face that appeared to be one of concern I was guessing. At first I thought that it was just that she wasn’t used to teaching a class to such a knowledgeable group. After finding this Sen. John Cornyn to headline “Take Back America�? piece I knew WHY that look was apparent.
Cindy Mallette was the writer of the piece and the Texas Director for AFP, Peggy Venable, was the person making the statement concerning Cornyn’s supposed conservatism.
Folks, be very careful, do your research before you align yourself with ANY political organization. Some so-called ‘conservative’ organizations are not always what they appear to be. Hypocrisy abounds and the disingenuous are everywhere, with their hands out looking for your money. Buyer beware!
And just in case anyone missed it, take a look at my header: No Holds Barred: News, Opinion and Commentary
Words that I live by…
And then there is this: I’m a highly opinionated blogger, if you ask for my opinion I’ll let you know exactly what’s on my mind. I don’t play the PC game, so, be very careful what you ask for.
Some folks need to take heed before they try to run a line of BS by me…
Looks like your tea party might be a bit “diluted,” eh? You and I and everyone, we’ll NEVER get precisely what we want in politics.
BZ
@BZ, maybe not, but I will ALWAYS expose the liars and hypocrites…
And don’t care WHO gets pissed off in the process… Someone has got to call the wrong out for what it is, maybe that’s the job I was put here to fulfill…
I don’t disagree. Perhaps this may open a few eyes in the Rowlett Tea Party?
BZ
[...] Activism, Political Activist Groups and the MSM By TexasFred [...]
I voted for Cornyn the first time he ran, but never again. Michael Williams? Well, I’m voting for him, but he has to earn that second vote in the halls of Congress. Of course, the first time I just might vote like a democrat… 4 or 5 times
@BZ, actually, our little group is VERY aware, I think our youngest member is 44 years old and is a VERY astute political person…
I think Conservatives as a whole need to wake up, and make damned sure that the organizations and people running them are as Conservative as they claim to be..
You know, we’ve seen it over and over, bloggers, candidates, elected officials, ALL of em screaming about their Conservative bonafides… The ones they don’t have.. But they are the 1st ones to attach the name Conservative to themselves in an effort to dupe those that really are..
They must think we are ALL nothing more than gullible and trusting souls…
Some are, I am NOT!
And I got word that corrections ARE being made to the MSM pieces, the wrong name… But they haven’t been made as of this writing.. 4:41PM
I guess then Fred that, although the people was talking in earnest, all she was seeing was money from contributions to keep the scum in the reelection picture. In other words, shut up, give us your money, we’ll go back to business as usual.”
My comment on the Dallas Morning News…
Rowlett Tea Party group sponsors activism primer in Garland
Do ANY of you have even a remote idea of what The TEA Party is all about?? The symbolism of the Boston Tea Party is only a part of it…
TEA stands for Taxed Enough Already, it’s not about sipping Earl Grey…
And for those that think otherwise, it’s NOT about BLACK and WHITE, it’s not about GOP vs DNC, it’s not about rich anyone, we are Christians, Jews, an agnostic or atheist here and there. We are men and women, young and old. We are Americans and we are NOT crying about Obama, we are trying to hold the feet of ALL politicians to the fire…
We support Limited Government, Fiscal Responsibility and Free Markets…
Limited Government means the federal government only deals with national issues and inter-state commerce and leaves other issues to the state and local governments.
Fiscal Responsibility includes demanding a balanced budget, no earmarks/pork, no bailouts and no deficit spending except in a time of war when borrowed funds are only used to support the war.
Free Markets is defined as “the simple process of supply and demand without artificial markets created by government intervention.”
The mission of the Rowlett Texas TEA Party Patriots is to organize like-minded individuals, educate and inform others about our core values, secure public policy consistent with those values, and to positively affect the outcome of elections.
And take notice, not ONE WORD about Bush, Obama or any other POTUS… Some of you need to become a bit better informed before you wade off into these waters…
And yes, I am one of the officers on the board of directors, and we invite ALL of you to come to our TEA Party, or ask that you attend a TEA Party in your home town, and keep an open mind… You may be surprised at what you see and hear…
http://TexasFred.net/
http://www.RowlettTeaParty.com/
@Vigilante, I would hate to make that accusation, but, I am not going to dispute it either…
Fred: You are correct. One MUST be careful at taking so-called conservatives at face value. I have been “had” a number of times on the ‘net by the so-called conservatives. I have often thought there ought to be a single definition for a conservative, but, for the life of me, I cannot come up with one that will not leave some real conservatives out. It will necessitate a sharper mind than that of “yours truly” to create a one size fits all definition of a conservative. I CAN tell you this: The definition the National GOP is using for “conservative”, just doesn’t cut it. At best, it is the definition of a moderate.
We have some sharp minds in the conservative movement. Maybe those minds should be assigned the task of coming up with THE definition of a conservative.
JDL
I liked the “walk upright” smack in your comment.
BZ
Fred,
I am frankly shocked that you would write these things about the training I conducted for the Rowlett Tea Party organizers.
You insinuate that I did this as a back-door fundraiser. In reality, I conducted the training free of charge and did not ask for any donations. I was silent on the entire matter of donations, in fact. The training was solely and entirely about helping individuals get involved in the political process at the local, state and federal levels.
You go on to say that I was “educated” in local grassroots activism and insinuate that I don’t know how to help people get involved on the national level. I DID give advice on how folks can get involved at ALL levels, including the national level. Perhaps you weren’t listening at that point in the presentation, but were too busy telling your table mates that Wordpress is no-good for hosting blogs (I notice it is the very same site that hosts YOUR blog).
At the beginning of the training, I went over my qualifications, which include helping coordinate grassroots efforts for national campaigns in 13 states. I speak from experience, Fred.
You also ignore the fact that it is important for people to be active on the local level — this is where the national elected officials get their start. We need watchdogs and activists holding them accountable at ALL levels.
About John Cornyn — perhaps you misread my facial expressions. I did not “nod in agreement” with your assessment. I have heard the statement many times before about Cornyn voting for the first bailout. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who DIDN’T vote for that first bailout in the Senate. Fortunately, Cornyn voted against every other expansion of spending and government since realizing his first mistake.
I’m not of the mindset that we should expect politicians to be infallible. I think the wisest thing to do is go after the WORST offenders FIRST, before going after those who agree with us on most, but not every, issue. When we nitpick like you have done on your blog, you give the an opening to those on the left and empower them in their cause.
I am really offended by this blog post. You brag here about how you’re not afraid to say whatever you think — if that’s so, then why didn’t you say any of this to my face when I talked with you at the training, when you shook my hand after it was over, when I encouraged you to continue setting a good example for the rest of the group members? You certainly have a lot of guts, hiding behind your computer screen.
Unfortunately, this post only hurts the grassroots movement that’s taking place and gives ammo to the liberals who say we can’t unite behind a cause. This kind of nitpicking certainly hurts a move toward unity.
I want to reassure you that I had a great time speaking to the group — they were very attentive, respectful and asked great questions. My irritation is directed only toward you, Fred.
By the way, if you dislike Americans for Prosperity so much, then why did you sign up to join our e-mail list and check the box stating you wish to be an AFP Watchdog?
I did NO such thing. I told my readers, “Folks, be very careful, do your research before you align yourself with ANY political organization. Some so-called ‘conservative’ organizations are not always what they appear to be. Hypocrisy abounds and the disingenuous are everywhere, with their hands out looking for your money. Buyer beware!” and those are words we are all well advised to follow…
Wrong again… I said, “It seems that Cindy Mallette of Americans for Prosperity has been schooled in the method of grass roots, local activism as an effective way to be a political activist. Perhaps she wasn’t prepared for the knowledge of politics and already in the picture activism some of our members exhibited.” and that was being kind, I never said you were not educated on a NATIONAL activism scale, you said you worked as an intern for KBH, that was a good indicator. I still believe that you were taken aback by the general knowledge of your audience, a bit shocked quite frankly…
John Cornyn speaking, as an invited speaker at the Austin TEA Party SMACKS of hypocrisy, I don’t care HOW you cut it, maybe he has made some effort to rectify his wrongs, but the fact remains, he voted for the 1st bailout, against ALL wishes from the constituents. You can’t justify that..
As was I when I saw the ass kissing Cornyn was getting from you and the Austin TEA Party..
Had I seen your site BEFORE the training session, I would not have bothered to waste my time attending…
As I said, IF I had seen your site BEFOREHAND…
And I am certain that everyone knows, I SPEAK FOR ME, I don’t shill for anyone, that’s more than you can say, and more than the AFP can say… This is MY opinion and is not indicative of ANY opinions from the Rowlett TEA Party that I am aware of…
Just to make this crystal clear, I will say nothing here I won’t say to your face… At the time of the training session I had NEVER fully looked at your site… And if you come back to Rowlett I will be happy to address this in a face to face.
Cindy, I have been at this a lot longer than your are old, I don’t insinuate a damned thing, I say exactly what is on my mind but I was raised to be polite to folks, and I was, until I found evidence that you and your group are not what I personally feel to be true conservatives.
In MY opinion, anyone, or any group that holds John Cornyn up as “a strong conservative voice in Washington, D.C.” is in serious opposition to me and MY opinion…
You can make any statements you wish on your site, as can I, if you and yours want to hold hands with Cornyn, YOU are the ones that are hurting the effort in MY opinion, and I will have NO PART OF IT!!
Hmmm…
Having known Fred online for many years now I can definitively say this. He is being polite in his response because he chooses to be. He is a classic southern gentleman, and honest to a fault.
@Patrick
Isn’t it amazing how when the *silent majority* does speak out, if they don’t do a lock step to the established party line they are denigrated as cowards?
Let me get this straight, Fred. We invite Gov. Perry and Michael Williams to speak at our April 15 Tea Party, and that is a-ok.
We invite Sen. John Cornyn to speak on July 4 (mind you, he’s a conservative member of a minority party that needs all of the conservatives it can get, and he is one of a long list of very conservative speakers scheduled for that day) and suddenly AFP should be thrown in the garbage heap?
Doesn’t it sound like you’re throwing the baby out with the bathwater here?
Please re-read my statement before: I’m not of the mindset that we should expect politicians to be infallible. I think the wisest thing to do is go after the WORST offenders FIRST, before going after those who agree with us on most, but not every, issue. When we nitpick like you have done on your blog, you give the an opening to those on the left and empower them in their cause.
BULL SHIT!
Typical GOP response, here’s the deal, if you settle for the lesser of the evils, you still get nothing but EVIL, and as I said, I will NOT be a part of it…
When the GOP uses that lame-assed bull shit about “Well, he’s a lot more acceptable than so and so”, I cringe, and as I have long espoused on this blog, no more settling for ANYTHING, other than the VERY best…
And as to your Perry and Williams comment, they didn’t vote FOR the bail out, Cornyn did…
Nice try, no ring…
Cindy, you have come here and accused me of cowardice and of nit picking…
I am far from being a coward but I am nit picking, it’s about damned time someone did. This big tent bull shit and “he’s not AS bad” is exactly why the Dems lost Conservatives to the GOP many years ago and why the GOP has lost Conservatives in general, and if that is the stance of the AFP, you’ll lose REAL Conservatives too…
Good day to you, but from this point on, you need to post YOUR opinion on YOUR site… Freedom of speech here applies to ME as site owner, not to you as a comment maker… Ya see, I DID re-read the constitution…
Well never let it be said that our buddy Fred don’t walk the talk…LMAO….
Ok Fred, I do have one question, and it may be playing devils advocate but here goes.. IS it harder to change a conservatives mind about one issue, than it is to change a liberals mind about a lot of issues?
You know I’m involved with local politics and have been for several years, and over those years I have learned that if a person has a clue it’s easier to reason, no clue present and it’s a tough road. I’d trade any of your senators for a few of ours…Your guys make ours look like staunch conservatives no matter what they have done in the past.
Compared to yours, ours are right wing terrorists..
I suppose you, after all are a little nicer than me LOL! Am I going to go to hell or the poor house because I told Reno Mayor Bob Cashell at an event recently that I once called him a douche bag in print and I meant it???
Probably a little too face to face huh? But just to give some an example of how SOME can sound GREAT… but others know different on other issues…see this link (and I’M NOT TRYING to promote my crap…I’m just saying…Cornyn sounds really good on TV, but YOU must know different)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AVGEynPE2w
A bunch of what my mayor says IS true…it’s what you know or other people know behind the scenes that matters
I don’t have any VIDEO proof of my complaints of Cashell…just 20 years of knowing what people smarter than I, or affected persons telling me…
Oh…did I mention my mayor is an original resident of Longview, TX? Not all Texans are the salt of the earth…but all of us can speak! Long been said…take all the bullshit out of a Texan…you can bury one in a match box LOL!!! BUT our Rino Mayor was on the news just in the last two days “possibly” running for Gov of NV as an “independant”… Nothing speaks RINO like attempting to do THAT after THIS???
See…that’s where ALL of we true Conservatives must stick together and ALWAYS tell the truth! Sometimes…little things in one state can mean a WHOLE BUNCH to the whole nation?
I don’t know those folks in your post personally. I’m in Nevada now, so I’m only involved in my state’s politics. I know John is getting a lot of news time lately…and sounds pretty good on the news. My mayor “sounds good”…but some folks know different.
It’s IMPORTANT that even in the face of 90% TRUTH…do be aware of the wolves in sheep’s clothing, it’s the other 10% that can kick your ass. I wasn’t involved in this man’s politics or my own for the 20 years that he’s put a few tire tracks on a few other’s backs…but I believe the folks that told me that.
If I were to ever be proven wrong…PROVEN WRONG…I would publish it and say it to the world…as I’m sure you would about John Cornyn!!!
We CAN AGREE with a LOT of what an official says…but HOW do they LIVE and VOTE from start to finish! How do they conduct themselves in PRIVATE business and dealings…that’s what counts!
If I felt I was wrong about Cornyn, I would say so… As you say, 90% is good, but that 10% can be a bitch… Cornyn voted FOR the 1st bailout, it’s that simple, and that is something he can never make up…
Cornyn is a damned socialist at heart, he went against the wishes of a huge majority of TEXAS voters and for that, he, and the posers that support him, can all go to hell..
“Well, he’s trying to do better now” doesn’t get it, and the more I read the childish screeds of Cindy Mallette, the more convinced I became that she is nothing more than a RINO poser, my opinion…
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