Tea Parties

I was seriously peeved this afternoon listening to an NPR report on Tea Party groups - they talked to several organizers and one said "Obama just doesn't love America the way I do." How outrageous . . . because she thinks the same thing about me: if I disagree with her about what is the best way to approach problems, then I don't love America. Apparently, her solutions are an indication of her patriotism. The whole argument is ridiculous and offensive.

ADDENDUM 12-17-09

This morning I saw a recent poll showing that Tea Party groups have a higher approval rating than either the Democratic of Republican parties. Sad, sad day.

Here is the woman's full comments from NPR's website:

Stay-at-home-mom Lorie Medina, 43, another emerging party leader, says she is focused on the narrower issue of fiscal conservatism. She says it appeals to many people who disagree on other matters.

The lifelong conservative voted for Ronald Reagan and was an early subscriber to The Weekly Standard. Her children attend Christian schools. She is the daughter of a Baptist preacher from Missouri and thoroughly anti-abortion.

"Some people were scared — they're scared about where the country is going," says Medina. "I think it was a lot of emotions that erupted this last summer — and I think if the politicians think that was the end of it, I think they've got another thing coming."

Medina says Obama is the lightning rod who infuriates the Tea Party movement.

"It's like I wake up every morning, and there's something new on the news that's upsetting that I read about that he does," she says. "If you look at the way he speaks, the way he talks about our country, if you look at the programs and the things he tries to put into place, it really appears that he does not love our country like most Americans do — and like past presidents do."