National Tea Party Convention Forum

[JoAnn Burritt]

Dear all,

JoAnn and I have been chosen by the Twin City Tea Party Patriots to represent them in the upcoming convention in Nashville, Tennessee on February 4-6, 2010. We are honored. We pray for inspiration.

The purpose of this forum is for you to give us ideas and questions to bring to the convention. We are looking for help from all the Southwest Mi. Tea Party group. We are rookies at this and need your council and direction. We will try to represent the group and bring back great ideas for advancing the cause.

Let us hear from you!

Harry and JoAnn

[Gene Clem]

My question is: If who pays what amount for medical insurance is a political decision, why should not who gets access to the best care also be a political decision. Should only union members and government employees have access to Mayo Clinics, for example? YOU KNOW IT IS COMING. BOHICA!

Patricia A. Sidnam said:

I would like to know why congress and even the President will not listen to us re: this healthcare issue and why they ave giving some a better deal then others, that is not right at all.

[Clarence Wentzel]

Emphasize the protection of the value of the US Dollar. Yes, the dollar has rebounded a little against the Euro and Yen since November but it is still in danger of becoming irrelevant in the world. Whenever a government spends more money then they receive, the currency will eventually devalue. I lived in Brazil during the 70's and the currency that was in circulation at that time have been officially devalued by over one million to one. That is coming for the US unless we change our habits.

Clare

[R. George Dunn]

Beth has pushed us at this very moment this comes out: See you in Lansing~



Freedom of speech provides Truth the Right and Reason to reject.
George

----- Original Message -----
From: Dave Lamarand
To: [e-mail]
Sent: Sunday, January 17, 2010 6:33 PM
Subject: [ronpaul-39] Michigan Rising!!!! Feb. 3rd, 2010!!


Michigan Rising!!!! Feb. 3rd, 2010!! If you, or anyone you know is a Michigan resident, you need to share this video!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfdySg98fBI&feature=player_embedded


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Do your part and forward this to everyone you know. WE THE PEOPLE are the new media!


"We have a greater moral responsibility to act than those who live ignorance. Once you become knowledgeable you have an obligation to do something about it."
www.campaignforliberty.com

Freedom of speech provides Truth the Right and Reason to reject.

Constitution & FairTAx Please
George

Needs to be Blogg

[Harry S. Burritt]

George,

These ideas are very interesting. Thanks,
Harry

R. George Dunn said:

I am jealous. May it be the greatest experience.

1. Solidify the two planks Constitutional Conduct & FairTax

2. Unite all teaparty by gathering under the name Patriot with each State having the hash mark of PatriotMi, their State after Patriot. From hence forth be the teaparty movement be known as the Patriot Coalition.

3. Establish one website Nationally for posting , a communications Center.

4 Convention ask each State create a State Communications Center

5. stress getting Patriots on the Primary ballot, especially State AGs

6. Push this group for getting Republican Patriot delegates in every precinct in the nation and to go to State and National Conventions http://www.nationalprecinctalliance.org/thankyou.html

7. Have all candidates be vetted by Independence Caucus to measure who is the best or is a Patriot http://ourcaucus.com

Insist that any third party push be done only if the 2010 election provides evidence we ahve too. Better to retake this GOP Tent and hang a sign over the zentrance, which can be another feature fo the Convention:

"Entrance!
Constitution
Rules Here~
All are Welcome"

[Gary Munson]

Hi Harry and JoAnn...thank you for your dedication to liberty and freedom. People like yourselves are great examples of principles of the American-way of life.
Recently, my efforts have been targeted toward voting poll honesty and accuracy. We need to make sure votes are accurately counted and fraud is suppressed. As a thought for your consideration, perhaps the National Tea Party executives may find an interest in a national effort to make sure each and every voting Pricinct is monitored by like thinking patriots to insure accurate voting results. If this thought has any merit, a web site is available under the name of [e-mail]. I am sure Mr. Phillip Glass would welcome a recognition by a National Tea Party endorsement. God Bless you both for your involvment. Keeping the Faith...Gary

[Doreen Sharp]

I do agree thyat we need to coordinate a central communications center in each state and also nationally. We do need an organized communications post for rallies, etc.

- I'd like to see us gear up for a "million patriot march" type thing, but ONLY in conjunction with a carefully selected important and critical protest position. A good example is when the FCC begins to restrict communications at some point. We should continue with our Wash. DC protests, but with more notice.

- Really advocate for Patriot involvement in local school boards, especially in the textbook selection process to encouage historical accuracy without the current liberal slant.

- We should have a central media liaison or team created to make sure we get media organized coverage and to create press releases.

Good luck Harry and JoAnn!

[R. George Dunn]

The greatest communications of truth is coming thru twitter with it's 140 words carrying links, pics. The MA race is proof of it's capability. I am wondering if Ning has facility for placing tweets on a sidebar and for sending out our blogg onto twitter for all to see.

[David Womack]

Good luck in Nashville. (By the way, if you're not familiar with the Nashville area, there are two "must see" places: Opreyland Hotel, and--right down the road--the Cock-of-the-Walk Restaurant.)

The two point that I'd like to see conveyed:
1. The Tea Party Movement is NOT about a third party. We must remake the attitudes of the current two parties. "A vote for a third party is a vote for liberalism."

2. This battle will not be won in 2010, nor in 2012. We are just starting a 50 year battle to regain America. Until schools are teaching real history, and Christianity is back in the town square, and abortions are at least a little more difficult to get than renting a video, the Tea Party Movement battles continue.

Thanks.

Dave

[Harry S. Burritt]

Thanks to all of you for giving JoAnn and me some thoughts to bring to Nashville.

We feel the upset victory by Scott Brown in Mass. is the tipping point. Progressivism has been exposed and most American's do not want it. Just imagine the economic growth that would ensue if Congress and the Administration reversed course and implemented Free Market/Free Trade programs to address the problems we face, cut back the Federal spending by 50%, instituted a flat tax, drilled here/now, and cut back the Federal regulations to the essentials to liberate the innovation engine that is America? The economy would generate sustainable long term high growth....and then, maybe, America could pay its way out of the financial hole that has been dug? Harry has just read Steve Forbes book on how Capitalism will save us...it is like Glenn Beck's book on Arguing With Idiots....it convincingly debunks the Progressive policies and offers common sense solutions based on the founding principles of America. We recommend both books.

Regards,

Harry and JoAnn






The Tea Party has the power to shift the agenda over the next 3 years to this kind of thinking.

[Harry S. Burritt]

Hey guys,


Lets promote this "Congressional Reform Act of 2010." It would contain eight provisions, all of which would probably be strongly
endorsed by those who drafted the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Our children and grandchildren who will have to live with the messes we're creating or not addressing will
sometime in the future ask, "why didn't they do something?"

I know you may think, "this is impossible." Let me remind you, Congress has the lowest approval of any entity in Government,
now is the time when Americans can join together to reform Congress - the entity that "represents" U.S.

We need to get a Senator to introduce this bill in the U.S. Senate and a Representative to introduce a similar bill in the U.S. House.

These people will become American heroes should it pass...



Congressional Reform Act of 2010


1. Term Limits: 12 years only, one of the possible options below.

A. Two Six year Senate terms
B. Six Two year House terms
C. One Six year Senate term and three Two Year House terms

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.


2. No Tenure / No Pension:

A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s),
then go home and back to work.


3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security:

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security system immediately.
All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates with the American people.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators,
serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.



4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan just as all Americans.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators,
serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.



5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators,
serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.


6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators,
serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.


7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators,
serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.


8. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void effective 1/1/2011.

The American people did not make this contract with congressmen; congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators,
serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

[Sherry Williams]

Harry and JoAnn,

We are blessed to have members from our group be a part of National Tea Party Convention. I guess my biggest concern is how do we patriots move forward as a peaceful united front. Even the convention has come under attack for how it is being organized, financed, etc.
There are 100's of splinter groups, so how do we all come together and take back our country? I liked your Congressional Reform Act, the days of their self approved entitlement programs need to stop!

I can't wait to hear about your experience.
Have a safe journey,
Sherry

[Harry S. Burritt]

Dear all,

Below is a brief summary of the Tea Party National Convention in Nashville, Tennessee at the Opryland Hotel on February 4-6th. We highly recommend that you watch videos of the speeches that you can find on pjtv.com, who filmed the entire convention.

Day 1

We arrived in Nashville with great expectations and we were not disappointed. The Opryland hotel is huge with many amenities. We got into the registration line early and were surprised to see the media from all around the world. JoAnn was interviewed by Time Magazine. The guy standing next to us was interviewed by a French radio reporter! Harry was interviewed by the O'Reilly Factor. There may have been over 20 countries represented and all of the US Media....Russia, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Brazil....etc. This was clearly a "happening". We spoke with a woman, who was interviewed by CNN. She said the reporter said to her at the end " Gee, you actually seem like a normal person." Hmmmm?

The introductory session was amazing. The organizer, Judsen Phillips, set the tone with a rousing welcome. Tom Tancredo, a Colorado representative, then brought down the house with a humorous and pointed speech that clarified that we are in a "Race for America" against the people who wish to grow government and take our freedoms away. He said that if McCain was elected we would not have a Tea Party. We would have remained "frogs in warm water" without the passion to Refound America on the principles of the Constitution. He said the current Administration/Congress has turned up the heat to the point that we, the silent majority, the sleeping giants, have jumped out of the water and are now on a mission to bring "Real Change". He reminded all of us of the "massive civic illiteracy" that plagues our country and that we must educate the young and the rest of our countrymen on the founding principles and the reasons why America's culture is the best in the world.

We were entertained by Lisa Mei, a veteran, and Ray Stevens, a grammy winner singer, with patriotic and pointedly critical songs of the Left. Ray Stevens sang a song that said "if 10% is good enough for Jesus, then its good enough for government". And then, we were inspired by the reverand Dr. Rick Scarborough with a call to the Christian principles of the founding of America. We were then led in prayer by a black preacher, Bishop Jackson, who said he was an American, not an Afro-American. He said that the whites in the audience were not racists because we disagreed with the president, "who happens to be black". It was very moving and empowering.

We met people from all over America, who have the same passion for taking our country back. They reminded us of the people we met in Washington DC on September 12th. Decent, humble, reverent, hard working, real American Patriots! If these people represent America then there is hope for sure!

Day 2

Day 2 of the conference was packed with excellent speakers, who brought the crowd to their feet cheering and clapping.

Steve Milloy of junkscience.com made a compelling case regarding the environmentalism. For example, Cap and Trade is about governmental control and will have no positive environmental impact, and in fact, may hurt the environment. He said whenever you hear the words "smart" or "comprehensive planning" , or "green jobs", run! He believes that environmentalism is a form of terrorism.

Mark Skoda, head of the Memphis tea party, rallied the audience. He said the fact that Lech Walenza said the US is no longer the beacon of freedom that it once was is telling and concerning. He encouraged us to act, and not just meet to discuss issues. It was a call to get involved in the political processes at the local precinct or district level to nominate and elect local as well as, national candidates, who support the Tea Party movement and principles.

Dr. Rick Scarborough, a Babtist minister, said "enough is enough". He is campaigning around America to engage preachers to speak from the pulpit about the need to emphasize the Christian principles that America was founded on, a Revival is needed. For example, he said when you give a person $100 to help them that is benevolence, but when the government takes your $100 and gives it to another that is theft. He has a DVD available called The Vision Grows. He says the Founders gave their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to uphold freedom. He thinks we need to throw off the Progressive bondage and dedicate our lives to preserve our freedoms.

Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch discussed the effort to uncover government corruption. He mentioned investigations and Freedom of Information Act requests regarding Charlie Rangle, Nancy Pelosi, TARP, and Obama. This is a high quality organization for sure. We need to support them to root out the political criminality and the backroom deals that will destroy our freedoms.

Judge Roy Moore was inspiring. He was removed from his position as Chief Justice of Alabama because he acknowledged God in his oath of office and refused to deny God, including the placement of a ten commandments display in the Federal building. He quoted the very religious founders of America and it is amazing how relevant those ideas are today...." These are times that try men's souls". Obama said that America is no longer a Christian nation...he could not be more wrong. The Judge said that we are armed with the principles of the founding fathers, Judeo Christian values, and we cannot retreat.....or we will have to submit to slavery to the government. His book is titled So Help Me God....Harry is reading it because Moore was so inspiring.

Breakout sessions covered many ideas about how to organize Tea Party activity. A good recommendation is to invite the local candidates to speak to the group to find candidates who support the principles of the Tea Party. Mark Skoda of the Memphis Tea Party talked about "Cloud Computing" as a tool to implement a campaign leveraging the very cheap methods on the computer. Local Tea Party organizations can spend $1000's using old methods or $100's using the new computer technologies. Dr. B. Leland Baker gave a compelling talk on the fiscal irresponsiblity of the past and current administrations. His book, "Tea Party Revival: The Conscience of a Conservative Reborn-The Tea Party Revolt Against Uncontrained Spending and Growth of the Federal Government". He shows how if the federal government was limited to the enumerated powers that are in the constitution the cost savings would lead to the elimination of the deficit!

Joseph Farah spoke about the progressive philosophy that we are fighting in a speech that highlighted the need for Obama to show his birth certificate. He made a compelling argument that the Obama administration is using the "orchestrated crisis" strategy of Clower and Piven to reek havoc on the system to bring it down. Then after the economy is destroyed it can be rebuilt in the image of the progressives with the government in control of every aspect of our lives. His web site is worldnetdaily.com. He has written several books, including "Taking America Back" (2003) and "None of the Above"(2008). Right before he spoke Angela McGlowen, an impressive black woman, rallied the crowd to a call to action. She announced that she was running for office in Miss.....she will be supported by the Tea Party for sure! We recommend you try to watch the video of her speech.


Amy Kramer a leading Tea Party organizer, who was the emcee at the 9/12 rally in Washington, reminded us of the events over the past year. In early 2009 Rick Santelli ranted in a report from the NY Stock Exchange floor that Americans are going to have to dump tea in Boston Harbor to protest the insanity of the governmental policies. Then Amy Kramer and others organized the first tea party on February 22nd where 5200 people showed up. Then they organized the Tax Day protest when rallies across the Nation ( and one in Oslo, Norway) totalled 1.2 million people ( JoAnn and I went to the Chicago rally). Then the 9/12 rally in Washington DC drew about 2 million people ( JoAnn and I were there), but also the Tea Party Express rallied another million people in the towns where the buses stopped on their way to Washington. I just one year the sleeping giant of American conservatives has been awaken to form the biggest political movement ever. Some successes have happened, e.g., stalled healthcare and Cap & Trade bills, Scott Brown victory in Mass., but we have a long way to go to stop the progessives. There will be a Tax Day rally on April 15th after another bus tour of the Tea Party Express that will start in Harry Reid's home in Searchlight, Nevada on March 27th with Sarah Palin there. The Tea Party spent $350k on the Scott Brown campaign....it is clear the state elections are now National. The Tea Party will help the defeat Harry Reid effort. We need to support races locally, but also nationally.

Andrew Breitbart of biggovernment.com brought down the house. He described the strategy he is using to expose the Acorn corruption with the films of James O'Keefe with the underage prostitute scam. He not only trapped Acorn, but also exposed the corruption in the "lame" stream media. By releasing one video at a time the media initially supported Acorn because it fit their narrative. But after each additional release the media was caught supporting Bertha Lewis, the head of Acorn, who lied and lied. Breitbart said that James O'Keefe contacted him after he was arrested in New Orleans in Mary Landrieu's office and said he was not allowed to talk to a lawyer....oops! The media reported he was arrested for wire tapping.....not true! Breitbart joked that O'Keefe should have strapped a bomb to his underwear and like the underwear bomber he would have been given a lawyer within 50 minutes..ha! Breitbart said directly to the media at the convention that either they get with the program, that is the truth, or he will continue to embarass them. He said he has a lot more tapes! ...stay tuned...

How does the Tea Party move forward from here was the topic of several breakouts and discussions. The core of the Tea Party platform is 1) Base government on the Constitution, 2) Support limited government as defined in the enumerated powers only, 3) Support Free Markets/Free Trade, and free market solutions, 4) Significantly reduce Federal and State spending, 5) Reduce the Debt, 6) lower tax rates. They recommend that we stick with these universally agreed to items and avoid going into Social issues. They asked what we should call ourselves such as Conservatives, or Patriots, or Free Market advocates....I think the Tea Party brand will stick.

Sarah Palin gave a keynote address that brought the 1100 people in attendence to their feet with raucus cheers too many times to count. ....including a chant "Run Sarah Run!" The fact that it was the 99th birthday of Ronald Reagan seemed like a divine intervention....as if he was passing the ball to the Tea Party patriots to continue the fight! Sarah's speech was broadcast on CSPAN and Fox news and to millions of people around the world. We highly recommend that you find it on the internet (pjtv.com) and watch it. She laid out the compelling argument for a real change to the principles of the Founders....Limited government, protection of the freedoms of Americans, Free Markets, energy independence, strong defense, and a Judeo/Christian set of values like honesty and integrity. She referenced Reagan's "shining light on a hill" statement to make the point that we and the rest of the world is looking for us to return to be the beacon of freedom in the world. Wow, she is speaking the truth!

In one of Palin's many media interviews she endorsed the recently released proposal from Paul Ryan (R) of Wisconsin called "A Roadmap to America's Future"...."A plan to solve America's long-term economic and fiscal crisis". I have read it and while we do not agree with it in its entirety, we highly recommend it to you. It can be found on americanroadmap.org It contains great ideas to fix Medicare/Medicade, Social Security, out of control Federal spending and Debt through free market based reforms. It contains a flat tax that is clearly better than the current system and the "Fair tax" ideas.

Respectfully Reported,

Harry & JoAnn Burritt