I didn't agree that the Tea Party is racist. I never have. I do think the idiots they quoted were. I do think there's an intentionally ignorant element to their leadership and many of the rank and file aren't questioning it: "Cut big government!" but "don't cut my Medicare or my Social Security or defense spending!". It's just idiotic when you look at where all the "big government" spending is, and where it's growing. It's doublethink of epic proportions, but it's what you have to do when so much of your support comes from senior citizens.
If that's your conclusion (that Tea Partiers believe the idea that entitlements need to be cut, but they want theirs intact), then I would invite you to learn a bit more about the Tea Party. I can assure you through the involvement I've had with them that the vast majority are familiar with and highly supportive of Paul Ryan's Roadmap.
Something to ponder, mook. The budget was balanced in 2001 and govt. spent just $2T. 10 years later govt. is spending $3.5T. Is there really any excuse for govt. to have grown by 75% over 10 years? NO! We literally can cut back to 2001 levels, providing a pretty awesome set of govt. services (after all, we had them when Clinton was president). Govt. revenues happen to be $2.1T, so we'd be running a surplus again, even in this economy. There'd be no need to cut social security, either, FWIW.
I don't get that part. The overrun between receipts and outlays for SS/M/M is 500B. The entire income from individual income taxes is only around 1T. You're talking about spending half of our taxes just on SS overrun. BTW, I like the idea of being part of the "Responsibility Generation"
I didn't mention medicare. SS is 20% of expenses by and 42% of income for the govt. About $700B in expenses and about $828B in income.
Can't we all agree that by posting in a thread devoted to the tea-people, that we have all agreed to a social contract ... a social contract that places no rules on grammar, spelling or rational thought?
Shooter, your supposed Thomas J quote in your sig is a fraud, as is the tea party. The teabaggers are just folks who have been deluded by corporate interests into believing their needs just happen to align perfectly with those of the richest 1% of Americans. As to your fake quote:http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=4053