there is no doubt in my mind that they got some funding by the groups you mention (either overtly or covertly). but this is no more wrong than the money the left gets from folks like soros. as for the banks, lets not forget where obama got a lot of his money from in 2008.
i'd say you're more correct than not, regulatory reform isn't high on the tea party manifesto. however, fiscal conservative values, no bailouts, no risk taking with public tax dollars, no federal reserve, etc., is very much against the banks and for reform.
That, and I myself as a "rank and file" tea party member, know that the overwhelming majority of tea party funding has so far come from grass roots sources. That is, individual men and women and some small businesses...
absolutely. i'd wager that the tea party has gotten more funding from grass roots sources and individuals/small business than the left has. which is why it is primarily still genuine. this may not last forever, though. i hope it does. no doubt big business like banks and insurance, etc are salivating over the potential to hijack it.
Ricter is a retired prison guard who has replaced religion with Marxism, who continually runs from debates because he can't logically defend his positions. He's an ideological coward (and given his history as a maniacal prison guard, probably also a coward in other senses as well) who desperately uses obfuscations and distractions to weasel his way out of forthright discussion. It's difficult to have any respect for someone like that.
I happen to like Soros and the principles he stands for. He does not fund his interests covertly. If it is through another organization, he freely recognizes his participation. You make or may not like him, but he is fairly transparent. Shady Big Oil, Big Insurance and so on, including the likes of the Koch brothers, not so much.
Exactly, and the temptation is ever greater to "dance with the devil" as it were. Which makes it all the more important that you get involved... This can be won without too much big government or big corporate interest... And honestly it's pointless to win if it becomes fundamentally corrupted. The only solution is for more people to become involved...
it is easy to say he is not covert, since it would require hard evidence to prove to the contrary. i do not believe he is transparent any more than i believe ben bernanke is transparent.
Oh bullshit. The Koch brother's support of libertarian causes, tea party included is highly transparent and no secret to anyone. You can hardly open your mouth without shit falling out of it... Go empty your catheter, I think it's getting a bit too full... Also, no one here is defending big oil or insurance....