Political Class Dismissed

In Defense of the Kochtopus

The Koch empire versus the American empire

by Justin Raimondo, August 30, 2010

Manhattan’s liberal elites may be content to get their reporting on the inner workings of the conservative-libertarian movement from The New Yorker, perhaps because of the cartoons, but the tea parties were created by another wing of the libertarian movement, and not the Kochtopus, which only later – after the movement took off – decided to go along for the ride. The first tea parties were organized by supporters of Ron Paul, who, on the 234th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, in December 2007, held rallies across the country and held a “money bomb” for Paul’s campaign raising the all-time record for a single day’s political fund-raising. The organizations affiliated with the Kochs have long kept their distance from Rep. Paul: they view him as an unbridled radical, and one who – worse, from their perspective – can’t be controlled or reined in.

This is typical of the methods of the Koch organizations, which rarely initiate anything: instead, they glom on to an existing movement, “entryist”-style, and bore from within. One example: when the independent campaign of John Anderson for President took off, and stole the thunder of the Libertarian Party’s 1980 presidential campaign, they joined Anderson’s briefly-existing “National Unity Party” in the hopes of taking it over. Like most of their entryist tactics, this one flopped spectacularly, with the Andersonites rejecting their wise counsel and opting to go their own way.

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The Senecas versus the NY State Tax Dept.

Keep in mind what I say in Direct Citizen Action: starve the beast!

Assume that one percent of the tax haul is recycled by the machine to stay in power.

Another reason not to vote for him.

Let’s keep 1984 at the novel stage.

Paladino Gains in G.O.P. Race for Governor

By JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ

Published: August 31, 2010

Carl P. Paladino, nearly an hour and a half late, rushed into a chandeliered room in the Bronx the other day to tell Hispanic religious leaders why they should elect him governor. The scrambled eggs had turned cold, and so had the room.

“Hipócrita,” one minister whispered. Another passed around newspaper articles with the words “bigot” and “anti-immigrant” underlined.

“The paper says that you hate all Hispanics,” State Senator Rubén Díaz Sr. of the Bronx told Mr. Paladino. “The paper says you want to put us in jail.”

Mr. Paladino, 64, a brusque real-estate developer from Buffalo, was accustomed to the skepticism. Critics had condemned him all week for proposing to turn empty prisons into dormitory space for welfare recipients, where, he said, they would learn job skills, parenting and hygiene.

But he connected with the audience, describing his own modest childhood and saying he wanted to “restore the dignity” of those receiving government assistance.

“There’s not going to be any time for you to stand around on the street corner and get yourself in trouble,” he said.

The group erupted into applause. “I love that plan,” said Mr. Díaz, a Democrat.

Mr. Paladino entered the governor’s race five months ago as a long-shot Republican with Tea Party leanings. He was almost instantly dismissed by the party establishment as a loose cannon with an unsavory past.

But in recent weeks, Mr. Paladino’s campaign has gained strength. Voters, mostly those far beyond New York City, have latched onto his talk of “demons” in Albany. And, given the unpredictable and angry climate this year, his rise has begun to worry supporters of the once-all-but-certain Republican nominee, Rick A. Lazio.

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I feel tawdry commenting on the rally when I only saw the first few speakers but here goes–

Huge crowd. I was surprised. I guess having a TV audience of five million gives you that kind of power. The media is lying about the crowd of course.

I have to say I am knee-jerk against rallies per se and particularly DC rallies. They cost $100 a person and that money could go to much better uses in my view.

The rally seemed to be a religious revival meeting. OK, no problem. But I totally missed the connection between Jesus, a de facto anarchist with no known positive political program, and the US global military empire whose glorification was a subliminal theme of the rally.

I take it for granted that Christians must oppose war except under the most extreme set of provocations.

Granted, this was not a “political” rally but I have to ask: what are the policy implications of the rally? Certainly not a dismantling of our global military empire that is bankrupting us and has us bogged down in two Asian land wars while China moves toward economic supremacy.

Ironically, current US foreign policy was invented by the very same Progressives that Beck rightly rails against on almost every program. “Making the world safe for democracy.” Yuck! The Founders didn’t even like democracy in America.

The Buffalo News is being criticized for publishing the criminal records of the City Grill shooting victims.

This is simply shooting the messenger that brought the bad news. They are doing their job by looking into the facts surrounding the biggest mass shooting in Buffalo memory.

The protesters would better spend their time by analyzing why so many blacks have criminal records. Long story short, this inquiry in my view would lead to a questioning of liberalism, a cluster of policies whose implementation has wreaked havoc in the black community since their inception: the welfare state, war on drugs, government schools, corporate state and public housing for starters.

Ironically, the News is a liberal paper that supports all these failed policies.

There will be a very modestly priced fundraiser for Dave DiPietro, the Tea Party candidate for NY State Senate next Wednesday at Boxler’s Farm, 2887 Royce Rd., Varysburg, from 6:30-8:30pm.

Carl Paladino is the featured speaker.

$20 per person, under 12, free.

For information, call Chris at 585-704-8228.

Open Bar/Food/Ice Cream/Fireworks/Bonfire/Door Prizes/Raffles.

Exotic animal tour at 5:30. Discounted price. Call 585-535-4100.

The tea party movement has too many rallies and rallies in DC are particularly wasteful in my view.

The MSM will:

1. ignore them
2. under-report the crowd
3. find the wackiest members of the crowd, who may not even be tea party people, to cover

There is another DC rally coming up. Attendees will spend millions of dollars to be there while tea party candidates are few and underfunded.

If you are in sports or war and you fail to think strategically, you not only fail but are quickly fired. Yet, somehow, we don’t demand that the leaders of tea party groups have a strategy. They just do things and see what happens. That’s a formula for defeat. Keep in mind that the last time a mass movement took power in America and shrank government, and increased liberty, was Jefferson’s first term. You see why I don’t suffer fools gladly in the Liberty Movement?

If you want to advance the movement, take your $100 per traveler and give it to Dave DiPietro, the only tea party candidate running for local office in WNY.

Here’s his website.

CASEY FOR ALBANY REFORM

Rally for Reform at the West Side Rowing Club*
1 Rotary Row, Buffalo, 14201 – Directions at bottom of page

See back for reasons you may not want to miss a fabulous night on the river/lake. However if you miss it, it is not essential we will tell you all about it when we drop off your fun contact list –see below for details.

THURSDAY AUGUST 26TH - 5:30 PM START - 6 PM RALLY
COST – FREE (sort of - if one does not count fun volunteer time)
IT IS FUN** TO RUN AGAINST INCUMBENTS IN 2010
**You will hear fun testimonies (extremely short) from Casey’s petition passers.

We Reformers Have a Real Chance to Win the 58th Senate Democratic Primary

Dear
Only an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 Democratic voters will make it to the polls September 14th. With four candidates in the Democratic primary for the 58th NY Senate seat, including incumbent Stachowski and incumbent county legislator Kennedy, it appears 6,000 votes can win. If we can personally reach 10,000 Democrats (Lists will be provided) with a personal request to vote for a proven, independent reformer, Casey, on September 14th we are in the race. We need 100 volunteers to ask 100 Democrats to vote for reform—and the incumbents out—between Saturday August 28th and Monday, September 13th (Directions for fun on back).

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Feel free to be displeased that a mosque is being built a few blocks from the World Trade Center but they have every legal and constitutional right to do so.

It’s private property and eminent domain is simply a fancy form of theft by the state.

If you are a tea party member, you should (must) support the right to build a mosque there.

Again, you have a right to have whatever personal feelings about it you wish and wonder if the motive is anti-American. I haven’t seen sufficient evdience of that myself. But even if I did, it would not change the fact that they have a right to build.

Let’s talk about the economy and the size of government.

It is critical that you support this event. I explain why here. It took a trip to the Liberty Bell to crystallize my thoughts on the present state of the tea party movement.

Tea Party Coalition of WNY

Allen Coniglio, Chair
ilkitty@roadrunner.com
teapartycoalitionwny.com
(716) 435-8918

Buffalo, NY. August 18, 2010. The Tea Party Coalition (WNY) is hosting the Taste of Freedom, a day-long freedom fest on Saturday, August 21st from noon to 8pm at Potts Banquet Hall, 694 South Odgen, Buffalo, NY.

There will be eight hours of live music, great ethnic food, activities for kids, book signings, and an opportunity for tea partiers to meet candidates for public office.

Performers will include: Steve Balesteri, Ashley Amoia, Dave Nolf, and Chris Norman.

Speakers will include Dave DiPietro, the Tea Party candidate for the key 59th state senate district, Janice Volk, tea party candidate for Congress in the 29th District, Mike Kuzma, Democratic candidate for the state senate against Stachowwski, and Jim Ostrowski, author of the tea party movement strategy manual, Direct Citizen Action.

We will give away as door prizes gift certificates to great Buffalo restaurants including Russell’s, Salvatores, Mother’s, Pearl St., Shannon’s Pub, Grapevine, and more.

Admission is ten dollars. Kids under 18 are free if accompanied by an adult.

The Coalition has a limited number of tables available for vendors, candidates and community groups for $50.

The Tea Party Coalition could use some volunteers for a lit-drop tomorrow am.

It’s very important and there is no better time to help the cause.

I went out tonight for an hour and a half and it’s actually a great way to get a workout.

Let me know if you can help.

Jim Ostrowski
435-8918

Andrew Cuomo thought he could duck into the Wyoming County Fair without us finding out about it.

Wrong!

We heard and Andrew was greeted by Carl’s Duck.

Very funny.

I suspect Andrew will cut and run and head East. He knows the tea party will be there if he shows up in Erie County again.

They are still getting the rubber off Pearl St. from his last quick exit.

Another colossal waste of tax money.

Story.

Another great opportunity for jury nullification.

Like Blago.

Wouldn’t it be great if the jury just got up at the end of summations and said, “Not Guilty, have a nice day.”?

News & Commentary from the Artvoice Editorial staff

August 19, 2010
A “Taste of Freedom” at Potts Banquet Hall
Filed under: Events,Music — Tags: 103.3 edge, guitar contest, potts banquet hall, Steve Balesteri, taste of freedom — Artvoice Staff @ 4:26 pm

Steve Balesteri and friends David Nolf, Ashlee Amoia and Chris Norman (winner of The EDGE 103/Creed guitar contest!) will be on hand Saturday beginning at 2:00 pm at Potts Banquet Hall 694 S. Ogden (near Dingens) just off the 190 at the S. Ogden exit. There will be other live bands beginning at noon along with ethnic foods, a beer tent with other drinks, the amazing chair massage, ice cream, and much more. The Taste of Freedom is an all day event from noon to 8 PM on Saturday, 8/21/10.

Read more: http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/2010/08/19/a-%e2%80%9ctaste-of-freedom%e2%80%9d-at-potts-banquet-hall/#ixzz0×6NzGi7F

The Tea Party Coalition (WNY) is holding its major fundraiser of the year on Saturday, The Taste of Freedom.

In addition to having a rip-roaring good time for just ten bucks admission, I want to briefly explain why you should support this fundraiser.

First, the folks involved in the Coalition, including Allen Coniglio, Paulette Peterson, Tony Matuszak and me, were not only involved in the very beginnings of the tea party movement in WNY, but were also involved in many cases in the very beginnings of the WNY Tax Revolt of 2004-2005.

Second, there is an ongoing effort to co-opt the tea party movement to be a mere tool of the GOP. The Coalition insists on being independent of any political machine including the Republican machine. We stand on principle and have a passion for real policy changes. The tea party movement cannot be the mere plaything of the Republican Party or we will fail in our prime mission: to create, in the face of the GOP’s forty year failure to do so, a successful movement in favor of limited government and free markets. To the Coalition, the GOP is simply one of many political tools to be used to achieve limited government and individual liberty. We reject and will aggressively fight any effort to make the tea party movement a tool to return big government machine Republicans to power.

Third, the Coalition fills an important need in WNY. We always needed an effective political arm of the tax revolt/tea party movement to go along with the policy arm, Free New York. The Coalition has already donated $1000 to Dave DiPietro, the Tea Party/Republican candidate for Dale Volker’s seat. Dave will be the main beneficiary of the Taste of Freedom fundraiser as well.

If we can help Dave be the first tea party state legislator, the Coalition will have established itself as the effective political arm of the movement that we needed but lacked.

These are some of the reasons why you should support the Coalition and the Taste of Freedom, besides hearing great live music and having a great time with great people.

For more info about the Taste, go here.

It is critical that you support this event. I will explain this in a post later on tonight. It took a trip to the Liberty Bell to crystallize my thoughts on the present state of the tea party movement.

Tea Party Coalition of WNY

Allen Coniglio, Chair
ilkitty@roadrunner.com
teapartycoalitionwny.com
(716) 435-8918

Buffalo, NY. August 18, 2010. The Tea Party Coalition (WNY) is hosting the Taste of Freedom, a day-long freedom fest on Saturday, August 21st from noon to 8pm at Potts Banquet Hall, 694 South Odgen, Buffalo, NY.

There will be eight hours of live music, great ethnic food, activities for kids, book signings, and an opportunity for tea partiers to meet candidates for public office.

Performers will include: Steve Balesteri, Ashley Amoia, Dave Nolf, and Chris Norman.

Speakers will include Dave DiPietro, the Tea Party candidate for the key 59th state senate district, Janice Volk, tea party candidate for Congress in the 29th District, Mike Kuzma, Democratic candidate for the state senate against Stachowwski, and Jim Ostrowski, author of the tea party movement strategy manual, Direct Citizen Action.

We will give away as door prizes gift certificates to great Buffalo restaurants including Russell’s, Salvatores, Mother’s, Pearl St., Shannon’s Pub, Grapevine, and more.

Admission is ten dollars. Kids under 18 are free if accompanied by an adult.

The Coalition has a limited number of tables available for vendors, candidates and community groups for $50.

Billionaire limousine liberal Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg, whose many zealotries include anti-gun and anti-tobacco showed his truly violent nature when he said he told Gov. David Paterson, “’Get yourself a cowboy hat and a shotgun. If there’s ever a great video, it’s you standing in the middle of the New York State Thurway saying, you know, ‘Read my lips — the law of the land is this, and we’re going to enforce the law.’ Bloomberg obviously found one good purpose for guns in his mind, put the guns in the hands of the state to force the American Indian tribes in New York State to act as tobacco tax collectors for what they know is a dysfunctional and corrupt foreign government in which their sovereign territories are surrounded.
Bloomberg’s radical liberal agenda is transparent though; he’s less interested in tax collection than he is in using oppressive taxation to tax tobacco out of existence for his Utopian state. Bloomberg’s whole stratagem for forcing the little people to not eat, drink or smoke anything he does not like is to ban it, if you can’t outright ban it then use the power of taxation to destroy it. Bloomberg like many other authoritarian liberals of his kind is insensitive to the poverty and suffering that would be caused by his social engineering schemes, instead remains fixated on the imagined benefits outweighing the collateral damage.

The mayor, who has supported higher cigarette tax levels to encourage people to stop smoking, brushed aside Seneca claims that the collection efforts will cost jobs in the region. “Yea, the cigarettes are killing our people,’” Bloomberg said in response to the job argument.

What a creep!

News Sources:
Buffalo News
NY Daily News

Carl Paladino recently sent out an email blasting opponents of the Bass Pro project. While I support Carl for governor, I take strong exception to his support for a project that involved tens of millions of dollars of illegal cash grants to corporations.

The Boston Tea Party in 1773 was in essence a protest against mercantilism, a regime in which the government granted monopoly power to favored corporations.

The Tea Party movement of 2009 was also in large measure a protest against corporatism and corporate welfare.

Carl Paladino has based his campaign on the support of the tea party movement yet he openly and brazenly supports corporate welfare programs, not as a private developer but now as a candidate for governor.

I am not going to re-argue the case against corporate welfare here. That’s not the point. I have done that many times elsewhere. It’s a no-brainer that corporate welfare is a great evil that corrupts the political process and has a negative impact on the economy. The point here is to point out the contradiction between Carl’s views on Bass Pro and his active pursuit of tea party votes and support.

Carl has to make a choice here. He can’t have it both ways.

One more thing Carl. Larry Quinn is a member of the political class whose fingerprints are all over many failed projects in Buffalo in the last thirty years. Guys like Quinn are not the solution to our problems. They are the problem!