He gives some details on the origins, the rallies, the growing pains, the stumbles, the triumphs, and the future. And the future is where it will get MORE interesting.

American Majority, Beka Romm … “It shows why we must hold them accountable. It’s also why you don’t get to go on vacation on November 3. Because on November 3, you start holding politicians accountable.”

That is not necessarily good news for the Republican Party. The GOP is expected to be the beneficiary of the Tea Party’s assault on the midterm elections. But for all their shared political DNA, the two parties are by no means always or even regularly on the same page. In fact, the Tea Party has in some cases forced the GOP to spend more in primaries and could end up helping Democrats in districts where they field their own independent candidate, splintering the conservative vote. But if Republicans are frustrated, so be it, say many Tea Party members. They add that if the conservative establishment finds them a nuisance now, just wait.

Good read. Exciting times. Work hard to November! and on November 3 … we regroup and begin a new avenue of work … holding them accountable.

++++++++++++++++++

Americans for Prosperity is teaming up with SpendingRevolt.com to bring the Spending Revolt Bus Tour to Columbia, South Carolina on Saturday, September 25. Scroll down for more event information.
Spending Revolt is touring the country now to remind Americans that the United States is in the midst of a massive spending crisis. For too long, our elected officials have been on a spending binge that has led to out-of-control debt and monstrous deficits. The bottom line is that Washington operates on a spend-first, pay-later approach that has left our financial security and the financial security of our children and grandchildren in jeopardy. Like families across the country, we’ve got to cut up the national credit card and live within our means.

We must put an end to the wild spending spree NOW. SpendingRevolt.com is a broad coalition of taxpayers, business owners, women, families and policy organizations focused on breaking the cycle of spending dependency in Washington. By returning to the average rate of federal spending we sustained throughout the 1980s and 1990s (roughly 20 percent of GDP), we can get our fiscal house in order, balance the budget in three years and, most importantly, ensure a financially sound future for all of us. By limiting the purse strings we will also ensure government programs work more efficiently and effectively.

We have long heard about the financial burden that we are putting on our kids and grandkids. Greece learned the hard way. Current economic conditions and the accelerated growth in government spending means that the bill may come due at any moment. Join Spending Revolt NOW by signing the pledge to tell Washington that it’s time for fiscally responsible leadership.

Event Type: Spending Revolt Town Hall
Topic(s): Fiscal Responsibility
City: Columbia, South Carolina
Date: Saturday, September 25
Time: 6:00 – 8pm
Host(s): Spending Revolt, Americans for Prosperity
-Location: State House Grounds, North Side, 1101 Gervais St, Columbia, SC 29201
RSVP: Linda Weeks, linda.weeks@afphq.org / 864-631-8082
Debbie Spaugh, debbie.spaugh@afphq.org/ 864-864-918-9526
www.spendingrevolt.com

Event Type: Spending Revolt Bus Stop
Topic(s): Fiscal Responsibility
City: Rock Hill, South Carolina
Date: Sunday, September 26
Time: 6:00 – 7pm
Host(s): Spending Revolt, Americans for Prosperity
-Location: To be determined, Rock Hil, SC
RSVP: Linda Weeks, linda.weeks@afphq.org / 864-631-8082
Debbie Spaugh, debbie.spaugh@afphq.org/ 864-864-918-9526
www.spendingrevolt.com

Linda Weeks
Debbie Spaugh
Volunteer, Grassroots Co-Chairs
Americans for Prosperity, South Carolina
Facebook – Americans for Prosperity/South Carolina
www.americansforprosperity.org

Here is the Redstate Diary which announced the initiative, and explains it … basically it is a tool for everyone in America to use to Get Out The Vote! between now and November 2. If you haven’t been paying attention … November is Coming! … and November is all that matters.

We here at the Spartanburg Tea Party are ready to begin making GOTV calls for Haley/DeMint and Mick Mulvaney. If you have not called me to sign up, please do so now at 864.384.7558. I will have calling lists for you this week/weekend and you can take your place alongside millions of conservatives in the next few weeks who are standing their ground, right in their home, and fighting for our country using our voices, technologies, time, and tools like The Concord Project.

Please take a look at the website, there are simple tools and training videos/resources which can equip ANYONE to work where you are for a candidate. Get Inspired! Get Informed! Then get to work … let’s make sure that Upstate SC is well represented in the fight for taking back our country, beginning in November.

Spartanburg GOP … what’s the hold up?

Spartanburg Tea Party … please call or email your precinct Executive Committeeman to ask for our county to do the right thing and call for a censure of Graham. If you need to know who your precinct’s Executive Committeeman is, contact email County Chairman LaDonna Ryggs and she can give you that contact information.

It seems that Spartanburg GOP is not going to take action unless they hear from us … but if you’ve heard otherwise, please let me know. I would like to think that Spartanburg GOP is planning to address this at their next meeting and do the right thing.

http://chaffetz.house.gov/

Please go and listen to the hour long interview to understand the full range of the ICAUCUS panel interview, which takes place AFTER the candidate answers an 80 item questionnaire.

BTW, Pratt scored 100% on the questionnaire and really needs some backing to get rid of SC’s Clyburn.

I encourage Tea Party folks to join ICAUCUS and be involved in the vetting process. You can go here to sign up.

AND HERE is the very informative ICAUCUS site, including their list of endorsed candidates, and training resources.

Early in 2011, we are going to invite Wayne Middleton, the SC Director of ICAUCUS to attend one of our Tea Party meetings and devote the meeting to learning more about ICAUCUS and why we need to get involved.

The link above is to one of their many fact sheets/reports where they help inform SC voters what the SC Legis is up to, and how we as citizens need to keep our eye on what’s what, stay informed and demand changes. Here is one of this articles key points:

Unlike the other three members of the BCB, the legislative members of the board are not elected to statewide office. In fact, the Senate Finance chair is in no way accountable to voters statewide and holds his position based solely on seniority.

I think we can do better. This is an area the Tea Party needs to focus on, and it is within our power to make these changes … by voting out the network of legislators who are more interested in status quo power than transparency.

A few Tea Party/liberty group members met on Monday with Jordan Sherer, who is working for Victory, an offshoot of the SCGOP which becomes active during election years. Victory’s mission is to GOTV for Republican candidates. We have the opportunity to work with Jordan in Pickens, Oconee, Anderson, and Greenwood Counties, and Jason Greer in Greenville, Spartanburg, and Union Counties. Karen Martin will coordinate with Jason.

Here is the game plan:
Jason will provide Karen with calling lists and walking lists (and door hangers) for Spartanburg and Greenville counties. He will provide a phone script which must be followed, which basically says “Please vote for Nikki Haley and Jim DeMint, and do you want to volunteer for either of those campaigns?” If you want to make phone calls for these candidates, or walk your neighborhoods please contact:

Karen 864.384.7558 / info@spartanburgteaparty.org

We will begin calling/walking next week hopefully and will make one contact at this time for the selected voters. THEN there will be an intensive 72 hour campaign Friday/Saturday/Sunday/Monday the weekend of the election, so the goal is TWO contacts each voter. As we work through the printed lists, we will make notes on the list so that Jason can “cull” those voters not interested, so we don’t waste time on the 2nd round of contacts. So we keep the lists current and turn them in via Karen periodically. PLEASE commit to the 72 hour period now, this is crucial.

We can arrange a meeting with Jason if needed, one in each region. Jason has committed to attend both the Spartanburg Tea Party meeting on 9/14 and the Greenville Tea Party meeting on 9/21 … BUT … the key is … to contact Karen NOW to express your interest in doing this work. November is coming. Whatever is on your agenda between now and election day should take a back seat to getting these candidates in office. We all know the stakes, including the redistricting issue.

Additionally Karen has been in touch with Mick Mulvaney’s campaign in District 05 in his effort to FLIP a seat from Democrat to Republican, and Mick is ahead, and is being helped by several national organizations including the RNC which is providing his campaign with cell phones to make the GOTV calls. Karen needs to know who would like to work on Mick’s campaign to make calls, and will provide you with call lists and a potentially a cell phone to begin that work as well.

PLEASE DO NOT CLOSE THIS POST WITHOUT GIVING SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO CONTACTING KAREN TODAY.

from his letter …

Mr. Rand and his cohorts are at best ignorant and at worst left-wing, genocidal socialists who appear to be operating on some hidden, destructive agenda rather than running a competent program to maintain a satisfactory quality of life for American senior citizens. They seem to be providing the same smoke screen methodologies as our president and the majority of Congress.

Check out the entire letter at http://www.goupstate.com/article/20100902/ARTICLES/9021002/1129/opinion02?Title=Thursday-s-letters-An-AARP-smoke-screen

well done Paul! Letters to the editor are a great tool for awareness and activism. If anyone else gets letters published, please let me know so I can repost them here

from the letter…

… in addition to “badly exacerbating the current doctor shortage,” ObamaCare will bring “major cost increases, rising insurance premiums, higher taxes, a decline in new medical techniques, a fall-off in the development of miracle drugs as well as rationing by government panels and by bureaucrats like passionate rationing advocate Donald Berwick that will force delays of months or sometimes years for hospitalization or surgery.”

“Please remember when you vote this November that unless the Democratic Party receives a strong negative message about this power grab our health care system will never be fixed and the doctor patient relationship will be ruined forever.”

and toward the end of the article …

The latest round of pro-ObamaCare television spots targeting the elderly and starring veteran actor Andy Griffith have not only failed to move the polling numbers. They have caused five U.S. Senators to ask for an investigation of the ads as a violation of federal laws barring the use of tax dollars ($750,000) for campaign purposes.

Going on record as saying that, despite our warm thoughts of Matlock and Opie’s dad, Andy Griffith officially now sucks.

But GO DOCS!~!~ thanks for standing up in your businesses, and putting yourselves on the line to bring the truth to voters!

This is NOT an issue I’m well versed on, so I urge Spartanburg Tea Party members to call Nikki or visit her at one of her appearances and ask the question directly, and then please blog your interview and I’ll post it here. Please use the comments section also to share your thoughts and any facts you may have about any of Nikki’s recent remarks re: school choice that may help us figure out whether this is a departure from earlier campaign convictions or hers, or just some “thinking out loud” on her part, or the part of bloggers/journalists.