The whole point of free speech is not to make ideas exempt from criticism but to expose them to it.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

The Dipsquats of Citizens for Liberty

So recently the Journal ran a story about the in-fighting among the leaders of Citizens for Liberty, the self-proclaimed organization representing the Tea Party in South Dakota.

When the Tea Party began here and around the country, they claimed to be a bi-partisan grass-roots movement concerned with the runaway debt the current congress and administration are thrusting upon our children and grandchildren. Now, it appears, they are just another group of dipsquats seeking to invade this country's wombs and bedrooms, all the while proclaiming your right to prevent the invasion with a .45 cal. full-auto machine gun.

I am continually embarrassed these days to call myself a conservative, because I do not wish to be associated with the likes of Bob Ellis or Zach Lautenschlager.

You can be conservative with taxpayer dollars and believe in liberty. How Bob Ellis can say he believes in personal liberty in one breath and claim that restricting the ill from obtaining relief is acceptable in the next is beyond me.

Take careful note folks: You can believe that this country is headed severely down the wrong road and is careening toward decades of financial ruin, without believing that the government has any business in reproductive rights, or what occurs in the privacy of one's bedroom.

The religious right (Ellis) an the outhouse-rat-crazy right (Lautenschlager) may or may not have some desire to have congress spend money more wisely than they do, but really their agenda is to usurp women's reproductive rights, homophobic paranoia and an almost clinical obsession with being allowed to carry weapons any damned place they choose. They don't give a shit about your taxes. It's your bedroom they're interested in. They don't give a shit about THEIR taxes, witness Gordon Howie.

That the Journal thought this splinter group of approximately 1500 South Dakota idiots and their infighting was worthy of Page one coverage baffles me.

As a REAL True conservative, I'm glad they appear to be leaving the Republican Party to form their own, dysfunctional group. Maybe the Republicans can now concentrate on shrinking government and recovering from the ongoing Obama Administration Catastrophe.

16 comments:

Bob Ellis said...

I think it was Abraham Lincoln who said we don't have the right to do what is wrong.

We prohibit prostitution and a host of other activities because they are immoral, drag down the moral fiber of society, and harm others--all of which recreational drug use do.

And no, I'm not fooled by the "medical" marijuana BS--not when there are countless prescription pain medications available, including THC in a non-smoked form.

Nobody's fooled into thinking you're a conservative anyway, so stop pretending. Everyone who knows anything about you knows you're a RINO at best.

Bill Fleming said...

From the RCJ article:

"Lindberg said she plans to speak up more about the removal resolution against her. In the e-mail response to the board members seeking her removal, Lindberg pledged to fight for her leadership role.

“In all sincerity and respect, I do not intend to just yield to your lies and quit,” she wrote. “We have too many irons in the fire to do that.”

I assume she was talking to Bob Ellis when she was talking about lying and bullying people. You see a lot of that online when you watch people having conversations with him.

p.s. Ellis, anyone who wants to control people's minds and bodies as much as you do is emphatically not a conservative, ol' buddy. Facist, Totalitarian, or Theocrat would be more like it.

If I were a Republican, I would be loathe to count you among my party's number.

caheidelberger said...

Ah, the Ellis purity test. Sanborn isn't a Republican either, huh?

I would love to know exactly why Howie, Ellis, et al. are trying to oust Lindberg as president of the club. I'd also love to see whatever official bylaws they have the outline the exact rules they are supposed to be following in casting such votes (these folks are all about obeying the constitution, you know). Michael, invite Barb onto your blog for an interview!

Sounds to me like Howie realized how depressing it would be not to hold some office and wants control of the group for his own self-aggrandizing purposes. Or maybe the fact that they couldn't muster the political skill to influence the county on their septic tank issue was too morally damaging, and the group is disintegrating into in-fighting. Too bad.

But by all means, CfL, keep up the party games. We'll all have fun watching.

DDC said...

It's too bad that the Tea Party was co-opted, in many areas, by the usual suspects. It went from a healthy protest of an over-reaching government to a tool of conservative groups that were losing steam on their moral crusades to put themselves back in the limelight.

Thad Wasson said...

In light of the CFl troubles that have been reported in the Rapid City Journal, this wisdom from King Solomon should help.

Proverbs 6 vs. 19 "A false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethen."

I hope that Barb Lindberg is not being treated this way by her fellow board members.

larry kurtz said...

Yeesh, Mike. You had me convinced you were a convert right up to that last sentence that sorta felt like a bitch-slap.

It does beg Newland's question about Ellis,' et al. self-ownership.

Bill Fleming said...

Larry, it always amazes me when guys like Mike and Bob, who claim to detest government, turn right around and try to get elected to run it.

It's kind of like having a vegan cook your Beef Bourguignon for ya. They might have some kind of half-baked recipe off the side of a cheap noodle box, but you just know their heart's just not gonna be in it.

And the table talk's really gonna suck.

Bill Dithmer said...

Hi Bob nice to have you with us. Hows that me god thing going for ya.

Just for the sake of blogging I want to make this comparison. In this play the family will represent the people in the state of South Dakota, the company is everyone from outside the state, and the dog, is Bob Ellis.

Nobody thought to much about the dog when it barked at the door to come in. The dog sets down by the big overstuffed chair at his masters feet. Then when the conversation was starting to flow and the people were laughing and having some fun the dog gets up grins walks to the middle of the floor sets down and proceeds to drag his butt across the carpet leaving little white worms behind him with what can only be described as a smile of bliss. The guest get embarrassed, the host gets embarrassed, and the dog heads for the bathroom for a nice cool drink.

Bob you are an embarrassment to most of us in South Dakota. You are fast becoming a joke to our guest from out of state that would otherwise have a great opinion of us in general.

Bob get off of the carpet and stop leaving those worms when you are through doing what you are doing.

Pete said...

Its been kind of fun to see the right-wing have its lunatics exposed. They seem to be equal to (and maybe even more wacko than) the lunatics on the left.

The right fringes like Ellis, are equivalent to the mindless religious fanatics of the Taliban. Both are uncaring, unknowing, completely self-righteous and willing to make others suffer for their own lack of humanity.

Keep squawking Ellis, you're our best hope to show others why you should be silenced.

Ken G said...

Michael's right on the money. I recently went independent for basically the same reasons. Republicans over the last 40 years have completely self imploded. The Tea Party almost had me until Sarah Palin became the talking head. I thought maybe, just maybe the Tea Party would "reset" the party. But no, the loud mouth belligerent talking heads jumped right on board and drove it far enough right its only splintered the party further.

The Right now is represented by Faux news, Rush, Palin and Beck. These folks are more responsible for destroying what was the Republican party then any unethical, immoral Republican politician could have ever accomplished. The Right simply has no leaders, no new ideas, only scare tactics.

Ken G said...

@Bob E.
That shiny pot pill you advise cancer patients to take is 100% THC. To put it in terms you will understand.... Lets say the Doc recommended alcohol to fix what ails you. He offers 100% Whiskey and six packs of Budweiser. The kicker is, the bottle of whiskey has to be taken at one time, the whole bottle. Those folks that still work or want to be coherent take the Budweiser every time. A can or two will usually do the trick. It's simple to adjust the dose .... 1, 2 or 3 cans of beer. Or 10 or 12 if one really wants to feel no pain. That's how pot works for the sick. They can take a few doses yet still function normally, or they can take Bob's shiny little pill and be knocked right on their ass.

Michael Sanborn said...

Bill,

You make a good point about Bob and I running for office. I think Bob's run for a few more than I. I ran for city council twice. The first time I was soundly beaten in a crowded race. The second time I was in it to the end with Martha Rodriguez.

Of course, there are those who run to take and those who run to contribute. It was my hope that I could contribute something of value to the process. Who knows, I may try again.

If I become one of the takers, I'm certain you'll be among the first to bring it to my attention.

Michael Sanborn said...

Larry,

Sorry if you felt I bitch slapped you. The truth is that on matters of fiscal responsibility, I sincerely believe that Obama is creating a catastrophe of epic proportions.

But, I also believe that Congress and democracy are at their very best when compromise is reached among varied good ideas. That hasn't happened in this country for many years.

The only way to see it happen again is for the far left and the radical right to stop their games long enough to be statesmen. I don't see that happening under Obama. Neither do I see it happening under a Palin-like right winger.

Prosperity and peace will come from intelligent compromise.

larry kurtz said...

Justice. Just us? We the People can't trust industry to police itself, Mike.

Here is a great post.

Embrace the Citizens of Liberty to help us draft an invitation to revolutionize immigration reform by inviting 90,000,000 Christians to become US, ye, American citizens.

Barb, Gordie, Bob. Let's start solving problems. Let's form a coalition alliance and show the people looking in on South Dakota that it's not what interested party says it is and let's do the work to fix it because it is desperately broken. Your in-fighting is not going to change that.

Bob Newland said...

I ran for office for self-aggrandizement and with the knowledge that I would better represent the interests of my constituents than my opponents would. My best effort resulted in an approximate 88% voter disapproval rating.

So much for self-aggrandizement.

Crispus Attucks said...

Does appear the faux Citizens of Liberty are stewing in their tyranny.

harharharharharharharharharhar