Roanoke Tea Party

Holder To Investigate…Holder?

Chip — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:07:53 +0000

We Pray...

In case you missed it, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder apparently personally approved a search warrant to look a emails from Fox News reporters. The Obama Administration has feigned some concern about reporters being harrassed by the government, so the President is asking the Attorney General to investigate the matter. Obama continues that:

“I have raised these issues with the attorney general, who shares my concern. So he has agreed to review existing Department of Justice guidelines governing investigations that involve reporters, and will convene a group of media organizations to hear their concerns as part of that review. And I have directed the attorney general to report back to me by July 12th.”

So I am supposed to find comfort in a report compiled by an Attorney General that approved the actions that the President is trying to look like he is concerned about? What a joke!

If this wasn’t so serious it would make a wonderful SNL skit.

No wonder most people just tune this stuff out. When the Republicans do something to force these crooks out of office and into a jail cell…I will take the Republican Congress seriously in their efforts to combat this criminal regime.

Democrat Attacks Against Jackson and Obenshain…Typical Nonsense

Chip — Fri, 24 May 2013 11:15:01 +0000

You'd Think The Dems Would Understand The KKK Since They Started It

We’ve discussed the attacks on E.W. Jackson. Jackson is sucking up a lot of the oyxgen in the hate race by the Democrats as they gleefully find videos of him expressing his opinion on a variety of issues. You know you are doing something right when the Daily Kos, (the leftist of leftist websites) describes Jackson this way, “E.W. Jackson isn’t just an oppo researcher’s dream, he’s an oppo researcher’s mescaline-fueled fantasy bender riding on pegasus-back.

The reaction to the left of Jackson’s positions shows the chasm between the right and the left in this nation.

The lead of the linked video here is the CORRECT assertion that Planned Parenthood is more harmful to the black community than the KKK. Unless someone can show me stats that shows that the KKK killed millions of innocent black children, I think that one is an easy battle to win. I can’t wait to fight the Democrats on that issue and some of these other issues raised here.

But it isn’t just Jackson facing attacks from the left, the left is also trying to fit Mark Obenshain into the same extreme template. And there entry into that battle is ridiculous. If you listen to the left, Obenshain believes in throwing women in jail for not reporting their miscarriage to the police within 24 hours.

Willie Deutsch does a fabulous job at describing the circumstances behind this bill here…in his words….

So what was the problem? In May of 2008, a woman in Rockingham Co. entered a plea agreement of counseling, one year probation, and a 30 day suspended sentence for having thrown her newborn baby in the trash. Because the body was never found, and no evidence was found to counteract the woman’s claim that the baby was stillborn, this was the maximum sentence possible. In light of this incident, the Commonwealth’s Attorney Marsha Garst stated, ”I entered that plea deal with great reluctance, but because of the current status of the laws in the United States and the Commonwealth, as well as the lack of evidence in this case, and that we never recovered a body, it was necessary in order to preserve a conviction.”

Naturally since Mark Obenshain’s district includes Rockingham Co., she went to him to try to get the law changed. Mark received this request almost right before session and worked with the Commowealth’s Attorney and others on the original draft. The bill he introduced was flawed and he understood that which is why he had absolutely no intention of letting it pass in the form it was introduced. Mark introduced the bill with the plan of using it as a vehicle to address the problem. He then met with every women’s group he could including NARAL, Planned Parenthood, and the Family Foundation to try to amend the legislation to address the problem. The conclusion of these meetings was a realization that any language that would address the problem would have unacceptable unintended consequences.

So he pulled the bill. That’s what happened. But that is the basis of this silly attack. Typical nonsense from the left.

Nothing new here.

First Look At E.W. Jackson Convention Speech

Chip — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:58:35 +0000

When we get a link to the professionally shot video of the speech, we will replace it on this link. But this amateur footage will give you a sense of the moment. This speech was the turning point in the convention and we never lost the momentum after that.

Freedom and liberty are the political answers we need.

Morality and ethics are personal answers we need.

This speech was no fluke. Anyone who has been following Jackson knows this level of oratary is par for the course.

No more of my jabbering. Here is a video of the E.W. Jackson convention speech.

Why We Should Mistrust The Government

Chip — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:56:56 +0000

As we learn more about the IRS and Benghazi scandals (amongst others) we come back to a fundamental difference between supporters of government programs and those that espouse liberty.

Liberals believe government is the solution to your problems. Lovers of Liberty see government as a necessary evil and should be minimized whenever possible. Because government will always look to expand their power at the expense of your liberty.

This isn’t a new battle, as overreach by the government goes back to the birth of the nation. Below is an article by Judge Napolitano detailing why limited government is really the answer.

It should come as no surprise that President Obama told Ohio State students at graduation ceremonies recently that they should not question authority and they should reject the calls of those who do. He argued that “our brave, creative, unique experiment in self-rule” has been so successful that trusting the government is the same as trusting ourselves; hence, challenging the government is the same as challenging ourselves. And he blasted those who incessantly warn of government tyranny.

Yet, mistrust of government is as old as America itself. America was born out of mistrust of government. Read the rest here.

Why I Support Jackson…It’s More Than Good Speeches

Chip — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:51:09 +0000

“Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking.” –H Jackson Brown, Jr.

One of the things that the Roanoke Tea Party have learned to do, or more accurately NOT to do, is just support a candidate for office because it is convenient. You know, there is a Democrat running for some office, there is a Republican running for the same office…we don’t just run out and automatically start helping the Republican.

I first met E.W. Jackson for breakfast at the Holiday Inn Tanglewood in 2012 when he was running for the Senate. We were vetting the Senate candidates, and honestly I was not looking forward to going. I was super busy, was juggling a bunch of appointments and while I was curious to meet Jackson and talk to the man who gave such stirring speeches, my expectations were low. In fact, I had to leave for a work meeting after about an hour of breakfast and I considered that a convenient escape mechanism.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have tried to re-scheduled the meeting.

He was impressive, not only in his knowledge of Constitutional issues, but he just seemed like a nice and genuine person. One thing I noticed was how he seemed so genuinely concerned about the campaign worker that was with him. The campaign guy was having a personal issue, and Jackson took a moment away from our conversation to help him out. That moment spoke to me as much as his passion for and profound understanding of the Constitution and issues facing our nation and Commonwealth.

That initial opinion was confirmed over the next few months.

As I became closer to Jackson and decided to actually work for the campaign, my support had as much to do with the man, as it did with the policies. I spent at least an hour every day from January to June with E.W. (mostly over the phone). I slept under his roof when I visited to help with campaign events in Chesapeake. I have seen Jackson behind the proverbial curtain. I have seen him with his guard down and those moments of caring happen in the Jackson home everyday in ways big and small.

I can assure you of one thing…He is as good of a person as he is a speaker.

So when Jackson says he will stand up for the 9th and 10th Amendment (for example) if elected, that isn’t just a bunch of campaign rhetoric. He actually means it. People are justifiably jaded by dishonest politicians that people have a hard time wrapping their heads around the fact an honest man is running for office. A man with no agenda other than trying to do the right thing.

It is so rare. And it is something that needs to be encouraged.

So if you are so inclined, please consider a donation to the Jackson campaign. He financed his successful nomination campaign primarily with small donations. Click here to help with whatever you can.

Jackson is a rarity in politics. It’s going to take a supreme effort by groups across the Commonwealth to put this good man in a place where he can do good things for the people. Your help will be critical to make this Cinderella story have the ending we need.

IRS Scandal: See The Whole Board

Chip — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:37:54 +0000

Below is an article on the IRS Protests, written by our VP Greg Honeycutt. They were scheduled in many places today. We provided links to the ones that were scheduled, but you may have noticed there was none scheduled here in Roanoke. Now we have written a good deal on this topic. See here, and here. I keep asking the question: what is Congress going to do about this; other than bluster?

Greg expands upon that point nicely below; I only wished I had written it…I wish Greg would write more. Chip

See The Whole Board. It’s a chess term. It means look at all the possible outcomes of certain moves before you make them, in order to anticipate your opponent. Feeling very much like a pawn lately has made me think about chess terminology.

It’s been almost a year since I posted anything up here… Chip is much better at articulating a good rant, and most people who know me would tell you a behind-the-scenes role suits this activist much better. However, a recent series of events coupled with a news cycle that seems to be driving a particular narrative have set me at odds with conventional thought.

Being listed as an organizer of Roanoke Tea Party, I receive regular blast emails from Tea Party Patriots, a grassroots Liberty organization with whom we are very loosely affiliated. These emails are usually calls-to-action, notification on current issues, or fundraising solicitation. Tea Party Patriots is a good organization, led by good people, and I don’t mind getting the stuff they send. In most cases, it’s helpful information, especially for someone that is disgusted by what passes for news reporting anymore.

According to their recent mailings, corroborating the recent media frenzy, we now have a confession that many 501-type organizations like the nearby Richmond Tea Party were harassed, or outright targeted for political intimidation by the IRS a couple years ago. Hence Tea Party Patriots is calling for all groups to stage protest rallies at IRS offices Tuesday.

Now, let’s step back and look at the whole board for a minute… the point is right on. It is absolutely unacceptable to use a government agency to persecute a political point of view. Even President Obama had to choke out that sentiment this past week, whether he believes it or not is the subject for another post. Both Democrat Senators Warner and Kaine took to the Senate floor to decry the scandal. Predictably, a few local Republicans chimed in disapproval. Even Speaker Boehner uttered some veiled threats on cue. Everybody’s outraged, demanding hearings. But what are they doing about it? So far, other than frantically searching for some scapegoats to fire, holding terse stern-faced press conferences, scrambling for a political upside, and finally creating distractions… absolutely zip.

Oh, and by the way, it’s two years later. This is nothing new. For all we know this kind of abuse has been going on all along, yet since the puppet media (whichever bias you prefer) finally decided to cover it, suddenly everybody’s got a handful of talking points on the IRS bullying. John Stewart, Sean Hannity, both outraged… Rush Limbaugh has now weighed in, lending his endorsement to this nationwide rally, hypothesizing that somehow this show of numbers will re-establish the Tea Party as a political force. Hmmm. Well okay… if Rush said it… because after all, the narrative is that we can’t think for ourselves.

So, the strategy on the table is; we go hold a protest rally in front of a Federal building that houses at least one agency that is now known, and even admitted being hostile towards groups like us. And advertise that we’re coming too, lest they be surprised by a flash mob of flags and signs at lunchtime on a Tuesday. What is it we hope to accomplish by this?

Don’t misunderstand – I’m not suggesting we just throw up our hands in defeat, but really, we’ve been here and done this many times before, with precious little to show for valiant effort. This IRS scandal is just one more glaring example in the long train of abuses. We rally, and whatever we rally against happens anyway and the status quo continues.

For whatever merit a public protest rally en masse has, the core flaw with this push to express outrage at just one Federal entity for just one issue, for just one day, is that it’s misdirected. It happened – everybody knows that. So how many more made-for-tv committee hearings and press conferences must we endure before Congress finally does it’s job and someone goes to jail? Americans were killed in Benghazi and Mexico as a direct result of our government’s action or inaction. Where’s their justice? Where are the consequences for the guilty? Either of those alone should’ve landed someone in Federal court answering charges of treason. What happened? You got it – basically zip. So you’ll have to overlook my low expectations of any real consequences for the fine folks over at the IRS.

Friends, the IRS doesn’t care if 100 of us show up outside their office building and carry signs on our lunch hour. They will continue to do whatever they are allowed. They are however, accountable to Congress. If we’re going to protest something, I suggest calling out every single member of Congress regardless of party, who continually let, not only the IRS, but DHS, FDA, EPA, DOE, ATF, FBI, DOJ, etc. get by with everything from run-of-the-mill corruption, extortion, selective enforcement, to political intimidation, to being complicit in murder. If they won’t do anything other than pay lip service to an issue, then your Congressman is just as guilty as the IRS thugs we’re being asked to protest against.

Congress needs to do their job, or lose their job, no matter how unpopular it might make them with the despotic media. No more posturing, no more delays, no more games, and no more excuses.

In Liberty, Greg Honeycutt

Share This Message: Inspire and Unite

Chip — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:42:57 +0000

This is the positive message that we need to get out about E.W. Please share this with your friends and neighbors.

He Has The Courage; Do You?

Chip — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:36:35 +0000

If you didn’t know this, you can set up Google to do alerts when a person has a story written about them. I have had one set up for E.W. Jackson since last year when I helped out with his Senate campaign. Well the number of articles on Jackson has exploded in the past few days. And most of them are of the variety that are making the left go nuts and the RINO population squeal.

Two of the charges against the Jackson is that he hates homosexuals and that he believes that Planned Parenthood is worse than the KKK for blacks. Well lets take those one at a time.

Yes, Jackson has said that homosexuality is a sin. As a pastor what else would your position be? It’s not like the Bible, both in the Old and New Testament isn’t crystal clear on this issue. Should a pastor not point out that a sin is a sin? Not to go all Sunday School here, but Romans 1:23-28 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 couldn’t be any clearer on the sinfulness of homosexuality and other acts.

The other acts is the next part of this that many folks miss. We are all sinners. Using the last passage from Corinthians as an example, there’s a whole list of things that will lead you to hell; homosexuality being one of them.

And I would say that everyone falls on that list, including me. That is one of the main points of Christianity; that we are all sinners and that only through God’s grace can we avoid eternal damnation. The great heroes of the Bible are all sinners. Moses and David were murderers. Paul persecuted the very disciples he would soon join. Yet through God’s grace these men were saved.

So when asked about this yesterday, Jackson gave this answer:

“But I also like to let gay folks know that that same religious faith requires that you care about everybody, regardless. It’s about religious principles, but never, ever about hatred or bigotry.”

Exactly.

As a Christian, we are ordered to love everyone. If we are going to exclude every sinner from our daily lives, we would be awfully lonely. The whole point of the Christian life is that there is no sin too big for the blood sacrifice of Christ to cover. Regardless of what you have done, there is always salvation waiting if you confess his name.

This isn’t here to delve deeply into Christian theology; only to make the simple point that Jackson is only preaching the Gospel. And preaching the Gospel always gets you persecuted.

Yes the Bible says that too.

Of course, all you will hear from the media is Jackson pointing out the sin part. You won’t see the examples of Jackson loving his flock. Jackson working with people to turn around their lives. Jackson doing the day to day work that pastors do to help people come to a loving relationship with Christ.

Regardless of your religious beliefs, Jackson is standing up for his. Just like he will stand up for the other principles he espouses.

Now as for the Planned Parenthood/KKK comment. Jackson will double down on that comment. Planned Parenthood has killed a whole generation worth of black children. Regardless of your feelings about when life begins, without the assistance of Planned Parenthood there would be millions more children in our society. That is an undeniable fact.

The founder of Planned Parenthood said, “colored people are like human weeds and are to be exterminated.” The Klan is now a fringe group. Planned Parenthood is a cherished element of the liberal agenda.

Which is the bigger threat to the black community? Jackson will be thrilled to have this debate if the Democrats want to go there.

Sean Kenney on Bearing Drift summed it up beautifully yesterday when he wrote:

…and this ain’t his first rodeo, or the first tough question thrown at him. Whereas other candidates might have backtracked, Jackson doubles down. It’s called backbone, folks. Yes it looks strange… we haven’t seen it in the GOP for awhile. But you’ll get used to it.

I hear people say all of the time they want a politician who will speak the truth. Well the attacks being leveled at a good man is EXACTLY why politicians DON’T SPEAK OUT. We have a unique moment here, where someone is willing to stand up on issues like this.

This is a good man. A Christian man who is going to stand up for his beliefs regardless. Isn’t that what people have been asking for? If that is what you want, you need to stand up for E.W. Jackson now. This is no time for luke warm support. Either you support these principles or you don’t.

Opportunities to change the game only come along at rare moments. This is one of those moments.

Virginia IRS Protests

Chip — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:00:56 +0000

The Tea Party Patriots is encouraging protests outside of IRS offices to demonstrate outrage at their targeting of Tea Party, Patriot and Christian groups. There are 2 protests planned tomorrow, one in Bristol and one in Charlottesville. Below is the full info. We know this is short notice, but if you are able to attend, please do.

Bristol:

Time: May 21, 2013 from 12:30pm to 2:30pm
Location: IRS Office
Street: 2426 Lee Hwy., Bristol VA 24202

Charlottesville:

Time: May 21, 2013 from 12:30pm – 2:30pm

Location: The First Amendment Monument – 605 East Main Street Charlottesville, VA 22902

Jackson Is The Nominee. How We Did It And How We Win In November

Chip — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:00:19 +0000

: E.W. Jackson

E.W. Jackson is the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor. That sentence is not what most political observers expected to be reading in the Sunday papers. The smart political guys are all scratching their heads.

But those inside the Jackson campaign really were not surprised. As I wrote on April 27, “based on what I am hearing. Pete Snyder, E.W. Jackson and Corey Stewart seem to be separating themselves from the other candidates in the number of delegates going to Richmond.” Why? Because it is more than “liking” a candidate for this event. A campaign has to convince people to trek to Richmond, spend an entire day (and half a night in this case) in an uncomfortable venue with bad overpriced food and dirty bathrooms in support of a candidate. In Roanoke, we filled up a bus of Jackson supporters eager to fight for the nomination in Richmond. I am eternally thankful to all those who shared an exciting day with my family in Richmond. But getting a core of supporters to Richmond was only the first step.

That is because there was one candidate ahead of all of the other Lt Governor Candidates going into Saturday.

Undecided.

In the polling done by the Jackson camp before the campaign, undecided was running slightly ahead of all three top candidates. While bringing a lot of devoted delegates to the convention is a key, being able to convince the undecided delegates was going to be the key to victory.

And if you had E.W. Jackson as your candidate, speaking in front of 10,000 Conservative Republicans, wouldn’t you be confident you would win the hearts of the undecided delegates? We were very confident going into Saturday and E.W. (as always) delivered an amazing speech. Eschewing the cheesy videos, stage props and 80’s hair metal intro music other campaigns used to try and generate a buzz, E.W. did what he does best; he passionately and honestly shared his vision.

My role on Saturday was one of many floor leaders and I spent most of my day amongst the delegates handing out material, communicating to our delegates and working to convince the undecided that Jackson was the man. We started off strong, as Jackson hats and signs were prevalent right from the start of the day.

But after the speech, I had people rushing up to me asking for material. Several of them were close to tears; as E.W.’s speech was nothing short of brilliant. While the process went to four ballots (with interminable waits between votes), E.W. was comfortably ahead in all of the votes and despite the increasingly desperate attempts by the other campaigns; the results were never seriously in doubt.

We had the team in place to bring it about and the candidate who united the convention.

It was more than an inspirational speech that won the day. Jackson has an authenticity and a message that shines through in these times of phony political rhetoric. And it’s more than just messaging; he has a campaign team that is nothing short of brilliant.

Daniel Bradshaw, Greg Aldridge and all of the Jackson team had a fantastic plan for the convention. A number of establishment politicos approached me as I worked the crowd and they expressed their admiration for the tactical plan that we implemented Saturday. We were confident going into the convention and I am proud of the Jackson team for brilliantly executing a plan that literally had the establishment leaders scratching their heads in wonderment and frustration.

So now what?

A scan of the online and press reactions to Jackson victory shows a mixture of elation from many in the grassroots and despair amongst some that the ticket is too Conservative.

Hogwash.

While every Conservative in Virginia may not have their first pick on this ticket; I don’t think you could reasonably expect a ticket for this November that is better than this one. This ticket can be a game changer with candidates that are not only committed to economic freedom, natural rights and individual liberty; but candidates than can articulate the message to a population that are hungry for leadership.

And most importantly, these are candidates who will likely actually follow through on what they promise if elected.

So now what? Different tea party groups backed different candidates in this race; but that is over now. Regardless of how we arrived here, there is a GOP ticket on the ballot for November that is worthy of support. Worthy on their own accord; not just because they aren’t as bad as the Democrat they are facing. This is a victory we should have all savored this Sunday.

I found myself in tears on Sunday several times as the enormity of what was accomplished here and thankful for God’s blessing on our efforts.

We also have an opportunity in 2013 to get past the divisions that have kept the Tea Party groups in Virginia fractured for years. We have a moment right NOW, where the tea party movement can do the one thing we’ve always wanted to do. To get leaders in office who will stand up for the principles that we know will rescue our Commonwealth and nation. I stand ready to join every tea party and liberty minded group in the Commonwealth to bring about victory for the Cuccinelli/Jackson/Obenshain ticket.

And as for the smart guys who now think Jackson will be a drag on the ticket. Well they were dead wrong about this convention, as the Jackson team has a habit of defying conventional wisdom. If I were you I would not underestimate E.W. Jackson and the powerful and positive impact his team is going to have on this race. This is a campaign that will be a game changing moment in politics.

We have only just begun to shake things up. Victory is within grasp. It’s time to get started. If we can unite and bring the fight for freedom to every neighborhood in Virginia, we can bring home victory in 2013.

Are you ready?

Chip Tarbutton