Another tea party v. Tea Party squabble brewing
by Michael C. Bender | June 29th, 2010A week after Tea Party operative Doug Guetzloe crashed a press conference of tea party activists (a biased account from the activists is here) a similar skirmish could be in the works tomorrow night in Delray Beach.
Some quick background: Guetzloe’s Tea Party has fielded candidates in 20 state races to target “big spending” Republicans. The South Florida Tea Party is suing Guetzloe’s group in a West Palm Beach federal court, charging they have no right to use the name as a formal political party. The tea party, they argue, is a political movement – not a formal party.
The latest now is that Guetzloe is threatening to bring his band of Tea Partiers to a tea party gathering for an event with GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum at the South County Civic Center.
Guetlzoe was informed that invites for him and 19 of his allies has been rescinded.
“It is a private affair and if you attempt to enter the building you will be met by the Palm Beach Sheriffs Officers to charge you and your group with trespassing,” Tim McClellan, outreach director for the South Florida Tea Party, wrote to Guetzloe.
(We talked with McClellan, who said it’s not exactly a private affair. The public is welcome, but he said his group has the right to bar anyone it wants.)
Guetzloe’s e-mail response to McClellan: “Then it should be a fun event. See you then. Bring lots of police, we have a constitutional right to attend an open even and since I got the invite directly, you don’t have a leg to stand on. … Can’t wait.”
Tags: Doug Guetzloe, South Florida Tea Party, Tea Party, Tim McClellan
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June 29th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
Oh goody, the ‘baggers are infighting. I propose another wing to the Tea-Party movement; let us call it “The Green Tea-Party”, we will advocate the same Bla-zay, Bla-Zay as the other ‘baggers, but insist on a Green, Enviro-Friendly platform for our wing of the movement. Yes, the more splinter groups the merrier.
June 29th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
Good. Maybe both groups will self-destruct and take McCollum with them.
June 29th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
NOW IM GONNA GO, THIS SHOULD BE INTERESTING TO WATCH!
June 29th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Let them fight, the facts are in. The president of the United States Obama has done a wonderful job. Maybe the best president since Reagan. Taxes are down, the health care has passed, the reeling in of wall street is coming. All os good for a typical american. Face it he is exactly what this country needed. All we need to do is get the baggers and do nothings to stop being idiiots and start living like americans. Thank You Obama yourr the greatest !!!
June 29th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
Happy Tax Payer – either you are being sarcastic or you are on drugs.
June 29th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
it’s a battle to see who is the craziest and most dangerous. NO is not a political platform.
June 29th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
The South Florida Tea Party is a group of novices who have absolutely no understanding of politics, but this is how you learn.
They are a bunch of GOPers who are scared crapless about sincere Team Party candidates coming forth who will trim budgets and demand our freedoms. The reason they are scared is that, they think, by claiming the name TEA Party they can preserve its branding for the same old GOP crap in Florida, McCollum (“controlling borders will never happen here).
They didn’t do anything to the real tea party that Obama didn’t do to the “progressives”. Take the name, the hard work, the branding, and pervert it for your party. GROW UP.
The real tea party started around 2002-3 when the truth of 911 and the predatory Iraq and Afghan wars were exposed as expensive farces (R. Paul).
The real tea party is against wars of choice, spying, taxing, the Fed, bank bailouts and much more. The Florida Tea Party and McCollum reflect NONE of that, so they deserve NOTHING in court.
June 29th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
I agree 100% with happy taxpayer
June 29th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Tea Party Member = “I’m too —–ing embarassed to admit I voted for George W. Bush. Twice.”
June 29th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
Douggie’s ‘Baggers remind me of Democrats. Dumb as dirt. Don’t know when they’re not wanted.
June 29th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
@Poopy Pants: Yo, d00d ot whatever; at least Doug’s ‘baggers don’t call themselves “Poopy Pants.” But hey, if the name fits….
June 30th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
My guess is that “Happy Taxpayer” is more along the lines of “happy Welfare baby” and that is why he is so happy. How are your stocks doing today Wall Street Buster? I’m glad that you and of course Braindead(a very insightful name) are so full of positives because even Obama and cabinet are starting to wonder when the “good times” will begin. Nothing thay have tried is working and many are still unemployed. Adding to the debt is not working out as well as promised and the Europeans are trying to reel him in on stimulus debt without jobs to back that spending up. But then, if you don’t really THINK, you tend to think that things are GREAT!
June 30th, 2010 at 11:11 pm
The Florida Tea Party has the support of many in the community. All these people are trying to do is take back the government back from the big spending statists. So, if you’re not gonna help, get the hell out of the way.
July 1st, 2010 at 9:57 am
I think it would be funny as hell to see the look on McCollum’s face if the Tea Party showed up. McCollum’s a hack who can’t win an election to save his life. Real grassroots conservatives should support the Florida Tea Party so average citizens, like you and me, can bring common sense back to our government. VOTE TEA in November, I will!
July 1st, 2010 at 10:11 am
Obama is a failure! And so is the Republican Party for not being able to stop his agenda. Neither Party deserves our support. But at least we have a viable option in the Florida Tea Party. If we who call ourselves conservative would put all our time, effort, and money behind this party, what is worst that could happen? We end up with a bunch of politicians who say one thing at home, and vote the other way in Tallahassee. How would that be different then any other day. But, if the Florida Tea Party does what it says it will do, we would have a true conservative, constitutionalists government! Why don’t we at least give it a shot. Vote Tea!
July 1st, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Doug Guetzloe Crashed that conference because they were doing nothing but spreading lies and rumors! They were asking if Peg Dunmire would withdraw from the race, WITHDRAW! she is polling above all the GOP candidates so far. Why in the hell would she withdraw? she is winning! Doesn’t anyone find it interesting that the people asking her to dropout of the race are on the GOP’s payroll?! This is a clear cut example of the Republicans telling the voters that they know better than us who should run and who should not. If nothing else we should all support the Tea Party’s right to run any candidates they want. And let the voters decide who the real conservatives are.