For a couple weeks now, Michele Bachmann’s campaign in South Carolina has been attacking the tea party movement by accusing tea party supporters of Newt Gingrich of being bought off.
Now that Michele Bachmann herself has decided to throw fuel on the fire, and this issue has become national news, we as leaders within the South Carolina tea party movement feel we must speak out to defend our integrity.
The South Carolina tea parties have a well-developed network and history of working together on statewide campaigns and legislative issues, and we are disappointed and angry that the Bachmann campaign is using this negative strategy in an attempt to divide us.
Speaker Gingrich has often said that he has one opponent – Barack Obama. He is right, because we must be unified as a team if we are to defeat President Obama and restore Constitutional government from the ground up.
When the Presidential campaigns leave our state on January 22, we will continue to work together to make South Carolina the freest state in the nation. There is support for many presidential campaigns among our organizations, but contrary to the inaccuracies being spread by the Bachmann campaign, there is no Bachmann/Gingrich war amongst our members.
Some of us may disagree on our choices, but those disagreements will not divide us, despite the attempts by Michele Bachmann and her campaign.
There are many Tea Party leaders who have decided to support Gingrich as a candidate. While 3 of them went on to join his staff, the vast majority of them are volunteers. We encourage our members and leaders to get involved at every level with campaigns, even staff positions. What better way to have an impact on those candidates!
The undersigned repudiate the negative tactics of Michele Bachmann’s campaign, and ask that she repudiate this continued questioning of the integrity of the movement she claims to represent.
Brit Adams
President, Concerned Citizens of the Upstate
Rick Santorum Supporter
Dianne Belsom
President, Laurens County Tea Party
Unpaid County Chair for Newt 2012
Jeffrey Betsch
Fairfield County Tea Party/Vice Chair Fairfield County GOP
Rick Santorum Supporter
Talbert Black Jr.
SC Campaign For Liberty
Not voting for Gingrich
Joe Dugan
Chairman, Myrtle Beach Tea Party
South Carolina Patriots. State Coordinator
Gingrich-not paid a penny
Charlotte Hendrix
President, Florence Tea Party
Unpaid Gingrich Supporter
Chris Horne
Charleston Tea Party
Gingrich Staff
Harry Kibler
Founder, RINO Hunt
Leaning Santorum
Karen Martin
Organizer, Spartanburg Tea Party
Unaffiliated
Gerri McDaniel
Treasurer and Board Member, Myrtle Beach Tea Party
Gingrich Staff
Allen Olson
Former Chairman, Columbia Tea Party
Unpaid Gingrich Supporter
Shery Smith
Chairman, Sumter Tea Party
Unpaid Gingrich Supporter
Linda Weeks
Coordinator, 912 Greenville
Undecided
Moe Lane
PG DeFreese
Victoria Coates
Daniel Horowitz
Dan Spencer
Bachmann
Lucas Black Friday, December 16th at 9:56PM EST (link)I’m really starting to dislike this woman.
Well, if Bachmann is being purchased by Romney, which I think she is.....
avagreen Friday, December 16th at 10:07PM EST (link)this type accusation makes sense.
She’s his attack dog as evidenced by her past actions during the debates, and is mostly likely viying for a VP slot. Now, she attacking the TP.
Principles be damned.
Rick Perry STILL! doesn’t have or need blood. He is filled with magma.
Rick Perry uses his bare hands to hunt.
Countdown Until Obama Leaves Office.
Well, I'm gone. Leaving it to all you connected and well-informed folk.
avagreen Friday, December 16th at 10:18PM EST (link)I have things at home that I need badly to tend to.
Not much I can add to what’s already being said.
And, I can do more on other forums where not so much info is available.
~Ava
(not expecting any replies)
Rick Perry STILL! doesn’t have or need blood. He is filled with magma.
Rick Perry uses his bare hands to hunt.
Countdown Until Obama Leaves Office.
waaaaaaaiiiiiiitttttt!!! Did you get on Hot Air? nt
sunshinek67 (Diary) Friday, December 16th at 10:23PM EST (link)nt
Don't really buy that theory
znjs (Diary) Saturday, December 17th at 9:11AM EST (link)Remember her big line from last week was “Newt Romney”. Also in the most recent debate she went after RP. Romney wants Paul to do well in Iowa – if RP beats Newt in Iowa and Romney doesn’t fall below anyone besides Newt and RP, then Mitts takes NH it’s over – he’s the nominee.
I think Bachmann realizes that her one and only shot is to turn this into a Romney vs Bachmann race. To do that she needs to do well in Iowa and SC. I think she’s getting desperate to take Newts voters from him, and she’s really freaking out at the idea that the TP won’t back her in SC.
My problem with the whole thing is the area party and Newt
center77 (Diary) Saturday, December 17th at 4:59AM EST (link)makes no sense, and just because he says he is not a lobbyist does not make it so. I am not going to say who they should support and why, but I will note that what made me a fan of the Tea Party was the willing to take the corrupted insiders head on. I loved that the Tea Party was about principles and not party. They felt they had to beat the Republican party before going after Obama, first part was accomplished in 2010, but some have decided that just replacing Obama is good enough, and since Newt is the one in the top of the polls that isn’t Romney that he is good enough for the Tea Party. How can that be when he is so much they railed against. I feel very betrayed by the Tea Party for supporting Newt. Anyone of the lower candidates made sense, but I feel Perry was a perfect fit, his record, his plan, it would be powerful indeed. The whole Freddie MAC thing with Newt just waters the whole anti Washington down. Winning should not be more important than really changing things. But with Perry we could have both, Obama has no ready-made arguments against Perry. Even him having to get better at debates shoes we are better than the Democrats because we go for record over flying rhetoric, sadly another dead argument with Newt as the nominee.
My name is Timothy Bladel. I’m from Davenport, Iowa. I am a Undergraduate, Double Majoring in Journalism & Mass communication, with my other major being political science. I am conservative in nature, sometimes a tad bit libertarian; the Tenth Amendment is vital to changing this country for the better.
http://www.timothy-bladel.com/
I’m a proud supporter of Rick Perry. God Bless everyone.
“We the people” tell the government what to do, it doesn’t tell us. We the people are the driver, the government is the car. And we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast.” Ronald Reagan’s farewll adress (January 11, 1989)
oh and I don't agree with Bachmann
center77 (Diary) Saturday, December 17th at 5:01AM EST (link)but you do not have to make money to be bought, just ask Haley.
My name is Timothy Bladel. I’m from Davenport, Iowa. I am a Undergraduate, Double Majoring in Journalism & Mass communication, with my other major being political science. I am conservative in nature, sometimes a tad bit libertarian; the Tenth Amendment is vital to changing this country for the better.
http://www.timothy-bladel.com/
I’m a proud supporter of Rick Perry. God Bless everyone.
“We the people” tell the government what to do, it doesn’t tell us. We the people are the driver, the government is the car. And we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast.” Ronald Reagan’s farewll adress (January 11, 1989)