The tone and tenor are distinctly right wing. These are the spawn of political hacks like rove, atwater, beck, hell I could go on for an hour. They have created the stage for the end of this country as we have known it.

A side-effect of the election of a brown skinned man to the white house is that the US is confronting it's shadow; the fear ridden undereducated poor white people who have accepted a mythological "America" as reality, and fear losing what they have never had. These people are middle aged and grew up, as I did, being told stories about "the land of the free and the home of the brave" and "bringing democracy" and other such lofty lies. They do not know, understand, or want to learn about the racism, classism, sexism, genocide, deceits, imperialism, etc. that are the true history of the US. They cling to their myth because they don;t think they have anything else. Of course when we think we have nothing, if we open our eyes we can see that we have so much; the beauty of life on earth, of community, of our ability as humans to grow and learn and evolve.
The true villains in all this are not the duped masses, it is the demagogues and profiteers who are willing to lie and stir up trouble in order to preserve a system that enriches the rich and grinds the poor under the heel of capitalism.
The fact that people are angry at the idea of health care being made available to everyone, is truly insane. Equally insane is the proposed law which will mandate that people buy health insurance (with no guarantee of actual health care) from a profiteering insurance company.

I have posted on health care reform for some years now. I am not African American, but I have been attacked by tea bag types with racist remarks, once you get into the heat of the debate. Their inner attitudes coming out even moreso, showing that this is what it's about for them. They personally attacked me in all kinds of other ways, previously, also disgusting, but while trying to pretend that they weren't racists. But in the end, it all came out. All these racist stereotypes and disgusting remarks. They have a constellation of views, including their guns, women's rights, their "marxism/socialism" boogeyman, Christianity, birther ideas about Obama. I really believe they would commit grave violence in order to accomplish their confused vision of what America is about. They're really a bunch of slobs, if you talk to them long enough. What is most problematic about them, IMO, is that they become such an obstacle to greater reform done by Democrats because they make so much noise and we have to spend so much time dealing with them and their ignorance and hate.

is it me or did the only poster so far, that supports the baggers, start his post with an insult to anyone who happens not to hold the same belief about the bill as he does? you decide.

Did anyone reach out and want to engage in civil debate? The American people as a whole have been attempting to engage in debate, but they are shunned. Political bosses state "we are doing the will of the people," when that is clearly not the case. Poll after poll proves that Americans don't want this. But of course we the people don't know what the hell we are ever talking about. As more of Washington's garbage gets crammed down our throat and more of our $$$ gets stolen from us in order to do so, the frustration level will continue to rise. There are unreasonable, racist, biggoted people everywhere and that will never change.

15:13 Must be you, I haven't read anything pro-bagger. Douglas would have had an opportunity to write about something more important then "news worthy" trolls eh? (darn teabaggers, always getting more press then single payer advocates - on purpose)

We know from Nixon, Pentagon Papers, personal testimony & confession re: the FBI & CIA involvement there is a history of planting operatives inside political movements. They agitate to an extreme level while attached to moderate sentiments in the same group. Perhaps the J Edgar Hoover days are over but it is very easy for ANY ONE to stand in a group hold up a professionally printed sign and shout. It is even easier for people paid and planted by insurance company stockmen to buy guerilla ad agents to influence the discussion with outrageous anti-social behaviors. In this era of selling wars and trillion $ subsidies by terrorizing why wouldn't the mega corporations be using ANY MEANS POSSIBLE to influence? If you want to make a difference you are going to have to do the same things with pressure at the right points.

16:01, It's YOU baby. They're real and still here among us. Like back in 1960. If you haven't encountered tea baggers on the internet, then you don't read or write too much. The evidence is there. You probably are one of these people who only talks about single payer to people who support single payer. Think they like you? Think you can make nice with them? Think they want to overthrow the insurance companies with you. Put your money where your money is. And go talk to people who really disagree with you, for a change. Or stop pretending you're a single payer advocate.

Let's rename the Tea Party what it really is: The Y-T Party(I have yet to see any minorities at their rallies, have you?)....

The Republicans are the ugliest of Americans.

They encourage this kind of racist crap by their use of ad hominem attacks. Most of these so called respected Republican senators are unbelievably ignorant of history. The GOP is closest thing to a NAZI type political party as exemplified by some of the unbelievable remarks often uttered by their leadership.

With so many bigoted Republicans in office and otherwise on the loose - it is extremely difficult to remain a true Conservative in the tradition of Britain's Churchill, President Coolidge and Canada's Premier R.B Bennett.

This provokes strong memories of the Brown shirts leading up to Kristallnacht almost seventy-five years ago. Those of us who lived through those years in Germany can remember how we thought everyone would realize that those thugs were the clowns they were. They may have been clowns, but became the street level fighting force of Hitler and his Nazi party. I am frightened to see this starting again, especially here in the United States.

I totally agree with the article..and it is not just health care..the fact is that these "white old boys"have held up just about every appointee...they cannot stand the idea of a black man succeeding,after they have failed so miserably during the past 8 years.. The tactics they are resorting to are despicable and, in a sense, pitiful because they show that these people are unable to grow, or think. Sad..and frightening.

Phil @ 15:13, you are correct, the pro bagger comment began as most of their statements begin, by calling us "moron". Then he assures us that the definition of fascism is "telling someone how to spend their money", and demands "look it up". So I looked it up at Miriam-Webster, and I see that the anonymous bagger maybe forgot to look it up. The Tea Party is a mob of ignorant, misinformed, de-educated hooligans and so naturally there is a large racist and homophobic element.

But remember when your parents told you how to spend you allowance on "something good". What fascists!

Interesting how this just seems to happen a day after Obama conjures up civil rights imagery with his "hundred year struggle" comment and Grayson comes out with his "fiscal slaver's whip" nugget. That being said, if your drug of choice is screaming "racism" at every turn, don't be surprised if some less than “modern” whites take you up on your offer.

Why must America constantly be haunted by it's past.
Look at what this is causing, the rising up again and again of one faction against another – the right against the left, Democrats against Republicans. Grow up children! Stop your school yard squabbling. Do you still not know who you really are?

We are one family, in this whole wide world.
We have one life together in this whole wide world.
We have one Lord who guides in this whole wide world.
We have One Father of One Family,
everyone united and destined to be free.
One here in this world and in eternity.

That is who you are, that is your birthright. And now this new inclusive Health Bill will bring that same equality to every person in these United States. Please, for your sake, for the sake of your children, for the sake of every member of the American Family, embrace that reality. Unite as the one great voice that we all are. Forgive and forget the past. It was an ugly history that pitted people against each other. Such attitudes have no place in a just society that is founded on Love and inclusion of all. Live in the now and the beautiful future that awaits us all.

God's blessings on us all, God Bless the United States
of America.

Nothing suprises me anymore. After the US invaded Iraq & France refused to go, I was exposed to rage , anger,judgement ... I am Franco - American & really feel for blacks in America.
I still think that the health care bill still protects medical corporations, profits are still there for the super rich...

How can any tea-bagger be distressed that they are being caricatured as angry racist bigots when the voice of the crowd demonstrates as clearly as it's possible to demonstrate that they are angry racist bigots. I naively thought that some battles had been fought and that peace had been declared. John Lewis tells us he hasn't heard this kind of language since 1960. How can we loudly and publicly express our outrage that this vile filth has returned to our vocabulary? Can I hope that this is the last swing of the dying dragon's tail? If only!

No surprises here. This is not a tea party, it is a hate party. We've seen its likes every time positive change arose: social security, civil rights, even women's voting rights. The fact that they now frame their anger in racism and homophobic terms makes perfect sense. The history of hate movements and propaganda is replete with such targeting--read about the rise of the Nazi movement. It also reflects the underlayment of fear and hatred by the insecure here. On the day the Soviet Union fell and ended the Cold War I told friends the new danger would come from those Americans who could not live without hatred, as their hatred would soon be redirected toward other Americans. Now we see its fury. This viciousness is both learned and passed on from generation to generation. I shall never forget the day the PA in our school announced that President Kennedy had been shot and killed. While most of my classmates sat there in shocked disbelief and sadness, several other classmates immediately cheered. That's how deeply this viciousness runs and how early it infects the soul.

Millions of Americans will get better health care because of this legislation. Let's get together and make it even better. If we get a public option through, that would make a lot of people on different sides of the reform argument more hopeful. As for these tea party protesters, they are opposed to health care reform. They do not represent the 65% of Americans who want single payer or the 75% and counting who want a public option. They are a minority made loud and noisy by corporate dollars.

No question about it; the 'protests' against the healthcare legislation are really orchestrated attempts by the right-wing ideologues to undermine the administration. The most shameful tactics of racism and homophobia are encouraged by Armey and his cohorts because they know that their only response to the administration's good efforts is to fan the flames of hatred among their lemming-like sycophants.

Where is your proof of this rumor? Still not one bit of proof to substantiate this charge!

But here is a video that totally DEBUNKS it.

http://www.nhteapartycoalition.org/tea/2010/03/21/democrat-deceptions-and-the-coup/

SHAME on this website for promoting a LIE.

Where is your proof? A video, audio, anything?

YOU HAVE NONE.

Pity the ignorant who fear change and the need to adapt; fear those who would exploit ignorance.

No one should be surprised that some of these teabaggers are dyed-in-the-wool racists. Not all, but extremist organizations like the John Birchers, militias, traditional racist groups (KKK, militia, etc.) that hope to lead this 'movement are racists.

And as we learned during the election, it doesn't take much to get the disgruntled poorer rural & right-wing christian' working class base worked-up.

Bad times are here and Obama's fiddling while unemployment and despair rise feeds the fire of this right-wing anger. How many Timothy McVeighs are out there?

anon@18:28 So you defend this disgusting behavior behind "free speech". Wow, so if I say that you mother is a stinking whore, (which she is), its o.k. with you?
Thanks for the free ticket.

I suggest people join me and get involved in the Coffee Party movement. It emphasizes diversity of opinion and decency and fair play in politics:

http://coffeepartyusa.com/

What's worse is thinking that we have to choose between only two visions of the right path. But of course, the racist is by far worse; he wants an exclusionary political and social country and the left-wing radical wants us to work together as a community and take care of each other. What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?

After losing my job in the insurance industry last July, I went to what was meant to be a Q & A meeting over proposed health-care legislation. Instead, it got turned distinctly scary by proto-tea-baggers, clearly out to provoke. My Congressman bravely tried to keep a civil discourse going and to keep the event on track---which he managed to do despite catcalls, 'bullet-points' which presumed to be spontaneous (doubtful in most of the cases I heard), and a general tenor of orchestrated manipulation by the Right. And THESE people claim outrage at criticism over their political theatrics?

The Tea Party "party" is demonstrating who they are as a group, not to be trusted. They're white racists. Unfortunately for them, that's not the group it once was.

I'm 57, and this is the same old story: "If Black people have the same education/housing/job opportunities/health care that I do, how can I be special? Being White is all I've got going for me."

I'd like to see more discussion of how our health care system is stifling American business. People who should be starting their own innovative businesses are staying in corporate jobs just so they'll have health care. Same goes for young people with bold ideas who have to pay off college loans instead of getting health insurance. What do you think happens to a small business when an uninsured worker with an undiagnosed ailment like hypertension suddenly falls ill? All those people at your doctor's office who do nothing except handle insurance claims should be helping our economy by producing real goods and services.

It makes me feel nice to finally see a lot of people condemn these jerks. Lets hope the rest of the country wakes up and realizes their hatred.

I was reading my Bible today, and there I came across stuff about the Pharisees and how you need to be careful of what comes out of your mouth cause it comes from the heart.

Its sad these people call themselves Christian. They are the reason people are becoming less Christian and why people like myself have been teetering between Christian and Agnosticism.

This article kind of demonstrates the one major positive Obama and the Democrats have gotten out of this latest development: a chance to retake the narrative. There is no better example than how for the last several months the Tea Party movement has gotten a huge deal of mainstream press coverage, not all of it positive, but nonetheless providing invaluable exposure for them to put forth their ideas and beliefs. And because of all that coverage, it seemed inevitable that their protests were going to shift the political landscape and defeat the healthcare push. Now, the momentum has shifted a bit, and now people are talking about how "Crazy" and "racist/bigoted" the Tea Partiers are. The ball is back in Obama's court in this reflect, at least for the moment.

First off I want to say I do NOT support anyone who is a racist or is homophobic, but as a Libertarian I do support the Tea Party movement.

People who support Democrats and Republicans are clueless as these party leaders are using you against each other so they can keep their power and continue looting the middle class.

Bush and Obama are BOTH supporters of Fascism or as Mussolini correctly called it Corporatism.

The people praising the health care reform bill really ought to read the bill as its a give away of taxpayer money to the insurance and pharmaceutical companies, i.e. corporatism.

Again, I do not condone any of the racist comments or deplorable actions that the extreme minority of the Tea Party's supporters have done. Though I do believe the MSM is blowing this out of proportion to discredit the Tea Party as both the Dems and Reps (Who by the way are trying to hijack the Tea Party for their own agenda) are fearful of what a viable 3rd party would do to their power.

And a viable 3rd party is exactly what this country needs to stop the looting of the middle class that has been perpetrated by BOTH the Democrats and Republicans!

The supporters of the Democrats and Republicans just do not get it.

There is no real difference between these 2 parties. Democracy means choice. In America, today, there is no real choice. The financial and corporate elites are funding both sides equally, and so they always come out ahead, no matter who is in charge. Otherwise, how is it that former Goldman Sachs Co-Chairman Robert Rubin was Clinton’s Treasury Secretary, and then former Goldman Sachs Chairman Henry Paulson was Bush’s Treasury Secretary?

The people of this country need to wake and get behind a third party now!

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/guest-post-towards-21st-century-peasant-rising

According to SPLC, hate groups in the US grew by 80 percent adding some 136 new groups during 2009.
In Iowa, the count went from 4 in 2000 to 17 in 2009,
The majority are KKK with some neo-Nazi and a white supremist group thrown into the mix.