Tea Party Nation

Tea Party Nation organized the National Tea Party Convention held February 4–6, 2010.{{cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/prnewswire/press_releases/Tennessee/2009/12/10/CL24601 |title=Tea Party Nation to Host National Tea Party Convention |work=Memphis Business Journal |agency=PR Newswire |date=December 10, 2009 |access-date=April 22, 2013}} Around 600 activists attended the event,{{cite news | url=http://washingtonindependent.com/75905/media-at-the-tea-party-convention | title=Media at the Tea Party Convention | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=February 5, 2010 | access-date=April 22, 2013 | last=Wiegel | first=David | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130318133630/http://washingtonindependent.com/75905/media-at-the-tea-party-convention | archive-date=March 18, 2013 }} and Sarah Palin was featured as the keynote speaker. The event was criticized for its $549 ticket price,{{cite news |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0130/Why-the-Tea-Party-Convention-is-tea-tering-on-the-edge |title=Why the Tea Party Convention is tea-tering on the edge |work=The Christian Science Monitor |last=Jonsson |first=Patrick |date=January 30, 2010 |access-date=April 22, 2013}}{{cite web |url=http://www.startribune.com/blogs/81186517.html |title=Palin, Bachmann Tea Party sessions closed to press |work=Star Tribune |last=Diaz |first=Kevin |date=January 11, 2010 |access-date=April 22, 2013}}{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/us/politics/26teaparty.html |work=The New York Times |title=Tea Party Disputes Take Toll on Convention |first=Kate |last=Zernike |date=January 26, 2010 |access-date=May 24, 2010}}{{Cite news|url=http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/01/15/2175393.aspx|title=Tea Partying for profit?|last=Montanaro|first=Domenico|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100119183309/http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/01/15/2175393.aspx|archive-date=2010-01-19|url-status=dead|work=msnbc.com: First Read}} as well as the fact that Palin was apparently paid US$100,000 for her appearance.{{cite web |url=http://lcn.canoe.ca/lcn/infos/lemonde/archives/2010/02/20100207-085944.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710022310/http://lcn.canoe.ca/lcn/infos/lemonde/archives/2010/02/20100207-085944.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=July 10, 2012 |title=Palin prête pour une révolution |trans-title=Palin ready for a revolution |language=fr |work=TVA Nouvelles |date=February 7, 2010 |access-date=April 22, 2013}} Palin has said she will donate the fee to unspecified conservative causes.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/us/politics/08palin.html?hp |title=Palin Assails Obama at Tea Party Meeting |last=Zernike |first=Kate |date=February 6, 2010 |work=New York Times}}

Several prominent conservative organizations refused to participate in the event due to its for-profit nature. The Tea Party Patriots advised members not to participate in December 2009.{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/06/us/politics/06teaparty.html | work=The New York Times | title=Convention Is Trying to Harness Tea Party Spirit | first=Kate | last=Zernike | date=February 6, 2010 | access-date=May 24, 2010}} Erick Erickson of the conservative blog RedState described the convention as "scammy" on January 11.{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/us/politics/26teaparty.html?partner=rss&emc=rss | work=The New York Times | title=Tea Party Disputes Take Toll on Convention | first=Kate | last=Zernike | date=January 26, 2010 | access-date=May 24, 2010}} The American Liberty Alliance (ALA), initially a co-sponsor, withdrew its support on January 13.[http://americanlibertyalliance.com/blog/2010-01-13/our-decision-to-sit-out-of-the-tea-party-convention/ Our decision to sit out of the Tea Party Convention « American Liberty Alliance] Later in January, Michele Bachmann and Marsha Blackburn cancelled their plans to speak.{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/28/AR2010012803565.html | newspaper=The Washington Post | title=Tea Party convention loses two Republican lawmakers over ethics concerns | date=January 29, 2010 | access-date=May 24, 2010}}

At the convention, it was announced that a 501(c)(4) corporation and political action committee (PAC) called "Ensuring Liberty" would be formed to support candidates for office in the 2010 elections.{{cite magazine|date=February 5, 2010|title=The Tea Party Goes Mainstream|magazine=Time|url=https://swampland.time.com/2010/02/05/the-tea-party-goes-mainstream/|access-date=May 24, 2010}}[http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0205/New-Tea-Party-PAC-Can-it-raise-10-million-for-midterm-revolt New Tea Party PAC: Can it raise $10 million for midterm revolt? / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com]

A subsequent convention was booked for the following July, postponed until October, and ultimately cancelled. On July 18, 2011, the Venetian Casino Resort filed suit for unpaid bills allegedly totaling $642,144.{{cite news|url=http://www.lvrj.com/news/las-vegas-resort-sues-tea-party-group-over-hotel-bill-125851363.html |title=Las Vegas resort sues tea party group over hotel bill|work=Las Vegas Review Journal |date=July 19, 2011 | access-date=July 20, 2011}} A judge ordered Tea Party Nation founder Judson Phillips to pay $748,000, including the $554,000 hotel bill and $194,300 in accrued interest, for the 1,637 reserved rooms.{{Cite web | title = Judge: Tea Party Nation founder must pay $748k Las Vegas hotel bill - Yahoo! News | url = https://news.yahoo.com/judge-tea-party-nation-founder-must-pay-748k-153404637.html | access-date = 10 August 2012 }}

Tea Party Nation is listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, and is the only Tea Party-related group to be noted as such.{{Cite web |url=http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/profiles/tom-deweese |title=Intelligence Files: Tom DeWeese |work=Southern Poverty Law Center |access-date=August 8, 2012}}

Tea Party Nation and especially its founder have generated criticism and controversy. For example, founder Judson Phillips claimed that voting rights should be restricted to property owners.

In an October 2010 statement endorsing Lynne Torgerson (the Independence Party of Minnesota candidate for Minnesota's 5th congressional district), Phillips made an anti-Islam critique against Representative Keith Ellison. Phillips' critique asserted that Ellison is unfit for Congress in part because Ellison is Muslim.{{cite web|last=Birkey|first=Andy|title=Tea Party Nation backs Torgerson because Ellison is Muslim|url=http://minnesotaindependent.com/73055/tea-party-nation-backs-torgerson-because-ellison-is-muslim|publisher=The Minnesota Independent}}{{cite web|last=Elliot|first=Justin|title=Tea Party leader: Defeat Ellison because he's Muslim|url=http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/10/26/tea_party_nation_phillips_ellison_muslim|work=Salon|date=26 October 2010 }}{{cite web|last=Lach|first=Eric|title=Tea Party Nation: Retire Rep. Ellison For Being A Muslim|url=http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/10/tea-party-nation-retire-rep-ellison-for-being-a-muslim.php|publisher=Talking Points Memo|access-date=7 August 2011}}{{cite news|last=Alfano|first=Sean|title=Tea Party official points to Rep. Keith Ellison's worship of Islam as reason to vote against him|url=http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-10-26/news/27079245_1_ellison-muslims-american-islamic-relations|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708105502/http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-10-26/news/27079245_1_ellison-muslims-american-islamic-relations|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 8, 2012|newspaper=NY Daily News|access-date=7 August 2011|location=New York|date=October 26, 2010}}{{cite web|title=Rep. Keith Ellison on Tea Party Anti-Muslim Bigotry|website=Democracy Now! |url=http://www.democracynow.org/2010/11/1/muslim_congressman_keith_ellison_on_tea|access-date=7 August 2011}}{{cite web|last=Birkey|first=Andy|title=Tea Party Nation's Judson Phillips defends endorsement of Torgerson over Ellison|url=http://minnesotaindependent.com/73121/judson-phillips-lynne-torgerson-keith-ellison|publisher=The Minnesota Independent|access-date=7 August 2011}} The candidate Phillips endorsed was also controversial for her assertion that Islam "is not 'religion' recognizable under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution."{{cite web|last=Steller|first=Chris|title=Torgerson takes on Ellison — and Islam — in 5th District|url=http://minnesotaindependent.com/51029/torgerson-ellison-5th-district|publisher=The Minnesota Independent|access-date=7 August 2011}}{{cite news|last=Van Denberg|first=Hart|title=Lynne Torgerson denies attacking Keith Ellison's Muslim faith|url=http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2009/12/lynne_torgerson.php|access-date=7 August 2011|newspaper=City Pages|date=Dec 15, 2009}}

Phillips is also known for the controversial comments he made after the attempted assassination of Representative Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.), and the murders of a federal district judge and others, during a shooting spree on January 8, 2011.{{cite news| url=http://homebrewedtheology.com/judson-phillips-dont-blame-us-blame-the-leftist-lunatics.php | work=HomebrewedTheology.com | title=Judson Phillips – Don't Blame Us, Blame The Leftist Lunatics | date=Jan 9, 2011 | access-date=Jan 9, 2011}} He described the shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, as "a leftist lunatic,"{{cite news| url=http://homebrewedtheology.com/judson-phillips-dont-blame-us-blame-the-leftist-lunatics.php | work=HomebrewedTheology.com | title=Judson Phillips – Don't Blame Us, Blame The Leftist Lunatics}} apparently because one person who knew Loughner in high school said he was a liberal several years ago.{{cite news| url=http://www.businessinsider.com/woman-who-says-she-went-to-school-with-alleged-shooter-says-he-met-giffords-in-2007-2011-1 | work=BusinessInsider.com | title=Alleged Shooter Jared Loughner May Have Met Rep. Giffords Previously | first=Glynnis | last=MacNicol | date=Jan 8, 2011 | access-date=Jan 9, 2011}} Phillips instructed members of Tea Party Nation to blame liberals for the attempted assassination to defend the tea party movement's recent electoral gains: "The hard left is going to try and silence the Tea Party movement by blaming us for this," likening the expected blowback to the criticism heaped on "conservative talk radio, especially Rush Limbaugh" for the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.

One commentator, Garance Franke-Ruta, wrote about the group, "Showing no sign of tamping down on divisive political rhetoric in the wake of the shooting of 20 people that left six dead in Tucson Saturday, the Tea Party Nation group e-mailed its members Sunday warning them they would be called upon to fight leftists in the days ahead and defend their movement."{{cite news| url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/01/tea-party-group-blames-leftist-for-giffords-shooting/69153/ | work=TheAtlantic.com | title=Tea Party Group Blames 'Leftist' for Giffords Shooting | first=Garance | last=Franke-Ruta | date=Jan 9, 2011 | access-date=Jan 9, 2011}} Writing on Forbes.com, Rick Ungar called the e-mail a "deeply disturbing memo."{{cite news| url=https://blogs.forbes.com/rickungar/2011/01/09/tea-party-shamed-by-founder-judson-phillips/?boxes=financechannelforbes | work=Forbes.com | title=Tea Party Shamed By Founder Judson Phillips | first=Rick | last=Ungar | date=Jan 9, 2011 | access-date=Jan 9, 2011}} Ungar continued, "It was immediately clear that Mr. Phillips is far more concerned about his own political interests and power than he is with the health of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords or in experiencing even the tiniest measure of compassion for the families who lost loved ones in this awful attack."{{cite news| url=https://blogs.forbes.com/rickungar/2011/01/09/tea-party-shamed-by-founder-judson-phillips/?boxes=financechannelforbes | title=Tea Party Shamed By Founder Judson Phillips | last=Ungar | work=Forbes}}

After the Boston Marathon bombing, Judson Phillips wrote, "There are two reasons why we will be hit again. First, we have a determined enemy who hates us. Second, we have a government that is not committed to protecting America."{{cite news| url=http://www.teapartynation.com/forum/topics/the-attack-on-boston | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130420022701/http://www.teapartynation.com/forum/topics/the-attack-on-boston | url-status=dead | archive-date=2013-04-20 | title=The Attack On Boston | last=Phillips | first=Judson | work=Tea Party Nation}} Philips also wrote an opinion piece which questioned "Why is the Regime [the Obama Administration] in such a hurry to get him [Saudi national Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi] out of the country?""Terrorism Questions That Should Be Answered Now" The Christian Post [http://www.christianpost.com/news/terrorism-questions-that-should-be-answered-now-94210/]

• Patriot movement

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Category:Political organizations based in the United States

Category:Tea Party movement

Category:Organizations established in 2009

Category:2009 establishments in the United States