Conspiracy of Fear: The Left's Program to Destroy the Tea Parties

I wrote yesterday about the "black 'copter tea party" meme, which is the latest MSM/netroots initiative to discredit and marginalize the tea party movement. In the wake of Scott Brown's election in Massachusetts (where grassroots activists and tea party tweeps helped propel Brown's campaign to victory) you might have noticed the ratcheted effort on the left to demonize and destroy the tea parties. This week's renewed debate over Sarah Palin and the right's crazy "birthers" is just the lastest manifestation. But note that beneath the left's condescension, there's a real fear that the resurgent right will make an earthquake comeback in November, with a likely Republican recapture of one or both chambers of the Congress. This scenario could very well destroy the Obama administration's policy agenda, not to mention Democratic prospects in 2012.

I'm thinking about this after finding this Jennifer Rubin essay, "Fox Uncovers Anti-Tea-Party Slush-Fund Scam" (via TigerHawk and Instapundit). Jennifer cites a Fox News report, "Anti-Tea Party Web Site Part of Scheme to Funnel Funds." And she notes:

Fox has the list of donors, which comprises a set of interlocking slush-type funds that pay for the anti–Tea Party campaign. The largest of these is the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME,) which has kicked in a total of $9.9M in a single year to two funds that provide the cash for the non-grassroots movement. Yes — government workers’ money is being used to fend off Tea Party protesters.

It seems that the Tea Party movement, once defamed and derided, now poses a threat to the liberal establishment, so much so that they are collecting millions to undermine it. Conservatives shouldn’t object to political speech — which this is. But there is certainly grounds to object to the chicanery, the lack of transparency, and the pretense that the opponents of the Tea Parties are themselves grassroots activists. They aren’t — this is Big Labor and assorted liberal-interest groups once again doing the bidding of the Democratic party. And if not for Fox, no one would be any the wiser.

It's the left's own conspiracy, actually, and it's a big one.

One little correction to Jennifer's post, however: Actually, Jim Hoft reported previously on organized labor's initiatives to kill the tea parties. See, "Confirmed: “Tea Party Is Over” Website Is Funded By SEIU." Jim is relying on Lee Doren's investigative research. And I posted on this previously myself: "SEIU Tied to 'Tea Party is Over' Smear Outfit."

But Jennifer's right about Fox News. No other outlets are touching this stuff. It's way too damaging to the secretive cabals that prop up the Obamedia Industrial Complex.

Video Hat Tip: "Too Late to Apologize: A Declaration" (via Sisterhood of the Mommy Patriots). Click "captions" at the YouTube, lower right, for the lyrics.