NAACP Takes On The Tea Parties: Report Charges Movement Has Ongoing Ties To Anti-Semites, Racists And Bigots

The NAACP reignited the debate over the extremism of Tea Parties on Wednesday, releasing a report alleging ongoing ties between hate groups and the movement, which the civil rights organization criticizes for giving a platform to anti-Semites, racists and bigots.

"The result of this study contravenes many of the Tea Parties' self-invented myths, particularly their supposedly sole concentration on budget deficits, taxes and the power of the federal government," reads the introduction to "Tea Party Nationalism," a joint project with the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights. "Instead, this report found Tea Party ranks to be permeated with concerns about race and national identity and other so-called social issues."

On a call with reporters, NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Jealous was quick to point out that his organization has no problem with the Tea Party movement as a whole. "We have no problem with the Tea Party existing," he said. "We have no problem with the Tea Party expressing its views in the great debates in our great democracy. We do, however, have a problem when prominent Tea Party members who have direct ties to organizations like the Council of Conservative Citizens, are allowed to use Tea Party events to recruit people for those white supremacist groups. ... And most importantly, we have a problem when the majority of the Tea Parties stand silent and doesn't loudly condemn that sort of behavior."

The NAACP first stepped into the Tea Party debate with a resolution issued by its Kansas City, Mo. branch in July, which stated that members of the movement have "displayed signs and posters intended to degrade people of color generally and President Barack Obama specifically" and added its "racist elements" are a "a threat to progress." The conservative movement forcefully responded, with former Alaska governor Sarah Palin condemning the organization.

In September, the civil rights organization partnered with ThinkProgress, Media Matters and New Left Media to launch Tea Party Tracker, a site set up to monitor "racism and other forms of extremism in the Tea Party movement."

Jealous said that although some initial "good steps" have been taken -- such as the Tea Party Express expelling spokesman Mark Williams for his offensive comments and FreedomWorks making an attempt to highlight more people of color in the movement -- the Tea Parties need to go further and expel all birthers, racists and nativists from their midst.

A release put out by the NAACP specifically lists six individuals it calls "Troubling Tea Partiers." They include Billy Roper, a white nationalist who was an enrolled member of ResistNet and is running a write-in campaign for Arkansas governor, and Wood County Tea Party leader Karen Pack, who was an "official supporter" of the Ku Klux Klan.

Tea Party organizers are less than thrilled with the NAACP's report. "Here we go again," said Judson Phillips, founder of Tea Party Nation, told the Kansas City Star. "This is typical of this liberal group's smear tactics." Sal Russo, chief strategist for the Tea Party Express, said the NAACP has "abandoned the cause of civil rights for the advancement of liberal Democrat politics."

Interestingly, "Tea Party Nationalism" debunks a frequent claim that there is a link between unemployment levels and Tea Party membership. "This data -- the most comprehensive available on Tea Party online membership -- provides no convincing evidence of a correlation between unemployment and membership," notes the report. "As such, it provides no convincing evidence that unemployment causes Tea Party online membership."

What most troubles the report's authors is the fact that the organizations within the Tea Party movement showing the fastest growth are the Tea Party Patriots and ResistNet, which have the most diffuse, locally based structures. "This would tend to indicate a larger movement less susceptible to central control, and more likely to attract racist and nativist elements at the local level," the report concludes. "Simply put, the Tea Parties are not going away after the mid-term elections, and they can be expected to have a continuing impact on public policy debate into the future."

On Sunday, "Meet the Press" host David Gregory referenced the NAACP report in a question to Colorado Senate candidates Michael Bennet and Ken Buck: "If you're senator, do you think these elements in the Tea Party need to be dealt with and need to be rebuffed?" Buck replied that he hasn't seen that sort of racism in the more than 800 events he's been to in Colorado in the last 20 months. Bennet also said that he hasn't "seen a lot of that either."

"Apparently, living in Colorado and being involved in politics as long as they have, they haven't seen Tom Tancredo, who has made repeated comments, including talking about the need to put the bombing of Mecca and Medina on the table," said Jealous.

UPDATE, 4:26 p.m.: Statement from the Tea Party Express: "This report is ridiculous and an affront to the millions of Americans who are deeply concerned about the growth and intrusiveness of the federal government with the accompaniment of higher taxes, more onerous government regulations, high annual deficits and a skyrocketing national debt. To attack a grassroots movement of this magnitude with sundry isolated incidents only goes to show the NAACP has abandoned the cause of civil rights for the advancement of liberal Democrat politics. They should be ashamed of themselves. The dramatic change in American politics over the last 20 months since the tea party movement started demonstrates that people want their government to stop the fiscal insanity in Washington DC. It has nothing to do with race. The Tea Party Express has publicly and explicitly repudiated racism and stated clearly that those with racist views are not welcome at our events or rallies."

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Comments

[JessCostello]

06:05 PM on 10/25/2010

It's not just Republicans or Tea Partiers that use fear and identity politics to get the vote out. The NAACP is doing the same thing right here.

[Peter Mazzoni]

02:03 PM on 10/22/2010

Its odd why the NAACP use the some photos and the signs made by followers of Lyndon Larouche who crashed several tea party for the photo ops to discredit the tea party and the movement.

[PopsinAZ]

01:24 AM on 10/22/2010

I hope this doesn't offend too many of you...........and, please do not call me a bigot or racist or WHATEVER, but the NAACP has been irrelevant for 30-40 years now. Clearly, there are fring elements in virtually all organizations, so finding some racists or white supremicists, or bigots of one sort or another is probable. However, labelling the organization or the majority of its members as ANYTHING other than what they have consistently claimed is stright out of the Saul Alinsky playbook.
If it makes you feel better by agreeing with the NAACP, liberal flame throwers, or other name callers........knock yourselves out. However, the Tea Party folks have already put a serious dent in the present day Republican Party, and they will likely be a major factor in defeating a lot of Democrats in November.

[Mark Lindley]

09:37 AM on 10/22/2010

Good post and that is one of the main reasons that the tea party is being attacked is because the left knows the Democrats are in big trouble come Novemeber and they are striking out to cast a negative light on them. They are acting just like our politicians do with their mud slinging campaigns.

[Peter Mazzoni]

02:08 PM on 10/22/2010

When the NAACP and its members call black tea party members sell out uncles toms, a few liberal uses of the the n word, and even a few slur of Aunt Jemimas. It went unnoticed by most, if you pointed it out you are attacked for telling the truth. To me the NAACP has lost all creditability as a group for civil rights. The NAACP is the 1st to cry the race card, and also the 1st to use it as well.

[Clairyanne]

08:01 PM on 10/21/2010

"Tainting the tea party movement with the charge of racism is proving to be an effective strategy for Democrats. There is no evidence that tea party adherents are any more racist than other Republicans, and indeed many other Americans. But getting them to spend their time purging their ranks and having candidates distance themselves should help Democrats win in November. Having one’s opponent rebut charges of racism is far better than discussing joblessness.”
MARY FRANCES BERRY
http://www.politico.com/arena/bio/mary_frances_berry.html

[otownnole]

04:56 PM on 10/21/2010

Did you see Ben Jealous on Anderson Cooper last night?

He asked him how when the Tea Party says they wanted to take our country back, how exactly was that racist?

Then he showed footage of Howard Dean, John Kerry, Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bill Richardson, Al Franken, all screaming that we are going to take our country back. Mr Jealous didn't have much to say other than that is a different context.

[Sesame2009]

08:07 PM on 10/21/2010

But there is MUCH more evidence than that phrase to indicate racism in the tea party.

Here are just a few...

Pretending to talk like a slave, like Mark Williams, Tea Party express leader did, IS RACIST.

Saying that people who voted can't even spell the word vote in English, like Tom Tancredo said to uproarious applause by tea partiers, IS RACIST.

Signs with Obama in White Face, like the Republican party decided it would use as a means to drum up racial fears and anxiety, IS RACIST.

Telling someone who used the N-word 11 times to "Reload" like 1/2 governor quitter Sarah Palin did, IS RACIST.

Depicting the President as an African Witch doctor, as Florida neurosurgeon, tea party leader and Glenn Beck guest Dr. David McKalip did, IS RACIST.

Depicting the President and his wife as a pi.mp and h.o, and depicting Africans as apes, like Tea Party Candidate Carl Paladino did, IS RACIST.

Shall I go on?

[marilyn 63]

11:34 PM on 10/22/2010

i have read about 5 post excusing the racist teabaggers. and if Anderson Cooper is shilling for the teabaggers then he is irrelevant too. this is always what racist do find some way to blame everybody but themselves. every thing sesame2009 lays out is why they are racist. and have been from day one. and haters of the democrats but love the rethugs. they only came out screaming when Obama and the democrats were in and having their rally's saying (we want our country back). code word for back to slavery?? you didn't see them screaming at any rethug rally's. unless they had voted on a bill with the democrats. and all these bills were to clean up the mess the rethugs made. carrying around misspelled racist signs depicting the president as a clown. carrying around guns and saying they were going to the white house. spitting on black congress people and cat calling the N word straight out racist!!.

[Mark Lindley]

09:38 AM on 10/22/2010

Thanks for posting this. Just goes to prove the hypocricy of the left.

[Mark Lindley]

04:46 PM on 10/21/2010

Sal Russo, a California political consultant and chief strategist for the Tea Party Express, called the report ridiculous.

“To attack a grassroots movement of this magnitude with sundry isolated incidents only goes to show the NAACP has abandoned the cause of civil rights for the advancement of liberal Democrat politics,” Russo said.

“The Tea Party Express has publicly and explicitly repudiated racism.”

[JessCostello]

06:10 PM on 10/25/2010

It's abusive for someone to quote a public figure?

[LucidPanther]

03:53 PM on 10/21/2010

To say that racists are a small minority in the Tea Party is laughable.

The entire GOP is a racist enterprise. The Tea Party is their most extreme base.

Republicans made a conscious and intentional decision in the 1960's to embrace the racism of the deep south and oppose integration, oppose the civil rights act and the voting rights act; they supported Jim Crow laws and the South ( which had been solidly democratic since the Civil War because of their hatred for Abraham Lincoln ) became Republican.

To this day, the GOP is a home to racists, bigots and xenophobes. The election of a Black President has scandalized the racists to the point they have crawled out from under the rocks like cockroaches and are out in the open as Tea Partiers.

Rachel Maddow has been doing an in-depth analysis and expose this past week on how the GOP decided and implemented their racist southern strategy. You can surely watch it on her website.

[Mark Lindley]

07:25 PM on 10/21/2010

To say that the majority of tea partiers are racists is what is truly laughable and shows desperation on the part of the left as they see there November losses looming.

To claim that the entire Republican party is a racist enterprise today full bigots and xenophobes is also a blatant lie. Republicans have always opposed the Dem's policies and vice versa. All of a sudden the Republican's objection is to our president's skin color and not policy? Need I remind YOU also that Obama is just as much white as he is black?

It is really sad that we have Americans who behave in such an adolescent manner that they hurl insults at group's and individual's characters rather than debating their political differences with them on the issues.

Everytime I read this tripe, I feel like I just entered a kindergarten schoolyard full of childish bullies instead of mature adults.

[LucidPanther]

07:46 PM on 10/21/2010

I didnt say the majority of tea partiers are are racists. I said ALL of them are racists.
If you have a group with overt racists being welcomed, that means the ones who are not overtly racist but welcome the overt racists, must be covert racists. Otherwise they would either expel these overt racists or they would quit the group.

Birds of a feather flock together.

[Stopinstigating]

12:18 AM on 10/22/2010

Shame on you for doing to others what has been done to men and women of color for years. I only pray that you're not a school teacher of ANY type and, if you have kids, your spouse teaches them to ignore people who encourage them to believe the worst about people they've never met.

BTW, I'm black and know what racism is. I also know a bully when I see one. You certainly qualify.

[Mark Lindley]

09:45 AM on 10/22/2010

I don't know who your remarks are being directed at Stopinstigating but I have no problem with my fellow black Americans. I walked side by side with them during the Civil Rights movement. However, the fact is that the NAACP is not what it once used to be. It has been inflitrated with race hustlers who want to keep racism and victimhood alive for black Americans. They aren't all that way of course. Where are the black leaders to speak out against illegal immigration?

[cadawa]

02:01 PM on 10/21/2010

Most of Colorado suffers from information and education gap. The population of people of color is minimal. It's easy to frighten people if they are ignorant.
Tancredo looks and feels like them.
If you apply for a job in any other sector, you have to meet minimum requirements for education, experience and intelligence. Postal workers and civil servants have standards.
There are absolutely no standards for the people that govern. What's wrong with this picture?

[Denier]

12:59 PM on 10/21/2010

Curtis Gatewood, the 2nd vice president of the North Carolina NAACP Conference of Branches and official organizer of the "One Nation" rally has made some very hateful, anti-semtic remarks.

Gatewood speculated that Jews were among the groups “likely” to assassinate President Obama.
"If Obama is assassinated (which is highly likely given how the stage is being set and invitations to assassination are being sent to Israel/Jews as well as white CEOs and poor white racists), it will further escalate the violence and divide that is already on the way.”

He also called Obama the N****** word.

[Sesame2009]

03:21 PM on 10/21/2010

Please post links. I haven't heard of this before.

[Denier]

12:51 PM on 10/21/2010

What bunk!! The NAACP has hosted bigoted, anti-semetic speakers in the past. Can you say Louis Farrakhan?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYame5yVkuw&feature=player_embedded

He denounced the Jews as 'slavemasters" and the NAACP crowd LOVED it. Why weren't they denouncing his racist statements?

[Sesame2009]

03:47 PM on 10/21/2010

That video was supposedly from 1997, and the NAACP has denounced Farrakhan since then. Furthermore, the original video comes from Breitbart's site, so who can trust its validity anyway.

Can we move on to the 2010s please.

[jharris344]

03:57 PM on 10/21/2010

LOL!! Conservative answer to someone saying they're a racist: point their finger at you and call you a racist!! LOL!!!

[otownnole]

04:57 PM on 10/21/2010

Watch Anderson Cooper showing Jealous tape of many Dems speaking about taking their country back.

[Peter Mazzoni]

02:21 PM on 10/22/2010

Look up the speech Sherrods husband gave in January of this year to the law students at the U of VA. He called all black people who work against the black agenda uncle toms and sell outs.

[J-Rome]

11:52 AM on 10/21/2010

Mark Lindley 33 minutes ago (11:05 AM) 2 Fans Become a fan Unfan

" . . . When the tea partiers said they want to take their country back it just means on a personal level they are calling this country their home but that is still true for all of us. If I say I want to take 'my' country back it doesn't mean that it only belongs to me. If someone says that Mexico is their country you wouldn't conclude that they are saying that they are the only Mexican in it or the only who has a voice in it. This is just all part of the smear tactics on the left. They twist the meanings of the words of the right to suit their agenda."

Mark Lindley: do you understand that there is a difference between one saying "I want my country back" and "this is my country"?

[Mark Lindley]

12:41 PM on 10/21/2010

There is no difference because individuals have different ways of saying things but they can still have the same meanings. You are trying to imply something that isn't there just because you don't hold the same political views as the tea partiers do. I have seen it time and time again where the left twists the meanings of the words on the right to demonize them.

[J-Rome]

02:30 PM on 10/21/2010

I read your post, and asked a question - which I will ask again: do you understand that there is a difference between one saying "I want my country back" and "this is my country"?

[J-Rome]

02:59 PM on 10/21/2010

Also, can you explain the following statement you made previously:

"But the problem is that the left refuse to acknowledge those who want to create an all brown country aka the reconquista movement."

[LucidPanther]

11:52 AM on 10/21/2010

Some apologists for the racist tea party insist that because some tea partiers are racists it does not follow that the tea party as a whole is racist.

That is fallacious logic.

If one watches tea party events with the vile, hateful, racist signs one notices that these overt racists are accepted among the entire group as one of their own. No one confronts these overt racists; no one asked them to take down those vile signs; no one in the entire crowd of 100,000 tea partiers is offended enough to say anything to the overt racists among them.

The same holds true for those overt racists who make vile statements on their blogs or on Fox News. Not a single tea party leader will ever come forth and criticize it.

Why, if the entire tea party is not racist, do they allow openly white supremacists groups to freely use their events to recruit? Why are White Supremacist groups like Stormfront so attacted to, feel at home at, and welcomed at tea party events?

Groups like Stormfront profess solidarity and not a single tea party leader will disassociate themselves from this neo Nazi, anti-semitic racist hate group. They even make the preposterous claim that the racists are left wing plants.

The comprehensive report released by the NAACP is irrefutable. The report's methodology is sound; it is well sourced and the list of examples is very long and wide ranging across the nation.

[Berettasskeeter]

12:26 PM on 10/21/2010

You were okay, just, until you said that no Tea Party leaders criticize the very few offensive signs that have shown up. That is completely untrue.
It is also untrue that the first sentence is "fallacious logic". If it is true, then why hasn't the Democrat Party expelled Jesse Jackson? Why did it not expel Robert Byrd? Why is Biden allowed to call himself Democrat?
Semper fi

[Mark Lindley]

12:52 PM on 10/21/2010

Excellent points, Berettasskeeter. I have asked the same questions in my post above. Another one is the race hustler Al Sharpton. I have never seen anyone at the immigration rallies denouce these reconquistas and the signs they carry either.

[LucidPanther]

01:16 PM on 10/21/2010

Jess Jackson is not a Black Supremacist. He is a progressive democrat, civil rights leader, and protege of MLK. In fact, he was at MLK's side when he was shot and tried to stanch his wounds.
Jesse Jackson has many diverse supporters including Hispanics and Whites.

Of course there are those racists who claim MLK was an anti-American, communist subversive. But sane Americans do not consider MLK or Jesse jackson to be Black supremacists or racists. Right wing racists try to claim everyone is racist so as to diminish their heinous and odious racism. Their favorite targets are Jesse Jackson Rev Sharpton and NAACP.

This is the same technique used recently by Breitbart who tried to manufacture racism charges against Shirley Sherrod to distract from the fact that the tea party is racist.

If the only argument you have to refute the comprehensive NAACP report is to distract and change the subject to Jackson and Sen Byrd, it shows the Tea Party cannot be logically defended against racism.

The NAACP report nails them.

Semper Fi

[Mark Lindley]

12:49 PM on 10/21/2010

You are wrong. Most tea partiers do not embrace the radicals among them. Do the left embrace the radicals among them?

You are also incorrect that the non-racist, non-radical tea partiers don't ask these radicals to take down their signs. I happen to know that it is true as I have seen it happen. Just because the media doesn't catch that doesn't mean it isn't happening. Of course some will remain silent because we all have a right to freedom of speech also.

I have never seen those at immigration rallies ask the brown supremists carrying signs that say "whitey go back to Europe" to take down their signs either. Why the double standard for them?

Where do you get the idea that the majority of tea partiers don't object to white supremists groups or their attempt to recruit anyone at their rallies? Again, sometimes it is about freedom of speech but I have seen some tea partiers object these people also. Why are you judging an entire group by the actions of a few?

[landonswan]

10:38 AM on 10/21/2010

Many don't know how the tea party got stated. I was lucky enough to be watching live:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp-Jw-5Kx8k

He makes an excellent point at 4:20 that is over most peoples' heads.

Also, notice how many times he mentions race.

[landonswan]

10:45 AM on 10/21/2010

Many don't know how the tea party got **started**.

[MalleusMaleficarum]

09:39 AM on 10/21/2010

The Tea Party members whom I have seen at close range are racist, anti-Semitic theocratic dominionists.

[Mark Lindley]

10:05 AM on 10/21/2010

Seen at close range? Were they wearing white hoods and burning crosses?

[MalleusMaleficarum]

06:22 PM on 10/21/2010

No, they weren't -- they were holding small American flags and pledging allegiance at the local courthouse while calling Obama a Muslim-Arab-N""""" and praising their lord and passing the ammunition in the form of bumper stickers that read: God, Guns & Guts/NRA -- get the picture?

[Denier]

01:05 PM on 10/21/2010

Link?

[jharris344]

01:32 PM on 10/21/2010

http://www.naacp.org/pages/tea-party-report

[miketothad]

08:47 AM on 10/21/2010

Apparently, speaking out against hatred is "liberal".

[landonswan]

11:25 AM on 10/21/2010

And speaking out against leftist policies is racist.

[miketothad]

01:38 PM on 10/21/2010

apparently, "leftist policies" is unspecific illiterate drivel.