Son,

Those rabble rouser’s went down to the dock and just dumped the British Tea into the harbor. “Take that!” Our country was founded by rabble rouser’s. Where are they? If a bunch of us went down to the dock today to dump the toys coming from China into the harbor – we would be arrested as terrorists. Come to think of it – the British tried to arrest the ladies of the Tea Party. The problem today is the strategy of linking seemingly unrelated issues.

The Boston Tea Party is an example of what happens when the government stops listening to the people. Our Founding Fathers tried to set up a government whereby the people could dump the politicians in the harbor every two to four years – with no blood being shed.

Astute politicos understand this. Our history is filled with small but vocal minorities raising their issues to the surface – effecting the political version of a Boston Tea Party. The Civil Rights movement in the late 1950’s and 1960’s the Anti-Vietnam War movement are two examples. We have seen the “Moral Majority” and now the “Christian Coalition” claim political victories.

I fear today that the art of lobbying has diverted attention from the legitimate frustration of the majority. Skillful organizers can be effective at influencing Congressional debate. That has proven itself many times in our history. Economic Conservatives and Social Conservatives are joined at the hip – to the dismay of both. Neither you nor I believe in debt. We are adamantly opposed to debt. One might legitimately say that we are Economic Conservatives. If we oppose deficit spending by our government we are accused by liberal causes as being cruel and selfish. If we support health care for children we are seen by conservatives as being fiscally irresponsible.

It is maddening! The politicians in congress are so afraid of this logic that they have become paralyzed – they write goofy legislation in hopes of appeasing everyone. Everyman is not stupid. Congress, I implore you, do the right thing and we will understand – we will even support you. Stand up to the irrational base of left and right loonies.

Come to the Tea Party of sanity.

Dad