Bachmann Drops Out of Tea Party Convention

(AP)  The National Tea Party Convention has lost two of its major speakers.

Minnesota Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann says she won't attend the event, scheduled for early February in Nashville, Tenn. Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn has announced she's dropping out as well.

Both lawmakers are prominent backers of the tea party movement. However, their offices released statements Tuesday citing concerns about how funds raised by the convention might be used.

Watch CBS "Evening News" Anchor Katie Couric interview Tea Party leaders in her online program @katiecouric

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Many tea party activists across the country are boycotting the convention over its $550-per person ticket price and the $100,000 speaking fee being paid to Sarah Palin, the former Republican vice presidential nominee.

The convention is being run by a Tennessee lawyer, Judson Phillips, who has said he hopes to turn a profit on the convention.

[erb0087]

The one way all Teabaggers should be protesting, is by sending a letter to the IRS, announcing that they will be paying no more taxes until Washington changes the way it spends their money.

If they don't have the guts to do that, they should not be comparing themselves to the Founding Fathers.

[themooniac]

I guess Bachman talks the talk but does'nt walk the walk. Poor Teabagers, the one that's being cheated on is always the last to know.

[earthling76]

Some republicans may have realized that it is a difficult prospect attempting to control the rabid dog that is the Tea Party to their benefit. These angry mobs will bite the hands that feed them and eventually turn on themselves as others try to harness and direct the movement.

[P0ST1ING_AWAY]

A lunatic fringe meeting without one of the principal
nut-cases of the Repug party ?????
Barbara B. - say it aint so ........

[texas_liberal]

rofl, THE FEES GO STRAIGH TO fAILIN pAlin?

[Galileosfinger]

I'm just about at an age and a point of concern and righteous anger to take up signs and picket the talk radio stations and cable companies for the lies they promote. THEY should be the focus of citizens' anger, since they created this anger and fan it in singular pursuit of profit.

They don't give a damn about this country or serving the public interest.

They lie about informed and educated persons who are trying to help this country. They obstruct for obstruction's sake. They belittle better people than themselves. They lie about global warming, as if empirical science were a big lie. They hate reason and education and call it "elitist".

Someone, who is not in government, must demand a return of Fairness in media.

The liars are Limbaugh, Beck, Levin, Hannity, and their imitators. You know the breed.

You and I don't have microphones like they do. If we call them on the phone on the air (good luck!) they use the magic dump button skillfully and stealth-like as they launch their derision of us up into commercial.

I suspect they are a one-trick pony, easily defeated by truth, reason, and by those who don't fear anymore.

[truth-b-toll]

WELL SAID!
Someone HAS to speak out against the MADDNESS!

[nobama_noway]

look the left has

Soros billions
Media Matters
MoveOn.org
ABC
CBS
NBC
CNBC
MSNBC
SEIU
ACORN
Air America (bummer its gone)
Most of Hollywood
Most musicians


So why are you afraid of a few people on the right.

Oh I know. The truth always prevails.

[earlysaid]

I'm against the republican obstructionists who are causing failure at the top also. The rubber stampers are now the incompetent and useless republican lawmakers who will not fix one awful thing that Bush/Cheney did to this nation.

[earlysaid]

Republicans are playing these fools just like they have for years. Republican lawmakers screwed up the country and brought about severe job loss and crisis, then they decide to have tea baggers come to the rescue. Looks like it has worked in MA. The way these people got together was by being republican donors who were getting republican party emails. No these are not liberals, progressives, or many if any independents. This was just an uprising of republicans who did not like it that they lost the presidential election.

[jbctruth]

Oh gawd, here we go with the attacks. First of all, while it is completely acceptable for Palin to take a speaking fee if she wants, she has said that she had NO INTENTION to take any fee.

Second, just because there is one group that call themselves a "Tea Party" doesn't mean they speak for any particular group of people who participated in "tea party" demonstrations. Whoever these people are, they do not represent the majority of people who have participated in protests against the current government waste and lack of representation. To say anything different is not only disingenuous, it is an outright lie. People who participated in those protests were Republicans, Democrats, Independents and all sorts of other political affiliations. They were just ordinary citizens of every walk of life who are tired of being taken advantage of by those in power. There is no "National Tea Party" per se. If these people want to use the name, then remember they do not represent the majority of citizens who speak out.

[earlysaid]

Can anyone believe the tea baggers are not the worst part of the republican base? All these speakers are the most shrewish, know nothing, shriekers that the republican base adores. These are not independents or democrats. No one with any common sense would back these wackos who constantly lie. What a lame attempt by the republicans to pretend they are not totally in control of tea partiers.

[run2jazz2]

Look, evidently these folks have too much time on their hands? Lets put them to work on some of the nation's problems since they have ALL the solutions.

Let vote their leader (The Republican Party) back as President of this country since the country is morally corrupt and going to hell in a handbasket! Why not allow for common sense to rule?

We need more chaos, we need more corruption and we need more incompetence. Vote them into office and let me know when I can start getting the bunker ready and the guns in hand. Bunch of losers!