T.H.R.O. poster is an ancestor, and warning, for tea party
“I’M MAD AS HELL AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!”
That angry message in bold typeface; the glaring face of a retiree named Jack Gargan; his Jeffersonian list of grievances against Congress — it was all so familiar as I unrolled the poster, a relic from my childhood and the tea party’s ancestry.
Twenty years ago, Gargan used a series of newspaper ads to start a grassroots movement: T.H.R.O., or Throw the Hypocritical Rascals Out. I remember the bumper sticker on my dad’s Buick LeSabre, the related parody from Fox 97’s Shower Stall Singers: “(Those Congress Checks Are Bouncing Like a) Red Rubber Ball.”
I came across a poster print of the ad while helping my parents move houses recently. Reading the list of indictments Gargan made against Washington, I could only reflect that the tea party came into being because so little has changed:
“I’M APPALLED,” he wrote, “that Congress continues to hock the future of our children and grandchildren. Our national debt is now over 3 TRILLION dollars, and going higher by the minute. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!”
The debt has grown by $10 trillion since then; it rises by about $2 million a minute according to USDebtClock.org.
“I’M ANGRY that, after being told by the American public that their existing salary was already an overpayment on their abilities, [Congress] turned right around and arrogantly voted themselves the biggest raise in history!”
Since 1990, the salary of representatives has risen by 80 percent, and senators by 77 percent, to $174,000 a year.
“I’M LIVID when I recall how, in typically gutless congressional style, they let an ‘outside commission’ stick the younger American workers with a raise in Social Security taxes … knowing full well there will not be enough money to fund that same ‘baby-boom’ generation who will be footing most of the bill.”
The baby boomers are beginning to retire with Social Security afloat. But there is a change: Now Congress leaves it to the president to appoint a National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.
“I’M ENRAGED when I see money pouring in to incumbents from PACs, special interest groups who use their money to stifle public interest, to congressmen who will sell their soul for another term in office.”
Political action committees, or PACs, are still around. But the McCain-Feingold campaign-finance law pushed much of their “soft money” into 527 groups that campaign with still more opacity.
“I’M DISGUSTED at the number of shady dealings by members of Congress …. Something’s mighty wrong with the system when 98% of incumbents are re-elected. The other 2% don’t lose. They either go out feet first, or in total disgrace for conduct too embarrassing even for congressional standards!”
In 2008, about 94 percent of incumbents who sought re-election won. Gargan’s list goes on, but you get the idea.
Since 1990, control of Congress has gone from the Democrats to the GOP and back again. But the lesson of Gargan and T.H.R.O. isn’t partisan.
After backing Ross Perot in 1992, Gargan’s movement slowly fizzled out. The disengagement from those who thought like Gargan was costly. By the time they woke up in 2009, we were close to the brink.
Whatever happens this November, constant Gargan-esque vigilance will be needed afterward. Two more decades of neglect, and we’re Greece.
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142 comments Add your comment
Grand Forks
August 2nd, 2010
11:10 am
“Insults from anonymous trolls of obvious intellectual inferiority (if even better spellers) will not bother me. You seem to capable of little else than being a troll. ”
You’re either in denial or just plain stupid. If my comments didn’t bother you, you’d have never responded. But please, continue with the mindless banter and asinine comments.
“I spell just fine.”
You’ve obviously never attended college.
Grand Forks
August 2nd, 2010
11:11 am
“Dude, you likely could not begin do what I do.”
Well duh, that’s why I went to a major university so that I would not have to clean toilets like you.
Grand Forks
August 2nd, 2010
11:12 am
“Why does the discourse have to include insults? Don’t they kinda get in the way of making it meaningful? Doesn’t that say something for those who hurl them?”
Interesting that you totally ignore Honohan’s mindless insults yet target me. Stupid much?
Grand Forks
August 2nd, 2010
11:12 am
“Oh, my! Mr. Honohan speaks so passionately and makes a helluva lot of sense! I love it! Please, don’t stop!”
Honohan has just found his lover.
Michael Honohan
August 2nd, 2010
11:13 am
[This is me not responding]
Grand Forks
August 2nd, 2010
11:13 am
“Leave the discourse to people who actually perform multi-sourced research to form an opinon.”
What research? Oh, and you misspelled another simple word.
Grand Forks
August 2nd, 2010
11:14 am
“[This is me not responding]”
None too bright, is ya Honohan.
Grand Forks
August 2nd, 2010
11:14 am
“Sorry, I’ll get better at this. ”
Sadly, no, you won’t.
Grand Forks
August 2nd, 2010
11:16 am
“I have far more important things to concern myself with. ”
Like what?
Dan-O
August 2nd, 2010
11:18 am
Grand Forks, at least you are slightly amusing. I chuckled a little at how incredibly inane your comments are.
Michael Honohan
August 2nd, 2010
11:19 am
Grand Forks:
No seriously. Post your real name. State what you do. I sincerely doubt you could even begin to do what I do. Less than 2% of the software development community can. I spent half my career cleaiing up the code messes created by people with advanced degrees from “major universities.” Oh, yes they all spelled very well, just could not get their programs to run.
I will wager anything you want to put up that we could exchange jobs for one day and I would accomplish more in yours than you could in mine. A public challenge. Put up or shut up.
Grand Forks
August 2nd, 2010
11:20 am
“at least you are slightly amusing. I chuckled a little at how incredibly inane your comments are.”
And I chuckled at your man crush on Honohan.
Grand Forks
August 2nd, 2010
11:22 am
“No seriously. Post your real name.”
Make. Me.
“State what you do.”
Engineer.
“I sincerely doubt you could even begin to do what I do.”
Pizza delivery can’t be that hard, Hon.
“I will wager anything you want to put up that we could exchange jobs for one day and I would accomplish more in yours than you could in mine.”
Cool, post your home address and phone number. I’ll respond.
“Put up or shut up.”
How about EFF off.
Grand Forks
August 2nd, 2010
11:24 am
Dan-O is Michael Honohan
Your IP address is showing. LOL
Michael Honohan
August 2nd, 2010
11:24 am
I thought not. Coward. When you man-up, I will respond.
Grand Forks
August 2nd, 2010
11:25 am
“I thought not. Coward. When you man-up, I will respond.”
You must be seriously retarded if you think anyone is going to post their real name on a blog.
Grand Forks
August 2nd, 2010
11:26 am
“I thought not. Coward.”
You also must be under the false impression that I care what you think of me.
Michael Honohan
August 2nd, 2010
11:37 am
Engineer? Most people would say chemical engineer. electronics engineer, civil engineer. When someone says just engineer, all I can picture is a guy in a striped hat and overralls running his toy train set. Engineer my ass. Who cares what you care about? You are a troll, a fraud, and nothing more.
And anyone with a few brain cells would have already used browser in front of them to find out the name and phone of Michael Honohan. My name has appeared in print in the opinion pages of the AJC 25 times and I have a listed phone and address. Unlike most, I am not an anonymous poster who care so little what people think of him that he spend all his time defending himself on line. It is my own moment of weakness that let a troll reel me me in.
Now, if you will all excuse me, I have some real (software) engineering tasks that require my attention.
“You must be seriously retarded if you think anyone is going to post their real name on a blog.”
Yeah, Kyle and I the retards here. Who told you that bit of stupidity? This is not YouTube.
Cowards…
Michael Honohan
August 2nd, 2010
11:38 am
Oh, please, please, attack my spelling again!
Grand Forks
August 2nd, 2010
11:40 am
“Most people would say chemical engineer. electronics engineer, civil engineer. ”
Industrial.
“Who cares what you care about?’
Obviously you do.
“You are a troll, a fraud, and nothing more. ”
Yep, that describes you pretty well, ma’am.
“My name has appeared in print in the opinion pages of the AJC 25 times and I have a listed phone and address.”
Your inbred mom must be proud.
“I am not an anonymous poster who care so little what people think of him that he spend all his time defending himself on line.”
Yet that’s exactly what you’re doing.
“I have some real (software) engineering tasks that require my attention. ”
Yeah, those pizzas aren’t going to deliver themselves.
“Yeah, Kyle and I the retards here.”
Look, I know you’re not a smart person but anyone with the IQ of a carrot would know the reason Kyle uses his name is because…….THIS IS HIS BLOG. LOL
Grand Forks
August 2nd, 2010
11:41 am
“Oh, please, please, attack my spelling again!”
Wasn’t attacking your spelling, just pointing out your stupidity.
Michael Honohan
August 2nd, 2010
12:04 pm
Grand Forks says he is an industrial engineer. How much do you all want to bet he designs deep sea drilling rigs for BP?
Michael Honohan
August 2nd, 2010
12:10 pm
I will tell you all truthfully the why a person needs to post anonymously. If one is a mediocre engineer (but a great speller, which as we all know is the primary indicator of true intelligence), then one would be a fool to post his name lest his boss sees that he is an Internet slacker and fire him. On the other hand, if you are extremely competent and invaluable to your employer, you can pretty much doing anything you want, including posting your name on a time stamped blog…
Kamchak
August 2nd, 2010
3:24 pm
Tick…tick…tick….
Grand Forks
August 2nd, 2010
5:14 pm
“How much do you all want to bet he designs deep sea drilling rigs for BP?”
If I did I’d be a billionaire by now. But no, I run my own biz.
Grand Forks
August 2nd, 2010
5:15 pm
“If one is a mediocre engineer (but a great speller, which as we all know is the primary indicator of true intelligence), then one would be a fool to post his name lest his boss sees that he is an Internet slacker and fire him.”
I am my own boss, ma’am.
Grand Forks
August 2nd, 2010
5:15 pm
“including posting your name on a time stamped blog…”
Ma’am, again, you must be under the false impression that I care what you think.
Grand Forks
August 2nd, 2010
5:16 pm
“Tick…tick…tick….”
yup
Kamchak
August 2nd, 2010
5:27 pm
Hiya Commie—What’s shakin’?
Grand Forks
August 3rd, 2010
4:00 pm
Racist black church.
Police: Officer Baited In Altercation That Injured Him
Public Safety Director: Staged Fight ‘Totally Inappropriate’
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/24453132/detail.html
Michael Honohan
August 3rd, 2010
5:54 pm
Why would a black person living in America not be racist? Hell I am white and don’t think much of most white people. Their ignorance of other’s customs and cultures is staggering. My black friends have more charactor than most any white people I know. Few white people are even aware of how racist they are. I don’t mean culturally insensitive – most black folks don’t care about that – I mean racist. My wife grew up in rural Georgia. The things that come out of her mouth are appalling and she has no real idea. My black friends say the understand thats how she grew up.
Michael Honohan
August 3rd, 2010
5:58 pm
Perfect example.Rush Limbaugh is absolutely clueless as to why black football players do not want to him to own a team. He honestly thinks it has something to do with him being conservative! You have to real ingorant to think black people are any more or less conservative than white people.
Michael Honohan
August 3rd, 2010
7:00 pm
Too often I get distracted by trolls from the topic at hand.
One thing I need to point out. Even though I have no love for them, I do support many of their candidates. I think many of my fellow true reformers are taking advantage of the climate to run as true fiscal conservatives.
One other thing I can say I like about the Tea Party is most factions have put the good of our nation ahead of the social conservative agenda. What good is electing pro-life, anti-gay bigots if they are not going to put America’s economy and finances in order.
These days, I hate Republicans with a passion. These people who we believed would balance our budget and restore our freedoms in fact ran up huge deficits and passed more anti-freedom laws than ever before. Liars and frauds. And they are ready to lie to us again to just get back in power. Democrats may have put forth unpoplular legislation but that was they ran and we legitimately elected by the American People to do. Do Republicans hate the American People? They sure have so much disdain for us they will not even fulfill campaign promsises. What mindless people keep voting liars. I will take an honest socialist before a lying conservative.
Grand Forks
August 3rd, 2010
8:22 pm
“Too often I get distracted by trolls from the topic at hand. ”
That’s because you’re a troll yourself, ma’am.
“I will take an honest socialist before a lying conservative.”
I bet you have a picture of Stalin above your bunk bed.
Grand Forks
August 3rd, 2010
8:23 pm
“Why would a black person living in America not be racist?”
Better question. Why do you contradict yourself with every mindless post?
Grand Forks
August 3rd, 2010
8:44 pm
“Rush Limbaugh is absolutely clueless as to why black football players do not want to him to own a team. ”
A lot of black football players wanted him to co-own a football team. People like Lynn Swann, Fred Hutchinson etc love Limbaugh. What you don’t understand is most athletes who have half a brain are money making capitalists who don’t want idiotic democrats to take their money.
Also, Rush is doing just fine.
“He honestly thinks it has something to do with him being conservative! ”
Nope, has to do with retarded race pimps like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.
Grand Forks
August 3rd, 2010
8:45 pm
“My black friends have more charactor than most any white people I know. ”
You know, you often preach about how people are stupid yet you can’t even spell simple words that most people learned to spell in second grade.
Also, no one cares that you hate being white. Your problem, not ours.
Grand Forks
August 4th, 2010
8:43 am
HAHAHAHAAH
Obama rejected.
Prop C passes overwhelmingly
Missouri voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a federal mandate to purchase health insurance, rebuking President Barack Obama’s administration and giving Republicans their first political victory in a national campaign to overturn the controversial health care law passed by Congress in March.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_c847dc7c-564c-5c70-8d90-dfd25ae6de56.html
@@
August 4th, 2010
8:37 pm
How’s it goin’ Grand? I thought Kyle was supposed to be back today.
Grand Forks
August 5th, 2010
8:28 am
@@
It’s boring over here. Wish some left wingers would stroll over here so I could make fun of them.
ATF
August 5th, 2010
12:01 pm
“I’M ENRAGED when I see money pouring in to incumbents from PACs, special interest groups who use their money to stifle public interest, to congressmen who will sell their soul for another term in office.”
Well, this is still around and is worse than ever. Especially with the Supremes giving corporations the status of individuals and giving companies the ability to contribute the PACs or otherwise make contributions in secret. Something the Thuglicans are slavering over. They love it.
We will not see campaign reform that really returns government to the people. We have government by the business interests, for the business interests, and to the business interests.
Just look at what all the Republicans in Georgia promise – less business taxes, less taxes on the wealthy (who also contribute mega-bucks to politicians), and more taxes to middle class. This state is going to the toilet as a good place to live. We have a “study commission” full of business people and far right “fair tax” proponents and can anyone doubt what they will come back with as recommendations for changes in Georgia tax law?
Jack Gargan
August 9th, 2010
1:59 am
After 20 years I am pleased to see that my message was right on target. Too bad the American people di not follow through in throwing ALL the rascals out (although in 1992 political analysts credit the THRO movement as THE catalyst which saw 124 new faces elected to Congress – BY FAR the highest number in over 50 years). Dont forget, the second part of the message was to put term limits on the successors of those we threw out. Some 24 states did put term limits onlocal and state legislators, but it did not extend to members of Congress. What a shame! Hopefully, the elections of 2010 will re-invigorate that cause. That is if the stupid, apathetic, uninformed voting (and too often non-voting!) public will get up off their asses and vote out all those Congresspeople who gave themselves another big raise while cutting back Social Security benefits (this includes YOUR congressman). This is your last chance, America! Vote out ALL incumbents, Democrat AND Republican, or condemn yourself and children and generations to come to indredible hard times!