It’s no party at all out on the farm
It was surprising to hear that members of the Danville Tea Party Committee had attracted the attention of law enforcement during last weekend’s visit by two Obama administration officials.
Danville has hosted two “tea parties,” and both of them have been marked by polite behavior and pointed political views — certainly nothing that a police officer would have to worry about.
On July 18, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack were in Pittsylvania County for the Rural Tour, a chance to meet with constituents and discuss alternative energy projects.
The secretaries visited Piedmont BioProducts in Gretna and held a community forum at Buddy Mayhew’s farm in Blairs.
Several members of the Danville Tea Party Committee attended the event. The security detail traveling with Chu and Vilsack brought the Tea Party group to the attention of local authorities, kick starting an investigation.
“Obviously, you look into these things when people act differently than the rest of the crowd,” Virginia State Police Sgt. M.C. Davis said.
How differently were they acting?
“(Tea Party Committee Vice Chairman Bobbie) Conner and (Chairman Nigel) Coleman were standing beside a block of seats, about six rows back. The group talked audibly to each other during the forum and looked upset at times with the secretaries’ answers and some questions. They left just before the question-and-answer session ended,” wrote Danville Register & Bee reporter Matt Tomsic.
Tomsic covered both the Rural Tour and the two previous Danville Tea Party Committee rallies.
We’ve since learned that members of the Tea Party Committee apparently went to the forum in Blairs to ask questions about the health care reform effort in Washington.
If that was really their intention, then it’s no surprise that they would be upset over what Chu and Vilsack had to say.
Tea Party members just weren’t interested in the topic of the day. Tough luck.
Since that time, we’ve also learned that they believe the whole event was staged.
But we’ve already heard from three local people — Diane Arnold, Ray Emerson Jr. and Eloise Nenon — and none of them said they were told what questions to ask.
If members of the Danville Tea Party Committee went to an alternative energy forum wanting to talk about health care — or if they think that the local people who asked Chu and Vilsack questions were nothing but administration pawns — then they need to grab hold of reality.
Maybe law enforcement did overreact in this case — but they’re not the only ones overreacting.
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For Oops - Please explain yourself!!
You seem to be suggesting some kind of connection with the Tea Party and the CIA. I haven’t heard anything about this before. What’s that all about and why did you leave us hanging?
Liberal girl: I wonder how much of the health care bill or the cap and tax bill you yourself have read? Do YOU know exactly what it is that you are supporting? If you have read and agree with all of the provisions of these bills, I have to wonder about your intelligence. Also, you talk about the tea partiers playing on the fears of the uninformed. What do you call the “politics of fear” being carried out by the Obama administration since Jan which are enabling him to rush through massive deficit with stimulus which doesn’t stimulate, cap and trade which will kill the economy and health care which will dig the grave. What is the rush? Because they don’t want the uninformed to become informed and see exactly what they are up to.
These so called “tea partiers"were at the town hall meeting for one purpose…to disrupt!Wonder how many of the tea party have actually armed themselves with any real facts?They seem to want to play on the fears of those not well informed.Most Americans see right through the tea party smoke.
Aren’t Mr Conner and Coleman and/or their group associated with the “Young Americans for Freedom” Virginia chapter? Find out more on this Republican Party organization at :
http://blog.yafva.org/
Using the “Tea Party” concept to promote Goode, Marshall, and other Hurt/Coles Republicans is misleading and false. If you look to the map on the site above labeled “Campus Conservative” by none other than a John Adams, you will see its mighty close to CIA HQ’s .
Jimmystick,
The Teaparty gentlemen have online, in comments to other letters to the editor, and in their own press releases, said they were going to ask about health care, though from their releases it seems it would more likely have been a political statement rather than a question. Nevertheless, they themselves admit that they were going to ask about a topic neither Secretary is an expert in, nor about what the purpose of the townhall was about.
It amazes me how some people can be such idiots and not respect a person right to go to a public forum even if it is on private property and not be allowed a question. The editorial board has “acted stupidly” I guess that is just “tough luck” by assuming that they were ony there to ask questions on health care which is obviously not important to most people working for the R&B. I was there and they were not out of line but I felt their disgust as they were avoided and never got to ask a question. You folks are not able to read minds nor do you really have a clue as to what they wanted to ask. This editorial is yellow journalism at its best. The State Police visit is a violation of the Constitutional protection under clear and present danger. I hope that they get a lawyer and sue the crap out of the state and I will be more than willing to go on the witness stand and testify. There were people who had staged responses. Do you remember the first person who got to actually make a statement? Were behind you sir yes sir sir. He either had mental problems or was planted. Then the business owners bragging and begging. These officials did not want to hear about our mining problems which was the emphasis of the true local questions. I wonder what happened to reporting the facts and not trying to be a mind reader?
Of course the alternative energy forum was “staged”. It was advertised as such and perfectly legitimate. The local citizens attending had every right to expect a lawful, peaceful assembly, as did the two Cabinet Secretaries and other participants. And the law enforcement people were present to insure this and did their job well. These publicity seekers who may be politically motivated were trying to disrupt and disturb the purpose of the meeting.
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