The left are scared shitless of the TP. They know the TP represents the common thoughts of most Americans. As polls show there is wide support across ideological lines for the issues that the TP has put forth. BBA, CCB and major cuts to govt spending. That across the party line support is a MAJOR threat to the liberal agenda. The only way the left can marginalize this movement is to try to sideline the support for the TP by shifting blame to them for things they literally had no control over.
IF the TP can weather this storm and come out on top in the next election with a republican president the left knows that their reign is over for decades.
The problem with the TPM is they’re never forthcoming with any facts or specifics as to how they plan to realize their goals. They seem unable to explain what ‘small government’ is, for example. Is the definition predicated on the number of Federal agencies? Number of employees? Budgets for the agencies? How can the TPM realize its goal of ‘small government’ when they can’t articulate a mechanism to achieve that goal?
The TPM says the Constitution ‘mandates small government,’ but there’s nothing in the Constitution stating what size the government should be nor do any TPM representatives cite case law in support of ‘small government’ mandated by the Constitution.
One can only infer from TPM writings and speeches that the movement advocates some sort of ‘neo anti-Federalism’ and return to ‘states’ rights,’ whatever that’s supposed to mean. Members and advocates of the TPM seem completely oblivious to scores of Supreme Court rulings clearly establishing Federal supremacy over the states (
McCulloch v. Maryland, 1819) and striking down the fallacy of ‘nullification’ and ‘states rights’ (
Cooper v Aaron, 1958). These and many other ruling, in conjunction with the 14th Amendment, interpret the 10th Amendment as not authorizing ‘states rights’ and that states are indeed compelled to follow Federal mandates and may not ignore Federal legislation. Are members of the TPM merely ignorant of this case law or do they hold it in some sort of contempt, as if it were ‘Constitutional heresy’?
Are we to further infer, then, that for the TPM, the Constitution is only the 1787 document with no Bill of Rights, no subsequent Amendments, and devoid of 200 years of case law?
If so then any rational discussion of the issue is frankly pointless.
Consequently, any storms the TPM may be experiencing are of their own creation, in failing to articulate a constitutionally valid agenda. Indeed, concern is warranted as the TPM seems to advocate states violating their citizens’ rights justified by the canard of ‘states’ rights’ and denying Americans redress in the Federal courts.
Members of the TPM need to understand that they can’t create a make-believe world predicated on a Constitutional fantasy; that the fundamental tenets of the Founding Document – the rule of law, due process, equal protection, and equal access to the laws – indeed run counter to many of the TPM’s goals, whether they realize it or not.
CC&B only cut 2.4 trillion and 4 trillion was the magic number. Nowhere is CC&B named as achieving the magic 4 trillion!!!
