Last week many peoples’ suspicions (however founded) that the Tea Party movement had strong racist elements seemed to be confirmed by statements made by Mark Williams. Williams an American radio host and author (It’s Not Right Versus Left, It’s Right Versus Wrong; Exposing the Socialist Agenda and Taking Back America One Tea Party at a Time) posted an ironic correspondence on his blog from “the Colored People” to President Lincoln praising slavery. Writing from the Slaves perspective Williams wrote “Mr. Lincoln, you were the greatest racist ever. We had a great gig. Three squares, room and board, all our decisions made by the massa in the house’. Williams who once famously described Obama as an “Indonesian Muslim turned welfare thug” has since been removed from the National Tea Party Federation. A Spokesman for the Federation has stated that the letter was ‘clearly offensive’.
The interesting part of this story is not the ramblings of a bigot, but that when the Federation ordered his removal from the Express Party, the group refused. Whether you see the Tea Party movement as the modern face of the old right-wing or a racist backward group this event highlights a growing problem for the movement, a lack of national leadership and control. The political influence of these groups is not in question (demonstrated by the Scott Brown election) what is in question is the sustainability of the movement. If fringe extremist groups are allowed align themselves with the Tea Party movement will this disenfranchise the Republican foundation of the movement removing its legitimacy on the National stage. What role the movement plays in the mid-term elections could decide its future.
More importantly what do you think? Please let us know.
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