Statement from TeaParty365: Scarborough Not a Tea Partier, Doesn't Represent Our Values

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:  David Webb – david@teaparty365.org

New York, NY … October 21, 2013 – Rick Scarborough is not a Tea Partier. He is not a Tea Party spokesperson, no matter what he, or the media, wants people to believe. Neither he, nor his organization “Tea Party Unity” speaks for the Tea Party, or properly represents our values.

Like a lot of you, we were quite surprised, and saddened by this recent Gawker.com headline:

“Tea Party Leader Wants to File Class Action Suit Against Homosexuality”

As one of the true founding Tea Party groups, TeaParty365 would like to take this opportunity to once again, and once-and-for-all, distance ourselves -and the larger Tea Party Movement- from the self-serving antics of Rick Scarborough, and his ilk. 

TeaParty365 does not support this idiotic notion. We feel it is counter-productive to the national conversation, and ultimately harmful to the Tea Party brand, and the country. 

Let’s remember, the Tea Party was a true, national grassroots upwelling, initially a reaction to Bush’s profligacy. It exploded in early 2009 when it became obvious Obama was doubling-down on financial, and governmental stupidity. 

The Tea Party is and always has been about 4 very simple things: 

1) Smaller Government

2) Fiscal Responsibility

3) Personal Responsibility

4) The Constitution

Because our beliefs are so wonderfully simple, you can be a “Tea Partier” and also be involved in other political issues that aren’t mutually-exclusive, e.g., Gun Rights, Immigration, Abortion, The War on Drugs, etc.

This is a blessing, and a curse. There are Tea Partiers across the country who are on all sides of these issues, and are also, still, technically “Tea Partiers” because they adhere to the 4 core tenets. The problem arises when these other issues override the core issues of the Tea Party. But the fact remains, when you are arguing for, or against, an issue that is ancillary to our 4 key tenets, you are no longer speaking for the “Tea Party.” This is the case with Mr. Scarborough.

While he may very well also believe in Smaller Government, Fiscal Responsibility, Personal Responsibility, and The Constitution, his personal war against homosexuality has nothings -zero, nada, zilch- to do with the Tea Party. Although Tea Party Unity may claim to be a “leading national Tea Party group,” please understand that they do not -repeat: DO NOT represent the Tea Party Movement.

America is, still, a free country. And we all know that can be a double-edged sword: this means that Rick Scarborough can claim he speaks for the Tea Party, but the press also has the responsibility to hold him to task.