Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Biblical scientific foreknowledge

2010-06-13T18:14:37Z

MaryH: /* Alleged absurdities and contradictions */ Incorrect value of Pi.

[[File:Newton.png|thumb|alt=scientific foreknowledge in the bible|250px|[[Isaac Newton]], cornerstone of the [[scientific revolution]], based his research on the scientific authority of the Bible and sought enlightenment in scripture.]]‎
'''Biblical scientific foreknowledge''' is the remarkable content of the [[Bible]] showing a comprehension of scientific knowledge beyond anything that existed among [[atheist]]ic sources at the time when the Bible was composed.

'''[[Atheist]]ic organizations and scientists, particularly [[evolution]]ists, engage in [[liberal denial]] about how the Bible was correct long before science could discover the same truths'''.

== Specific examples of foreknowledge ==

==Health==
====Homosexuality and disease====
The Bible's prohibition against [[homosexuality]] predated knowledge about the [[Homosexuality and Health|many diseases and disorders associated with homosexuality]], and thus showed scientific wisdom prescient for its time.

=== Eyesight ===

The description in the [[Mark 1-8 (Translated)|Gospel of Mark 8:24]] for the sensation when one's eyesight is restored includes his perception of "trees walking." This perception was first confirmed nearly 2000 years later as physicians developed medical techniques for restoring eyesight.

==Cosmology==
===Spherical Earth===
The Book of Isaiah establishes that the true shape of the earth is a sphere:
{{cquote|It is He who sits above the circle of the earth... - Isaiah 40:22 (KJV)}}
Here, the translation "circle" is inapt, as the Hebrew term entailed something spherical, not flat.

Note that Isaiah was written circa the 8th century BC, centuries before Greek philosophers, beginning with [[Pythagoras]], theorized the earth was round.

=== Earth free floating in space ===
The book of Job states that God "hangs the earth on nothing." This presaged the fact that space is in fact empty, which wasn't known until the dawn of the 20th century, when ether theory was disproved. It also contrasts with pagan mythologies such as [[Atlas]] holding up the earth or the earth being supported by a giant turtle, as in ancient Hindu and native American myths.

=== Asteroids ===
The Revelation of Saint John notes,
{{cquote|And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. Revelation 8:8-9 (KJV)}}
This accurately describes asteroids, essentially large chunks of rock lit on fire by the shock of entering the earth's atmosphere. They were not discovered until 1801, and their composition was not otherwise known until the 20th century.

== Meteorology ==
=== Existence of the [[Jet Stream]] ===
Ecclesiastes 1:6 notes, "The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits." This described the jet stream long before its 19th-20th century discovery.

== Zoology ==

===Existence of dinosaurs===
[[Dinosaur]] fossils were not discovered until the 19th century, but the book of [[Job]] describes enormous creatures called behemoth and leviathan, the descriptions being similar to dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. It may also have referred to another similarly giant now-extinct species.<ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v15/i2/behemoth.asp</ref>

===Lions' killing methods===

Until the 1970s naturalists believed that lions killed their prey by biting through the neck or by breaking the neck with a swat of a paw, while the Bible says that lions strangled their prey. (Nahum 2:12) It was not until the 1970s that it was discovered that the [[Bible]] was correct.

==Engineering examples==

Biblical scientific foreknowledge about these engineering developments has been proposed:<ref>http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2191</ref>

{{cquote|automobiles (Joel 2:3-4); airplanes (Isaiah 40:31); submarines (Revelation 9:1-11); radio (Ecclesiastes 10:20); and television (Revelation 11:3-12)}}

== Alleged absurdities and contradictions ==

Biblical scientific foreknowledge is an underpinning of creation science, and is widely credited by Christian scientists and apologists, including the organizations [[Creation Ministries International]], [[Answers in Genesis]], and [[CreationWiki]].<ref>http://creationwiki.org/index.php/Bible_scientific_foreknowledge.</ref><ref>[http://creationwiki.org/index.php/Bible_scientific_foreknowledge Bible Scientific Foreknowledge]</ref><ref>http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/1718/</ref><ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v17/i1/medicine.asp</ref>

Atheists unsuccessfully attempt to discredit the Bible based on science. Here are some examples:

=== Bat as a bird ===
A favorite evolutionist canard is that Leviticus 11:13-19 labels the [[bat]], a [[mammal]], as a [[bird]]. But this is an obvious failure of translation, as the Hebrew term '' 'owph'' did not entail the "clade" of birds, but was a non-biological category referring to any winged creature, mammalian, avian, or insect. The KJV translation as "fowl" is simply incorrect.

=== Incorrect value of Pi ===
Two sections of the bible (1 Kings 7, 23-26, 2 Chronicles, 4, 2-5) appear to indicate that the correct value of [[Pi]] is 3, whereas Pi is in fact an irrational number, equalling approximately 3.14159. It has alleged by atheists, including [[Sam Harris]] and [[Richard Dawkins]], that this value indicates the fallacious nature of scripture. <ref>The Richard Dawkins Foundation, ''Reply to a Christian'', Sam Harris - [http://richarddawkins.net/articles/139]</ref>. However, a simple explanation of the claimed "contradiction" is that the Bible records the ratio of the actual object which Hiram created, not that of a mathematical [[sphere]]. The claim that it was round all about does not equate to a claim that it was a perfect sphere, as atheists have claimed.<ref>''Theology'', Volume 59, Issues 427-438, Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (Great Britain), London, 1956, p. 23 </ref>

==See Also==
*[[Christianity and Science]]
*[[Creation vs. Evolution Videos]]
*[[The Bible]]
*[[Evolution]]
*[[Atheism]]

{{Template:Creation vs. evolution}}

==External Links==
*[http://creationwiki.org/index.php/Bible_scientific_foreknowledge Bible scientific foreknowledge] by [[CreationWiki]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}
[[Category:Bible]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Creationism]]

Censorability

2010-06-13T17:59:19Z

MaryH: /* Examples */ I presume that the censoring of pro-life sentiments is around 0%, but due to authortarianism etc, unlikely to actually be 0%.

The '''censorability''' of a concept, movement or ideology is its vulnerability of being censored by its opponents. The durability of a movement can be predicted based its censorability; for example, if the fragmented tea parties have a censorability lower than that of a traditional political party, then tea parties may have a brighter future.

== Equation for Censorability ==

Censorability expresses vulnerability to censorship. It is possible to determine the censorability of a concept, movement or ideology '''<math>x</math>''', in a given environment '''E''', over a particular period of time '''t''', using the following mathematical equation where '''c''' is the number of occurrences of censorship of '''<math>x</math>''' and '''o''' the number of uncensored occurrences of '''<math>x</math>'''.

::::<math>E_x(t)=\left ( \frac{c}{c+o} \right ) \!</math>100%

The higher the percentage the less resilient the concept, movement or ideology '''<math>x</math>''' is to censorship, thus '''censorability''' can be quantified on a scale from "0%" to "100%", where "0%" reflects an ideology that can completely withstand efforts to censor it, while "100%" indicates easy suppression through [[censorship]]. A perfect score for censorability is "0%", reflecting maximum strength.

The score is dependent in part on how the ideology or movement is expressed. For example, if a unique statement or outward sign is required as an essential part of the ideology, then it will have higher censorability than if its articulation is varied.

== Examples ==

Ideologies can be rated for relative censorability as an indication of long-term strength.

Since impirical data for '''<math>x</math>''', '''E''', and '''t''' is currently unavailable for the examples of censorability below, we have assumed values of '''c''' and '''o''' which will produce the correct answers as determined by faith and logic.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Concept or Ideology
!Censorability <br>(Scale 0% to 100%)
!Comments
|-
|[[Pro-Life]]
|~0%
|Virtually impossible to censor; it is manifested in many intrinsic ways. [[Pro-aborts]] have tried with every power imaginable to censor [[pro-lifers]] for 40 years, and even distorted translations of pro-life references in the [[Bible]], and yet pro-life sentiment grows stronger daily.
|-
|[[Freedom]]
|10%
|The desire to be free is an innate characteristic of most people. History has shown that repressive regimes are eventually overthrown, no matter how much they try to indoctrinate their citizens.
|-
|the [[Bible]]
|20%
|Cannot completely ban the book, but some crowd it out with harmful substitutes and liberals distort its meaning with biased translations.
|-
|[[Atheism]]
|20%
|Many do not quickly recognize its forms.
|-
|[[Tea Party Movement]]
|30%
|[[Liberals]] haven't been able to censor it yet, but are trying hard.
|-
|Military recruitment
|30%
|[[Anti-war]] liberals often try to shut down recruitment centers with protests most notably on college campuses, with little success.
|-
|[[Homosexual agenda]]
|30%
|By claiming that criticism of immoral and unhealthy lifestyles is "bigotry," pro-homosexual activists are able to censor critiques of their political agenda.
|-
|[[Chivalry]]
|40%
|[[Feminists]] silence many expressions of chivalry, but human nature cannot be completely suppressed.
|-
|[[Christianity]]
|50%
|Dimwitted censorship of Christian references often occurs.
|-
|[[Republican Party]]
|60%
|Cannot be censored in national elections, but is ostracized and censored on college campuses and in many communities, and was demonized by Bush-haters in the national media
|-
|[[Conservative media]]
|70%
|The truth can't be held back, an improving situation in the United States. Successful suppression is still commonplace.
|-
|[[Creationism]]
|90%
|Absent from virtually every public school curriculum world-wide
|-
|[[Classroom prayer]]
|100%
|Banned for over a hundred million by the actions of a handful
|-
|}

Over time, movements that are relatively difficult to censor -- i.e., have a low censorability -- can thrive. An example is the [[pro-life]] movement: it has virtually a perfect "0%" censorability.

== Censor-Prone Environments ==

Different media, institutions and environments are more censor-prone than others. Colleges are extremely censor-prone environment, perhaps due to a small group of people acting with no accountability. The [[internet]] is at the opposite end of the spectrum, and is relatively immune to censorship.

Most censored speech includes:

*high school and college commencement addresses

(add to list)

== Factors influencing Censorability ==
Ideas and movements' censorability is affected by various factors, including:
* How easily the idea can be taken out of context
* How easily the idea can be distorted and connected with negative ideas (ie. falsely claiming opposition to affirmative action is racism)
* How complex the idea is, or how much background is required to understand it (complex ideas are easy to obfuscate, while simple ideas are hard to censor)

== Ways to Reduce Censorability ==

Quantification of censorability may facilitate reducing the censorability of a movement or good idea. Just as exercise improves physical conditioning, there maybe techniques for enhancing the resilient attributes of a message.
{{Conservapedia}}
[[category:Conservapedia]]

Frank Lasee

2010-06-13T17:56:25Z

MaryH: Updating - he lost his seat in 2008.

[[Image:Frank Lasee.jpg|right]]
'''Frank Lasee''' was a [[Republican]] state representative from [[Wisconsin]]. He represented Wisconsin's Second Assembly District for fourteen years from 1994 to 2008.<ref name=Gazette>Bluhm, Warren. "[http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071014/GPG06/710140581/1269/GPGopinion Rep. Frank Lasee talks about his political choices]." ''Green Bay Press-Gazette'', October 14, 2007. Retrieved October 22, 2007.</ref> In a recent interview,<ref name=Gazette/> he hinted that he might run for the [[United States House of Representatives|House]] seat in Wisconsin's Eighth Congressional District.

== Controversies ==
Rep. Lasee is no stranger to controversy, and is not shy about expressing opinions that many commentators consider outrageous.<ref name=Soglin>For example, see Soglin, Paul, "[http://www.waxingamerica.com/2006/08/frank_lassee_ha.html Frank Lasee Hates Wisconsin]," ''Paul Soglin: Waxing America'', August 31, 2006, retrieved October 22, 2007. See also Paul Soglin's description of his own site: "A candid examination of right-wing policies and the Democrats who play along and the horrid liberal policies designed to assuage the moderates but end up irritating everyone. And other stuff."</ref>

In October of 2006, Lasee proposed that teachers in public schools be armed, this after a number of teachers and students died in three separate gunfire incidents in [[Wisconsin]], [[Colorado]], and [[Pennsylvania]] in the two weeks preceding his proposal.<ref name=GunSchool>Authors unknown. "[http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-10-05-arming-teachers_x.htm Wisconsin lawmaker urges arming teachers]." [[Associated Press]], October 5, 2006. Retrieved October 22, 2007, from ''[http://www.usatoday.com/ USA Today].''</ref> Although school officials disputed the need for such a step, the article also described the arrest, only one week prior, of a 15-year-old student who had shot a school principal to death. The outraged reaction was swift and arguably predictable.<ref name=Soglin2>See, for example, Soglin, Paul, "[http://www.waxingamerica.com/2006/10/frank_lasee_exp.html Frank Lasee Exploits School Violence]," ''Paul Soglin: Waxing America'', October 5, 2006. Retrieved October 22, 2007.</ref> Mr. Lasee, in response, said this:<ref name=Gazette/>
{{Cquote|What I said was, in light of the fact that we had an incident in Green Bay; we'd had a murder in a Wisconsin school where a principal was shot, and to suggest that people in our schools who have the training, or would want to get the training, and would pass safety classes to have access to a weapon to confront someone who's got a gun in our school, I don't think that's unreasonable.

I'd much rather someone in our school confront a gunman than to allow that gunman free rein to kill people until the police show up, often 20 minutes to a half-hour later. And my understanding is that protocol is not for police to rush the building, but to nail down the outside and figure out what's going on.}}

Lasee's position on this issue was misrepresented as part of the successful liberal campaign to oust him in 2008.

Lasee on another occasion remarked that a removal of State funding from the [[University of Wisconsin]] School of [[Law]] might be a way to continue funding the Marquette Dental School without raising taxes. Somehow a rumor began to circulate to the effect that Mr. Lasee wanted to ''close down'' the School of Law. Here again is Lasee's response to this controversy:<ref name=Gazette/>
{{Cquote|We have more attorneys in the United States than virtually any other country. We are accelerating graduating attorneys across the country. More attorneys are having trouble getting jobs in their field; they are looking for work — that causes issues.

What I suggested was not to close it down, but to remove the state funding. When you have too much of something — and this is when you get into the subsidy game that the government is into in a big way — you end up subsidizing things well after the point of needing subsidy.

Our law school enjoys the second-lowest tuition rates in the Big Ten. It would be the third-lowest if they made up the loss in general purpose revenue from the state.

Unfortunately, those facts never really got out in the paper and were never really talked about. They aren't that fun and exciting. In a multibillion-dollar budget, looking for waste and putting money into the best uses are very important.

Where this idea came from for me, contrary to what has been spun in the media, is that we have a shortage of dentists, we subsidize the Marquette Dental School, and I was looking for funding for that without raising taxes. And I thought, gee, if you have too many attorneys and not enough dentists, wouldn't you put the state tax dollars that you're spending on attorneys into the dental school?}}

== References ==
<references/>

==External Link==
[http://www.franklasee.blogspot.com Frank Lasee Blog]

[[Category:United States Elected Officials]]
[[Category:Wisconsin]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lasee, Frank}}

SUVAT equations

2010-06-13T17:47:56Z

MaryH: Link fix.

The '''SUVAT equations''' are equations of motion which apply to uniformly accelerated linear motion, where <math>v</math> is [[velocity]], <math>u</math> is initial velocity, <math>s</math> is [[speed]] and <math>a</math> is [[acceleration|constant acceleration]].

*<math>v = u + at</math>
*<math>s =1/2 (u+v)t</math>
*<math>s= ut + 1/2 at^2</math>
*<math>s= vt - 1/2 at^2</math>
*<math>v^2= u^2 + 2as</math>
[[Category:Physics]]

SUVAT equations

2010-06-13T17:47:18Z

MaryH: Added definitions of terms.

The '''SUVAT equations''' are equations of motion which apply to uniformly accelerated linear motion, where <math>v</math> is [[velocity]], <math>u</math> is initial velocity, <math>s</math> is [[speed]] and <math>a</math> is [[constant acceleration]].

*<math>v = u + at</math>
*<math>s =1/2 (u+v)t</math>
*<math>s= ut + 1/2 at^2</math>
*<math>s= vt - 1/2 at^2</math>
*<math>v^2= u^2 + 2as</math>
[[Category:Physics]]

SUVAT equations

2010-06-13T17:45:47Z

MaryH: Created page.

The '''SUVAT equations''' are equations of motion which apply to uniformly accelerated linear motion.

*<math>v = u + at</math>
*<math>s =1/2 (u+v)t</math>
*<math>s= ut + 1/2 at^2</math>
*<math>s= vt - 1/2 at^2</math>
*<math>v^2= u^2 + 2as</math>
[[Category:Physics]]

Ayn Rand

2010-06-13T14:59:35Z

MaryH: Rand and the TEA party - current political influence.

[[Image:Jhyu65.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Ayn Rand. A great philosopher and writer who developed the [[Objectivism | Objectivist]] school of thought]]

'''Ayn Rand''' ("Ayn" rhymes with "mine"), born '''Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum''' (1905-1982) was a [[Russian]]-born [[philosopher]], screenwriter, [[atheist]], and novelist, who began her career in Hollywood. She used her novels to promote her philosophy, known as [[Objectivism]]. Her best-known novels are [[Atlas_Shrugged|''Atlas Shrugged'']] and ''[[The Fountainhead]]''.

She is a highly political author, with her novels often serving as political messages. She advocated minimal government interference (known by the name Minarchism) in business and strongly objected to socialism and nationalism. Combined, more than twelve million copies of her two best-known novels have been sold in the U.S. alone. Despite her anti-Christian and liberal views on social issues, her opposition to state economic intervention has made her works and philosophy popular with the [[TEA Party]] movement.<ref>''Ayn Rand stars at Denver stimulus ‘tea party’ protest'', Colorado Independent, Wendy Norris - 2/28/09 - [http://coloradoindependent.com/23026/ayn-rand-stars-at-denver-stimulus-tea-party-protest] </ref>

==Philosophy==
{{Main|Objectivism}}

Ayn Rand attracted a following based on her opposition to [[collectivism]], as articulated in her novels, particularly ''Atlas Shrugged''. Her followers today tend to be [[libertarians]] and predominantly unmarried men, many of whom are drawn to a self-indulgent lifestyle consistent with Rand's philosophy. Rand often called herself a "radical for capitalism," by which she meant the pure, ''laissez-faire'' variety. Rand had very little in common with [[conservatives]] except for a mutual opposition to communism and socialism. Rand has also been accused of being a rape apologist for her rape scene in ''The Fountainhead''.

Rand's most famous and powerful follower was [[Alan Greenspan]] (b. 1926), long-time head of the Federal Researve System (1987-2006).

Rand's philosophy was anti-Christian to the point of even declaring that "faith, as such, is extremely detrimental to human life: it is the negation of reason."<ref>http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=media_topic_religion%</ref> Such an anti-faith perspective [[atheism and morality|necessarily led]] to the [[moral relativism]] seen among her followers. For example, the movement she founded supports an "absolute right" to [[abortion]] at any time during pregnancy,<ref>http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5105</ref> including partial-birth abortion. Ayn Rand's philosophy and followers also support a "right" to have same-sex marriage, and opposed California's [[Proposition 8]] defining marriage as between one man and woman.<ref>http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=21821</ref>

Rand was an [[atheism|atheist]] and opponent of traditional family values, who personally adhered more to [[Hollywood Values]] than conservative ones.<ref>http://www.noblesoul.com/orc/bio/biofaq.html</ref> She was a strident opponent of altruism. As far back as 1957, [[Whittaker Chambers]] denounced the “wickedness” of ''Atlas Shrugged'' in ''National Review,'' and Dr. Gabe Vertin derided her "senseless self-agrrandizement."

==Quotes==
"We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: The stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission – which is the stage of the darkest periods of [[human]] history, the stage of rule by brute force."<ref>http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45735 WorldNetDaily.com Should Democratic Party merge with Communist Party?, August 12, 2005</ref>

==Works==
*''We the Living''
*''[[Anthem (book)|Anthem]]''
*''The Fountainhead''
*''Atlas Shrugged''
*''Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal''
*''The Romantic Manifesto''
*''The New Left: The Anti-Industrial Revolution''
*''[[The Virtue of Selfishness]]''

==References==
* Burns, Jennifer. ''Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right'' (2009), standard scholarly history, by a conservative historian. [http://www.amazon.com/Goddess-Market-Rand-American-Right/dp/0195324870/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256927458&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
*Doherthy, Brian. ''Radicals for Capitalism a Freewheeling History of the Modern Libertarian Movement.'' (2007), popular history.
* Gladstein, Mimi Reisel. ''The Ayn Rand Companion'' (1984) 130 pp. good starting point
* Heller, Ann C. ''Ayn Rand and the World She Made'' (2009)
* Kirsch, Adam. "Ayn Rand’s Revenge" [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/books/review/Kirsch-t.html?nl=books&emc=booksupdateema1 ''New York Times Sunday Book review'' Nov. 1, 2009]
* Uyl, Douglas J. Den, and Douglas B. Rasmussen, eds. ''The Philosophic Thought of Ayn Rand'' (1984) 235 pp.; dense essays by professional philosophers

====References====
<references/>

==External Links==
*[http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer Ayn Rand Institute]
*[http://www.ARIwatch.com ARI Watch] — argues that the above misrepresents Ayn Rand.
*[http://www.ios.org/ The Atlas Society — home of The Objectivist Center]
*[http://wiki.objectivismonline.net/wiki/Main_Page Objectivism Wiki]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rand, Ayn}}

[[Category:Women Authors]]
[[Category:Atheists]]
[[Category:Libertarianism]]
[[Category:Cold War]]

Harry Reid

2010-06-13T14:39:46Z

MaryH: /* Rush Limbaugh Phony Soldier Incident */ Precise figure of letter sale.

{{Officeholder
|name=Harry Reid
|image=Reid- 2009 Official Photo.jpg
|party=[[Democrat]]
|spouse=Landra Gould
|religion=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
|offices=
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=Nevada
|terms=January 3, 1987 - Present
|preceded=[[Paul Laxalt]]
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
{{Officeholder/representative
|state=Nevada
|district=1st
|terms=January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1987
|preceded=James David Santini
|former=n
|succeeded=James Bilbray
}}
}}

'''Harry Reid''', born December 2, 1939 (age {{age|1939|12|2}}), is the senior Senator from [[Nevada]] and U.S. Senate Majority Leader in the 111th Congress for the [[Democratic Party|Democrats]]. He became Minority Whip (the #2 job) in 1998, and Minority Leader in 2005 and Majority Leader in 2007. He is the first member of the Church of Latter-day Saints to become Senate Majority Leader. He is well known for his far left [[liberal]] views.

==Early Life and Education==

Born in Searchlight Nevada, Reid converted to [[Mormonism]] while attending [[Utah State University]] in 1960. <ref>http://www.adherents.com/largecom/lds_Reid.html</ref> He went on to earn a law degree from [[George Washington University]] in 1964. <ref>http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/Nov-14-Sun-2004/news/25258027.html</ref>

==Political Career==
Reid's career in politics began in 1967 when he was elected to the Nevada State Assembly and in 1970 was elected Lieutenant Governor. He unsuccessfully ran for the United States Senate in 1974. From 1977 to 1981, Harry Reid was the Nevada state gaming commissioner. This led his character to be parodied in the 1995 film "Casino" played by Dick Smothers. During Reid's tenure as gaming commissioner, he allowed the [[FBI]] to videotape businessman Jack Gordon, offering him a $12,000 bribe. Then, according to a Las Vegas Review-Journal account, Reid "put his hands around Gordon's neck and said, 'You son of a b-tch, you tried to bribe me!'" <ref>http://www.nndb.com/people/292/000032196/</ref> In 1979 Gordon was arrested and sentenced to six months in jail.

After serving two terms in the [[House of Representatives]], Reid was elected to the Senate in 1986 and reelected three times. He served as Minority Whip from 1999 through 2001, again from 2003 through 2005, Minority Leader from 2005 through 2007, and was elected Senate Majority Leader in 2007.

===Reelection 2010===
Reid is facing a tough reelection in 2010. The "Cook Political Report" in September 2009 rates the contest as "Toss Up". His status weakened in summer 2009, as discontent with President Obama and the Democrats' health plan mounted, and as the Recession of 2008 continues to batter Las Vegas and the entire Nevada economy, with no relief in sight from the stimulus bill Reid pushed through the Senate. Reid's inability to improve his standing in the polls, coupled with the deteriorating political environment for Democrats nationally, are clear indications that his political problems are deep and will be difficult (though not impossible) to fix, says Cook.

After receiving the endorsement of the [[Tea Party Express]] and [[Club for Growth]], former Assemblywoman [[Sharron Angle]] defeated former State Senator [[Sue Lowden]] by 14 points and businessman [[Danny Tarkanian]] in the Republican primary by 17 points.

Rasmussen has Reid's approval rating at just 36% among Nevada's constituents. <ref>[http://spectator.org/blog/2010/01/13/harry-reids-numbers-sink-furth Harry Reid's Numbers Sink Further Into the Gutter, American Spectator, January 13, 2010]</ref> However, the [[Mainstream media | leftwing media]] is always there to to offer Reid support. 71% of interview guests, soundbites or quoted sources were supportive of the Democrat. <ref>[http://newsbusters.org/blogs/rich-noyes/2010/01/14/mrc-study-after-negro-comment-71-network-coverage-supported-harry-reid MRC Study: After 'Negro' Comment, 71% of Network Coverage Supported Harry Reid, NewsBusters.org, January 14, 2010</ref>

==Political Views==

[[Image:HarryReid.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid with House Speaker [[Nancy Pelosi]] (left) and Senator [[Chris Dodd]] (right)]]Harry Reid has voted with a majority of his Democratic colleagues 94.8% of the time during the current [[Congress]]. <ref>http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/r000146/</ref> He has been a key spokesman for liberal positions on taxes, health care, government bailouts, unions and immigration. In 2009 Reid called opponents of [[universal health care]] "evil-mongers." He later explained "I maybe could have been less descriptive, I doubt you’ll hear it from me again." <ref>http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/harry_reid_protesters_evil-mongers/</ref> Reid voted to authorize military force in [[Iraq]] in 1991 and again in 2002. However, he later became a proponent of troop withdrawal.

His major accomplishment has been to block the use of Yucca Mountain in Nevada for the safe storage of nuclear wastes from around the country.

Reid describes himself as [[pro-life]], saying "Abortions should be legal only when the pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered." <ref>http://www.votesmart.org/npat.php?can_id=53320#408</ref> Reid voted to express opposition to [[Roe v. Wade]] <ref>http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00048</ref> and supported the ban on [[Partial birth abortion]]. <ref>http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00402</ref> However, since being elected to his leadership position he has received criticism from the pro-life community for voting against the nominations of [[John Roberts]] and [[Samuel Alito]] to the [[U.S. Supreme Court]], supporting Embryonic Stem Cell Research and voting to use taxpayer dollars to fund overseas abortions. <ref>http://www.lifenews.com/state4369.html</ref> From 2007-2008, the [[National Right to Life Committee]] gave Harry Reid a 28% rating. <ref>http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?r_id=4321</ref>

Reid cosponsored a constitutional amendment to ban flag burning. He opposes environmentalists on mining issues. He is a strong supporter of the gaming industry, which forms the basis of the state's economy.

Reid opposes gun control, and in 2007 Gun Owners of America gave Reid a grade of ''F''. <ref>http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=53320&type=category&category=37&go.x=4&go.y=5</ref>

==Controversies==

As a United States Senator Harry Reid has been the subject of Controversy and Criticism. In 2006 he was ranked the 10th most corrupt person in Washington by Judicial Watch. <ref>http://www.judicialwatch.org/printer_6091.shtml</ref>

===Connections with Jack Abramoff===

Reid has received over $60,000 from groups that are related to convicted lobbyist [[Jack Abramoff]], including about $50,000 from [[Native American]] gaming interests. Several times, Native American tribes that were clients of Jack Abramoff donated money to Reid after Reid's votes produced favorable results for the tribes. However, Reid described the Abramoff affair as "a Republican scandal."

===Boxing credentials===
Reid has accepted free tickets valued at hundreds of dollars for boxing matches between 2003 and 2005 from the Nevada Athletic Commission. Senate ethics rules permit gifts from such governmental agencies.

===Las Vegas land deal===
Senator Reid came under fire in 2006 for failing to properly report to Congress a $700,000 land deal. Harry Reid's member interest in limited liability company (LLC) was allocated $1.1 million of the gross proceeds attributable to the sale of a parcel of land. In 1998, Reid bought a plot of land for $400,000, fair market value at the time. One of the sellers was a developer who arranged a land swap that Reid supported.

===Iraq "lost"===

On April 19 2007, representatives of 50 Iraqi Sunni tribes announced the formation of a new democratic political party called [[Iraq Awakening]], with the aim of fielding candidates in elections at all levels of government, including the parliamentary elections in 2009. In the predominantly [[Shiite]] country, a large scale political organization among the [[Sunni]] is precisely what [[al-Qaeda]] insurgents have opposed. Later the same day, Sen. Reid demanded the pullout of American forces, on the basis that Iraq had been "lost". <ref>[http://www.therealitycheck.org/StaffWriter/dclark_NMA053107.html Reid The Reaper: Dems plan Iraq Awakening's wake], by Daniel Clark, ''New Media Alliance. Retrieved 06/04/07.</ref> In May, Majority Leader Reid voted to fund the "lost" cause anyway. In a scathing rebuke [[MSNBC]]'s [[Keith Olbermann]] said,

<blockquote style="background: #F9F9F9; border: 1px solid #AAAAAA; padding: .3em;">
Mr. Reid, Mr. [[Steny Hoyer|Hoyer]], and the other Democrats... have failed us. They negotiated away that which they did not own, but had only been entrusted by us to protect: our collective will as the citizens of this country....
Mr. Reid has failed.

<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18831132/ The entire government has failed us on Iraq], Keith Olbermann, MSNBC ''Countdown'', May 24, 2007.</ref>

</blockquote>

Ironically after Reid proclaimed the war lost, sectarian violence significantly declined.

===Rush Limbaugh Phony Soldier Incident===
On October 2, 2007, Senator Reid wrote a letter to Mark P. Mays, Chairman-of-the-board and CEO of Clear Channel Communications, who are [[Rush Limbaugh]]'s chief patrons. In it Senator Reid essentially demanded that Mr. Mays order Mr. Limbaugh apologize for certain remarks that Mr. Limbaugh allegedly made, to the effect that soldiers who opposed the prosecution of the war in [[Iraq]] were "phony soldiers."<ref name=ReidText>Reid, Harry, ''et al.'' "[http://reid.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=284699 Letter to Mark P. Mays of Clear Channel Communications]." [http://reid.senate.gov/ Electronic Office of US Senator Harry Reid], October 2, 2007. Retrieved October 19, 2007.</ref> In composing his letter and his later remarks, Reid relied heavily on a presentation and alleged analysis by [[Media Matters for America]]. In fact, the only soldiers that Mr. Limbaugh ever alleged to be "phony" were certain persons who falsely claimed to have served in Iraq; some of those persons were in fact tried for and convicted of misrepresentation of service and drew prison sentences for their conduct. Nevertheless Mr. Reid obtained the signatures of forty of his Senate colleagues on his accusatory letter and read the letter aloud on the floor of the Senate.

The letter was delivered, and Mr. Limbaugh ultimately obtained it. Mr. Limbaugh publicly exhibited it to an audience in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], on October 11. The next day he placed the letter for sale at public auction at eBay.com.<ref name=eBay>[http://cgi.ebay.com/Original-Harry-Reid-Rush-Limbaugh-Smear-Letter_W0QQitemZ260170172469QQihZ016QQcategoryZ4105QQcmdZViewItem Auction listing of original of Harry Reid letter]. [http://www.ebay.com/ eBay.com]. Retrieved October 19, 2007.</ref> The letter was sold for $2.1 million. Rush donated the entire proceeds to the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, and included a matching contribution of his own. In his remarks on the air on the day that the auction ended, and for several days before that, Mr. Limbaugh speculated that Senator Reid probably never imagined that his letter would even be made public, much less set a record for the most expensive charity auction in the records of eBay.com.<ref name=Limbaugh>Limbaugh, Rush H., remarks heard on his radio program on October 19, 2007, at about 12:15 p.m. EDT, or 16:15 p.m. UTC</ref>

At noon EDT October 19, 2007, Senator Reid spoke again to this issue on the floor of the Senate, taking note of the astonishing auction price that the letter was sure to fetch (the auction was still running at the time). He suggested in his remarks that he had spoken to Mr. Mays personally about the prospect of the public auction and had expressed doubts that such an auction would fetch more than a trifling sum.<ref name=ReidVid>Reid, Harry M. "[http://www.breitbart.tv/html/6938.html Remarks on the Floor of the United States Senate regarding Letter to Mark P. Mays]." Captured and published by ''Breitbart TV''. Retrieved October 19, 2007.</ref> Rush Limbaugh played the recording of Mr. Reid's remarks on his radio program and scathingly suggested that Mr. Reid was now attempting to take credit after the fact for the success of the auction and the massive charitable donation that would result from it.<ref name=Limbaugh2>Reid, Harry; remarks on the floor of the United States Senate on October 19, 2007, at 12:00 noon EDT. Played and commented upon by Rush H. Limbaugh on his radio program, beginning 12:35 p.m. EDT.</ref>

Images of the text of the letter, and the signatures of the Senators, appear below:

<gallery>
Image:Reid_Limbaugh_Letter_Body.jpg|Body of the letter
Image:Reid_Limbaugh_Letter_Sig1.jpg|Rest of the body and twelve signatures
Image:Reid_Limbaugh_Letter_Sig2.jpg|Eighteen signatures
Image:Reid_Limbaugh_Letter_Sig3.jpg|Eleven signatures
</gallery>

===Remarks about slavery and race===

A month after Reid compared Republican opponents of [[government health care]] to supporters of [[slavery]],<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/07/reid-compares-health-care-reform-foes-slavery-supporters/</ref> it came to light that
Reid had made remarks referring to [[Barack Obama]]'s race during the presidential campaign.<ref>Reid's comments were included in the book ''Game Change''. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100109/ap_on_el_se/us_obama_reid]</ref>
Reid had called then-Senator Obama during the 2008 Democratic primaries "light skinned" and "with no [[Negro dialect]], unless he wanted to have one."

* The authors describe Reid assessing Obama's strengths as a candidate. Reid, they write, "believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama -- a 'light-skinned' African American 'with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one,' as he said privately. Reid was convinced, in fact, that Obama's race would help him more than hurt him in a bid for the Democratic nomination."<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/09/AR2010010902141.html Washington Post] - January 10, 2010 </ref>

After that, political commentators began "arguing over whether those comments by Reid constitute racism".<ref>[http://spectator.org/archives/2010/01/12/bigots-and-the-press Bigots and the Press] - Mark Hyman</ref>
On January 9, 2010 Reid apologized for his "poor choice of words"

A Boston Globe op-ed said Senator Reid "said nothing wrong".<ref> [http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/01/13/whats_wrong_with_negro_anyway/ What’s wrong with ‘Negro,’ anyway?]</ref>
[[Ann Coulter]] wrote, "[[Democrat]]s regularly say things that would end the career of any [[conservative]] who said them." [http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=35188]

==See also==
*[[Phonemark]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/11/abramoff_report_1.html Abramoff Reports to Prison; Officials Focus on Reid, Others], Brian Ross and Rhonda Schwartz, ''ABC News'', November 15, 2006.
*[http://www.politico.com/blogs/anneschroeder/0809/House_switchboard_getting_pranked_by_Harry_Reid.html House switchboard getting pranked by Harry Reid?]. Politico. August 11, 2009.
{{Liberalism}}
{{DEFAULTSORT: Reid, Harry}}
[[Category:United States Senators]]
[[Category: 110th United States Congress]]
[[Category:111th United States Congress]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]`
[[category:2010 Midterm Elections]]

Harry Reid

2010-06-13T14:38:06Z

MaryH: /* Political Views */ style fix.

{{Officeholder
|name=Harry Reid
|image=Reid- 2009 Official Photo.jpg
|party=[[Democrat]]
|spouse=Landra Gould
|religion=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
|offices=
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=Nevada
|terms=January 3, 1987 - Present
|preceded=[[Paul Laxalt]]
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
{{Officeholder/representative
|state=Nevada
|district=1st
|terms=January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1987
|preceded=James David Santini
|former=n
|succeeded=James Bilbray
}}
}}

'''Harry Reid''', born December 2, 1939 (age {{age|1939|12|2}}), is the senior Senator from [[Nevada]] and U.S. Senate Majority Leader in the 111th Congress for the [[Democratic Party|Democrats]]. He became Minority Whip (the #2 job) in 1998, and Minority Leader in 2005 and Majority Leader in 2007. He is the first member of the Church of Latter-day Saints to become Senate Majority Leader. He is well known for his far left [[liberal]] views.

==Early Life and Education==

Born in Searchlight Nevada, Reid converted to [[Mormonism]] while attending [[Utah State University]] in 1960. <ref>http://www.adherents.com/largecom/lds_Reid.html</ref> He went on to earn a law degree from [[George Washington University]] in 1964. <ref>http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/Nov-14-Sun-2004/news/25258027.html</ref>

==Political Career==
Reid's career in politics began in 1967 when he was elected to the Nevada State Assembly and in 1970 was elected Lieutenant Governor. He unsuccessfully ran for the United States Senate in 1974. From 1977 to 1981, Harry Reid was the Nevada state gaming commissioner. This led his character to be parodied in the 1995 film "Casino" played by Dick Smothers. During Reid's tenure as gaming commissioner, he allowed the [[FBI]] to videotape businessman Jack Gordon, offering him a $12,000 bribe. Then, according to a Las Vegas Review-Journal account, Reid "put his hands around Gordon's neck and said, 'You son of a b-tch, you tried to bribe me!'" <ref>http://www.nndb.com/people/292/000032196/</ref> In 1979 Gordon was arrested and sentenced to six months in jail.

After serving two terms in the [[House of Representatives]], Reid was elected to the Senate in 1986 and reelected three times. He served as Minority Whip from 1999 through 2001, again from 2003 through 2005, Minority Leader from 2005 through 2007, and was elected Senate Majority Leader in 2007.

===Reelection 2010===
Reid is facing a tough reelection in 2010. The "Cook Political Report" in September 2009 rates the contest as "Toss Up". His status weakened in summer 2009, as discontent with President Obama and the Democrats' health plan mounted, and as the Recession of 2008 continues to batter Las Vegas and the entire Nevada economy, with no relief in sight from the stimulus bill Reid pushed through the Senate. Reid's inability to improve his standing in the polls, coupled with the deteriorating political environment for Democrats nationally, are clear indications that his political problems are deep and will be difficult (though not impossible) to fix, says Cook.

After receiving the endorsement of the [[Tea Party Express]] and [[Club for Growth]], former Assemblywoman [[Sharron Angle]] defeated former State Senator [[Sue Lowden]] by 14 points and businessman [[Danny Tarkanian]] in the Republican primary by 17 points.

Rasmussen has Reid's approval rating at just 36% among Nevada's constituents. <ref>[http://spectator.org/blog/2010/01/13/harry-reids-numbers-sink-furth Harry Reid's Numbers Sink Further Into the Gutter, American Spectator, January 13, 2010]</ref> However, the [[Mainstream media | leftwing media]] is always there to to offer Reid support. 71% of interview guests, soundbites or quoted sources were supportive of the Democrat. <ref>[http://newsbusters.org/blogs/rich-noyes/2010/01/14/mrc-study-after-negro-comment-71-network-coverage-supported-harry-reid MRC Study: After 'Negro' Comment, 71% of Network Coverage Supported Harry Reid, NewsBusters.org, January 14, 2010</ref>

==Political Views==

[[Image:HarryReid.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid with House Speaker [[Nancy Pelosi]] (left) and Senator [[Chris Dodd]] (right)]]Harry Reid has voted with a majority of his Democratic colleagues 94.8% of the time during the current [[Congress]]. <ref>http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/r000146/</ref> He has been a key spokesman for liberal positions on taxes, health care, government bailouts, unions and immigration. In 2009 Reid called opponents of [[universal health care]] "evil-mongers." He later explained "I maybe could have been less descriptive, I doubt you’ll hear it from me again." <ref>http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/harry_reid_protesters_evil-mongers/</ref> Reid voted to authorize military force in [[Iraq]] in 1991 and again in 2002. However, he later became a proponent of troop withdrawal.

His major accomplishment has been to block the use of Yucca Mountain in Nevada for the safe storage of nuclear wastes from around the country.

Reid describes himself as [[pro-life]], saying "Abortions should be legal only when the pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered." <ref>http://www.votesmart.org/npat.php?can_id=53320#408</ref> Reid voted to express opposition to [[Roe v. Wade]] <ref>http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00048</ref> and supported the ban on [[Partial birth abortion]]. <ref>http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00402</ref> However, since being elected to his leadership position he has received criticism from the pro-life community for voting against the nominations of [[John Roberts]] and [[Samuel Alito]] to the [[U.S. Supreme Court]], supporting Embryonic Stem Cell Research and voting to use taxpayer dollars to fund overseas abortions. <ref>http://www.lifenews.com/state4369.html</ref> From 2007-2008, the [[National Right to Life Committee]] gave Harry Reid a 28% rating. <ref>http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?r_id=4321</ref>

Reid cosponsored a constitutional amendment to ban flag burning. He opposes environmentalists on mining issues. He is a strong supporter of the gaming industry, which forms the basis of the state's economy.

Reid opposes gun control, and in 2007 Gun Owners of America gave Reid a grade of ''F''. <ref>http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=53320&type=category&category=37&go.x=4&go.y=5</ref>

==Controversies==

As a United States Senator Harry Reid has been the subject of Controversy and Criticism. In 2006 he was ranked the 10th most corrupt person in Washington by Judicial Watch. <ref>http://www.judicialwatch.org/printer_6091.shtml</ref>

===Connections with Jack Abramoff===

Reid has received over $60,000 from groups that are related to convicted lobbyist [[Jack Abramoff]], including about $50,000 from [[Native American]] gaming interests. Several times, Native American tribes that were clients of Jack Abramoff donated money to Reid after Reid's votes produced favorable results for the tribes. However, Reid described the Abramoff affair as "a Republican scandal."

===Boxing credentials===
Reid has accepted free tickets valued at hundreds of dollars for boxing matches between 2003 and 2005 from the Nevada Athletic Commission. Senate ethics rules permit gifts from such governmental agencies.

===Las Vegas land deal===
Senator Reid came under fire in 2006 for failing to properly report to Congress a $700,000 land deal. Harry Reid's member interest in limited liability company (LLC) was allocated $1.1 million of the gross proceeds attributable to the sale of a parcel of land. In 1998, Reid bought a plot of land for $400,000, fair market value at the time. One of the sellers was a developer who arranged a land swap that Reid supported.

===Iraq "lost"===

On April 19 2007, representatives of 50 Iraqi Sunni tribes announced the formation of a new democratic political party called [[Iraq Awakening]], with the aim of fielding candidates in elections at all levels of government, including the parliamentary elections in 2009. In the predominantly [[Shiite]] country, a large scale political organization among the [[Sunni]] is precisely what [[al-Qaeda]] insurgents have opposed. Later the same day, Sen. Reid demanded the pullout of American forces, on the basis that Iraq had been "lost". <ref>[http://www.therealitycheck.org/StaffWriter/dclark_NMA053107.html Reid The Reaper: Dems plan Iraq Awakening's wake], by Daniel Clark, ''New Media Alliance. Retrieved 06/04/07.</ref> In May, Majority Leader Reid voted to fund the "lost" cause anyway. In a scathing rebuke [[MSNBC]]'s [[Keith Olbermann]] said,

<blockquote style="background: #F9F9F9; border: 1px solid #AAAAAA; padding: .3em;">
Mr. Reid, Mr. [[Steny Hoyer|Hoyer]], and the other Democrats... have failed us. They negotiated away that which they did not own, but had only been entrusted by us to protect: our collective will as the citizens of this country....
Mr. Reid has failed.

<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18831132/ The entire government has failed us on Iraq], Keith Olbermann, MSNBC ''Countdown'', May 24, 2007.</ref>

</blockquote>

Ironically after Reid proclaimed the war lost, sectarian violence significantly declined.

===Rush Limbaugh Phony Soldier Incident===
On October 2, 2007, Senator Reid wrote a letter to Mark P. Mays, Chairman-of-the-board and CEO of Clear Channel Communications, who are [[Rush Limbaugh]]'s chief patrons. In it Senator Reid essentially demanded that Mr. Mays order Mr. Limbaugh apologize for certain remarks that Mr. Limbaugh allegedly made, to the effect that soldiers who opposed the prosecution of the war in [[Iraq]] were "phony soldiers."<ref name=ReidText>Reid, Harry, ''et al.'' "[http://reid.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=284699 Letter to Mark P. Mays of Clear Channel Communications]." [http://reid.senate.gov/ Electronic Office of US Senator Harry Reid], October 2, 2007. Retrieved October 19, 2007.</ref> In composing his letter and his later remarks, Reid relied heavily on a presentation and alleged analysis by [[Media Matters for America]]. In fact, the only soldiers that Mr. Limbaugh ever alleged to be "phony" were certain persons who falsely claimed to have served in Iraq; some of those persons were in fact tried for and convicted of misrepresentation of service and drew prison sentences for their conduct. Nevertheless Mr. Reid obtained the signatures of forty of his Senate colleagues on his accusatory letter and read the letter aloud on the floor of the Senate.

The letter was delivered, and Mr. Limbaugh ultimately obtained it. Mr. Limbaugh publicly exhibited it to an audience in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], on October 11. The next day he placed the letter for sale at public auction at eBay.com.<ref name=eBay>[http://cgi.ebay.com/Original-Harry-Reid-Rush-Limbaugh-Smear-Letter_W0QQitemZ260170172469QQihZ016QQcategoryZ4105QQcmdZViewItem Auction listing of original of Harry Reid letter]. [http://www.ebay.com/ eBay.com]. Retrieved October 19, 2007.</ref> The letter fetched a final price of more than two million US [[dollar]]s. Rush donated the entire proceeds to the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, and included a matching contribution of his own. In his remarks on the air on the day that the auction ended, and for several days before that, Mr. Limbaugh speculated that Senator Reid probably never imagined that his letter would even be made public, much less set a record for the most expensive charity auction in the records of eBay.com.<ref name=Limbaugh>Limbaugh, Rush H., remarks heard on his radio program on October 19, 2007, at about 12:15 p.m. EDT, or 16:15 p.m. UTC</ref>

At noon EDT October 19, 2007, Senator Reid spoke again to this issue on the floor of the Senate, taking note of the astonishing auction price that the letter was sure to fetch (the auction was still running at the time). He suggested in his remarks that he had spoken to Mr. Mays personally about the prospect of the public auction and had expressed doubts that such an auction would fetch more than a trifling sum.<ref name=ReidVid>Reid, Harry M. "[http://www.breitbart.tv/html/6938.html Remarks on the Floor of the United States Senate regarding Letter to Mark P. Mays]." Captured and published by ''Breitbart TV''. Retrieved October 19, 2007.</ref> Rush Limbaugh played the recording of Mr. Reid's remarks on his radio program and scathingly suggested that Mr. Reid was now attempting to take credit after the fact for the success of the auction and the massive charitable donation that would result from it.<ref name=Limbaugh2>Reid, Harry; remarks on the floor of the United States Senate on October 19, 2007, at 12:00 noon EDT. Played and commented upon by Rush H. Limbaugh on his radio program, beginning 12:35 p.m. EDT.</ref>

Images of the text of the letter, and the signatures of the Senators, appear below:

<gallery>
Image:Reid_Limbaugh_Letter_Body.jpg|Body of the letter
Image:Reid_Limbaugh_Letter_Sig1.jpg|Rest of the body and twelve signatures
Image:Reid_Limbaugh_Letter_Sig2.jpg|Eighteen signatures
Image:Reid_Limbaugh_Letter_Sig3.jpg|Eleven signatures
</gallery>

===Remarks about slavery and race===

A month after Reid compared Republican opponents of [[government health care]] to supporters of [[slavery]],<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/07/reid-compares-health-care-reform-foes-slavery-supporters/</ref> it came to light that
Reid had made remarks referring to [[Barack Obama]]'s race during the presidential campaign.<ref>Reid's comments were included in the book ''Game Change''. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100109/ap_on_el_se/us_obama_reid]</ref>
Reid had called then-Senator Obama during the 2008 Democratic primaries "light skinned" and "with no [[Negro dialect]], unless he wanted to have one."

* The authors describe Reid assessing Obama's strengths as a candidate. Reid, they write, "believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama -- a 'light-skinned' African American 'with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one,' as he said privately. Reid was convinced, in fact, that Obama's race would help him more than hurt him in a bid for the Democratic nomination."<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/09/AR2010010902141.html Washington Post] - January 10, 2010 </ref>

After that, political commentators began "arguing over whether those comments by Reid constitute racism".<ref>[http://spectator.org/archives/2010/01/12/bigots-and-the-press Bigots and the Press] - Mark Hyman</ref>
On January 9, 2010 Reid apologized for his "poor choice of words"

A Boston Globe op-ed said Senator Reid "said nothing wrong".<ref> [http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/01/13/whats_wrong_with_negro_anyway/ What’s wrong with ‘Negro,’ anyway?]</ref>
[[Ann Coulter]] wrote, "[[Democrat]]s regularly say things that would end the career of any [[conservative]] who said them." [http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=35188]

==See also==
*[[Phonemark]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/11/abramoff_report_1.html Abramoff Reports to Prison; Officials Focus on Reid, Others], Brian Ross and Rhonda Schwartz, ''ABC News'', November 15, 2006.
*[http://www.politico.com/blogs/anneschroeder/0809/House_switchboard_getting_pranked_by_Harry_Reid.html House switchboard getting pranked by Harry Reid?]. Politico. August 11, 2009.
{{Liberalism}}
{{DEFAULTSORT: Reid, Harry}}
[[Category:United States Senators]]
[[Category: 110th United States Congress]]
[[Category:111th United States Congress]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]`
[[category:2010 Midterm Elections]]

Tea Party Movement

2010-06-13T14:33:37Z

MaryH: Added mention of which seat Sharron Angle will be fighting.

[[Image:Tea-Party-Express-2-Million-Attend.jpg‎|thumb|right|375px|9/12 Tea Party March on Washington.]]
The '''TEA Party Movement''' (TEA is an acronym for Taxed Enough Already) is an ongoing, nationwide effort by [[grassroots]] protesters, encompassing millions of individuals and thousands of self-organizing groups, all united in accomplishing a single goal: returning fiscal responsibility and limited government to the [[United States]] through the exercise of political [[activist|activism]].<ref>[http://blog.heritage.org/2009/04/15/morning-bell-the-tea-party-movement/ Morning Bell: The Tea Party Movement], heritage.org, April 15th, 2009.</ref> The main focus of the TEA Party Movement is a rebuke of outrageous mandates, overreaching and out of control spending by an out of touch federal government. <ref>[http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/24073/ What the Tea Parties Are About], April 16, 2009.</ref>

The most stunning victory credited to the Tea Party Movement, and specifically to the [[Tea Party Express]], was the surprise nomination of [[Sharron Angle]] over the establishment favorite [[Sue Lowden]] as the Republican candidate for the Senate seat of [[Nevada]]. The Tea Party Movement is also credited with helping to elect [[Scott Brown]] in an upset for the seat formerly held by the late [[Ted Kennedy]].

[[Dick Armey]] of [[FreedomWorks]] was a prime initial mover for this cause. [[Glenn Beck]], [[Rand Paul]], [[Michele Bachmann]], [[Sarah Palin]], and many others have encouraged and participated in aspects of the movement.

All of the rallies are in protest of the [[generational theft]] of public tax monies, the tremendous extensions of United States Federal debt and authority, the apparent restructuring of the Federal government with the intent to contravene the system of checks and balances for which the Constitution provides, and the attempt, which some movement leaders say has been in progress for several decades, to sacrifice [[liberty]] for permanent dependency.<ref>[http://www.americansolutions.com/directupload/pdf/TeaPartyOnePagers.pdf American Solutions for Winning the Future (PDF)], American Solutions, April 15, 2009.</ref><ref>Bret Baier. [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,509445,00.html Taxpayers Strike Back With 'Tea Parties'], ''[[Fox News]]'', March 16, 2009.</ref><ref name="Tea Party Guide">[http://taxdayteaparty.com/guide/ Tax Day Tea Party Resources ], April 15, 2009.</ref>

The Tea Party Movement held its first scheduled nationwide protest on April 15, 2009, a day that became known as the [[Tax Day Tea Party]].<ref name="WSJ">[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123975867505519363.html Tax Day Becomes Protest Day], ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'', April 15, 2009.</ref> In the spirit of the founding fathers [[Boston Tea Party]], the rallies have used themes from the [[American Revolution]] and also adopted the "American Tea Party Anthem," a song first performed during a March 21, 2009 Orlando, Florida Tea Party that drew over 4,000 people.<ref>Michelle Malkin. [http://michellemalkin.com/2009/02/21/tea-party-usa-the-movement-grows/ Tea Party U.S.A.: The movement grows], February 21, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://newsblaze.com/story/20090323074552zzzz.nb/topstory.html "Tea Party" Song Becomes YouTube Hit]. ''Newsblaze'', March 23, 2009.</ref><ref>Andrea Shea King. [http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/asking/2009/04/14/american-tea-party-anthem-singer-lloyd-marcus-this-whole-thing-is-rush-limbaughs-fault/ American Tea Party Anthem Singer Lloyd Marcus: "This whole thing is Rush Limbaugh’s fault."], ''Big Hollywood'', April 14, 2009.</ref>

== Beginnings ==
On January 27, radio talk-show host [[Rush Limbaugh]] criticized the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]], commenting, "This 'porkulus' bill is designed to repair the Democratic Party's power losses from the 1990s forward, and to cement the party's majority power for decades."<ref>Rush Limbaugh. [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123318906638926749.html Rush Limbaugh: My Bipartisan Stimulus], WSJ.com, January 29, 2009.</ref>

On February 10, a Cape Coral woman named Mary Rakovich led a small protest outside President Barack Obama's townhall meeting in Fort Myers, [[Florida]].<ref>[http://www.news-press.com/article/20090211/OBAMA/90210068 Those outside Harborside in Fort Myers had plenty to see, say], ''The News-Press'', February 11, 2009.</ref> Then in late March of 2009, faced with the prospect of heavy fines from the city for not having the proper permitting or insurance, Mary Rakovich moved forward with future protests but with the backing of national organization ''FreedomWorks''. Rakovich said ''FreedomWorks'' offered to provide the insurance per the city's rules.<ref>[http://www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/page/content.detail/id/504707.html?nav=5011 Tea party finds new life, broadens cause], cape-coral-daily-breeze.com, March, 31, 2009.</ref>

The first anti-spending protest, organized by Liberty Belle, occurred in [[Seattle]], Washington on February 16, 2009.<ref>Derek Erwin. [http://derekerwin.blogspot.com/2009/04/dozen-ring-liberty-belles-sound-800.html A 'Dozen' Ring Liberty Belle's Sound, 800 Cities Ring-Back], ''A 1-In-100 Blogger'', accessed April 18, 2009.</ref><ref>Michelle Malkin, Glenn Reynolds. [http://www.pjtv.com/video/Pajamas_TV/Tea_Party_Protests%3A_Mesa%2C_Seattle%2C_Denver_%28Michelle_Malkin_and_Glenn_Reynolds%29/1406/ Tea Party Protests: Mesa, Seattle, Denver], PJTV, February 16, 2009.</ref> Another protest was held the following day, held in [[Denver]] on February 17,<ref>[http://www.thedenverchannel.com/politics/18732002/detail.html President Signs Massive Stimulus In Denver], accessed April 2, 2009.</ref> and a protest in Mesa, [[Arizona]] on February 18 brought 500 protesters.<ref>Gary Grado, Sonu Munshi, Hayley Ringle. [http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/135640/ More than 500 protest Obama's arrival], accessed April 2, 2009.</ref>

===Shout Heard 'Round the World===
The Tea Party Movement gained support when on February 19, on live [[Television|TV]], [[CNBC]] reporter [[Rick Santelli]] argued about the [[bailout]]s and shouted, "The government is promoting bad behavior."<ref>[http://freedomeden.blogspot.com/2009/02/rick-santelli-tea-party.html Transcript of Rick Santelli's speech], February 19, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.cnbc.com/id/29283701 Rick Santelli's Shout Heard 'Round the World], CNBC.com, February 19, 2009.</ref> Standing in the middle of the Chicago Stock Exchange, Santelli declared that America needed "a new kind of tea party," so that citizens can express their discontent with "the government's support of fiscal irresponsibility."<ref>Jennifer Rubin. [http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/mr-president-turn-back-while-theres-still-time/ Mr. President: Turn Back While There’s Still Time], ''Pajamas Media'', February 20, 2009.</ref><ref>Matt Drudge. [http://www.streetinsider.com/Insiders+Blog/Rick+Santelli+-+The+Rant+Heard+Round+the+World/4419854.html Rick Santelli - The Rant Heard 'Round the World'], streetinsider.com, February 19, 2009.</ref><ref name=myfoxchicago>Andy Roesgen. [http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/TeaParty Protestors Gather for Self-Styled Tea Party], myfoxchicago.com, February 27, 2009.</ref> With the help of ''DontGo'', ''Top Conservatives on Twitter'' (TCOT), ''[[Smart Girl Politics]]'' (SGP), ''The American Spectator'', ''Americans for Tax Reform'', ''[[FreedomWorks]]'', and ''The Heartland Institute'', the Chicago Tea Parties were scheduled to happen nationwide on February 27, 2009.<ref>[http://www.dontgomovement.com/blog/2009/02/23/the-chicago-tea-party-is-on/ The Chicago Tea Party is on!], February 23, 2009.</ref>

===February 27th Tea Parties===
Americans across the country gathered in 50 cities to protest the newly-passed Stimulus Bill of 2009.<ref>[http://www.tcotreport.com/Talking_Points.htm Talking Points and Theme for the Nationwide Chicago Tea Party], ''[[The TCOT Report]]'', February 24, 2009.</ref> Over 30,000 people made it to this event.<ref>Teri Christoph. [http://smartgirlpolitics.ning.com/video/video/show?id=2488056%3AVideo%3A24070& SGP.TeaParty], ''[[Smart Girl Politics]]'', February 27, 2009.</ref> Many at the event were upset over the economic stimulus packages and [[bailout]]s for [[Wall Street]] pushed through by both [[George W. Bush|President Bush]] and President Obama's administrations.<ref>[http://www.raleigh3.com/default.asp?sdetail=1849&sc=2724 Raleigh Holds 'Tea Party' To Protest Government], ''Raleigh Telegram'', March 25, 2009.</ref><ref name=myfoxchicago/>

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|- style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"
! Location !! Sponsors<ref>[http://www.pjtv.com/?cmd=page&page-id=68 Schedule of American Tea party Protests (with Sponsors)], February 27, 2009.</ref> !! Details
|-
| Atlanta, Georgia || TCOT, SGP, Don'tGo || A reported 300 to 400 protesters gathered outside the Georgia Capitol in protest of a $787 billion recovery bill.<ref name="georgia">[http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/02/27/budget-debate-launches-new-tea-party/ Budget debate launches new tea party], February 27, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/71521/ Tea Party from Atlanta], pajamasmedia.com, February 17, 2009.</ref>
|-
| [[Chicago, Illinois]] || Don'tGo<ref>[http://www.dontgomovement.com/blog/2009/02/19/chicago-tea-party/ Don'tGo Movement: Pledge to Have a Representation at Chicago Tea Party], February 19, 2009.</ref> || Approximately 300 people braved the 25 degree cold and wind in Chicago.<ref name="illinios">[http://www.foundingbloggers.com/wordpress/2009/02/breaking-chicago-tea-party-pictures/ BREAKING - Chicago Tea Party (Pictures) UPDATED Now With Video!], February 27, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.dontgomovement.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-birth-of-a-new-revolution/ The Birth of a New Revolution], February 27, 2009.</ref><ref name=myfoxchicago/>
|-
| Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas || Americans for Prosperity,<ref>[http://www.redcounty.com/texas/2009/02/the-tea-parties-were-successfu/ The Tea Parties were successful - here's the proof], February 23, 2009.</ref> TCOT, SGP, Don'tGo, Dallas County Young Republicans || A "Texas-sized Tea Party" of 300 or more Texans met in Fort Worth, protesting big government and taxes.<ref name="fortworth">[http://txtcot.ning.com/video/tea-party-09-made-the-world Tea Party '09 made the world news], February 27, 2009.</ref> One sponsor, TCOT, collected over 800 signatures during the event.<ref>[http://txtcot.ning.com/profiles/blogs/tea-party-09 Tea Party '09], February 28, 2009.</ref>
|-
| Denver, Colorado || TCOT, SGP, Don'tGo || At the East Capitol Steps, 100 "[[Atlas Shrugged]]" fans braved cold temperatures for a "Nationwide Chicago Tea Party" to protest the [[Obama Administration]]'s [[bailout]] plan.<ref name="dcolorado1">[http://coloradoindependent.com/23026/ayn-rand-stars-at-denver-stimulus-tea-party-protest Ayn Rand stars at Denver stimulus ‘tea party’ protest], ''Colorado Independent'', February 28, 2009.</ref><ref name="dcolorado2">[http://colorado.newsplatoon.com/2009/02/24/denver-tea-party/ Denver Tea Party], [[colorado]], February 24, 2009.</ref>
|-
| [[Houston, Texas]] || TBD || Large groups, not entirely made up of Republicans, tried to create a modern day version of the Boston Tea Party.<ref>[http://houstontps.org/?page_id=163 Houston Tea Party Society, In the News, Audio, Video], February 27, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.khou.com/video/topstories-index.html?nvid=352345&shu=1 Houston's Tax Day tea party], February 27, 2009.</ref>
|-
| [[Washington, D.C.]] || Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Tax Reform, Young Conservatives Coalition, The Heartland Institute || The American Tea Party made some noise outside the White House.<ref name="dc_examiner">[http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/New-American-Tea-Party-40442172.html DC Tea Party thrown at the White House], ''The Washington Examiner'', February 27, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.freedomworks.org/petition/iamwithrick/index.html 2009 Taxpayer Tea party], February 28, 2009.</ref> Several hundred taxpayers showed up at the DC Tea Party protest in Lafayette Park,<ref name="michellemalkin">[[Michelle Malkin]]. [http://michellemalkin.com/2009/02/27/scenes-from-the-tea-party/ Scenes from the D.C. Tea Party], February 27, 2009.</ref><ref name="dcfreedomworks">[http://www.freedomworks.org/blog/bstein80/video-from-the-dc-tea-party Video from the DC Tea Party], ''Freedom Works'', February 28, 2009.</ref> including "Joe the Plumber."<ref name="hotair">[http://hotair.com/archives/2009/02/27/joe-the-plumber-at-dc-tea-party-no-one-on-the-hill-gives-a-rip-about-you/ Joe the Plumber at D.C. Tea Party: No one on the Hill gives a rip about you], ''[[Hot Air]]'', February 27, 2009.</ref>
|}

== Scheduled Rallies ==
[[Image:Headnew.jpg|right|380px|right|Tax Day Tea Party poster]]
=== Tax Day Tea Party ===
: ''Main Article: [[Tax Day Tea Party]]''

==== 2009 ====
Success from the Chicago Tea Parties on February 27, as part of a concerted nationwide effort, led to the Tax Day Tea Party rallies held on April 15, 2009. Following the Chicago Tea Party protests, a group called ''Americans for Prosperity'' of [[North Carolina]] began implementing plans for a "Tax Day" Tea Party rally in Raleigh on the tax filing deadline.<ref>[http://www.raleigh3.com/default.asp?sdetail=1849&sc=2724 Raleigh Holds 'Tea Party' To Protest Government], ''Raleigh Telegram'', March 25, 2009.</ref> Leading up to the Tax Day Tea Parties, the events were organized and promoted by volunteers, activists, and [[Political action committee]]s across the [[United States]].<ref>http://www.freedomworks.org/press-releases/freedomworks-co-sponsoring-taxpayer-tea-parties-ac</ref> By taking advantage of online viral [[marketing]] to get the word out,<ref name="investorsnews">[http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=470054&Ntt=tea+party 'Tea Party' Protests In 35 Cities], March 2, 2009.</ref> the speed and scope with which the Tax Day Tea Party protests were organized can be attributed to the use of [[Twitter]] [[TCOT Report|#TCOT feeds]],<ref>[http://tcotreport.com/ TCOT Report], ''[[The TCOT Report]]''.</ref> on [[blog|blogs]],<ref>Marc Ambinder. [http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/02/tea_parties_pajamas_and_mediaevent_symbiotics.php Tea Parties, Pajamas, and Media/Event Symbiotics], ''The Atlantic'', February 25, 2009.</ref> and the social networking [[Web site]] [[Facebook]].<ref name="facebook">[http://michellemalkin.com/2009/03/04/going-galt-and-the-next-tea-party-wave/ “Going Galt” and the next Tea Party wave], [[Michelle Malkin]], March 4, 2009.</ref>

President Obama is seen to have responded to the tea parties with requested budget cuts of $100 million on April 20, 2009.<ref name="rushlimbaugh">[[Rush Limbaugh]]. [http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_042109/content/01125107.guest.html Obama Responded to Tea Parties with $100 Million in "Budget Cuts"], RushLimbaugh.com, April 21, 2009.</ref> Rush Limbaugh contended, "I'm sure they've got internal polling data that shows these tea parties are successful and these tea parties are a problem. So they're responding to the tea parties here. That's all this is." According to a Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey on April 20, 2009, the poll found that fifty-one percent (51%) of Americans had a favorable view of the tea parties held nationwide, including 32% who said their view of the events were "Very favorable." Thirty-three percent (33%) held an unfavorable opinion of the tea parties. Fifteen percent (15%) were not sure.<ref name="rasmussenreports">[http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics2/51_view_tea_parties_favorably_political_class_strongly_disagrees 51% View Tea Parties Favorably, Political Class Strongly Disagrees], ''Rasmussen Reports'', April 20, 2009.</ref>

==== 2010 ====
The Tea Party Patriots<ref>http://www.TeaPartyPatriots.org</ref> announced a milestone in the Tea Party movement: 2 million people attended the April 15 Tea Party events across the country in 2010, and 2,000 groups are now voluntarily affiliated with the Tea Party Patriots through its [[Web site]].<ref>PR Newswire. [http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=xprnw.20100429.DC96062&show_article=1 Tea Party Numbers Released: 2 Million, 2 Thousand], ''Breitbart'', April 29, 2010.</ref> Recent polls have shown that 48% of voters believe their views are reflected more closely in the values of the Tea Party movement than in the views of President Obama.

=== Independence Day ===
: ''Main Article: [[Independence Day Tea Party]]''

The same organizations decided to repeat their performance on [[Independence Day]] (July 4, 2009). Even more people attended; the largest such rally was held on the grounds of the Southfork Ranch (scene of the [[television]] series ''Dallas '), in [[Plano]], [[Texas]], which drew 37,000 attendees. The themes that organizers and participants sounded at these events were much the same as were those at the Tax Day events: advocacy of limited government, decrying of high levels of taxation, and refusal to countenance plans for [[socialism]] and especially socialized [[medicine]].

=== Labor Day ===
Several organizations also organized Tea Parties on [[Labor Day]], once again sounding the same limited-government, low-tax, and anti-socialistic themes. Those organizations that did not plan such events often referred people to those that did.

=== September 12 March on Washington ===
: ''Main Article: [[September 12 March on Washington]]''

[[File:Gadsden_snake.jpg|250px|right]]The largest TEA Party event thus far has been the September 12 March on [[Washington, DC]]. This was an event organized initially by the FreedomWorks Foundation, but nearly all Tea Party organizations decided to participate in this event, primarily by chartering buses and registering people for transportation to Washington. FreedomWorks estimates that 600,000 to 800,000 persons attended, and they base that estimate on the number of persons who responded when their Master of Ceremonies asked all attendees within earshot to send the text message "Freedom" to a designated five-digit telephone number. However, the [[London]] ''Daily Mail'' estimates attendance at as many as a million persons, on the basis of eyewitness accounts and aerial-photographic evidence.<ref name=dailymail>Gardner D, "[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1213056/Up-million-march-US-Capitol-protest-Obamas-spending-tea-party-demonstration.html A million march to US Capitol to protest against 'Obama the socialist']," ''The London Daily Mail'', September 14, 2009. Accessed September 16, 2009.</ref> Estimates of total attendance are difficult to obtain, primarily because the size of the crowd far exceeded the estimates by the event planners, with the result that many attendees were never able to get within earshot of the stage or even the sound system, and the temporary sanitary facilities were hopelessly jammed, with fifty persons standing in line to use each portable "necessary."

=== Operation: Can You Hear us Now? ===
TEA party demonstrations have targeted local and national media outs across the country to oppose massive government spending. In a press release, the movement was led by FaxDC in about 100 cities across the U.S. on September 17th. <ref>[http://www.lookingattheleft.com/2009/10/tea-party-movement-denounces-media-corrupton/ Tea Party Movement Denounces Media Corruption], Lookingattheleft.com, October 19, 2009.</ref> [[Rush Limbaugh]] has previously spoke for the need for such media targeted TEA protests.

* NBC studios in Burbank
* CNN in Atlanta and
* Affiliate stations of NBC, ABC and CBS
* The New York Times
* Los Angeles Times
* Other prominent newspapers.
[[File:Canyouhearusnow.jpg|350px]]

===TEA Party Movie===
''TEA PARTY: The Documentary Film'' was released Thanksgiving Day 2009, is a documentary of five grassroots activists. The story line ''"from home town rally goers and rally organizers to national activists taking part in the 912 Taxpayer March on Washington."'' The theme is about principles, a call for a return to constitutionally limited government, personal responsibility, and fiscal restraint at the Federal level. [http://www.teapartymovie.com/ TEA Party the Movie]

===Pink Slips Campaign===
Organized in part by Joseph Farah from [[WorldNetDaily]], they had a goal of sending each and every member of Congress more than 5,000,000 pink slips.
<br>
Each pink slip reads '''YOU ARE BEING PUT ON NOTICE''' and

*government health care
*cap and trade
*"hate crimes"
*any more spending

''"If you vote for any of these, your real pink slip will be issued in the next election"''

As of November 2009, 8 million pink slips have been sent to Congress at a cost of $29 each <ref>[http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=117136 True grass-roots effort? The 'pink slips' campaign, WND.com, November 25, 2009]</ref>

== Themes ==
The Tea Party Movement began with a protest against two aspects of current public policy:

# Excessive taxation
# Special privilege

Rick Santelli specifically cited the mortgage [[bailout]] policies of early 2009 as a prize example of the government doing special favors for certain classes of voters, in return for their continued support, and also of the "moral hazard" in which such policies inevitably place anyone who "buys on time," i.e., buys any sort of asset, from a home appliance to a parcel of [[real estate]], using borrowed money.

As the movement has progressed, it has begun to sound broader themes, which one may best summarize as:

# Self-responsibility
# Self-autonomy
# Limited government
# A requirement that government live within its own means, just as individuals must live within theirs
# Capitalism
# Freedom of all varieties of production and trade
# Respect for the [[United States Constitution]]

== Characteristics ==
=== Autonomy of local organizers ===
Most organization of Tea Parties and similar events is local. Typical of the movement is the Morristown Tea Party Organization ([[Morristown]], [[New Jersey]]), which has a five-member board of trustees and about fifty dedicated volunteers who handle operations, communication, and logistics without assistance or direction from any regional or other organization. State-wide co-ordinating bodies do exist (for example, New Jersey Tea Parties United), but local organizations are responsible for most of their activities, fund-raising, and legal functioning. In this regard, the Tea Party Movement is similar to the Independent Baptist Fellowship of North America, which never seeks to dictate to individual churches how they must conduct their affairs.

=== Individual comportment and deportment ===
Event participants, and especially event planners, are urged to comport themselves in a manner respectful of the rights and feelings of others. Organizational leaders consciously endeavor to distinguish their movement from many [[liberal]] protest movements, which often characterize themselves by rude behavior, [[vandalism]], and even physical assaults against their opponents. Any person who persistently suggests that Tea Party Movement participants engage in activities remotely similar to this may usually consider themselves excluded, and in some cases organizers have summoned law-enforcement authorities to deal with provocative behavior by attendees at planning and other meetings.

=== Symbols ===
[[File:Gadsden_flag.png|200px|right]]By far the most prominent symbol at Tea Parties is the [[Rattlesnake (American symbol)|Gadsden Rattlesnake Flag]].<ref>''Heraldric'': Or a rattlesnake sable and or coiled as to strike, facing sinister, on a bed of grass vert; motto "Don't Tread On Me"</ref> The ''[[American historical flags|Come And Take It]]'' Flag has also appeared most notably at the September 12 March on Washington. Tea Party participants have almost always used home-made and home-decorated signs and other artifacts, in sharp contrast to the uniform, professionally printed signs carried at [[liberal]] demonstrations.

Most of the signs bear lampoons of the most highly publicized Obama Administration policies, from "Czars" to socialized medicine; moreover, Barack Obama is not the only target of criticism, the [[MSM]] has also been challenged in some rallies, both for their failings in covering the Tea Party Movement and also for what most participants regard as a collective decision by Mainstream Media organs to function as ''de facto'' government and/or [[Democratic Party]] as organs rather than the objective and disinterested commentators that they pretend to be.

Some of the signs that have been seen and photographed at these events have provoked cries of outrage from Tea Party Movement opponents, alleging bad taste, e.g. a picture of Barack Obama with the square mustache affected by [[Adolf Hitler]] and bearing the caption "I've Changed," and a sign bearing the message "Bury ObamaCare with [[Edward M. Kennedy|Kennedy]]." After the liberal Mainstream Media quickly blamed conservatives and even [[Rush Limbaugh]], some research was done to find the true source of the Hitler poster. It was later uncovered that the provocative Hitler signs were from a group of far-left [[Lyndon LaRouche]] supporters, as they were infiltrating the Tea Party rallies as a means to spread their extreme visions.<ref>Seton Motley. [http://newsbusters.org/blogs/seton-motley/2009/08/12/nbc-cnn-msnbc-all-assign-communist-larouches-obama-hitler-poster-conse NBC, CNN and MSNBC All Assign Communist LaRouche's Obama-Hitler Poster to Conservatives, Limbaugh], ''NewsBusters'', August 12, 2009.</ref>

== News coverage ==
[[File:MSMbyTEA.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Attitude of Tea Party Movement participants toward four MSM outlets]]

By far the most industrious news organ that has covered the Tea Party Movement has been [[Fox News Channel]], and especially its commentators Neil Cavuto and [[Glenn Beck]].

Coverage by the [[Mainstream Media]] of the Tea Party events has been lacking, both in quantity and in quality. The three traditional broadcast networks ([[ABC]], [[CBS]], [[NBC]]) have attempted to discredit these events as corporate-sponsored or sponsored by the [[Republican Party]] and other conservative or reactionary groups, and have generally censored the movement by refusing to cover major events.<ref name=baker>Baker B, "[http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brent-baker/2009/04/16/abc-cbs-nbc-try-discredit-tea-party-protests ABC, CBS and NBC Try to Discredit 'Tea Party' Protests]," ''NewsBusters'', 16 April 2009. Accessed September 16, 2009. Baker does a side-by-side comparison of coverage of the Tax Day Tea Parties and of several pro-immigration rallies held on 1 May 2006.</ref> Furthermore, several news anchors working for [[CNN]] and [[MSNBC]] coined the phrase "tea-baggers," a crude term used to slur [[conservatives]], which has an off-color connotation attempting to mock Tea Party Movement leaders and participants.<ref>Michael Patrick Leahy. [http://www.tcotreport.com/obamaslur.html In Pep Talk to Democrats Yesterday, Obama Used Crude Term to Slur Conservatives], ''[[The TCOT Report]]'', November 8, 2009.</ref>

Tea Party organizers are not controlled or funded by the Republican Party or any established interest group.

===Polls===
In latge 2009 the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll showed 41% of Americans have a positive view of the tea party movement, and 24% had a negative view . By contrast, only 35% of Americans have a positive view of the Democrats and only 28% have a positive view of the Republican Party.<ref> see [http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/12/16/wsjnbc-news-poll-tea-party-tops-democrats-and-republicans/ "WSJ/NBC News Poll: Tea Party Tops Democrats and Republicans," ''Wall Street Journal'' Dec. 16, 2009]</ref>

{{Conservatism}}

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

==See Also==
* [[Tax Day Tea Party]]
* [[Independence Day Tea Party]]
* [[9/12 March on Washington D.C.]]
* [[Boston Tea Party]]
* [[Tea Party Organizations]]

[[Category:Taxation]]
[[Category:Obama Presidency]]
[[Category:Tax Revolts]]
[[Category:Featured articles]]

==External Links==
* [http://www.nationalteapartyconvention.com/ National Tea Party Unity Convention], TEA Party Nation (TPN).
* [http://www.onlinetaxrevolt.com/march/ The Online Tax Revolt March], Choose an Avatar and March Online to Washington.
* [http://taxdayteaparty.com/ Tax Day Tea Party]
* [http://www.reteaparty.com/ America's Re-Tea Party]
* [http://www.teapartypatriots.org/ Tea Party Patriots]

Algorithm

2010-06-13T14:18:31Z

MaryH: /* See also */ Added references.

An '''algorithm''' is a procedure for carrying out a task which, given an initial state, will terminate in a clearly defined end-state. It can be thought of as a recipe, or a step-by-step method, so that in following the steps of the algorithm one is guaranteed to find the solution or the answer. One commentator describes it as:<ref>David Berlinski, ''The Advent of the Algorithm: The Idea that Rules the World'' (Harcourt Inc.: 2000).</ref>

{{cquote|a finite procedure, written in a fixed symbolic vocabulary, governed by precise instructions, moving in discrete Steps 1, 2, 3, ..., whose execution requires no insight, cleverness, intuition, intelligence, or perspicuity, and that sooner or later comes to an end.}}

The name is derived from a corruption of [[Muhammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī|Al-Khwārizmī]], the Persian astronomer and mathematician who wrote a treatise in Arabic in 825 AD entitled: ''On Calculation with Hindu Numerals''. This was translated into Latin in the 12th century as ''Algoritmi de numero Indorum''. The title translates as "Al-Khwārizmī on the numbers of the Indians", with ''Algoritmi'' being the translator's rendition of the original author's name in Arabic. Later writers misunderstood the title, and treated ''Algoritmi'' as a Latin plural of the neologism ''Algoritmus'' or ''Algorithmus'', and took its meaning to be 'calculation method'. In the Middle Ages there were many variations of this, such as alkorisms, algorisms, algorhythms etc.

There are two main current usages:
# In elementary education, where an 'algorithm' is used for calculation, such as the decomposition algorithm, or the equal addition method of subtraction. Many of these algorithms are, in fact derivations from methods in Al-Khwārizmī's original treatise.
# In computing, where an algorithm is the methodology which underlies a computer program. This tells the computer what specific steps to perform (in what specific order) in order to carry out a specified task, such as calculating employees’ paychecks or printing students’ report cards.

All algorithms must adhere to two rules -

*They must work for any given input or network.
*They must have a single start point, and a single finish point.

There is a second type of algorithm - whereas most algorithms provably evaluate the most desirable end-state (for example, it is possible to mathematically prove that Dijkstra's algorithm gives the shortest route from one point to another) - others known as 'heuristic algorithms' cannot provably give the best solution (although they do give a fairly good result). While this may seem inferior, some problems are very difficult or even impossible to map out using normal algorithms, so heuristic ones are superior in these cases.

==Examples of Algorithms==

===Dijkstra's algorithm===

Dijkstra's algorithm finds the shortest path through a [[network]], from one point to another.

#Start by labelling the first [[node]] (1,0,0). The first number, the ordinal value, denotes the order in which the arcs were labelled, the second, the label value (the distance travelled thus far), while the third, the working value, denotes the possible distance to that point.
#Then, update the working values for nodes separated to the current node(s) by one [[arc]], by adding the weight of the arc to that node to the label value of the node at the other end. This value may decrease during the progression of the algorithm, as new, shorter, routes are found.
#Choose the node with the lowest working value, and promote its working value to the label value, and write in its new ordinal value. For example, if this was the second node labelled, its complete annotation would now read (2, x, x), where 'x' would be the distance between it and the first node.
#Now return to the second step. If there are no more nodes to be added, the algorithm has finished.

===Planarity algorithm===

The planarity algorithm is used to determine whether a given shape is 2-dimensional or not. It has found particular use in road and circuit board design to avoid cross-overs.

#Identify a [[Hamiltonian Cycle]] in the network.
#Redraw the network with the Hamiltonian cycle on the outside.
#Identify any crossings between lines.
#Choose an arc with crossings to stay inside the cycle. Move any arcs with crossings to the outside.
#Repeat from step 3 until there are no more crossings. If this step is completed, it shows that the shape is planar (2-d). If it cannot be completed, the shape is 3-dimensional and not planar.

===Critical path analysis===

Critical path analysis is used to determine the fastest/most efficient way of completing a series of tasks, which often depend upon each other.
===Kruskal's algorithm===

Kruskal's algorithm is used to find the minimum spanning tree in an network that you can see all of.
===Prim's algorithm===

Prim's algorithm is used to find the minimum spanning tree when only some of a network is visible.

===Bin-filling algorithm===

The Bin filling algorithm is used to find the most efficient way of combining several differently sized objects into a space(s) with a certain size. An example would be the problem of packing objects into the boot of a car; the bin-filling algorithm is in fact a mathematically formulated version of the rule of thumb 'put the big things in first'; but in can be used for many other problems - loading cars onto ferries, sending messages via [[routers]] on the [[internet]], etc. It is a heuristic algorithm, as it does not give a provably maximal solution (the only way to do this, until Vijay Vazirani invented a new form of [[approximation algorithm]], was to arrange the objects in every conceivable order).
==References==
<references/>
==See also==
*[[Computability]]
*[[Genetic algorithms]]
*[[Evolutionary algorithm]]
*[[Solved game]]
[[category:mathematics]]