Leader of St. Louis Tea Party Defends Recruiting Lobbyist Gary Wiegert

• Certain words reveal the intellectual level of the speaker. Duh!

• shut the fuck up. you credulous fucks are pro-private sector unions while cheering on billionaire-funded scumbags busting the public sector unions. of course, once they move on to busting the private sector unions, you'll change your tune. they tell you what to think. calling it "right to work" and saying the purpose is to defend individual freedom is 100% bullshit. you fucking people think the bible ordains unrestrained capitalism and see unions as perversions of the precious market. the same religious right elements that are defending swine like walker and kasich today were defending the coal operators 100 years ago. you fucking people disgust me.

• and what is the tea party message? basically, it's OH MY GOD THERE'S A NIGRAMOOSLEM IN THE WHITE HOUSE HE"S GONNA TAKE OUR GUNS I READ IT IN THE BOOK OF REVELATIONS

• Also, the Tea Party IS in favor of the Right to Work legislation as written, which does nothing to existing unions nor does it prevent organizing future union shops. It simply prohibits REQUIRING membership in a union as a condition of employment. Thus providing FREEDOM of CHOICE and liberty to employees to CHOOSE whether they wish to join a union or not! This is not an ANTI UNION position, despite what Union Bosses would have you believe. Further, the Tea Party DOES oppose Public Sector Collective Bargaining, and supports the Wisconsin legislation... but this is separate and distinct from PRIVATE SECTOR unions which certainly have a place in the American Workplace, and are entitled to bargain for the best contract they can get. BUT when a company in the Private Sector makes poor management decisions and agrees to unsustainable union demands, they are responsible to either renegotiate or declare bankruptcy... it is not incumbent on the taxpayer to bail them out - ie GM/Chrysler.

• Love the misleading headline... "defends recruiting lobbyist" Ummm. He wasn't RECRUITED, he VOLUNTEERED to speak with legislators and carry Tea Party Concerns to them. He was already making the trips to Jeff City. He was already speaking to legislators and expressing Tea Party concerns. He wasn't a "lobbyist" until STLTPC advised him to REGISTER AS ONEso his activities that he was ALREADY DOING would not bring question or accusation against him or against STLTPC!! Headline implies STLTPC went to the yellow pages under "Lobbyists" and sought out someone!!

• Good point, Doug. I should've written "recruited" instead of "hired." Not sure about your second argument. Hennessy clearly states in the video that he asked Wiegert to represent the Tea Party in Jeff City

• For the record, NO ONE WAS HIRED. Gary isn't a PAID lobbyist. He simply registered to avoid complications as he carried the Tea Party message to legislators during his many trips to Jefferson City! If you speak to legislators on your own behalf, that's one thing. But if you speak to legislators on behalf of someone else, that can be construed as lobbying - and doing so without registering can cause issues and accusations. Gary registering as a lobbyist simply defuses that possibility. Gary wasn't asked to lobby. He was already VOLUNTEERING to bring the message as he was already making the trip to Jefferson City frequently for reasons unrelated to politics. He was asked to REGISTER as a lobbyist to protect HIM and to protect the St Louis Tea Party Coalition, as described above.

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