Tea Party Groups Calls On Sponsors to Drop Hardball

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tea Party Groups Call on Sponsors to Drop Hardball
Matthews’ “Hit Piece” Disparages Tea Party Members

June 17, 2010 – The National Tea Party Federation, a broad coalition of Tea Party groups, takes a stand and condemns the left-wing propaganda hit piece that aired on MSNBC June 16th.

The program, Rise of the New Right, was journalism at its worst, and its purpose was to demonize and misrepresent. Chris Matthews used his Hardball program to slander and mislead the American people by distorting facts about the Tea Party Movement. Hardball selectively portrayed groups and individuals in the program in a bad light.

David Webb, co-founder of New York City’s TeaParty365 said, “Chris Matthews is a far left commentator, not a journalist and therefore should not be held to or credited with the same standards.”

“I am an American who happens to be black, Republican, and that offends their warped vision. I would gladly face Matthews one-on-one anytime on policy and issues. This attack on Americans of all ethnicities, religious beliefs, age and political affiliations will ultimately fail because the truth wins. The desperation of a failing far left, and a dying network is apparent,” Webb concluded.

FreedomWorks Grassroots Director Brendan Steinhauser said, “The Tea Party movement I know looks nothing like the one portrayed on MSNBC. It is made up of good, hardworking, honest, smart people who love their country. It is a movement that reflects the best in America.”

Mark A. Skoda, Chairman of The Memphis TEA Party, stated, “The Tea Party movement has had a profound impact on election outcomes. The fact that MSNBC has taken it upon themselves to distort and disparage these Americans is unacceptable. Chris Matthews continued to promote the racism narrative, suggested the prospect of violent behavior by activists and promulgated the idea that the conservative movement is somehow un-American. We will encourage our coalition and Tea Party people everywhere to make their voices heard at MSNBC and to their sponsors.”

Jamie Radkte, Chairman of The Virginia Tea Party Patriot Federation, said, “What we witnessed tonight was an attempt by Chris Matthews to demonize Americans who believe in the Founding principles of limited government, fiscal restraint, and Constitutional adherence as violent, radical, extremists, who are threatening the very foundation of our nation. This type of commentary is divisive, shameful, and irresponsible.”

National Tea Party Coalition co-founder Michael Patrick Leahy, added, “Chris Matthews and MSNBC have just delivered one of the most dishonest pieces of propaganda posing as journalism in American broadcast and cable television history.”

We agree with Matthews who states in his conclusion, “What’s scary today is the language thrown about. Words have consequences.”

The National Tea Party Federation calls for all tea party supporters to contact the sponsors of Hardball and ask them to pull their commercials from this show. (Advertiser listing and contacts at NTPF website.) These commercial sponsors cannot continue their support of a program that seeks to demonize millions of Americans who identify with the Tea Party movement.

Furthermore, the Federation is calling on all Americans and local tea party groups to voice their objection to local media outlets on this dishonest attack on citizens who have legitimate policy concerns and are exercising their First Amendment rights.

For more information or to register and participate in the National Tea Party Federation, log on to www.nationalteapartyfederation.com.

About the National Tea Party Federation (NTPF):
The Federation is a broad coalition of national and regional Tea Party groups committed to improving communications between local, regional, and national tea party organizations. Our purpose is to facilitate and support clarity of message, rapid response to media misinformation, and to continue to collaborate and promote the movement’s core principles of Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government, and Free Markets.

Contacts:

Christina Botteri
christina.k.bo@gmail.com
Phone: 916-315-8989

To get a sense of what was shown on Hardball, see here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/#37742996

Contact information for commercial sponsors of Hardball at link below. List of sponsors listed below as well: http://nationalteapartyfederation.com/press_room.html