They called it themselves initially. Remember the dumping of the thousands of tea bags? Besides, you can’t have tea without the bags. And “tea bag” by itself is not sexual. It’s the act, “tea bagging” that’s sexual.

Well, good for NPR for acknowledging the offense taken. It now joins Gwen Ifill as having the class to knock it off once the full context of the phrase was discovered. Also, Anderson Cooper has apologized for his “teabagging” quip on his show.

That leaves everybody on MSNBC (David Shuster, Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews, Ed Schultz, Keith Olbermann — partial list) who know it’s vulgar, know it’s offensive to all but a tiny minority of participants, and keep using it because their hatred of the movement overwhelms any sense of journalistic neutrality or decency within them.

Worst of the practitioners of the slur is writer Clarence Page, who has won a Pulitzer Prize. Now he’s reduced himself to discourse more suited for Bart Simpson prank calls.

m wrote:

They called it themselves initially.

You overstate the case, as does Rachel Maddow and her ilk. There were some “South Park Conservatives” who thought it was amusing, but the entire idea did not become known as “The Teabagger Party” or some such thing. The whole idea was instigated by Rick Santelli’s famous rant on CNBC, and he made no reference to tea bags.

I have coined the term ‘Republoteabaggerists’ to describe that hybrid that is the Republican coupled with the surrogate Tea Partier. Keep in mind – they called themselves ‘Teabagger’ first.

The Tea Party today has no correlation at all with the Boston Tea Party anyway. More appropriately they should reach into history and recall the term ‘Putsch’ — and it failed, too.

Bill Adkins wrote:

Keep in mind – they called themselves ‘Teabagger’ first.

If they hadn’t, are you saying that would have stopped you?

If they hadn’t called themselves teabaggers, I (Along with every sane/savvy person out there) wouldn’t laugh at them. If they had called their group “The Lemon Party”, the reaction would be the same. Not our fault that the teabaggers aren’t aware of the popular term.

Perhaps the tea party should stop using the term, especially in specific phrases like “Teabag them before they teabag you”.

Protesters at the tea parties, like myself, will get used to being attacked by the entire establishment.. we’ll see who wins what though.

PBS probably can’t be happy about this. Correctly lumped in with NPR, PBS incessantly whines for ‘viewer support’ during pledge drives, which is very comical TV if you’ve ever seen it. This NPR uproar will drive more viewers away from PBS, which will then turn the funding spigot even more toward the ‘OFF’ position. “Won’t you PLEASE pick up your phone now and help support the GREAT programming we bring you?”

Hey rmbltmbl – who are these establishment types that attack you and exactly how did they do it?

None of the teabaggers at those white power rallies makes more than $250,000 dollars a year so, why are they protesting every other day? Because the Democrats kicked their asses again in 2008. They’re upset that they’re party is now literally impotent and can’t pass any legislation or block any. Bush gave 2 tax breaks to the rich while Obama has cut taxes for the same idiots who show up at those rallies. The teabaggers don’t like this administration and so they don’t believe it has the right to govern. They’re wrong. If you don’t like this President and his party, all you have to do is find enough Americans who agree with you. But, that’s not going to happen. I’ve posted this before but, it bares repeating since ignorant teabaggers think the Republicans and Conservatives are better at governing. Since 1959, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, under Republcians, private sector job growth is 5.4% while under Democrats, it’s 11.7%. That’s right, nearly twice as much. When you’re out there chanting with teabagger politicians or Republicans and Conservatives, you’re cheering for an impotent style of government. What does that say about you?

Bill Adkins says:
January 8, 2010 at 5:29 pm

Yes, you’ve also made it clear that anti-Semitism is your thing… it’s not surprising what else you find “acceptable.”

rmbltmbl says:
January 9, 2010 at 4:47 am

As I said before, I think the whole “teabagger” derogatory thing hit is apex a while ago. Now the loons are using it as an insult, but using it incorrectly if they’re intent is to be sexual in nature. At this point, it’s a joke that’s been told over and over and over again. It’s not offensive, just a sign that the person uttering it isn’t funny, and is boring.

roxsteady says:
January 9, 2010 at 12:46 pm

Can you refrain from putting that many lies in a post with no paragraphs. It makes it hard to refute when it’s hard to read, and when there are just so many fallacies. I mean, there are only so many hours in the day!

INB, I don’t just mean teabagger, the attacks have been coming for a long time and as time goes on there will be more. From the most subtle dismissive story to calling us ‘all white people’ as Tingles loves to claim, the protesters will be explained as kooks by the MSM and they will misdirect or ignore any information on why people are there in the first place.

Ted, I meant the entire liberal establishment(I apologize for not being clearer for you) and if you haven’t heard of any attacks yet.. I’m not the person to inform you. I also think Republicans are terrified of the tea party protests as Republicans are arguably liberal.

roxsteady says:
January 9, 2010 at 12:46 pm

‘Since 1959, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, under Republcians, private sector job growth is 5.4% while under Democrats, it’s 11.7%. That’s right, nearly twice as much. When you’re out there chanting with teabagger politicians or Republicans and Conservatives, you’re cheering for an impotent style of government. What does that say about you?’

Naturally, you are convinced that a president or government SHOULD BE charged with growing the economy, not the individuals.. You could analyze these statistics to say that Republicans put the right policies into place, only to be ruined by Democrats, spending, when Republicans return to power. Economic policies do not immediately take effect in a market and do not immediately disappear either, there are forces at work that are likely impossible to measure(global warming). What is clear is that lowering taxes is by far the best way to stimulate an economy.. and lets face it, democrats don’t lower taxes, they raise them. Using that statistic like a law of physics, what does that say about you?

bitchass faggots like Bill Adkins love using that teabagger term. And that’s ill son, cause techincally, i’ve we’re on some teabagger type shit, then that means our collective nuts are in your motherfuckin mouth son, thereby making you the TEABAGGIE (and be forewarned, I ain’t takin a shower before I’m puttin ‘em your backwards, hickass, redneck Kentucky mouth you bitch…I’m goin rawdog on your ass HAAA!)

You too cocksteady and Ted(ouchebag)

“marquis3.1 says:
January 9, 2010 at 5:26 pm
bitchass faggots like Bill Adkins love using that teabagger term. And that’s ill son, cause techincally, i’ve we’re on some teabagger type shit, then that means our collective nuts are in your motherfuckin mouth son, thereby making you the TEABAGGIE (and be forewarned, I ain’t takin a shower before I’m puttin ‘em your backwards, hickass, redneck Kentucky mouth you bitch…I’m goin rawdog on your ass HAAA!)”

I think you’ve proven you can’t talk with your mouth full. Try practicing with marbles. As for you, blue, why do you hate blacks? Bad experience in the school lockerroom?

marquis – what is an ouchebag? You really need to introduce yourself to something called “the dictionary.” You can find one on most libraries if you can’t afford one…and something tells me you can’t.

It’s no wonder it took so long for anyone to notice some bit of hate journalism that ran on NPR.org, slamming the group referred to by the left-wing loonies as “tea baggers.” Frankly, I’m surprised anyone notices anything coming out of NPR. That’s because no one in their right mind wastes their time reading the drivel posted on the website, or listening to its programming, that ONLY exists through the charity of tax dollars confiscated from the achievers in our society.