Tea Party embarrasses nation

Tea Party

embarrasses nation

Two letters of interest in the May 5 "Your Views":

First, David Pinter pointed out that spending $100 million on a presidential library in Illinois is a waste since Illinois can't provide "basic services." I agree, the Obama Library should be privately funded. The last thing the library needs is to have Republicans, who have done everything possible to discredit the president, controlling its funding, location, size or content.

Then, Thaddeum Kochanny's letter noted gerrymandering the 8th District was the reason Joe Walsh lost to Tammy Duckworth. Really? Joe Walsh lost because he announced to the world that he wasn't sent to Washington to compromise. Governance without compromise is called a "dictatorship." The voters agreed.

It may come as a surprise to the Tea Party, but I expect elected representatives to work together for the entire country, not just the fringe element of one political party. You can teach a parrot how to say, "No." Perhaps the Tea Party should be looking for candidates in pet stores.

Then the Tea Party-backed Republicans shut down the government last fall, knowing it would slow the fragile economy. That isn't leadership; it's childish incompetence.

This same batch of politicians are really good at demonizing the poor on food stamps. Since the poor will never write huge checks to political campaigns, it's a safe bet to blame our country's problems on them. But obscene cost overruns on military hardware? Not a word. Hypocrisy as its finest. The Tea Party is an embarrassment to this country.

Tom L. Conley

Huntley