New Study Finds Koch Bros. Tried to Start Tea Party Movement in 2002

[phantom power]

Shattering the public perception that the Tea Party is a spontaneous popular citizens movement, a new academic paper provides evidence that an organization founded by David and Charles Koch, attempted to launch the Tea Party movement in 2002.

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You can find a screenshot here of the archived U.S. Tea Party site, as it appeared online on Sept. 13, 2002.

The site is described as, “In 2002, our U.S. Tea Party is a national event, hosted continuously online, and open to all Americans who feel our taxes are too high and the tax code is too complicated.” There is also “Patriot Guest book” available for visitors to voice their support and write a message for CSE and the U.S. Tea Party movement.

The US Tea Party site is no longer online and appears to have been taken down sometime in mid-2011. A DNS registry search, finds that the web address usteaparty.com is currently owned by Freedomworks, an organization heavily involved in Tea Party organizing today.

http://my.firedoglake.com/kevingrandia/2013/02/11/new-study-finds-koch-bros-tried-to-start-tea-party-movement-in-2002/

[BlueStreak]

1. Daddy, how do they make Astroturf?