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      FRESHMAN ORIENTATION CLARIFICATION‏

Tea Party Patriots

Clarifications & Update
Clarification Regarding Claremont Institute

It has come to our attention that a clarification is needed regarding our recent interactions with the Claremont Institute and our Freshman Orientation taking place this weekend. As you are no doubt aware, a scheduling conflict arose, and we found that there were lobbyist and political campaign consultants serving as "coordinators." This is indeed factual, and remains the case. However, there are some who have interpreted this to mean that we believe that the Claremont Institute is part of the inside-the-beltway, DC problem. We do not believe this is the case, and apologize for any implication which may have been drawn from our emails.

To the contrary, Tea Party Patriots has nothing but admiration for Claremont. Since 1979, Claremont has been fighting to restore the principles of the American Founding to their rightful, preeminent authority in our national life. Long before the tea party movement even existed, the Claremont Review of Books and their Fellowship programs were providing the foundations upon which the conservative movement was built. Operating not in DC, but from California, they are a critical part of the conservative foundation which will ultimately restore this country to its founding principles.

Clarification Regarding Communications with Congressmen-Elect

For the last several weeks we have been asking our members to obtain and provide us the phone numbers and email addresses of the candidates they were supporting. The intent was to use them to invite the Freshman class to our orientation, and to communicate with them prior to the assignment of "official," government-issued phone numbers and email addresses.

Unfortunately, it appears that some of the numbers we obtained truly were "private" phone numbers and email addresses, and those private phones and emails were flooded with requests for the freshmen in question to attend the Tea Party Patriots Freshman Orientation event. This was not our intent, however, this was our only way to communicate with them since they do not have an "official" line of communication at the present time. When more formal communications lines are established, then Tea Party Patriots will use those lines to reach the members, and do so in a way that works for all.

Finally, to those who are critical of our efforts, we'd like to ask where they have been when tea partiers across the country have had their personal phone numbers and addresses posted by others. Both Jenny Beth Martin and Mark Meckler have had personal private information posted online, including home addresses and phone numbers. Those who are complaining that congressmen had their personal phone numbers and email addresses listed so that constituents could reach them, didn't express a bit out outrage at the egregious invasion of Jenny Beth's and Mark's privacy. And Jenny Beth and Mark didn't go to the media complaining about it.

Update on Orientation and Local Coordinator Summit

We have been asked by many as to how the RSVPs are going for the Freshmen Orientation and updates for the Local Coordinator Summit. We will have a detailed update out on Monday for you. Currently, we have the largest gathering of local coordinators in DC in the history of the tea party movement with nearly 200 local coordinators in attendance in person and many more participating via webinar . There have been several speakers and then long discussions on best practices from around the country. They are evaluating your survey results on how TPP has done in the last year. If you have not filled out the survey, be sure to do so using this link.

In Closing

In the end, one of the main goals of the Tea Party Patriots is to help tea partiers across the country stay informed and communicate about issues which concern them. In doing so, we will occasionally ruffle feathers. And sometimes it requires that we step back and reevaluate our actions.
We've done so here, and we'll continue to do so in the future.
Your Tea Party Patriots National Coordinator Team,
Debbie Dooley, Jenny Beth Martin, Mark Meckler, Sally Oljar, Diana Reimer, and Dawn Wildman

TPP Support email: support@teapartypatriots.org
TPP Support phone number: 404-593-0877

Jenny Beth Martin (jennybethm@gmail.com, on Tiwtter @jenuinejen, on Facebook)
Dawn Wildman (dmwlaw1@yahoo.com)
Mark Meckler (mark@teapartypatriots.org)
Debbie Dooley (debbie0040@yahoo.com)


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