American Spectator Slams Our Own Matt Collins

[specsaregood]

well the way i look at it.if he had given him a hand shake. you wouldn't have a story to even complain about and our message wouldn't of been heard! catch 22 no? the only reaSON YOU ARE EVEN POSTING ANYTHING RELATED TO MATT AND HIS ACTIONS is a story was created by his actions!

It seems our Mr. Collins has the potential to be a decent politician. He did a bit of grandstanding and as a result got the message out there that Mr. Wamp makes poor votes and does not represent conservative ideals. The point being missed is that the people here and on those other blogs don't even dispute this issue; because they can't. So while they attack MC for his behavior they still reinforce the overall message. Crafty Mr. Collins, crafty indeed.

 

[Mandrik]

i always say to folks. if they can do better. then shut up and do it not directed at you of course!

Amen to that, lol. I know I wish I could do more, but I do what I can. Folks like Matt are way ahead of me, so who am I to judge? Go out there and do your thing. I'd be happy to see people out there at least trying & failing than taking the XBOX/Doritos route that many of my "red pill" friends have chosen.

edit:

I'm sure there are a lot of people that are doing a lot of work you are unaware of...

Hell yeah, I'm sure they are out there working their tails off! I hope they are doing their thing as well!

 

[speciallyblend]

Amen to that, lol. I know I wish I could do more, but I do what I can. Folks like Matt are way ahead of me, so who am I to judge? Go out there and do your thing. I'd be happy to see people out there at least trying & failing than taking the XBOX/Doritos route that many of my "red pill" friends have chosen.

edit:



Hell yeah, I'm sure they are out there working their tails off! I hope they are doing their thing as well!

I know one thing. in the ron paul movement. i met alot of great folks at Ronstock
(paul n emily rock) (rally for the republic) and i was never happier sending my hard earned money to Ron Paul! of course i am broke now but i did what i could the last 2 yrs with what i had!


i also met alot of folks up at the freedom rally in south dakota!

I look forward to supporting our 2 ron paul democrats,since the cogop dropped the ball!

 

[Mandrik]

<threadhijack>
Yeah, I've definitely met a lot of really great people through this movement, especially locally. Probably the biggest surprise for me was when I went to Philly for RP's speech in November '07. When it was all over, I was walking behind the stage for a chance to shake his hand (which I managed). As I was heading over I bumped into a first cousin that I had no idea was involved in the movement! I didn't know what we were angrier about--being cousins and not knowing we had the same great taste in politics, or not having car pooled when we only live 10 minutes away from each other.

I'm going to do my best to go at least 1 day to the C4L rally in Philly this September.
</threadhijack>

 

[Matt Collins]

Would I shake hands with someone who flushed my children's future down the toilet?

That was my point too!

 

[Matt Collins]

I see rockandrollsoul's point, but you know what Matt, you are the one who got out there, did the hard work to even be in this position, so I respect your call.

Coming from you that means a lot. Thanks!

 

[Matt Collins]

if he helps callout some scum in the party and helps other see the scum. then kudos to him.

From what I see, Matt has solidified himself as a Ron Paul Republican solely based upon getting a hit piece written about him because he stands up for his principles. In that way he is a "Ron Paul clone".

well the way i look at it.if he had given him a hand shake. you wouldn't have a story to even complain about and our message wouldn't of been heard! catch 22 no? the only reaSON YOU ARE EVEN POSTING ANYTHING RELATED TO MATT AND HIS ACTIONS is a story was created by his actions!

He did a bit of grandstanding and as a result got the message out there that Mr. Wamp makes poor votes and does not represent conservative ideals.

The point being missed is that the people here and on those other blogs don't even dispute this issue; because they can't. So while they attack MC for his behavior they still reinforce the overall message. Crafty Mr. Collins, crafty indeed.

Thanks for your comments, and your understanding of the strategy at play here.

 

[Athan]

Fuck them Matt! They did the same shit to us and suddenly now they are offended. Fucking liberal swine.

 

[Matt Collins]

Yeah, really. Who are we to tell him how to behave? He did all the work to get to where he is. We can try to Monday morning QB his situation from our computers, or we can go out and try to make a difference.

Hey, I'm always open to constructive criticism; it help keep me in check.

I salute you, Matt, for your effort.

Thanks

 

[Matt Collins]

There are way too many people who voted for bailouts to do this. We will get nowehere by refusing to even interact with those we disagree with us, who obviously would be a majority...

Of course I interacted with Rep Wamp. You should read the original blog which started all of this:


Several DCRP officers and myself approached him near the conclusion of the Picnic because we wanted to discuss HR1207 (Audit the Federal Reserve Act). Representative Wamp extended his hand to me to shake it and I absolutely refused; I am not interested in being friendly towards those who violate the Constitution. To be fair he said that he was very supportive of HR1207 and that "we ought to do more than just audit the Fed....it's the cause of a lot of our problems". While I agree with the Congressman on that specific issue I honestly wanted to vocalize that the other cause of our problems were big-government Republicans acting like big-government Democrats such as himself. However in the spirit of, at minimum, being cordial, I held my tongue. But prior to walking away I did thank him for and told him I appreciated his support on HR1207. I still did not shake his hand.

Regardless of his support for a call of transparency in Auditing the Fed, the fact of the matter is that he broke the trust of the People of the United States by clearly violating his oath to uphold the US Constitution. One or multiple positive actions do not negate the fundamental premise of breaking the highest law in the land, usurping more power to the federal government, and going against one's sworn oath

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=21733

 

[Matt Collins]

the gop has no credibility left.

And that's exactly what I'm trying to change by calling these people out and holding them accountable; you should too!

 

[Matt Collins]

Shaking hands isn't compromising, imho.

Of course it isn't. But would you shake hands with someone who just stole from you and your family?

 

[Matt Collins]

Matt.. good stuff man really...

Go Matt Go!!!

Way to go Mr. Collins, there is honor in your words.

Thank you all for your compliments. They are very appreciated.

 

[Matt Collins]

I always wanted to see Ron Paul stand up and maybe not be so nice when he needed to be.

You mean like this?


YouTube - Ron Paul on Trash TV, 1988 - Pt. 1



Yeah I told him in February "sir, if you had talked lat the debates like you did when you were on the Morton Downey Jr Show we might be saying 'President Paul' right now". When he heard that he said "oh no" and he gave me a facepalm... it was hilarious

We do need people who will stand up and yell when it is needed, even if it is shocking to others. Maybe Matt went too far by not shaking someone's hand. Maybe he didn't go far enough. What I do know is these people in power need to see our rage & our anger in a peaceful form. How we handle that as individuals is up to us.

There must be a dichotomy and I think that Teddy nailed it best; "Walk lightly but carry a big stick".

And I think there are times when we as a movement, and even as individuals, must show our fangs every once in a while. Sadly these days it is becoming more and more often than just "once in a while"

Bottom line: Smiles & hand shakes are nice enough, but there does come a time when we have to say enough is enough. If our actions result in negative comments from others, than so be it.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Ron Paul is too nice IMO, but he's definitely doing something right.

I don't mind being a lightning rod to draw attention and flak while other more toned-down liberty minded individuals go about things in their more subtle manners.

 

[Imperial]

Of course I interacted with Rep Wamp. You should read the original blog which started all of this:


Several DCRP officers and myself approached him near the conclusion of the Picnic because we wanted to discuss HR1207 (Audit the Federal Reserve Act). Representative Wamp extended his hand to me to shake it and I absolutely refused; I am not interested in being friendly towards those who violate the Constitution. To be fair he said that he was very supportive of HR1207 and that "we ought to do more than just audit the Fed....it's the cause of a lot of our problems". While I agree with the Congressman on that specific issue I honestly wanted to vocalize that the other cause of our problems were big-government Republicans acting like big-government Democrats such as himself. However in the spirit of, at minimum, being cordial, I held my tongue. But prior to walking away I did thank him for and told him I appreciated his support on HR1207. I still did not shake his hand.

Fair enough, I had checked out your response and saw some of the criticism but I didn't see your initial post.



Regardless of his support for a call of transparency in Auditing the Fed, the fact of the matter is that he broke the trust of the People of the United States by clearly violating his oath to uphold the US Constitution. One or multiple positive actions do not negate the fundamental premise of breaking the highest law in the land, usurping more power to the federal government, and going against one's sworn oath

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=21733

I guess its just a difference in tactics. I mean, on the one hand you get the media attention and you get to take a stand while trying to avoid excessive provocation.

On the other hand, if I were Representative Wamp I would not be very hospitable to working with you after you snubbed me like that. Even though it is based in policy disagreements, it is a type of outright rejection. And even if it is policy-based, it would still be insulting, particularly if he believes in what he practices it comes across as a dismissal of his views.

Which is in a sense what you were headed for. To withdraw support. I guess that just doesn't seem the most effective method of selling my ideas. But it is true that at some point somebody has to take a stand. Not sure if that was the best instance, but I wasn't there to comment on it.

However, it is true that the perception of the event matters in regards to politicking with others, and in that area the media controls it. So if it wasn't that big of deal then the media can make it seem much more dastardly.

 

[Matt Collins]

You want a hit-piece based upon principle? He should challenge the candidate to a policy discussion, debate, or conference to discuss the direction of the party and his actions as a principled, staunch republican. In that way, Collins can be viewed as a torch bearer for truly republican ideals.

There is nothing to debate; he clearly violated the Constitution, broke his oath, and stole money from the American People. He could do and say everything else right during his gubernatorial campaign and it wouldn't make a difference. The fact of the matter is that he cannot be trusted (nor should he), and that he should not be rewarded for his actions by being elevated to higher office with more power.

Rejecting a handshake and acting like a rude little kid is in no way, shape, or form standing up for republican ideals. Learn to differentiate .

Showing respect for a Constitutional-abridging thief is not very Republican either.

You're not accomplishing ANYTHING

Oh contrair; do you know how many thousands of eyes have seen this? I am showing the political scene that we the People are fed up with big-government Republicans and that the GOP must clean house if it is to be respected and gain credibility.

YOU may be in a new position of power, but YOU haven't made an effort to convert others in the party.

That's not true. By explaining my positions, pontificating upon the Constitution, teaching others about limited-government, and interminging limited-government CFL types with mainstream Republicans we are starting to win people over. One of my best friends in this movement was a former neocon.

You look down on them, treat them like garbage, and isolate them from an embracing freedom movement because you're overblown with pride.

Incorrect. It may look like that, but when someone is told that they are wrong, it's usually painful at first.

The attempt to justify your personality flaws is, for the most part, futile.

by being approachable and friendly you may change some big minds and throttle yourself to the forefront of your state party...a big victory for freedom. Rather, you burn your bridges immediately.

I am friendly, most of the time. And I have some serious disagreements with some members of my GOP. But that's ok. However none of them are in a position to steal my money and violate the Constitution; Representative Wamp was entrusted and broke that trust.... he is fair game.


Oh and I'm not a "go along to get along" kind of guy. The GOP is full of those types which is why it's in the mess that it's in.

There's a pretty good chance that you gave this movement and its ideals a bad standing with that man, and if he rejects ideal because of your poor representation of what we are about, by using your logic you should be just as guilty.

This guy is somewhat conservative anyway (remember he supported HR1207 in the beginning). However after violating the Constitution and voting for the bailout he cannot be trusted in any other elected position, including higher office.

Let me ask you; what changes more minds? Refusing to associate with those we disagree with so that they may not change and isolating them, or attempting to sway them through intelligent discussion?

Again this wasn't about some sort of disagreement. This was about his unconstitutional action.

How about you show me how being an arrogant, rude little child furthers the cause of liberty. Collins could have debated policy or worked for freedom....that's the real way to bring about change and further the freedom agenda. Refusing to shake a hand does absolutely nothing of the sort

See my previous post about being a lightining rod

What headline do you want to see? Matt Collins - rude, isolationist jerk or Matt Collins - rebuilding and returning the GOP to its roots? You're only going to get the second if you engage other members of the GOP and sway them.

How about

"Nashville GOP Vice Chair Holds Fellow Republicans Accountable To Their Records"

Matt has much more he could and should be doing but isn't. However that isn't being discussed or brought up.

Let's her your ideas. I'm open to them!

If Ron had acted like Matt and refused to embrace those that he didn't agree with, we wouldn't have over 270 cosponsors for H.R. 1207....

You are talking about two entirely different scenerios. And besides, I did thank Rep Wamp for his support on HR1207.

No, there is quite a large difference. Collins holds a small office...not necessarily difficult to obtain.

Not when you "brute force" it like we did. Tell that to the 80+ fellow "Ron Paul Republicans" in Nashville that spent many hours and donated hundreds of dollars over the course of several months to gain 6 seats on the Nashville GOP Executive Committie. It was not an easy fight especially since most of us had been members less than a year and were not known by most of the GOP establishment.

If we had all joined and sat in the background for a term while the country-club Republicans did their thing then the next time around we probably would've been able to come close to the position we are in now, but this is practically the 2nd best possible outcome.

What would Collins do in such a situation? Apparently, refuse to speak on CNN or FOX because of their political stances and connections. Refuse to associate with or speak to anyone with a different view.

I never said that. I had a conversation with the guy. I have conversations with liberal / big-government friends all the time. I have conversations with neocon friends all the time.

 

[Matt Collins]

On the other hand, if I were Representative Wamp I would not be very hospitable to working with you after you snubbed me like that.

His term is up soon enough and he won't win the gubernatorial race. And others are already fighting for his seat.

 

[Imperial]

His term is up soon enough and he won't win the gubernatorial race. And others are already fighting for his seat.

even if he loses a former Representative knows people and has some influence.

 

[Matt Collins]

even if he loses a former Representative knows people and has some influence.

He is unbeatable in his district... largely due to the amount of pork he brings home.

 

[rockandrollsouls]

There is nothing to debate; he clearly violated the Constitution, broke his oath, and stole money from the American People. He could do and say everything else right during his gubernatorial campaign and it wouldn't make a difference. The fact of the matter is that he cannot be trusted (nor should he), and that he should not be rewarded for his actions by being elevated to higher office with more power.


Showing respect for a Constitutional-abridging thief is not very Republican either.

Oh contrair; do you know how many thousands of eyes have seen this? I am showing the political scene that we the People are fed up with big-government Republicans and that the GOP must clean house if it is to be respected and gain credibility.




That's not true. By explaining my positions, pontificating upon the Constitution, teaching others about limited-government, and interminging limited-government CFL types with mainstream Republicans we are starting to win people over. One of my best friends in this movement was a former neocon.


Incorrect. It may look like that, but when someone is told that they are wrong, it's usually painful at first.







I am friendly, most of the time. And I have some serious disagreements with some members of my GOP. But that's ok. However none of them are in a position to steal my money and violate the Constitution; Representative Wamp was entrusted and broke that trust.... he is fair game.


Oh and I'm not a "go along to get along" kind of guy. The GOP is full of those types which is why it's in the mess that it's in.


This guy is somewhat conservative anyway (remember he supported HR1207 in the beginning). However after violating the Constitution and voting for the bailout he cannot be trusted in any other elected position, including higher office.



Again this wasn't about some sort of disagreement. This was about his unconstitutional action.




See my previous post about being a lightining rod

How about

"Nashville GOP Vice Chair Holds Fellow Republicans Accountable To Their Records"

Let's her your ideas. I'm open to them!



You are talking about two entirely different scenerios. And besides, I did thank Rep Wamp for his support on HR1207.



Not when you "brute force" it like we did. Tell that to the 80+ fellow "Ron Paul Republicans" in Nashville that spent many hours and donated hundreds of dollars over the course of several months to gain 6 seats on the Nashville GOP Executive Committie. It was not an easy fight especially since most of us had been members less than a year and were not known by most of the GOP establishment.

If we had all joined and sat in the background for a term while the country-club Republicans did their thing then the next time around we probably would've been able to come close to the position we are in now, but this is practically the 2nd best possible outcome.


I never said that. I had a conversation with the guy. I have conversations with liberal / big-government friends all the time. I have conversations with neocon friends all the time.

No. My point is still entirely valid. "Talking" to someone is not having conversations with someone. You choose to snub those you disagree with, rather than discussing policy. That is my point, and I've laid out why it is counterproductive. I'm not going to continually argue with someone who is stubborn and refuses to acknowledge problems that should be remedied to further a freedom agenda.

In my opinion, you are equally at fault as Wamp. You are not making an attempt to change the policy of those you disagree with. You could be doing much, much more to bring them to a Constitutional view, and refusing to shake hands doesn't accomplish that. In that regard, you are allowing your pride to prevent further progress in the freedom movement. Consequently, people will suffer due to your arrogance.

Why can't you just swallow your pride, admit you can do more, and do it? You could be having a discussion with Wamp right now, but you choose to troll the boards and attempt to justify yourself to a community that is, for the most part, on your side. You don't need to be convincing us of anything....you need to be convincing those you don't agree with. You should be educating....you're letting a great opportunity go to waste, in my opinion.