South Florida Tea Party Chairman takes heat for views GOP Medicare plan

By George Bennett

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Updated: 10:50?p.m.?Wednesday,?June?22,?2011

Posted: 8:04?a.m.?Wednesday,?June?22,?2011

When South Florida Tea Party Chairman Everett Wilkinson slammed a GOP Medicare overhaul plan as a "public policy nightmare," Democrats gleefully circulated his remarks while many Florida tea party activists shook their heads at Wilkinson's latest clash with others in the fiscally conservative movement.

A key Palm Beach County tea party organizer resigned from Wilkinson's group in protest Monday, but Wilkinson picked up a vote of confidence from Donald Trump, who has called the Medicare proposal a political disaster for Republicans.

"I have great respect for Everett," Trump said through a spokeswoman Tuesday. Trump and Wilkinson have kept in touch since Trump headlined a South Florida Tea Party rally in April while he was considering a Republican presidential bid.

Wilkinson sent a "Dear Patriots" message to his group's 20,000 email recipients last week calling House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan's spending blueprint and its controversial Medicare component "a political trap and public policy nightmare, and the Republicans are locking arms jumping off the cliff for it!"

The Ryan plan would change Medicare for those now under 55 from a defined benefit to a program where the government subsidizes the purchase of private insurance. It got favorable votes in Congress from such tea party stars as U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation, and House Tea Party Caucus founder and presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn.

It's also popular with rank-and-file activists .

"Most people in the tea party movement support the Ryan plan. That's a very easy statement," said Tom Gaitens, who keeps in contact with tea party groups around Florida as an organizer with Washington-based FreedomWorks.

"I am not sure of Wilkinson's motive here and exactly whom he is speaking for. Certainly not representative of the folks in my tea party," said Ron McCoy of the West Orlando Tea Party.

Pam Wohlschlegel, the South Florida Tea Party's Palm Beach County director, resigned Monday, saying she doesn't think Wilkinson's position represents the views of the group's membership.

"It's a decentralized movement. Everybody's got their own opinion," says Wilkinson, a 32-year-old financial planner who lives in Palm Beach Gardens. He says the Ryan plan "should be open for discussion" among tea partyers.

It's not the first time Wilkinson has been at odds with others in the movement.

During the Republican gubernatorial primary last summer, Wilkinson heckled candidate Rick Scott at an event organized by a rival group called Tea Party In Action. Wilkinson was supporting Scott rival Bill McCollum .

This year, Wilkinson broke with many in the movement by opposing a bill to require businesses to use the federal E-Verify system to check employees' citizenship status.

Wilkinson also isn't included in regular conference calls with many other Florida tea party leaders, a fact Gaitens attributes to "personality differences." A group called Tea Party Fort Lauderdale specifies on its home page that it is "not an arm of, or in any way affiliated with 'South Florida Tea Party,' 'Florida Tea Party,' or Everett Wilkinson."

Wilkinson shrugs off his differences with other groups.

"When you grow and you're as large as our (group), you're bound to step on some toes," he said. "We have our influence. It doesn't make any sense for us to look outside of our area. I have a lot of respect for the leaders across the state, and every tea party leader differs."

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Florida tea party leader gives Democrats material in Medicare debate

National Democrats are jumping on comments from the chairman of the South Florida Tea Party, who deems the House GOP's proposed Medicare overhaul a "public policy nightmare."

Everett Wilkinson issued a strategy memo that warned that pressing with the plan would help elect Democrats. "The Tea Party and the GOP need to drop all support for the Ryan Medicare plan. It is a political trap and public policy nightmare, and the Republicans are locking arms jumping off the cliff for it!" (full memo in jump)

Today, Democrats overseeing congressional races and the U.S.?Senate race issued news releases highlighting Wilkinson's words.

"Republican Senate candidates love to pander to the tea party. Maybe this is one instance where they should actually listen and tell the Republican establishment in Washington to drop the Medicare plan," said Matt Canter, spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Wilkinson's memo:

Dear Patriots,

I’ve been extremely busy in the past few months traveling to Washington, D.C.; New York City; Phoenix, Ariz.; and Atlanta. I’ve met with Donald Trump; Herman Cain; Roger Stone; Dick Morris; Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn.; Rep. Allen West, R-Fla.; Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla.; Rep. Adam Hasner, R-Fla.; former Sen. George Lemieux, R-Fla.; and many others. The common belief among everyone I met with is that America is at a turning point in history.

Americans can choose to do nothing and their future will be determined by others, or we can stand up and fight. I choose to fight for America. History will not have to be kind to me, for I, along with other Patriots, will write it.
Poll - We want your vote!

Last week a person from a well known GOP Political PAC called Tea Party Express said "Tea Party Members will support the GOP Presidential Nominee regardless of who it is, even if they don't hold the tea party values. - Take the poll and tell us what you think!
GOP’s Strategy to Win or Loose

The upcoming debt ceiling vote, expected in the next couple of weeks, presents a unique opportunity for Republicans and conservatives. How they vote will either cost them dearly or provide them with a springboard for success in the 2012 election.

Winning Argument
The Republicans will win if they vote not to increase the national debt and demand spending cuts, instead of supporting the Medicare plan presented by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. This strategy will likely result in a government shutdown, but on "spending cuts" versus harming Medicare. Polls have shown overwhelming support for a government shutdown on spending. This could kick start big wins for 2012.

Losing Argument
The Republicans will lose if they support the Ryan Medicare plan and, as a result, the government shuts down for refusing to abandoned his plan. Americans do not support the Ryan plan and less likely to like it more if it forced on them. Just past November the Democrats paid the price for forcing Obamacare on America. This strategy will propel huge Democrat wins in 2012. Expect the GOP to then blame the Tea Party for losses.

Ryan Medicare Plan - It's a TRAP
The Tea Party and the GOP need to drop all support for the Ryan Medicare plan. It is a political trap and public policy nightmare, and the Republicans are locking arms jumping off the cliff for it! Here are some of my reasons for shredding the Ryan Medicare plan:
1.??? Under the plan, Medicare cuts won’t take effect for nine years. That means more elections and battles. Imagine waiting nine years for root canal. Sounds fun … not.
2.??? There certainly needs to be cuts and adjustments, but touch Medicare last. Senior citizens and those affected by the plan are the largest block of voters. Former President Bill Clinton won his second term because the GOP meddled with Medicare. History has already shown that shutting down the government over cuts to Medicare will put a Democrat in back in the Oval Office.
3.??? Give senior citizens and the public more options. Has anyone considered just raising the requirement age for Medicare benefits to 72?
4.??? Although Medicare funding has increased by 12 percent since President Barack Obama has been in office, funding for welfare programs has increased by more than 30 percent. The fraud and abuse in welfare programs have also skyrocketed in the last several years. It’s time to cut welfare spending. Spending cuts to welfare are favored politically, because welfare recipients are the least organized and least active voters.

Tea Party Strategy To Win
The Tea Party needs to shift gears in the next couple of weeks from a focus on politics to policy. Gaining a seat in the discussions and debate with Congress is key to winning. I am not suggesting that the Tea Party become part of Washington, D.C., but rather be part of the equation for public policy. We must remain independent and vigilant in our oversight.

The primary objective for Tea Party success is to influence House Speaker John Boehner. We need to do more than just send him letters, e-mail him and call him. If the Tea Party secured support on the debt ceiling vote from at least 100 representatives, Boehner would have to work with the Tea Party.

The Tea Party can execute this objective by convincing members of Congress to become part of the Tea Party Caucus voting block, which plans to vote against the Ryan Medicare plan. About 60 members have agreed to join the caucus. More than 80 freshmen congressmen were elected in 2010, and we only need about 40 of them to join the caucus to influence Boehner and Congress. How good would it feel to pull Speaker Boehner in our direction?
You can help by calling your representative and telling him or her to join the Tea Party Caucus. It is simple and free.

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