The tea party movement has been a tremendous boost to the cause of liberty this year. As many have pointed out, there would be several major pieces of dangerous legislation passed through Congress had it not been for the movement.

There is no question that this movement has accomplished great things.

But, unfortunately, there are certain fractions of the effort that are damaging to the movement and dangerous for the potential successes ahead of us. Some of these individuals have stooped to ego driven power grabs and personal attacks against others.

People who know me well know that I try to be humble in my activism, and that I go out of my way to credit everyone who should be credited for hard work in the movement. Sadly, though, there are a handful of people who do not know me, who resort to insulting personal attacks based on completely false accusations.

The latest barrage is a conversation that apparently took place on Facebook. The names of the individuals were removed, so I can only assume the numbers in front of each paragraph are replacing what was at some point names. The conversation was sent to me in a private Facebook message.

#1 Eric Odom is sooooo off the ranch that he is now calling media outlets and telling them that HE and HE ONLY is the “leader” of the “Official Chicago Tea Party”… Eric Odom of Tennessee… Eric Odom of “Tea Parties have a bad image…” Now, he’s mad because he’s sooo protective of his territory and that their are actually people DOING things in Chicago and not just talking…

#2 doesn’t eric live here? i’ve attended a few rallies that he has organized, including a counter protest of an seiu rally downtown. why can’t we all just get along??? aren’t we all working toward the same goal?? i’m hearing too much in-fighting and i don’t like it.

#3 yes..please nip this in the bud …we need the focus to be on 2010 and beyond…

#4 I agree we all need to be focused on the main goal and not fighting with each other. There is to much at stake to not be focused on what’s important to all of us and that’s our freedom!

#1 He lives in Tennesse and here (he has an apartment and office)… He didn’t coordinate the counter protest, he attended it… I would have never said anything about him, if he hadn’t CALLED THE NEWSPAPERS AND SAY THAT WE ARE ILLEGITAMITE!!!! WHO THE HELL DOES THAT? Ask him where he was on 912 when every conservative was out there marching for … Read moreconstitutional freedom…? He was holding a seminar on HOW to be a protester!! And taking money!! I will not allow anyone to call the newspapers on our legitimacy… If he is sooo inclinced to be working in Chicago, what has he done since then? Please tell me… And I don’t care if he is doing other things, but to call the newspapers? Nooooo, he’s crossed the lines.

#1 You need to write to Eric and ask to him to back off — it hurts all of us… If he truly cares, he’d find something else valuable to do with his time.

#2 i definatly agree with you. i don’t blame you for saying something about eric for calling the newspapers. i know he has ruffled a lot of feathers. i know there have been some issues about some groups trying to raise money for certain candidates, but i don’t have a problem with that. we NEED to get true conservatives in the government. the pettiness and ego need to be put aside.

I’m going to confront each paragraph in this personal attack, but first I want to use this conversation to show folks why I’ve removed myself from the tea party realm of Chicago.

Many have asked why I stepped out of the Chicago Tea Party in late April. My answer is simple… I don’t have time or the desire to engage in constant “turf wars” and internal bickering. And that is exactly what the Chicago Tea Party groups have become all about.

And secondly, I attend and get involved in tea party activities all across the country. I try to go to as many as I possibly can, and this sometimes means I’m not at home when Chicago tea party events take place.

But this fact doesn’t stop the false accusations from flying. I remember a terrible message I got in late September. This individual personally attacked me, insulted me, and accused me of “skipping out” on the Chicago 9/12 event. But this individual didn’t seem interested in my response, which included a perfectly good explanation.

I was at the 9/12 event in Salt Lake City. And it was because I had a previous agreement to be there and I was a part of the group that organized that particular event.

This accusation was floated around via a chain email and I ended up getting several emails from friends asking if it was true. Asking if I had indeed stayed home on 9/12.

Sadly, my response to this individual never made it into the chain emails. The truth about 9/12 and my involvement was completely ignored by this particular person.

The Facebook Conversation

Getting back to the Facebook conversation… which I think perfectly represents some of the problems our movement needs to work out. And tea party activists need to go to people being accused for clarification before assuming the accusation is fact. Instead, many believe it as gospel and it causes strife within the movement that doesn’t need to exist.

Let’s look at each paragraph in this message.

#1 Eric Odom is sooooo off the ranch that he is now calling media outlets and telling them that HE and HE ONLY is the “leader” of the “Official Chicago Tea Party”… Eric Odom of Tennessee… Eric Odom of “Tea Parties have a bad image…” Now, he’s mad because he’s sooo protective of his territory and that their are actually people DOING things in Chicago and not just talking…

What an incredibly offensive paragraph. And this is just the start. First, I have no clue what this person is talking about with regards to me calling the media. I haven’t contacted any media outlet within the last four weeks that I know of. I do occasionally initiate conversations with David Weigel of the Washington Independent, but mainly because I know him personally and he was involved in covering the NY23 race.

Granted, several media outlets have called me, but I never once tried to claim that I am the “leader” of the official Chicago Tea Party. In fact, I don’t even claim that at all.

I have mentioned that I was the Chicago tea party organizer for the February 27th and April 15th tea parties, and I do so because that is 100% fact. Should I not being saying this? Was I not the organizer for the two events?

It is also fact that I am currently NOT the Chicago Tea Party organizer. I do not claim to be, nor do I wish to be.

The second false statement in this paragraph is that I live in Tennessee. This is news to me. Last night, Steven Foley, Michael Johns and I took the Brown line from my neighborhood to North Ave and went to the Second City show in the Lincoln Park area… you know… IN CHICAGO.

My business partner Ken Marrero lives in Nashville and that is where our business is based. The last time I was in Nashville was back in September, and that was for a whopping three days. It should also be noted that I was there to speak at a TEA PARTY!

I live in Chicago, love Chicago, love the Bears, can’t wait for Cubs Season, and dread the winter ahead. There’s your facts.

The last sentence of the paragraph is just absurd. As I mentioned, I do not claim to be the Chicago tea party “leader,” nor do I want to be. How is that protective of territory?

#1 He lives in Tennesse and here (he has an apartment and office)… He didn’t coordinate the counter protest, he attended it… I would have never said anything about him, if he hadn’t CALLED THE NEWSPAPERS AND SAY THAT WE ARE ILLEGITAMITE!!!! WHO THE HELL DOES THAT? Ask him where he was on 912 when every conservative was out there marching for … Read moreconstitutional freedom…? He was holding a seminar on HOW to be a protester!! And taking money!! I will not allow anyone to call the newspapers on our legitimacy… If he is sooo inclinced to be working in Chicago, what has he done since then? Please tell me… And I don’t care if he is doing other things, but to call the newspapers? Nooooo, he’s crossed the lines.

Do I even need to comment on the above paragraph? Well, there is one part that confuses me… I didn’t organize the counter protest? That’s strange. I certainly recall putting that together, but maybe I’m just thinking of a different event.

#1 You need to write to Eric and ask to him to back off — it hurts all of us… If he truly cares, he’d find something else valuable to do with his time.

Unfortunately, I’m now stuck having to spend my time writing a post like this to defend myself against blatant personal attacks that are based on total assumption and false accusations.

Bottom Line

If anyone reading this knows of someone at a newspaper who I can call to make a statement to, please let me know. Or if you would like to send the media a statement from me… send them this.

“I am not the current Chicago tea party leader and I do not claim to be. I am not able to attend every Chicago function because I try and help out in parts of the country where local activists are not at war with each other. I live in Chicago and love this city. My business partner is located in Nashville.” -Eric Odom

Does that sum it up?

And as a final note, the irony in the message sent to me is astounding. The conversation sounds like it was initiated by someone who is ego driven and hell bent on protecting his/her territory/turf. The very thing I’m being accused of.

This is exactly the kind of problem that can hurt a movement like ours. And it’s the kind of problem we should shun, rebuke, and stay away from.

Which is exactly why I no longer try and organize Chicago tea party events.