CNN Exclusive: Mark Williams rejoins Tea Party movement, has new effort
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/06/19/art.mwilliams0619.gi.jpg caption="Former Tea Party Express spokesman Mark Williams is starting a PAC."]
Washington (CNN) - Mark Williams, who recently resigned in disgrace as Tea Party Express spokesman, exclusively tells CNN that he is rejoining the conservative grassroots movement. As Williams revealed his new plans he also took a swipe at the Tea Party movement for not being able to move beyond "the cheerleading stage."
Williams revealed, first to CNN, that he is helping to form a political action committee that will channel "Tea Party passion" into electing conservative candidates.
Williams said the effort will be called the "Citizens Reclaiming Constitutional Liberties PAC." He told CNN that paperwork is currently being filed to establish the group and that it should be up and running by August 16. From there, the PAC will proceed in raising seed money and finding candidates it deems conservative enough, Williams said.
"We'll be looking for…conservative young people who have something to offer, something to say and don't identify, in some cases, with either party," Williams told CNN in an exclusive interview.
The effort will first focus on helping candidates in California, where Williams is based. But the long-term focus will be on putting conservative politicians in office who will be reliable conservatives for years to come.
"You don't elect anybody to the White House in [the year] 2030 unless you elect …a dog catcher in 2010," Williams said. "We're fielding conservative candidates outside of the Republican Party structure because the Republican Party can't be trusted."
"Both parties, frankly, have just become so corrupt with special interests that we need new blood," Williams added.
The former Tea Party Express spokesman also took aim at the larger movement, saying it's effectively riled people up – but has not done much with that energy.
"What we're looking to do is channel all of this into something more constructive than standing around at rallies and yelling and just cheerleading," Williams said. "You know the Tea Party thing … the feeling a lot of us had was that the thing had stalled at the cheerleading stage. And we were being bombarded with people asking us, 'Ok, we're worked up, we believe you, we're informed – now what do we do."
Williams resigned as Tea Party Express spokesman after posting what he called a satirical letter pretending to be from NAACP President Benjamin Jealous to Abraham Lincoln.
In his interview with CNN, Williams called it a "stupid and horrible gaffe."
Levi Russell, Communications Director for the Tea Party Express, was surprised to learn about Williams' new venture from CNN. But he was not surprised that Williams is continuing with the mission on which most Tea Party activists agree.
"We didn't really feel that he ever left the Tea Party movement," Russell told CNN. "I think there is plenty of room, ample room in the conservative movement for new groups to form."
As for Williams' assertion that the movement is stalled at "the cheerleading stage," Russell said he agrees.
"You can't rally forever," he said.
"We'll continue having rallies, but that's not the overall point. The point is to bring about real change in the government."
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I think the idiot ex governor from Alaska shoudl be the TeaParty spokesperson.
The communist trying to elect other communists!! America is doomed if this group have their own way!!!.
Sounds like another gaffe. "Citizens Reclaiming Constitutional Liberties"
is the opposite of what these clowns stand for. The Tea Party wants to restrict freedom and turn America into a Fascist Police-State. All they want to do is rewrite the Constitution to support their hate-mongering agenda.
How dare you hypocrites try to mess with the Constituion – while claiming to support the Constitution.
Gotta fill that "big tent" some how.
hahahahaha!!!!!!!
What I don't understand is all the hullabaloo. Tea Party is certainly synonymous with, dare I say it, Nazi Party
WHO CARES! They are a bunch of nuts with far out ideas.
left in disgrace, but, now, they welcome him with grace, that is the tea tards movement..........dumpster dwellers
Thank God they still have room for this racist in their big tent.
Fat chance he'll get many young people to join the tea party. It's a group of white upper-class bigots who college kids today can't relate to.
Glad to see he's back. Now maybe these guys will get votes away from the rest of the GOP and there will be no problem in continuing away from Bush's failed agenda. Go Mark, your racism will inspire the division necessary to stop conservatives from screwing this country up more than it already is.
So basicly, the Tea Baggers can remain wacko-racist and all is good.
I am glad this fairy-tale had such a happy ending.
That's quick thinking, Mark. No wonder you were the national spokesperson for a highly organized group like the Tea Party. No one will be electing a candidate to the White House in 2030. I'm interested to hear about your conservative candidate for dog catcher, though. I have a liberal cur in my neighborhood and I think it voted no on Prop 8.
Who cares?
whooooooopeeeeee!
You all remember the famous comment, "you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig." Actually I like pigs, it's people like Williams I don't like.
Wow, The GOP thinks that America won't remember who put us in the mess we are in but this guy must think the tea partiers are complete idiots to forget what...............oh that's right , they are complete idiots. Never mind welcome back.
If the Tea Party movement has any sense they will reject and renounce this racist immediately. Any other action will confirm that they accept racists within their ranks.