The Million Taxpayer March
Hey, how about an analysis of the Tax Day Tea Party movement that doesn’t involve sexual jokes, Beavis & Butthead-style guffawing, or D-list allegations of RAAAAACISM? Here’s my syndicated column on what Republicans in elected office — and fiscal conservatives unhappy with double-talking GOP politicians — need to take away from this week. Make it count!
***
The Million Taxpayer March
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2009
Let’s use liberal math to calculate attendance at this week’s nationwide Tax Day Tea Party protests. When left-wing activists make crowd estimates, the algorithm is: Six figures = one million. An incomplete survey of newspaper accounts and organizer estimates pegged the Tea Party protest population at a minimum of 250,000. We can now, therefore, officially call it the Million Taxpayer March.
Or the Million Rightwing Extremists March if you work for the Department of Homeland Security.
To George Soros-funded grievance professionals, 250,000 is an insignificant number. But unlike recent anti-war and pro-illegal immigration rallies padded with union workers, college students, and homeless people, the Tax Day Tea Party demonstrations featured small business owners, working taxpayers, and families. This wasn’t a weekend or holiday, mind you. A quarter million people took time off in the middle of the work week to raise their voices against reckless taxing and bipartisan spending.
Multi-millionaire jet-setter Nancy Pelosi scoffed that the Tax Day Tea Party movement was nothing more than “Astroturf” politics to protect the “wealthiest people” in America. Democrat Rep. Jan Schakowsky called the peaceable assemblies “despicable.” Other bitter, clingy Tea Party-bashers grumbled that activists only showed up where Fox News cameras were. But tens of thousands more came out in rain, snow, and cold – in Bozeman, Montana; Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Carson City, Nevada; White Plains, New York; Bend, Oregon; Lansing, Michigan; Hilo, Hawaii; Nashville, TN; and everywhere in between — with no media personalities or celebrities in sight.
If only the condescending cable TV anchors at CNN and MSNBC had paused from wallowing in gutter puns about tea bags, they might have reported an even more significant phenomenon: Tea Party protesters were as vocal in their criticism of Republicans as they were of Democrats. In Salt Lake City, Utah, a crowd of 2,000 repeatedly booed GOP Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett, who both supported the $700 billion TARP bailout, and protested GOP Gov. Jon Huntsman’s decision to accept $1.6 billion in porky stimulus funds.
In Sacramento, Tea Party organizer Mark Meckler singled out California GOP chair Ron Nehring for waffling on proposed $16 billion tax hikes. The crowd of 5,000 greeted Nehring – who unsuccessfully tried to hitch his wagon to the Tea Party movement – with a roar of boos and catcalls. Speaker after speaker lambasted Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for abandoning fiscal conservative principles. The loudest chant of the day: “Throw them out.”
In Madison, Wisconsin, GOP Rep. Paul Ryan – hyped as a conservative “rockstar” – was well-received. But I heard from staunch fiscal conservative constituents who refused to be silent about Ryan’s complicity. He gave one of the most hysterical speeches in the rush to pass TARP last fall; voted for the auto bailout; and voted with the Barney Frank/Nancy Pelosi AIG bonus-bashing stampede. Milwaukee blogger Nick Schweitzer wrote: “He ought to be apologizing for his previous votes, not pretending he was being responsible the entire time, but I don’t see one bit of regret for what he did previously. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to let him get away with it.”
Other Tea Party participants pointed out that Newt Gingrich, who jumped aboard the bandwagon, flip-flopped on TARP in the space of a week last September and made common cause with Al Gore and Nancy Pelosi in ads calling for immediate action on “climate change.”
Before the grass-roots Tea Party movement took them by surprise, Beltway GOP strategists argued fervently that the party’s traditional focus on taxes and spending had become outdated. The re-branders pitched their own expansive ideas to replace the anti-tax-and-spend agenda and inspire new voters. These included Gingrich’s “green conservatism,” David Frum’s proposal to raise carbon taxes, and open-borders Republicans’ plans for alternative forms of amnesty. Newsflash: Eco-zealotry and in-state tuition discounts for illegal aliens didn’t bring out thousands of first-time activists on the streets. Stay-at-home moms weren’t up all night making signs that read “Tax me more, please!”
What resonated on Tax Day were non-partisan calls to roll back pork, hold the line on taxing and spending, end the endless government bailouts, and stop the congressional steamrollers who have pushed through mountains of legislation without deliberation. This is a teachable moment for GOP public relations peddlers in Washington. While they search for the Holy Grail of Re-branding in tony salons and country club conferences, the agenda for 2010 is smacking them in the face. It’s the three T’s, stupid: Too Many Taxes, Trillions in Debt, and Transparency.
The GOP path to reclaiming power lies with candidates who can make a credible case that they will support and defend fiscal responsibility. That means acting on fiscal conservative principles now, not paying lip service later. The reckonable forces of the Tea Party movement didn’t let opportunists escape accountability on Tax Day. The GOP shouldn’t assume they’ll get a pass on Election Day, either.
As one of the most popular Tea Party signs read: “You can’t fix stupid, but you can vote it out.”
See what others have said
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Trackbacks
- Palin Takes Obama To Task On Abortion « Scott’s Slant on Politics
- Tea Party (UPDATE) « The Forum
- Tea Party Million Taxpayers’ March: A Lot About Not Trusting Government (Or The Media) « Peace and Freedom Global Future
- Against Obama’s Policies? Then You Are Unamerican and Racist… | NEOAVATARA
- IRS Workers Stealing Your Cash! « Goodtimepolitics
- Millions Gather In Protest « Vets On The Watch
- Tea Party Snark III: Working-Class Schlubs, Abnormal Teabaggers « The Crowbar
- My View of `The Million Taxpayer March` – The Atlanta Tea Party | TalkGwinnett.com
- Waking the Sleeping Giant: Nationwide Tax Protest Tea Party Attendance Exceeds 1 Million « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- Jeremiah Films
- Michigan Taxes Too Much » Interesting Ideas… Interesting Flag
- MSM babies and others reactions to the Tax Day Tea Party « Jim Blazsik
- The Most Idiotic Protestors Of The Tea Parties in Pictures | Prose Before Hos
- Slandering the Tea Parties | OpenMarket.org
- Designated Conservative
- Sean Hannity Interviewing Newt Gingrich from the Atlanta Tea Party
- Atlanta Anti Tax Tea Party Photo Gallery
- Janeane Garofalo: She is so far left she is lost in space if you ask me! ! « Dianej’s Weblog
- BAILOUT SUMMARY (List of bailouts so far) « FactReal
- Teabaggers at the Crossroads « partisan dawn
- Change, or Else! Part II: Re-education is good for you… « Chockblock’s blog
- Conservative Nation » Cnation’s Picks for 4/17/2009
- How About Tea for 500,000! | The Great Illuminator
- Olbermann and Garofalo Bash Tea Partiers with Hatemongering and Ugliness | The Great Illuminator
- Blood in the Streets Part I « Mark Epstein
- Michelle Malkin » Another Republican booed by Tea Party protesters
- The Learning Lessons from the Tea Party: 2010 is Power, if done Right! « Just Americans Making Ethical Statements Weblog
- Dave Lucas: Tax Day Tea Party Wrap
- Daily Show ges the Tea Party wrong - Political Wrinkles
- Barely A Blog » Update II: The Real Tea Party Movement (Go Home Republicans!)
- NEXT MIAMI TEA PARTY - 4/19/2009 « FactReal
- The Learning Lessons from the Tea Party: 2010 is Power, if done Right! | New World News
- Michelle Malkin » The Janeane Garofalo of academia
- Transición de Obama: política económica (II). Impuestos, promesa incumplida de Obama. « Sarah Palin en Español
- Tea Parties Don’t Play Favorites « Patriot Burr
- April 15th, 2009 Tea Party highlights - estimated 250,000 nation wide attended. - Nancy Pelosi whines the GOP grass-roots effort as “AstroTurf.” Other democrats call tea parties goers neo-Nazis, militias, secessionists and racists! | Fire Andrea Mitch
- MIAMI TEA PARTY - April 19, 2009 « FactReal
- The Big Kids Table » my math
- Were the Tea Parties an Anti-GOP Event? | The Pink Flamingo
- BlueRidgeForum » “Live Tea or Die!”Local Participants’ After-Action Reports
- Tea Parties & Making A Difference « Blog Entry « Dr. Melissa Clouthier
- Right Wing News
- Tax Day Becomes Protest Day - Page 56 - Political Forum
- Guy Dressed Up Like Thomas Paine: “On To Washington!” | The Great Illuminator
- A Fiscal Message For Huntsman, Hatch, And Bennett « Utah Rattler
- EPA to Regulate CO2 as a Pollutant … Earth to EPA: CO2 IS A NUTRIENT! | The Great Illuminator
- The 12 Trillion–$12,000,000,000,000 Crime of The Century: The Decline and Fall of United States of America By Radical Socialist Spending–Look Before You Leap! « Pronk Palisades
- American People’s Plan = 6 Month Tax Holiday + FairTax = Real Hope + Real Change!–Millions To March On Washington D.C. Saturday, July 4, 2009! Revised and Updated « Pronk Palisades
- The Politics of Taxes: Links to Articles on Taxes from the Right and the Left
- Our Biggest Undertaking Yet: Million Taxpayers March on Washington, DC | Best Polls Online
- What the Left is saying about the Tea Party Movement « POLITISITE: Politics from the RIGHT Side of the WEB
- The Masters Of Propoganda Working Overtime | Vancouver Secrets
- Michelle Malkin » Reports: Utah GOP Gov. Huntsman to resign, become Obama’s China ambassador
- John Huntsman... - Southern Maryland Community Forums
- Michelle Malkin » Video: Sen. Cornyn gets an earful
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Michelle, I could not agree more in your demand for intellectual consistency. To those who leaped on the bandwagon after reversing positions, I say “Get off.”
The first time opportunity presents itself they will jump right back off. I like Newt, but his little sit down with Pelosi and his cute moves on TARP, says all that needs to be said.
Well written. My compliments.
Sort of like “Fair-Weather Fans” – support the team when it’s winning, but leave when things turn sour – i.e., if the cause looks good, support it until popular opinion or pressure tells you it’s going down.
Rebranding the Republicans? *pheh*!
Its time for a viable third party to hunt down a few mainstream conservatives for endorsements, raise their flag, and set sail. The GOP had a good 140-year(?) run, but whatever connections they had with fiscal responsibility are long gone. The timing is perfect for something new, drawing from both sides of the aisle.
what about the stupid voters.they cant be fixed…pelosi and others keep getting elected…
more and more are waking up to the fact they were stupid by voting for dear leader and the other morons in congress…let’s think positive that they can be fixed otherwise the alternative doesn’t look very pretty….
Don’t forget the good folks in Harlan County, in far eastern KY.
According to a local television reporter, about one hundred people from all strata of society – young and old, Democrat and Republican – turned out on a cold, rain soaked day to show unison w/ national the Tea Party movement.
I know one hundred may seem like a small number of participants, but if one considers how rural and heavily Democrat this region of the state is, one hundred is an impressive number!
My wife and I stood with others in Annapolis in the cold and the rain to make our voices heard and exercise our 1st Amendment rights. These despicable politicians that dare to demean the patriots that gathered are worthy of only our contempt. They gladly cheer on anti-war protesters when they say outrageous things against our country or our troops, but will vilify anyone who dares to stand up for our founding principals.
THROW THEM ALL OUT NEXT NOVEMBER!!!
Great column Michelle …
Any elected official at any level that has been complicit in all of this BS needs to be removed from office …
Start working now to defeat all incumbents that voted for all of this regardless of their party affiliation …
They all need to go … just too bad we can’t prevent them from collecting the obscene government version of “golden parachutes” when they don’t get re-elected …
Looking forward to July 4th already …
Errah, The libs should stand up and take note that the numbers of folks who attended tea parties on a work day represent real registered voters and not shiftless unregistered non-voting lemmings bussed in for a pack of cigarettes or a box lunch. Behind each person who attended, there are 10 or more folks who had to work that day to keep up the ruse of our ever expanding big government social welfare nanny state.
As I was reading this, on the right were pictures of Cooper, Wolcott and the CMM Moron – nice contrast to what you wrote.
CNN or maybe CM = Contrast MM was intended
Too bad that as of now, Tedisco is losing the race in NY-20
Voting them out is good. Better are a few concise constitutional amendments shackling the US federal government into a very well-defined sandbox. Read: fair tax, balanced budget as a % of GDP, property rights. Then whatever party is in office at any point in time can work whatever mischief they like without too much danger to the republic.
The current political construct has been corrupted and what has not been corrupted can be evaded easily.
Michelle, Newt did get a warm reception in NYC because we recall his contract with America. However, that reception was lukewarm. There were boos and people are holding Republicans accountable. About the million citizen march-it may actually be accurate. The MSM are trying to minimize this turnout and vilify those patriots that came out. I estimated the crowd to have been over 5k, and I meekly suggested that it might have been 10k. Well the NYPD estimate for NYC 4/15/09 rally was 12,500! How many Americans wanted to come but could not make it due to physical hardships? Elderly, parents with young kids, working people,…. millions. I bet that most of the NYPD present there would have gladly picked up a sign and stood there with us, I bet they wanted to address the crowd from the podium and share our sentiment. They couldn’t while wearing their uniform, but they ARE with us.
On April 17th, 2009 at 10:33 am, Flyoverman said:
Michelle, I could not agree more in your demand for intellectual consistency. To those who leaped on the bandwagon after reversing positions, I say “Get off.”
I can think of someone else that said that. A clue: world full of sin, big boat, critters two-by-two and seven-by-seven.
Time for them to get with the progam. It’s not too late this time, but we will be looking for consistency.
I like this quote from Winston Churchill:
We need to keep hammering away at the less government, less tax, more freedom argument. The Tea Parties were a fantastic start! Our elected idiots need to get hit by the pile driver at every opportunity.
Sorry but third parties are losers, especially in a process that is guaranteed to keep the Marxists permanently in power. They own all the political institutions now and taxpayer-fund the rest. Simply pis*ing in the wind.
Patriotic citizens need to seize control of the Republican Party and evict the poseurs.
We now have a new meaning for “Tea Bagging”.
“Tea Bagging” refers to a correspondent who can not get his facts streight. It refers to a propagandist whose agenda is to smear and attack the average citizen.
I am sure you can improve on this. We need to turn this insult back on those doing the insulting.
It is a mark of the times that the average hard working Joe is ridiculed and attacked by the media. They need to feel the brunt of our ire along with GOP turncoats and democrat socialissts.
Fantastic column, MM! My local paper only carries one of your columns (every Saturday), so I’ll be curious to see if they choose to publish this one.
Red Dog, my heart wants a new and untanrnished party, but my head agrees with you. I hate the Republicans that betrayed their constituents. I don’t want to support them. I also realize that they are the lesser of the two evils. Our best hope may be to reform the Republican party, get rid of the traitors, and insert a party directive that those who betray the party principles must relinquish office and be immediately replaced.
I’m one proud American.
A big thanks to all and God Bless.
Newt represented me when I was in High School. When the great gerrymandering fiasco of the early ’90’s came around and the now infamous “octopus” district in Georgia was formed (thus bringing the likes of Cynthia McKinney to Congress), Newt abandoned my district for a nicer part of Atlanta like his a$$ was on fire and his head was catching. I will never forgive him.
Excuse me, even thinking of Cynthia McKinney makes me sick..
We will never get rid of the Communists who are currently in Congress. However, he can (and should) make a sweeping change of Republicans in the House. It wouldn’t be that difficult. Too many RINOs owe too many DemoCommies big time favors. Vote them out and the debt goes away. New Republican reps would scare the entrenched Dems due to the lack of political control. But we have to be careful – electing more wishy washy, all out for themselves Republicans like Newt seemed to be won’t do the job.
groundhunter, how about teabagging referring to a MSNC or a CNN corresponded to is too busy choking on Obama’s b-ls to speak.
sorry for all the typos. Michelle I wish you could include an automatic spellchecker for this comment script.
Excellent!
And you hit why I have been saying the GOP needs to be kept away from this.
And why I was proud that organizers in my former home of Chicago told Michael Steele “no, you cannot speak”
I watched Rick Sanchez on CNN after coming home from the party in Las Vegas. I wasn’t really paying attention to him as he is an idiot, but I was avidly reading the twitter comments that were running at the bottom of the screen.
They were all snide, derisive and many said things similar to Garafalo, which is probably where she got her material.
Yes, the great unreported story of TEA Party day is how many FORMER Obama supporters were among those thousands of protesters. Surely there were more than a few moderates in the crowds who were having buyer’s regret?
Here in Houston I stood amongst thousands of people whom I now consider some of my closest most personal friends and had a great time. The official attendee list was a little over 8500, but a number of people declined to sign in because they were concerned that they would be outed as “Right Wing Radicals”, others signed in for wives and girlfriends so the count was low. Jones Plaza was filled to capacity and a lot of people were turned away by the cops. They closed the plaza to new people at least four times. If I had to guess, the actual attendance was probably between 12 and 15 thousand people if truth be known. The demographics were pretty diverse from an age POV. Everything from kids to retired people. Several blacks, even more hispanics, and even a Scot that I knew from a former job was in attendance. Lots of Asians and even a few Cubans. Next time we need to rent a bigger venue. Maybe Minute Maid Park or Rice Stadium would be a good choice….
We can not get rid of GOP turncoats if people of sound mind and constitutional politics don’t run for office. We need good candidates who act in deed and not just words and who can stand up to the pressures of the office once elected. Principled people just don’t want the hassle. We especially need to support conservative candidates at the local level…city, county, school boards, state, etc.
Take control and re-brand the party back to what it was founded on.
Maybe change the elephant symbol to a Cheetah – lean and mean.
vinny
That catches the spirit of the phrase nicely.
Rebranding the Republicans?
Have Iron-Will Travel?
Million Rightwing Extremists March? I am semi-retired, count me in! They hate and mock us for one and only one reason: fear-we just might swing some votes.
If they thought we were really irrelevant they would not even notice. Be it a Nancy Pelosi, Brian Williams or the aforementioned Clowns of CNN, PMSNBC or Huttland they know something is going on they can not control.
So do it again!
———-
John McCain’s exploratory committee-Country First- is sending out letters asking for funds for his 2010 re-election run. This is the note I sent him in the pre-paid envelope:
Sidebar…I didn’t see any comments about any of the protests trashing the places…Why rent? Did the 1000 dude march ‘rent’ the Washington Mall?
That is the natural next step for this march on Washington. We need politicians we can trust. We desperately need representation in government. This movement will need a leader.
Republican National Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn endorsed Arlen Specter as Senator from Pennsylvania. He says it’s to prevent the democrats from getting a “Filibuster Proof Majority”. Apparently, he feels all we need are people who put an “R” by their name on the ballot.
And he doesn’t care how they vote.
I agree completely. Jeff Flake and, John Kyl are worth keeping…For now…
Voting records matter.
After all, it’s worked so well, so far.
groundhunter, you mean what I said about needing a spellchecker for this comment box?
But we can’t elect the newsreaders and they influence way too many voters with their opinion pieces when they should be reporting the facts.
OT but unsurprising…
Illegals now to be referred to as ‘refugees’…From man-made disasters I presume…
The more the MSM maucks and dismisses the American people the more the American people see them for what they are. They won’t be able to dismiss the results of the next election. Keep the tea party going!
Excellent Michelle!
I hear that the remaining TARP money is suddenly much harder to get. The reason? The next round of TARP aint gonna happen…not if officials want to be re-elected.
Job well done as far as I am concerned
You would think so but the Dems have been openly treating Americans like trashy idiots since LBJ was President. Every few years we elect them and they treat us like d00 d00 all over again.
The thing about the MSM is that they have no watchdog organization. They can do or say whatever they want without ethical or legal implications by screaming “press” at the top of their lungs. This incident shows clearly that simply working for a media outlet in no way makes a person a “journalist”.
Jeff unfortunately the way things work in Houston, if you want to hold a protest in a city park or facility, you have to rent it. You can’t just show up with signs and a bullhorn. The cops’ll roust you. Originally the protest was going to be in a vacant lot across from the Post Office. but as it got bigger and bigger (and they may have had difficulty renting the lot from the owner.) they realized that that was not a big enough venue, and there were problems of traffic for all the late filers trying to get their taxes postmarked before midnight. so they moved it to Jones Plaza a couple blocks away. They planned to march to the PO afterwards, but the plan changed twice in the interim. the first change was when the organizers realized that the Houston Chronicle was going to blow it off in their coverage. So they decided to make a side trip to the Houston Chronicle Building a couple blocks away before heading to the Post Office. but on the way to the HC Building the Cops suggested tot he organizers that the traffic over there was insane and they didn’t want to stop traffic for people who were just trying to obey the tax laws. so they agreed to forget about the Post Office march and called it a night. I think they planned for everyone who had brought monopoly money to throw it at the post office or put it in the mail boxes or something like that but it never came to pass.
It was frankly amazing how orderly and friendly and clean things were. everyone picked up their trash and didn’t trash the place. There were only about four or five infiltrators that were escorted out that I saw.
Class shows in these sorts of things.
I am getting a KICK out of the INSULTS the MSM are throwing around on the TEA PARTY… These tools of the LEFT are in for an AWAKENING… They laugh now, but wait for 2010, then see who is laughing… And MICHELLE you are right to call it a MILLION TAX PAYER MARCH… Figure for every 1 person who attended, at least 4 people could not get off WORK… As for the RINOs , update your RESUME, you will be looking for a new job come January 2011…
Speaking of RINOs, OL’ JUAN showed up on the local talk GIANT, BARRY YOUNG’S show the other day… This scum RINO has BLACKLISTED YOUNG for years… He did not like YOUNG’S comments on MCAIN/FEINGOLD… He really got PI$$ED at YOUNG for his opposition to the SHAMNESTY BILL… Now he shows up, hat in hand, KISSING A$$, because he is running for re-election… I agree with AZ NEANDERTHAL, I will bend over backwards to make sure this RINO needs a new job… WHOEVER is running against him, I will be available…
Michelle, this is exactly why I comment here. Through thick or thin, you never compromise on conservative principles.
Conservative Republicans who anguish over the prospects of their party are completely missing the point. If your identity is dependent on Republicans, you are losing. If instead your identity is conservative pure and simple, we are winning.
Both wings of the United Establishment Party are agonizing over how to get in front of us to derail us. The Dems cannot do it but if we don’t take a hard line on the mealy-mouthed, partly pregnant, sometimes honest GOP, the party that doesn’t stand for anything, they can and will derail us.
Let’s not allow that. Unless they start presenting new conservative leadership instead of recycling the same old hypocrites, they just don’t exist anymore. That should be our position.
This country needs a third party! The Republican party is too corrupted with liberal elites and will never recapture 50% of the vote now that the Democrats have increased their voter base by putting them on welfare. Put your backs behind any candidate that follows the constitution. The hell with party politics!
No, we need a second party.
Comments not getting through….Michelle please update us when this server is fixed.
And endorsing an Arlen Specter type RINO is exactly why I am NOT sending money to the National organizations of the Good Old Boy club. There ARE good Conservative candidates running whom I shall and do support.
This man is running against Barbara Boxer in California. There are others. Find one you like and support them. Arlen Specter and John McCain should pay each other $50 an hour to pick lettuce.
Ridding RINOs one at a time. Hey pueblo1032: that is the Nearly Famous Barry Young the tired old RINO was sucking up to
Great article, Michelle!
Just as Americans desire to take back D.C. we will also need to take back the GOP from the greedy political insiders who kicked out Gingrich for balancing the budget, and now are attacking Sarah Palin for her conservative views. Realistically, we will need the machinery already set up by the GOP if we are to have any chance of winning the upcoming elections.
It is a shame that Newt decided to play politics instead of sticking with his once conservative message, but such is life. Buh-bye Newt!
His he trying to convince us that the Dems DON’T have a filibuster proof majority? Wasn’t Specter one of the three RINOs that voted with the Dems on the porkulus bill?
Welcome to Bizarro world.
Newt self-destructed. He didn’t need any help. Newt is a man with serious integrity issues.
Obamanomics
Trickle-up Poverty
There are two themes emerging: 1) stay focused and VOTE these bums out in 2010, and 2) it is becoming more and more obvious that it will be US versus THEM. Have faith folks, you can take comfort in the fact that there are MANY more of US than there are of THEM. We will ultimately prevail. 2010 is the primary (pun intended) target. If we can attain victories then, the White House becomes the next main target.
They’re not my reps, but if they’re yours you need to put the screws to Flake about his record on immigration. http://tinyurl.com/dymnqo It isn’t horrible, but we need consistency!
FIFY. Well stated but I had to take issue here as their thirst for power is what has gotten us into this mess.
The Contract With America was a great idea, but it sort of fizzled out. In 2000, Cato Institute wrote that “… the combined budgets of the 95 major programs that the Contract with America promised to eliminate have increased by 13%.”
Then we need to take over the GOP and start throwing the “bums” out of the party. As I wrote my Republican Congressman; “Just because the ship has rats onboard that doesn’t mean you make them part of the crew”
This theory of the Republican Party has to be a “Big Tent” is pure BS (Barbara Streisand). What the Republican Party needs to do is stand for the Constitution and good old fashioned American Values. Then we wait and see who will join us!
Hey, protesters even turned out in the People’s Republic of Santa Cruz! This was no insignificant event, lemme tell ya, and it got front page news in the Santa Cruz
SentinelSenile. This was a very big deal around here. Monterey had a great turnout, no MSM to “impress”. Let these pooh-poohers keep doin’ what they’re doin’. Election day will be here before they know what hit ‘em.Great piece Michelle, one of your best columns.
The best description of the MSM’s reaction that I’ve read so far (sorry I don’t remember who to credit) was that they were channeling Beavis and Butthead: “Ummm… heh heh…. Teabagging…. heh heh … errrr…Fox News!… heh heh… Teabagging….”
“Can’t fix stupid,but you can vote them out”,and they are ALL stupid.The question is,”How stupid are the voters?’Will all of the people who support the tea parties continue to do so?On April 15,you made your voices heard,but when election days come,are you going to “put up,or shut up”? As I keep saying TWO CYCLES,NO INCUMBENTS.You are worried about keeping your jobs,feeding your families,and paying your bills while you pay(against your will)a bunch of lowlifes a salary probably greater than yours,pay to feed them,house them,transport them and pay for their vacations,while they do NOTHING to earn it.Forget about which party the a$$hats belong to.You want a new political party-the NO INCUMBENT PARTY.
. Make the fatcats worry about how they are going to make ends meet,after you toss them out of their cushy part-time temporary jobs.TWO CYCLES,NO INCUMBENTS.
I hate to say it, but I don’t think the Republican Party can be salvaged. They left me (to borrow a phrase from Reagan) many, many years ago and have abandoned pretty much every principle I at one time shared with them. As far as I can tell right now, the only position they’re truly united on is that they hate gay people – which is a something I find reprehensible. At this time there’s far more rot in the structure than there is wood. Time to either scrape it and rebuild or move someplace else. The only way the Republican Party could even have a glimmer of hope of becoming feasible again would be to literally replace everyone at the top several layers.
I think it’s going to take more than one tea party. Could we try for another day – say, Saturday, July 4? The turnout would be impressive.
Rush just now mentioned the fact that my buddies like Paul Revere, John Hancock and Samuel Adams were part of a MINORITY! Only one third of the colonists wanted independence and another third did not care. The only difference from today is that that last third did not enjoy the protection and benefit of a treasonous MSM foisting their twisted and evil motivations. (Good thing people like Katy Couric weren’t around back then or we might still be British subjects today!)
I like that:
A Carpet Bagger is a politician who moves to a place where he/she sees an opportunity to promote his/her career.
A Tea Bagger could be a left wing correspondent who is a tool that sees an opportunity to promote his/her career.
That was my thought, too. I sent John Cornyn an e-mail explaining as much.
With Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe, and Susan Collins, the dems DO have a filibuster-proof majority.
I know that not all Republicans will share all of my views. You and I may have some differences. I accept that. What I will not compromise on, however, is bigger spending, higher taxes, bigger government, abortion, gun-control, illegal immigration, or gay rights.
In other words, just about everything Arlen Specter seems to support.
ErikTheRed: I feel the same about the GOP today as I did about the Dems in 1980 when I first became a Republican. I went back to being an unaffiliated independent after the 2006 amnesty debacle.
When our elected, both d and r, will ignore us when we fax, phone, email, and write letters asking them to vote against a bill what choice do we have but have parties? By the time we can vote again in 2010, so much harm is going to be done to our Republic it will not look a thing like it did several years ago. Even voting again doesn’t mean we will get any better people. They tell us what they think we want to hear to get money and votes then they do as they dang well please.
L
My Week in Review the Response of the mainstream media to the Tea Party Protest.
My Impression of the Mainstream Media’s Coverage of Tax Day, Tea Partys held across the country this past week. Predictable, Preconditioned, Conforming & Devoid of Objectivity. They reminded me of Zombies.
http://youhavetobethistalltogoonthisride.blogspot.com/2009/04/tgif-circus-life-art-ificial-life.html
Errah #32 and #34 we should all donate to any other candidates that run against McLame, Arlen Sphincter, Snhoe and their ilk directly. I will not give a dime to the current repubes/steele till I see ardent support for conservatives candidates and our values. If it means wander in the wilderness in Oh 10 then so be it. Take note that McLames daughter is currently being held up as the future of the repubes on all the liberal chat shows and that we need a kinder gentler party if we are to survive. If that’s the case I have some coffin nails handy.
Timing is everything.
The Tea Party movement has long-term potential to become a political party in the sense that when Hope-a-Dope’s legacy is fulfilled and the Federal government goes bankrupt, both donks and Republicans will probably not survive the event. An organized political movement based on rebuilding America on its original foundations of political, spiritual and economic liberty will, a quarter century from now, be well placed to step into the vacuum.
Indeed, such a movement will be critical if we are to avoid the “Man on Horseback” scenario.
But the third party trigger shouldn’t get pulled too soon.
Think of it this way: if we compare America to a person, then by 2010 the donks will have already hacked off a limb and caused mortal injury by blood loss. If the Republicans can (A) regain their old, fiscal conservatism bearings, and (B) take back at least one house of Congress in 2010, then it’ll be like applying a tourniquet — you’re still going to die, but you’ve bought some time.
The Tea Party movement is going to need that time to evolve from a “nascent” political force into a cohesive one.
But if we go third party too soon, all that will be accomplished is for the donks to win every election by a plurality, to go on claiming a “mandate” as a result, and to keep hacking away at America.
Even though it’s living on borrowed time, the Republican Party still has some use in prolonging the interval between Hope-a-Dope’s mortal wounding of America as we once understood it and the death itself. That’s a resource that shouldn’t be squandered.
One thing I have been against and have continually pressed people on all sides of the political spectrum is attempting to convince them to STOP VOTING A STRAIGHT TICKET …
I can not even count the number of times I have heard someone say “That So-and-So is an idiot … sure glad I didn’t vote for that So-and-So” …
On many such occasions I have taken them to task and reminded them that they did indeed “vote for that So-and-So” …
It’s kind of hard to claim they didn’t vote for someone when they go around telling people they vote a straight “R” or “D” ticket and the “So-and-So” is from the same party they say they vote for on a straight ticket …
The point here is that many “Straight Ticket” voters can’t even tell you all the names of those they voted for … only the party … which is exactly why it is going to be so difficult to get some of these worthless clowns out of office …
NO STRAIGHT TICKETS … Educate and encourage people to select and mark every race on the ballot one at a time … at least they might know the names of the candidates they voted for afterwards …
I think I am going to start a Union.
A.N.W.E.R.U.
American
Non
Worker
Entitlement
Receiptiant
Union
Oh wait.. they don’t need union Representation..they already have the US Congress, Senate and Whitehouse as their Union Bosses.
I am fed up with the sophomoric snickering by all of the media everytime they use the word ‘teabag’ to describe these meeting.
I have an idea, the next time I refer to one of these gatherings I’m going to call it a “Shove a Pitchfork Up Your Ass Until You Stop Spending and Then I’ll Burn You With Fire!” meeting.
The next one in OKC is on July 4th. I’ll be there with a pitchfork for sure.
My local protest had approx. 300. Let’s not forget the support for motorists who drove buy but had to do actual work or be somewhere.
Letget:You are absolutely right .The pols won’t react to e-mails ,letters or phone calls,and election day is a long way off. They are going to say anything and make promises to get votes.That is why it will take two election cycles to let them know we aren’t listening,just as they don’t listen to us.The only way to get them to do what is right is to show them that we have the power.TWO CYCLES-NO INCUMBENTS,anything else is futile.
I know! It was very heartening!
The biggest protest in Tulsa was at LaFortune Park where the crowd at the soccer fields was reportedly approximately 3,600. Interestingly, the venue was cleaner when the protesters left than when they got there. How many leftist demonstration sites can claim the same?
If the media sniggers over the word “teabag,” we should call the next protests “tar and feathers.”
Hope is not a plan; not all change is good. WE are the civilian national security force. What the Hell does “going after the pirates’ assetts” mean? The resistance is here; the resistance is now. RESIST!!!!!
ECS
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/4/16/720524/-Teabaggers-v.-Democracy
I strongly agree that the voters need to take control, but this includes loacal and state as well as federal officals. The thing to remember is that change starts at home.
Might does not make right. Remember David and Goliath.
This is only the beginning. I am mad. Flaming mad. I was not active before. I am now.
A SAHM of three and lover of Original Intent = RIGHT WING EXTREMIST.
How many plagues did G-d inflict on Egypt? If you think it’s only ten, you’re following Soros funded liberal no imagination literalism. Ask a real conservative Jew. The number gets into the hundreds with math less creative than MM’s math in this post.
Excellent column, Michelle!!! What a lot of useless sockpuppets like ILoveMyCountryWhenItGivesMeFreeStuff don’t want to acknowledge is that the Tea Parties were never about resurrecting the GOP but rather the original intentions of the Founders. If the GOP is consumed with rebranding instead of challenging the view of a lot of Americans that a large welfare state is necessary, they’ll have trouble distinguishing themselves from Dems (a situation they currently find themselves in).
I’m not interested in mea culpas or apologies from the likes of politicians like Ryan. If you’re too stupid to read a bill and understand what you’re voting for, you shouldn’t be in office. Americans have fallen in love with the notion that they “deserve” things like that new stadium, park, or trendy things like universal pre-k, universal healthcare, and a guaranteed welfare check for life.
It’s not only the GOP that finds itself in trouble over its image and message, it’s the country at large. When you don’t have any principles, traditions, values, you no longer stand for anything. You don’t have to be a Republican or identify with a political party to get that.
People like ILMC and his group of comrades think it’s “their time” where the rest of us should take care of them. They have no idea that there are a lot of John Galts out there who can be thrifty, look out for themselves, and limit how many hours they work and how much they spend to minimally support the clueless.
Exactly right Mach1Duck.Vote them ALL out,from President to dogcatcher.All doesn’t mean some,or a few.Whether you believe an office holder is good or bad,theyALL have to go—-TWICE.
Nice deflection there, Math Man. I can see why your panties are in a bunch. You make up figures out of thin air all the time… and now you claim that MM is sucking at your short cut math philsophy.
First it was about message, then about identity, now it’s about numbers.