And they wonder why people are upset
I attended part of yesterday’s tea party at the Gold Dome, and a couple of things were apparent: The crowd was significantly smaller than last year’s massive rally (suggesting in part that Sean Hannity > Neil Cavuto as a crowd attraction), but its members remain passionate if the conversations I had are any indication. I also think it would be a mistake to view the smaller size as an indication of a waning movement, if only because I find it hard to believe that people who were upset last year about the stimulus and bailouts would be pleased with the direction Washington’s taken since then.
A lot of what was said by the speakers and written on the signs was, a year after the first big rallies, pretty much predictable. That’s not to say it’s stale or somehow bad; it’s just that the message and the motivation haven’t really changed. As for the buzz that there would be infiltrators trying to make the tea partiers look bad, there seemed to be none of that in Atlanta. I saw only a couple of counterprotesters holding pretty lame signs (”I’d rather be watching ‘Glee,’ ” one of them said, and no one was stopping her from doing just that). At other tea parties, the participants dealt with the faux tea partiers in their midst calmly and prudently.
With that, I’ll finish with a cartoon from Reason.com that smartly sums up why so many Americans are unhappy with the way the country has been run.
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139 comments Add your comment
Brad Steel
April 16th, 2010
3:47 pm
The word “nobody” it the cartoon should be replaced with “the tea party”.
The Tea Party doesn’t seem to understand much of anything. But I will hand’em this: they are real good at making home-made signs.
JohnnyReb
April 16th, 2010
3:47 pm
Linda – don’t you think the immigration reform push will bring out as many or more protesters as there was against healthcare. Bush could not get reform off the ground, it would seem Obama has even less of a chance. I predict he will fail, then address it through executive order. Here’s some levity for Friday afternoon —
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our government could track a single cow, born in Canada almost three years earlier, right to the stall where she slept in the state of Washington? And, they track her calves to their stalls … But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around
our country. Maybe we should give each illegal a cow..
Kevin O'Keefe
April 16th, 2010
3:51 pm
Mit, I actually believe that with every law that is passed we lose more of our freedoms. I believe in less government in my life. Living in Atlanta I snarrle everytime I drive through an intersection that has cameras although I haven’t had a traffice ticket in 14 years which was my third ever. I am a law abidding citizen who doesn’t need Big Brother looking over me and my family. I am against a 2000 plus page healthcare bill that didn’t have one sentence within which addressed controling healthcare costs. I am against being intellectually insulted by leadership which tells me that my premiums won’t change and I’ll have access to the same or better services when more doctors are leaving medical practices faster than they are being replaced according to the AMA. What I saw was government agency after agency being formed and program after program being created (”at no additional cost”) – yea right! If you are for that then I say to you that you support a much larger government than I, my friend. If governments were so efficient at doing things we never would have needed trade, markets and entreprenuers. In reality those three things were present before governments ever existed.
CrazyInGA
April 16th, 2010
3:55 pm
The protesters or Tea Partiers should be concerned with the way our GA Legislatures have pushed the 2010 budget issues into the future. Reason, I saw a signed that said my grandchild (about 6 months old) is already in debt and he doesn’t have a job. I said to myself, the republicans run Georgia and they are pushing debt unto your grandchild as well. I hope you call them on their lack of paying for debt as it is incurred, rather than push it on your granchild. Otherwise, you are a hypocrit.
mit
April 16th, 2010
3:58 pm
o’keefe, I am talking about the will of the people. they use govt. to control other people.
JohnnyReb
April 16th, 2010
4:00 pm
CrazyInGA – incompetence is catching. Seems the GA legislators took a play from the Obama handbook. The healthcare bill taxes start now but the benefit do not kick in for 4 years – all for the sake of looking good and jimmining the books.
mit
April 16th, 2010
4:00 pm
I believe in less government in my life -o’keefe
so your for gay marriage, pro-choice, and all the other wills people have used govt. to control others.
CrazyInGA
April 16th, 2010
4:01 pm
Kevin O’Keefe
April 16th, 2010
3:28 pm
You obviously don’t work with averages very often. Also, in this state and definitely in the Metro Area, a $77,000 property is very hard to find and almost rare. I would venture to say that most of the homes in Metro area “in foreclosure” are more likely $150,000 to $350,000.
I live about 30 miles outside of atlanta and I didn’t find a $77,000 house 12 years ago, long before the housing boom really took off.
multicultural R US
April 16th, 2010
4:02 pm
who wonders? it’s no mystery.
teabaggers are a bunch of aging white conservatives from the rural west/south who are upset that political/cultural dominance is slipping from their grasp.
their rage won’t be quenched with one or two elections. the underlying issue is that teabaggers represent a declining demographic… soon, the multiculturals that tom tancredo and co. fear so much will be the majority and dominant power in this great nation. and the teabaggers will rage on…
CrazyInGA
April 16th, 2010
4:04 pm
JohnnyReb
April 16th, 2010
4:00 pm
Georgia problems were incurred prior to the Obama administration. He’s not the reason Georgia is facing tough economic times. You can’t blame the democrats or Obama for the problem in Georgia. Purdue has been in office for two terms and last time I checked he was running this state.
Kevin O'Keefe
April 16th, 2010
4:07 pm
Well mit, you will never get 100 percent of people behind or for anything. There is an uninhabited island down in the Bahamas though….I think you know what I’m getting at. Point is that the majority of people polled in poll after poll are against the form, style and manner in which this government both democrat and republican, both Bush and Obama have operated. I see a lot of people in this world that want not equal rights but speacial rights. Until we kick that mindset then we as a country are going to be like a crack addict in a crack house trying to get clean.
JohnnyReb
April 16th, 2010
4:10 pm
CrazyInGA – I did not blame Obama for Georgia problems, what I wrote was, the GA legislators took a play from Obama’s books – tinkering with the math to make it look good. You can’t deny that is what happened with the healthcare bill.
As to house prices – the Southside is flooded with houses that sold for $120K or greater that can now be bought out of foreclosure for $60K or so. Contractors are buying them, putting a few thousand in refurbs, and selling for a $100K or less.
#1 Foxy Lady – again you show your lack of intelligence with name calling. Go away.
HDB
April 16th, 2010
4:13 pm
Kevin O’Keefe: You’re wrong in this aspect about wars: Vietnam – JFK and LBJ – Democrats – A Republican Richard M Nixon got us out of that war…
Actually, a Republican got us into Vietnam – Dwight David Eisenhower!! When he signed the SEATO Treaty in September, 1954, he committed us to go to Vietnam. When the French pulled out of IndoChina, we were committed to go in!!
You’re also wrong in that lending standards were reduced; the preponderance of mortgages were created by non-financial entities (mortgage brokers)…and they sold them to the financial entities!! Please do not blame the CRA for what mortgage brokers created!!
Linda: You fail to see what Reagan and Bush did to get this nation on this path that Obama is trying to take us AWAY from!! Reagan’s quadrupling of the deficit in his first term and his persistent cutting of domestic spending…and Bush’s unfunded mandates got us here!! Start looking at them before you start blaming Obama!! And BUSH pushed the Ownership Society….the explosion in the real estate market occurred under HIS tutulage….
mit
April 16th, 2010
4:15 pm
i haven’t seen any special rights activist, civil rights and human rights. you will have to give example for me to reply to that. but -majority of people polled in poll after poll are against the form, style and manner in which this government both democrat and republican, both Bush and Obama have operated.- o’keefe. I know, this is america. We hate the govt. but all i am asking is for some common sense. for example asking for Tax cuts really = services cuts, like police and firefighters, this to me is bad. a balanced budget is a good idea but if something happens (heat went out in feb.) just like my budget at home, it now unbalanced but i couldn’t help that, need heat more than a balanced budget in Feb. Catch my drift.
HDB
April 16th, 2010
4:17 pm
If governments were so efficient at doing things we never would have needed trade, markets and entreprenuers. In reality those three things were present before governments ever existed.
Kevin…if governmental controls weren’t properly applied…the result is the financial collapse!! Remember….loosening of tariffs allowed increased trade….but it also allowed manufacturing to go offshore…and the economic capability of the nation to decline…..
Kevin O'Keefe
April 16th, 2010
4:17 pm
Does anyone moderate here?
Foxy Lady – You should be banned.
CrazyInGA,
Have you noticed that most states are in financial trouble? Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why. Home values down, salaries down, unemployment up, business closings, residential foreclosures, school closures etc, etc. Of all the 50 states we are actually one of the healthier ones. Imagine if you were in California, Oklahoma, Michigan, Arizona, Hawaii, new Jersey, New York or Nevada?
Kevin O'Keefe
April 16th, 2010
4:20 pm
SEATO was created as apart of the Truman Doctrine.
Linda
April 16th, 2010
4:23 pm
The original Boston Tea Party in 1773 was by activists against the British government. It was over taxation without representation in Parliament. It was the key anti-government event that led to the convening of the First Continental Congress & the American Revolutionary War in 1775. The sentiment of the Tea Party led American into becoming the richest most free nation in the history of the world.
The spirit of the Tea Parties today is to be commended. We believe in liberty, fiscal responsibility, the Constitution & its specific limitations on the fed. government, & the one & only Bill of Rights.
Obama said, “We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the US of America.”
Socialism has destroyed every advanced civilization in the world as it’s bankrupting our country today. It doesn’t build countries or create jobs. It destroys wealth & people. We fought & died for our freedom & aren’t about to see it taken away from us by our own govt.
The intimidation techniques, smear tactics & lies against the Tea Parties from the White House, the legislature, the media & bloggers are merely apparent foolish, pathetic attempts to take away our rights to assemble & speak, the very reason for our being. There’s no need for us to defend ourselves. We know that you know who we are & what we stand for. The more you rattle, the more we will roll.
If you love your country & your freedom, you are welcome to join us.
retiredds
April 16th, 2010
4:25 pm
Joe, Joe @ 2:48. Please remember that when you go to the polls next time and pull the lever for your candidate that he not be a lawyer or someone who has no financial or economic background. We both know that the Congress is the arm of government responsible for the budgets that get passed. As the old saying goes, the president proposes and the Congress disposes.
Kevin O'Keefe
April 16th, 2010
4:27 pm
Besides having a presence and a full military engagement are two different things. My father was there as an advisor in 63. When Eisenhower left office we had 700 troops in Vietnem. By 63, JFK increased it to 16,000. By 1965 LBJ had it up to 50,000. Get your facts straight. We were following Truman’s, a democrat. Domino Theory and is why the troop build up was escalated under JFK and LBJ. Matter of fact the Vietnem war is often called “LBJ’s War”.
Linda
April 16th, 2010
4:32 pm
JohnnyReb@3:47, I didn’t think hc would pass. It’s amazing how holding Senators hostage on Xmas Eve Eve, threats over the Strategic Air Command, dropping indictments, proposing youhonorships, offering money & other miscellaneous bribes & pork can muster up votes.
My bet is on FedX. They can find an envelope any where in the world in 60 seconds.
HDB
April 16th, 2010
4:34 pm
Kevin, SEATO was created in September, 1954 – Eisenhower was President, John Foster Dulles was Secretary of State. The Truman Doctrine focused on Communist expansion in Greece and Turkey…….
HDB
April 16th, 2010
4:37 pm
Kevin: the commitment was made under Eisenhower; first combat troops were placed in Vietnam under Eisenhower….the escalation was under Kennedy and Johnson!!! It’s called LBJ’s War because of the escalation…but Eisenhower made the committment for the US to BE there!!
Kevin O'Keefe
April 16th, 2010
4:43 pm
I don’t care when it was signed. It followed the Truman Doctorine. I just looked it up and I was right. Google it. Next type in Vietnem Troop build up. Read it. Military keeps very good records on who and how many were where and when. Fact is you can’t fight much of a battle much less a war with 700 troops. I think we had more in the 6 or 7 day war in the Dominican Republic. I know my aunt’s father was killed in 1965 there. The guy was just unlucky because I think we lost less than a dozen marines. Guess his time was up.
Linda
April 16th, 2010
4:49 pm
mit@4:00, The definition of marriage is very simple but it does discriminate against the sex, age, number, relationship, will, life & species of the parties. If you open it up for one group, it would not be fair to all the other groups.
Linda
April 16th, 2010
4:53 pm
Crazy@4:04, What about the billion dollar mandate Obama just laid on Ga. in the hc bill? Why do you think almost all the states are either passing legislation & filing lawsuits? Why do you think they are trying to impeach Baker?
TINSTAAFL
April 16th, 2010
4:54 pm
CrazyInGA
When he said that the average foreclosure was $77k, that doesn’t mean that the property/house was worth $77k. That’s however much was left on the loan when the owner defaulted. I doubt too many people buy a mortgage, never make a single payment, and then default. You own the property for a period of time, lose a job or something, and have no ability to pay your mortgage.
No More Progressives!
April 16th, 2010
4:59 pm
CJ
April 16th, 2010
1:38 pm
Despite the fact that 95 percent of Americans received tax cuts last year, the tea partiers gathered to whine about having received imaginary tax hikes in a country having among the lowest tax burdens of all developed nations.
1) I didn’t get any tax cut last year.
2) Among the lowest of all developed nations?
See for yourself.
http://www.worldwide-tax.com/
Kevin O'Keefe
April 16th, 2010
5:00 pm
HDB,
This is off topic of this thread but I just read up on SEATO and there was three thing that Eisenhower required prior to signing
1) At least one other European power would become involved in any conflict, not just the USA;
2) The USA would only provide air and sea cover, other countries would have to provide ground troops and
3) The USA would only act against ‘communist aggression’. It was not prepared to commit forces to Asian inter-country conflicts.
As you can see, JFK and LBJ went far beyond to stipulations within the treaty. Thanks for making me look that up.
Shane
April 16th, 2010
5:02 pm
Tea Partier = Angry old white people
the republican party is on life support and almost dead. They arent even relevant nationally anymore.
No More Progressives!
April 16th, 2010
5:05 pm
#1 Foxy Lady
April 16th, 2010
3:44 pm
To all you Tea Partiers, #1 Foxy Lady says:
SUCK IT, LOSERS!!!
How many teeth do you have? Any?
I’ll bet you look really good in that ‘68 Camaro with the bondo on the left front fender.
Kevin O'Keefe
April 16th, 2010
5:07 pm
Yes, CrazyinGA that is the NATIONAL average of what remains on a mortgage when it goes into foreclosure according to the government agencies. I work with averages a lot in my field. When the Shadow foreclosures are released here shortly, I would expect that number to rise a bit though. I think there is 6 million NATIONALLY in shadow foreclosure.
No More Progressives!
April 16th, 2010
5:09 pm
Shane
April 16th, 2010
5:02 pm
Tea Partier = Angry old white people
the republican party is on life support and almost dead. They arent even relevant nationally anymore.
You keep believing that, Tonto.
Shane
April 16th, 2010
5:19 pm
You keep believing that, Tonto.
I will. The republican party has moved so far to the right they have lost alot of followers. When Sarah Palin an Alskan beauty queen is seen as one of the leaders of your party you are in big trouble. The republican party is pretty much a regional party now. They will win in the south but thats about it.
You Distort/We Deride
April 16th, 2010
5:25 pm
Tea Partier’s protest the status quo but offer nothing in its place. A lot like the Republicans they truly are.
You see, a strong tax base helps support the military. Something they’re vehemently in favor of. Hmmm. Can’t have it both ways.
Linda
April 16th, 2010
5:26 pm
HDB@4:13, I beg to differ but I was right in the middle of things from 1977. After the S&L crisis in the ’80’s, almost all loans were written according to Fannie Mae guidelines whether Fannie actually bought the loans or not. They had the strictest rules & were based on the actual history of foreclosures. You are right that mortgage brokers originated the loans, but they have no money, no depositors. They sold them on the secondary market & Fannie was the industry leader. Fannie & Freddie indeed reduced their lending standards, mandated by Clinton & Congress.
Clinton BRAGGED in his autobiography published in ‘02 before the bubble broke that it was his adm. that was responsible for $800 B in Affordable Housing loans.
Clinton also ADMITTED in an interview with ABC that the Dems resisted all efforts by Bush & the Dems to rein in Fannie & Freddie.
Try this site: htt;://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/30/business-fannie-mae-eases-credit-to-aid-mortgages-lending.html
It says, “…to individuals whose credit is generally not good enough to qualify for conventional loans…Fannie Mae, the nation’s biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under pressure from the Clinton adm. to expand mortgage loans among low & moderate income people…loans to so-called subprime borrowers…whose incomes, credit ratings & savings are not good…Fannie Mae has expanded home ownership for millions of families in the 1990’s by reducing down payment requirements….Fannie Mae is taking on significantly more risk…but the govt.-subsidized corp may run into trouble in an economic downturn, prompting a govt. rescue…by the yr. 2001, 50% of Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac’s portfolio be made up of loans to low & moderate-income borrowers. Last year (1998) 44% of the loans Fannie Mae purchased were from these groups…”
I never said Bush was innocent. There is much blame to go around, but the Dems want to blame Bush for everything. Just because 9/11 happened 7 mts. into his adm. does not mean he was flying the planes.
BeHonestAboutIt
April 16th, 2010
5:27 pm
The tea party crowd statistically is white, male, over 50, well-educated, and well-off financially. Their protest is that their pile of goodies might get smaller. That’s it. Period. Be honest.
Linda
April 16th, 2010
5:29 pm
retiredds@4:25, They don’t even have a budget. They said they might get around to it sometime around Memorial Day (or was that Labor Day).
Shane
April 16th, 2010
5:29 pm
The tea party crowd statistically is white, male, over 50, well-educated, and well-off financially. Their protest is that their pile of goodies might get smaller. That’s it. Period. Be honest.
Thats it exactly. But hey they gots theres right?
Linda
April 16th, 2010
5:37 pm
All the bloggers on this site leave @ 5:00 PM to go watch Glenn Beck. I don’t have to. I have him on my season pass on TiVo.
No More Progressives!
April 16th, 2010
5:42 pm
Shane
April 16th, 2010
5:19 pm
You keep believing that, Tonto.
I will. The republican party has moved so far to the right they have lost alot of followers. When Sarah Palin an Alskan beauty queen is seen as one of the leaders of your party you are in big trouble. The republican party is pretty much a regional party now. They will win in the south but thats about it.
Sarah Palin is not the leader of the Republican party. Michael Steele is. Sarah Palin is just doing what they’ve asked her to do, becuase it infuriates liberals.
You guys always tip your hand when it comes to who scares the heck out of you. First thing you do: character assasination.
As far as moving right; perhaps. But gladly we’re not told what to do by MoveOn.org, SEIU, The Daily KOS, that unemployed proctologist from Vermont or Keith Olbermann.
Win the South only? Who’s the Govenor of New Jersey?
No More Progressives!
April 16th, 2010
5:46 pm
Shane
April 16th, 2010
5:29 pm
The tea party crowd statistically is white, male, over 50, well-educated, and well-off financially. Their protest is that their pile of goodies might get smaller. That’s it.
So, now you’re a statistician. How did you develop your sample? You were there personally at every rally, right?
Linda
April 16th, 2010
5:53 pm
Andrew Breitbart offered $100,000 to the United Negro College Fund if Rep. John Lewis showed any evidence the N-word was actually yelled at the Congressional Black Caucus by a Tea Party member the weekend the hc bill was passed. There were cameras & cell phones all over the place.
There’s a lot of lyin’ going on.
You Distort/We Deride
April 16th, 2010
6:01 pm
Sarah Palin infuriates liberals? You’re kidding, right?
Substitute amuses for infuriates and you’re on the right track.
I guess the way she lies and distorts the truth may be infuriating, but not because I’m a liberal. It’s infuriating because so many fools ingest her waste product as if it were an intellectual donut.
Kevin O'Keefe
April 16th, 2010
6:01 pm
Linda,
The days of screaming,”Racism or somebody just called me the N-word,” to get their way is coming to an end. Even black neighbors of mine are sick of how some of these people are handling themselves. WHen Norwood was accused of being a racist by Reed in the recent majoral race here in Atlanta many minorities felt Reed went too far.
Gator Joe
April 16th, 2010
6:02 pm
Kyle:
As a Democrat, I’m not so concerned about the Tea Party mobs. What does concern me is some of their rhetoric, which has violent undertones. For example, “Take our country back!”, take it back from whom? and how? Take it back from a legitimately elected president and legislature? Conservatives, indeed everyone, should be concerned about the fringe element of this movement and the extreme right. Finally, even if this movement succeeds in changing the Congress in November, the Presidency will remain unchanged. Beyond that, do you honestly believe, Democrats once they are in the minority will not remember the Republicans’ “just say no” policy?
Michael
April 16th, 2010
6:07 pm
Tea-baggers, we’re white, not too bright, and think a black President is not right.
No More Progressives!
April 16th, 2010
6:21 pm
You Distort/We Deride
April 16th, 2010
6:01 pm
Sarah Palin infuriates liberals? You’re kidding, right?
Substitute amuses for infuriates and you’re on the right track.
I guess the way she lies and distorts the truth may be infuriating, but not because I’m a liberal. It’s infuriating because so many fools ingest her waste product as if it were an intellectual donut.
A Rose by another name…………………….
A real classy remark there, Deride. We’ve been shoveled Bovine Fecal Matter by Reid, Pelosi et al for so long now………………….those are the best you guys can put out there?
And thank you for making my point. Infuriate, amuse, what’s the difference. Annoying liberals has become a sport, and you’re clearly annoyed. By SarahCuda.
No More Progressives!
April 16th, 2010
6:22 pm
Michael
April 16th, 2010
6:07 pm
Tea-baggers, we’re white, not too bright, and think a black President is not right.
Did you get a prize in your box of Cracker-Jack?
And he’s half-white, in case you’re wondering.
SparkChaser formerly kown as JohnnyReb
April 16th, 2010
6:37 pm
Hea progressives, can’t you do better than name calling? It looks to me there have been some really good comments on this thread made in sincerity and honesty. If you can’t rebuttal with facts, why show your lack of knowledge. BTW, TeaBaggers is a sexual term that Jay has blocked on his blog, I’m surprised Kyle has not done the same (you can google it).