TEA PARTY UPDATE: MSNBC reports from San Diego:
About 350 protesters showed up at the Embarcadero, just north of the Star of India, at about 9 a.m. for the protest. The event was was organized by Dawn Wildman of the Neighborhood Republican Club, whose members are upset about the new taxes that were written into law last week as part of a budget deal carved out in Sacramento as well as the giant stimulus package coming out of Washington.
And from Jacksonville, Florida:
In a protest harkening back to a milestone in American history, people at the Jacksonville Landing and in cities large and small across the nation turned out Friday to reenact the Boston tea party in protest to the latest stimulus package and the foreclosure assistance bill.
The tax revolt, partly inspired by CNBC reporter Rick Santelli’s rant earlier this week about President Barack Obama’s housing rescue plan, resulted in a grassroots effort pushing “tea party” protests Friday in large cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and Houston, and small towns like Tulsa, Iowa, and Calera, Ala.
Western New Yorkers furious about tax increases are joining a nationwide protest known as the Tea Party. . . .Now, in dozens of cities, including Buffalo, angry taxpayers are staging tea party protests against excessive government spending and taxes, and waste.
This rant by CNBC’s Rick Santelli against big-government spending got things started. Then the outfit called Top Conservatives on Twitter took up the call and, within days, “Tea Parties” were organized in a number of cities protesting federal bailout schemes–including today in Dallas. Here are some of an estimated 250 who gathered at Victory Plaza to dunk the “stimulus bill” in a tank of tea, page by page. Said an organizer: “We’re just people who don’t want our kids and grandchildren shackled with thousands of dollars of debt each.” Oh, hell, folks, why not? It’s only money!
Plus, New York Times: The Tea Party (Again) As A Political Protest.
UPDATE: Going beyond Rick Santelli? A reader emails: “Thought I would share with you a suggestion given by Dave Ramsey this evening on CNBC. He suggested boycotting BOA & Citibank in order to send a message to the Feds (now part owners) that we will not do business with the Federal Gov’t. If you have a balance on a credit card with them transfer it to a responsible lender. Move your checking, savings or any other dealing to another lender.” Hmm. Did Dave Ramsey really say this?
ANOTHER UPDATE: A couple of readers say they heard him say this on his radio show. My guess is that it was also on his show on Fox Business TV rather than CNBC.