Archive for 2009
March 21, 2009
THE MAN BEHIND THE TEA PARTY IN CINCINNATI:
Six weeks ago, Mike Wilson was just a regular guy, sitting at his kitchen table in Springfield Township steaming over taxes and fuming over government bailouts and stimulus packages.
Today, much to his own surprise, he finds himself at the head of a political movement in Cincinnati – one that could well become a permanent fixture in Cincinnati politics, capable of mobilizing an army of thousands of anti-tax, anti-spending conservatives to put pressure on politicians from city hall to Congress.
And it was all because the Fountain Square rally Wilson and some like-minded conservatives organized for March 19 on Cincinnati’s Fountain Square – billed as the “Cincinnati Tea Party” – drew the kind of crowd at that downtown gathering place that heretofore was reserved for presidential campaign rallies and World Series victory celebrations.
Read the whole thing. I suspect this is all just a warmup for April 15.
Plus, a coming polarity shift in American politics?
BOB KRUMM: “As bad a precedent as the AIG bill is, there is one positive. Congress has established the principle that $165 million is not too inconsequential a sum as to require strict budget hawkishness. I can’t wait to apply that standard during the next earmark fight.”
MORE ORLANDO TEA PARTY PICS HERE: Also, Rachel Pereira has posted over 100 pictures. Note the appearance of John Galt:
Here’s a news report from the event. And reader Freddy Clayton sends this report from Orlando: “I am an enthusiastic reader who has checked in with Instapundit nearly daily for almost six years. I thoroughly enjoy your perceptive comments and your quirky and often witty selection of stories and links, and I have cited you to my two sons often. One of them, Walker, is home for Spring Break from Stanford, where he is a junior. He is a libertarian, and he often finds himself philosophically isolated and lonely in Palo Alto. He and I attended the Orlando Tea Party this afternoon, and I have attached a photo of Walker there. While I am an inveterate issues nerd, always eager to read about and discuss political/economic/social issues, I have not been very active politically, so today was a rare treat for Walker and me. The crowd at the rally was friendly, enthusiastic, and good-natured, and we heard few comments directed towards the President or Congress that were nasty or personally derogatory.” Here’s a picture. And there are plenty of libertarians in Palo Alto, Walker, though you may have to get off campus to meet most of them . . . .
Here’s another Orlando gallery from Gabe Chapman. As you can see the crowd was very large.
And reader Brian Gates reports from the scene: “Nice crowd. Lots of Reagan fans wearing this or this. There were also quite a few references to John Galt. I’ve been thinking of sending my representative copies of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. Sure, it’s 1800 pages, but the geniuses in Congress can read a thousand pages overnight….”
Plus, reader Laurie Lane has pics from the Ridgefield, CT protest and reports: “Here are some pix I took of this awesome event of approximately 300 enthusiastic, good humored and very concerned citizens. More pix (taken with my Nikon D300) are in my gallery, link below.” Follow the link to see ’em. I note another appearance by The Debt Star! It’s everywhere! Reader Patrick Courtney also reports from Ridgefield: “I attended this event today. Beautiful weather, good sized crowd (100 expected, 200-300 in attendance).” Here’s a news report from Ridgefield.
Meanwhile, reader Peter Matthews reports from Lexington, Kentucky: “Here are some pics from the Lexington, KY Tea Party held today from noon to 2pm at the Fayette County Courthouse. At least a thousand in attendance – maybe more.” He sends this picture, among others. And there’s lots more Lexington coverage here — just keep scrolling.
And here’s another from the Raleigh protest, mentioned earlier, from reader David Moore:
What’s most striking about all of these, of course, is that these are people who don’t usually go in for protests.
Well, that and the fact that — unlike the AIG media event — the press doesn’t outnumber the protesters. Heck, it barely shows up at all.
UPDATE: Much more from Michelle Malkin. Her comment: “Maybe if the Tea Party protesters burned the American flag instead of waving it proudly, the AP would send out reporters…” And, of course, all of this is just a warmup for April 15.
ANOTHER UPDATE: More from Ridgefield, via reader Andrew Bunger: “About 200 – 300 people showed up in the historic (and very Democratic) town of Ridgefield, CT. Very polite, well organized, and very much against Dodd. I would guess it is the first protest for about 95% of us (myself included). It takes a lot to get a bunch of conservatives to stand on Main Street and shout slogans at passing cars. We have a way to go before we catch up to the professional protests of the Dems but this was the most encouraging event I have witnessed in the last year. Dodd is sinking fast in CT.”
I like the “Dump Dodd” and “Dodd Man Walking” signs.
MORE: Another Orlando pic, courtesy of reader Jay Stannard:
Plus, WRAL on the Raleigh Tea Party. Lots more Raleigh pictures here: Just keep scrolling.
STILL MORE: Reader Dan Steele writes: “Long time reader, first time commenter. Two things I think worth noting about the photos from the tea parties on Saturday: All of the signs (some made me lol) looked to be homemade by the people who were carrying them, in contrast to the pre-printed signs common at the ANSWER organized hatefests. Also, I couldn’t identify a single uniformed police office in any of the photos. Apparently, fiscal conservatives are better able to exercise their First Amendment rights without shedding their clothes, breaking stuff or lighting things on fire. Let’s HOPE that doesn’t CHANGE.”
MORE STILL: Okay, one more Orlando pic, courtesy of reader David Reid.
JIM LINDGREN: “I was thinking: How about imposing a 90% tax on the income over $100,000 of some of the people who caused this mess? Perhaps not at the top of most lists, but fairly near the top, should be Christopher Dodd, Barney Frank, and the leaders of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and ACORN. If Congress is going to target unpopular people who make larger than average incomes, it should start with itself (and its sources of campaign funds and workers).”
Problem is, you can tax ’em all you want, but that’s no guarantee that they’ll actually, you know, pay their taxes . . . .
A WARNING FROM the ghost of Milton Friedman.
MEDIA OUTNUMBER THE ANTI-A.I.G. PROTESTERS: Check out the press mob in this picture. Well, it’s certainly not like that at the tea party protests. Plus this: “Maybe you can swing by Chris Dodd’s lavish house and see if he can help you.”
UPDATE: The Great CWFP AIG Intimidation Run Round-Up. Paper tiger?
ANOTHER UPDATE: These are not the brownshirts you were looking for.
MORE: Don’t ask questions.
STILL MORE: Plenty of coverage for an A.N.S.W.E.R.-sponsored antiwar protest, even though the turnout is about 2.5 people per sponsoring group . . . .
And reader Camille Ky-Smith writes: “On Yahoo’s home page there is a ‘top news headline’ on the AIG protests. ‘About 40 protesters sought to urge AIG executives who received a portion of the $165 million in bonuses to do more to help families.’ The tea parties? Not a word…” Yet there were upward of 3,000 in Orlando alone.
A BUNCH OF tasty food links.
OOPS: Taunted by Special Olympians. And Sarah Palin. “One punchline tossed on Leno far overshadows all that real connection that his administration had here. And it’s especially sad because (I don’t think) Obama was just spouting a new joke that sprang into his head. I think it was a scripted punchline.”
A GOOD-NEWS STORY THAT I HAD MISSED:
Sixty-five House Democrats said Wednesday that they would oppose any attempt by the Obama administration to revive a ban on military-style weapons that President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1994 and President George W. Bush let expire.
The pro-gun Democrats, led by Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., wrote Attorney General Eric Holder that they would “actively oppose any effort to reinstate the 1994 ban, or to pass any similar law.”
They urged the administration to avoid a “long and divisive fight over a gun control issue” at a time when Washington needs to concentrate on the economic crisis.
The House letter came a day after Montana’s two Democratic senators, Max Baucus and Jon Tester, wrote a similar letter to Holder saying the Justice Department should enforce existing laws before considering new gun ownership restrictions. “We will strongly oppose any legislation that will infringe upon the rights of individual gun owners,” they said.
We need more Democrats like this.
THEY CAME FOR THE A.I.G. BONUSES, but I was not an A.I.G. employeee . . . .
WELL, IT’S LIKELY TO BE A COLD WINTER NEXT YEAR: A big winter-apparel closeout.
ANOTHER PROTEST: Thousands Rally Against Stimulus Plan At ‘Orlando Tea Party’. “Police estimated about 3,000 people attended the rally against what some of them called ‘taxation without deliberation.'” If you’ve got pics, please send ’em!
UPDATE: Here’s a big gallery of Orlando pics. And here’s one of my favorites.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Well, heck, no wonder so many people showed — it got publicity from Day By Day.
VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: “Why are so many Americans so depressed about things these days? It is perhaps not just the economy.” Some are depressed. Others are angry. But they tell us that depression is just anger turned inward. . . .
THERE WAS A “TEA PARTY” PROTEST IN RALEIGH, N.C. TODAY, and reader Darren Cross sends this report and a picture: “My son and I attended the Tea party today. The weather was wonderful, sunny and 55ish. I would estimate the crowd to be between 300-400 people.”
HECKUVA JOB, TIMMY: Obama says would not accept Geithner resignation.
BICOASTAL TAX CHUTZPAH: CA & NY Congressmen Say They Live in Maryland to Claim Property Tax Break on Million Dollar Vacation Homes.
California congressman Pete Stark has improperly claimed a Maryland lakefront home (assessed at $1.7 million) as his primary residence in order to qualify for a special real estate tax break . . . Earlier this month, Congressmen Eliot Engel, a lifelong resident of the Bronx, was outed for claiming the Maryland real estate tax break on his Maryland home (formerly owned by ABC’s Ted Koppel and Wonder Woman Lynda Carter) assessed at $938,000.
Since they’re supposed to be residents of the states they represent, someone should move for their expulsion. . . . I’d also be interested in finding out how they managed to own such expensive vacation homes on a Congressional salary.
And regardless, this certainly explains, once again, why these guys are so comfortable with high taxes — they don’t pay ’em anyway. A government of the tax cheats, for the tax cheats and, especially, by the tax cheats.
WE KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE. As you sow, so shall you reap. . . . More here.
SEX, HYGIENE and gardening.
TESTING caffeine test strips.
IN THE MAIL: Mark Geston’s The Books of the Wars. Another classic reissue from the folks at Baen.
SLOW DOWN, WE MOVE TOO FAST: “You mean Congress isn’t thrilled with TARP and the stimulus bill, and now wants to read the legislation before passing it?” It would be a nice change.
Plus, a new public/private partnership. It’s an offer that some can refuse: “Partner up with Pelosi and Reid now, and later find out whether you are a hero or villain and what your tax rate is – who would say no to that?”
MICHAEL WOLFF: Barack Obama Is A Terrible Bore:
Sheesh, the guy is Jimmy Carter.
That homespun bowling crap on Jay Leno, followed by the turgid, teachy fiscal policy lecture, together with the hurt defensiveness (and bad script for it) that everybody in Washington “is Simon Cowell… Everybody’s got an opinion,” is pure I’m-in-over-my-head stuff. Even the idea of having to go on Jay Leno to rescue yourself from the AIG mess is lame. Be a man, man.
The guy just doesn’t know what to say. He can’t connect. Emotions are here, he’s over there. He can’t get the words to match the situation.
This began, I’d argue, from the first moment. He punted on the inaugural. Everybody ran around like crazy trying to praise it because if Barack Obama couldn’t give a speech then what?
But now, at week 11, we’re face-to-face with the reality, the man can’t talk worth a damn. . . . It’s instructive and humorous to remember that Carter ran a brilliant campaign that succeeded largely because his voice was new. Simple, direct, basic, human. And then, of course, he turned into a sad-sack twit.
Some of us noticed these issues before the election. For the rest, there’s buyer’s remorse.
UPDATE: Related: “After a week in which President Obama thanked himself for inviting him to the White House, compared AIG executives to suicide bombers, and did the first Presidential retard joke on national TV, I was impressed to find that Slate is bravely keeping up its Bushism Of The Day feature.”
Even in small things, Obama’s promises of “change” aren’t panning out . . . .
ANOTHER UPDATE: Some thoughts on Bushisms. Plus, Ed Morrissey takes the territory that Slate has conceded by introducing the new Obamateurism Of The Day feature!
Plus: Chicago Tribune: Obama’s ‘Tonight Show’ gaffe one of many for president. As I mentioned, some of us had already noticed . . . .