Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Angry Protesters Brew Tax Revolt at Tea Party

Posted by Jeff Woods on Wed, Apr 15, 2009 at 1:14 PM

click to enlarge Here's the crowd just before today's rally started.
  • Here's the crowd just before today's rally started.
Organizers are claiming a crowd of more than 10,000, but we're guessing there were about 1,000 noisy white people at the Tax Day Tea Party at Legislative Plaza. We're not going to engage in a lot of mockery here because it's mean to make fun of crazy people. They honked their horns and circled the Capitol and heard the usual spiels from local right-wing radio blowhards. They had a little fun shouting down a lonely protester who was immediately branded by speakers as an infiltrator from the evil ACORN. Following a prearranged strategy, the crowd chanted "USA! USA!" until the beleaguered protester went away. Steve Gill gave his prescription for a better America. What we need, he said, is "the God-fearing America," "the baby-loving, man-and-woman-marrying America." Phil Valentine declared: "Here is my new slogan for 2010, folks. If you voted for a bailout, get the hell out."
click to enlarge A popular Tea Party sign
  • A popular Tea Party sign
Meanwhile, beneath the crowd inside the Plaza, a fired-up Rep. Brian Kelsey was demanding that the House Budget Subcommittee adopt his resolution calling on Tennessee to reject federal stimulus money to expand unemployment benefits. Kelsey thinks that money is "a ticking fiscal time bomb." He offered an amendment declaring opposition to "attempts to establish socialism as a form of government in America." "We've got all these folks out here (and) it would just be helpful to send a message from the legislature to say, we hear your concerns, we share your concerns. We sympathize with you," Kelsey said. The subcommittee wasn't feeling all that sympathetic. At the suggestion of Republican leader Jason Mumpower, any vote was postponed for four weeks. Update: According to Colby Sledge, organizers have scaled back their original crowd estimate of more than 10,000 and settled on 7,500 as the correct number. That's still wildly inflated. The consensus among reporters: somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000. Whatever. Update II: Police have decided to make an estimate. They say about 3,000. Update III: Sounds like they were exaggerating the size of the tea bag crowds all over the place. Fox News was helping. A live mic caught Fox host Neil Cavuto tripling the number of teabaggers in Sacramento, Calif.

Comments (19)

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"Organizers are claiming a crowd of more than 10,000, but we're guessing there were about 1,000 noisy white people at the Tax Day Tea Party at Legislative Plaza. "
None of you Scene kooks can count past ten without taking your shoes off, so any "estimates" you come up with doesn't mean diddly squat.

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Posted by Gilbert Martin on 04/15/2009 at 1:45 PM

Where are Chip Forrester, Jennifer Buck Wallace, and the TNDP? This fringe element publicly attacks President Obama and they can think of nothing to say in response?

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Posted by Dr. Jellyfinger on 04/15/2009 at 2:03 PM

How do small-government, fiscally conservastive Republicans put up with culturally conservative Republicans, like, at all? How can someone who genuinely believes in limited government intrusion actually applaud someone who advocates legislating religion, marriage (of consenting adults) and bodies? I know people have complex and conflicting emotions about a variety of issues, but that one there just does not make sense to me.

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Posted by Ashley on 04/15/2009 at 2:22 PM

Come on that looks like 100,000 people out there.....LOL

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Posted by Anonymous on 04/15/2009 at 2:34 PM

"...any 'estimates' you come up with doesn't mean diddly squat."
It's a brave thing to insult a group of people's intelligence with grammar like that.

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Posted by Matt S. on 04/15/2009 at 3:19 PM

Where we're these Republican flacks when Prez Bush was throwing money around the Middle East on folks we don't even know in a war we didn't need to be in. Geez.

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Posted by Mike on 04/15/2009 at 3:40 PM

"...1,000 noisy white people..."
And one very, very quiet [insert color here] person.
Imagine how upset Woodsey would be if a conservative had written "noisey white".

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Posted by Emmett Flatus on 04/15/2009 at 3:47 PM

Best estimates are 1500-2000.
Hey, why don't you large-size that picture and play "find a black person."

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Posted by TennRod on 04/15/2009 at 3:56 PM

Actually Emmett, I think I may have spotted a yellow man.

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Posted by Woods on 04/15/2009 at 3:56 PM

There were over 10,000 people there.

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Posted by Mike on 04/15/2009 at 4:12 PM

BREAKING NEWS: RICH WHITE PEOPLE DON'T LIKE TAXES. MORE AT 11.
*facepalm*

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Posted by TobintheGnome on 04/15/2009 at 4:21 PM

Oh, really? No one LIKES taxes, like no one expects the Spanish Inquisition.
I was innocently on my way to the Main Branch of the library this noonish, and once I was opposite the Courthouse coming off the Woodland St. bridge I remember it was tax day and hence, tea bag day. I thought, oh shit. But then I looked down the street and saw nothing but the usual no traffic and continued. As I turned on 6th I saw a few silly people with signs and flags and tea bags hanging off their glasses. First thought was to roll down the window and yell, "SO, you don't like police? Wanna dig up this street? That sidewalk? Bomb that public library?" Thought about mentioning schools but realized they all probably home school. But when I saw a fervent woman festooned in tea bags and flags harranging some poor innocent downtown business person, who was looking desperately around for an escape route, I figured I'd better not make eye contact--like you never make eye contact with mean dogs and crazy people. I decided to go to the library tomorrow and went on to Costco instead.

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Posted by stellabardo on 04/15/2009 at 4:52 PM

There were at least 10,000 people there and YOU or anyone else on the planet can't prove otherwise!
Obama is a commie!

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Posted by Gilbert, Jr. on 04/15/2009 at 5:05 PM

For the folks complaining that they're not seeing any black people in the photo: Maybe that's because they don't pay taxes?

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Posted by skipintro on 04/15/2009 at 7:02 PM

Well, I think skipintro just proved the thesis for us.

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Posted by TennRod on 04/15/2009 at 8:44 PM

Typical that the leftwing styrofoam-messiah knee pad wearing wannabe's regard their own Racism and Bigotry as a virtue.
But how many arrests or burning and looted businesses did those "noisy white people" leave behind them at the end of the day?

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Posted by D'Fauxbama on 04/15/2009 at 10:19 PM

It's amazing how the left-wingers think they're not racist...when nearly every lefty commentator made a big deal about the racial makeup of the crowd.
http://www.baytzim.com/blog/2009/apr/15/acorn_obamas_corrupt_front_g-69/

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Posted by skipintro on 04/16/2009 at 11:55 AM

"There were at least 10,000 people there and YOU or anyone else on the planet can't prove otherwise!
Obama is a commie!"
I thought Obama was merely a socialist, comrade Gilbert Jr.
"It's amazing how the left-wingers think they're not racist...when nearly every lefty commentator made a big deal about the racial makeup of the crowd."
This from the guy who said, "For the folks complaining that they're not seeing any black people in the photo: Maybe that's because they don't pay taxes?" Yeah, skipintro, no black person pays taxes. Real intelligent comment. I think it has more to do with no black person listens to Phil Valentine, Glenn Beck or Steve Gill.

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Posted by chris1974 on 04/16/2009 at 12:06 PM

1,000? Giv'em credit for 6,000 --- that is about as high as the Intelligent Design crowd can count anyway...

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Posted by Elmer Gantry on 04/17/2009 at 11:32 PM
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