Pics From Madison Tea Party
These were taken by Ed Picchi.
Instapundit has tons of pix as well.
And how does the lefty media react? With their typical class, of course.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 16, 2009 at 1246 hrs
Went to the one here. About 1000-1200 showed up. A very upbeat crowd, fun and a good support of the businesses on the Square.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 16, 2009 at 1803 hrs
Good to see the group didn’t get outnumbered by the counter-protesters, like they did the last time they went to the King Street entrance to complain.
The worst thing that happened to this grassroots movement is when the moneyed, non-grassroots interests hijacked it and made it their own. Guys like Limbaugh, Beck, and Hannity aren’t who you want peddling your message to the rest of America. Their involvement marginalized the whole affair. Also, they helped this movement to blow its wad a year early, but what do they care? They only care about their contracts and their ratings.
Finally, the use of the tea bags just invited all the teabagging jokes. What a stupid and terrible symbol. Anyone who is halfway literate in terms of contemporary culture could’ve told them exactly how that was going to turn out: a whole lot of off-color jokes.
Posted by Recess Supervisor on April 16, 2009 at 1855 hrs
Unfortunately for the disillusioned left who claim to PWNGE protests, it’s just one bitter pill to swallow to see ordinary folks protesting. Not the looney fringe that likes to burn, destroy, smash windows and threaten people, just regular people fed up with the idiocy of the party in power.
So keep on complaining about how ‘ineffective’ or ‘hijacked by special interests’ the protests were. Keep on kidding yourself. As I like to repeat, 2010 is coming!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 16, 2009 at 2038 hrs
RS:
Actually, no. Most of us wouldn’t have known about tea-bagging. It’s just not a sport we’re into.
Butt, too each his own.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 16, 2009 at 2054 hrs
Oh, now now, I saw my fair share of “USSA” and “Obama=GM Hitler=Volkswagen” signs on television yesterday. Most people at all protests aren’t totally nuts - just the handful that gives everyone else the bad rep. Don’t pretend that nobody on the left is normal and that nobody on your side is crazy. Both sides have their fringe lunatics.
2010 is coming. Whoop-dee-do. Guess what? I’ll trust the polls, thanks. There’s a reason smart people trust polling. When a lot of it is done, it’s pretty damn accurate. So I’ll just sit back and wait for the GOP approval ratings to surge as a result of all this screaming and yelling, and I’ll wait for Obama’s to drop. The latter might happen a bit naturally, but something tells me I’m going to be waiting a hell of a long time on the former.
The GOP has no plan. It has no leaders. It has no vision. And the word “conservative” right now is about as toxic politically as the word “liberal” was a generation ago. That’s a lot to sort out in a year.
Posted by Recess Supervisor on April 16, 2009 at 2217 hrs
I was dumb enough to listen to it on McKenna’s show. I nearly fell out of my chair laughing when the guy who introduced Priebus said, “He knows the GOP has a branding problem…”
No, idiot, it’s not a branding problem. It’s a credibility problem. Nobody who isn’t a partisan hack can listen to the GOP or its sychophants talk about fiscal responsibility without laughing their ass off.
By the way, HUTCH, I tagged along on a couple of left-wing, anti-war circle jerks back in the day and I assure you that 95% of those participants were non-loony, typical Americans who like you just wanted to speak their mind.
Your party and its movement need to seriously stop with the BS argument that disagreeing with you makes you less of an American. It’s pathetic and lazy.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 17, 2009 at 0642 hrs
I’m having a great time looking at the Tea Party blogs. I actually went to Madison’s. I took a vacation day so that I could show my support. Yes, I have a job. The weather was perfect! Beautiful day!
It is interesting how upset some people are about the event .They are blogging not to see what went on, but to ridicule. Maybe some of us are so “stupid” that we don’t know the sexual meanings behind certain expressions like “tea-baggin”. If that makes me stupid, I’m proud of that. I prefer to stay current on topics that matter, like where are country is heading. Wasting time giggling about our ignorance with sexual slang, is just that…wasting time.(just my opinion) I am just glad that in this country you are allowed to do just that.
“AnotherTosa Voter” ...you want us to stop with the BS argument? Please read your sentence again and realize how hypocritical you sound.
Peace out!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 17, 2009 at 1537 hrs
I’m sorry, I don’t understand how hypocritical I sound. Please explain, in detail.
Before you start, understand that I am neither a Democrat nor a liberal. Their arguments are, in general, just as ridiculous.
Thanks.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 17, 2009 at 2111 hrs
Ewwweee, seems like I stepped on a nerve… To be fair RS & ATV, I recall folks on the right sounding very similar to your rhetoric after the elections of 2004.
RS, I’ll even give you that both sides have their extremes; however, free speech is one thing, and attempting to silence speech or cause destruction is another. So you may not agree with their message, but they aren’t burning buildings to prove their point.
As for polls, the current has Congress’ approval rating is still at less then plurality. While this may not seem like news, the fact that you have a Democratic standing president and majority in congress will have more detrimental impact on Dems.
ATV, pathetic and lazy? Really? If you’re “party” feels so inclined about spreading wealth around, by all means, feel free to donate your hard earned income to the treasury.
Hypocrisy, btw, is the act of saying one thing and doing another. It seems like lately your party is saying one thing…
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26771716/
http://briefingroom.thehill.com/2009/04/16/schakowsky-tea-parties-despicable/
...and doing another…
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-wed-geithner-tax-0415-apr15,0,6037514.story
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-08-31-congresswoman-husband_x.htm
I think we can agree that using tired and lazy memes are not productive and useful though:...at least, it certainly doesn’t generate ratings…
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/ratings/the_scoreboard_thursday_april_16_114376.asp
So guys, I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree about how one views “hope and change”. So you keep on with your version of “whoop-dee-doo”, and I’ll keep mine. And I repeat, 2010 is coming!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 17, 2009 at 2240 hrs
Just to clarify, I didn’t vote for “hope and change.” I voted for Bob Barr because at the time of balloting I lived in a state that wouldn’t allow me to write in candidates for president. As I believe I explained on my own blog back then, I wanted to vote for John McCain and anybody but Sarah Palin for VP. And like ATV, I am neither a Democrat nor a liberal. If you could inspect the ballots I’ve cast, I think that would be abundantly clear. I just point out the idiocy where I see it. Thankfully both sides give me lots of ammo.
Posted by Recess Supervisor on April 18, 2009 at 0122 hrs
HUTCH, you have it so wrong I’m not even sure you read my post.
I’m not a democrat, nor a liberal. On the spectrum I’m probably closer to you than I am to any Democrat.
I told “iwasthere” that his/her argument was lazy and pathetic, and even our host Owen agrees. Remember the thread he posted where he complained about the argument a supporter of the West Bend school referendum used? The argument was, if you don’t support the referendum you don’t like kids. The argument used by iwasthere is the same equation, just with different variables: IF you don’t like the policy I support, THEN you don’t like X, which of couse is something any decent person would like.
As if one’s position on a war, or taxes, or homosexuality, or universal health care, or welfare spending determines in any way how “American” someone is. Please. You don’t get to determine who is a “Real” American anymore than I or Sarah Palin do. Americans include leftists, rightists, centrists, idiots, genuises, whackjobs and silent pragmatists. It always has and it always will.
The simple fact is, you’re no more a “Real American” than Bill Ayres, nor am I. Deal with it. Given that fact, you and iwasthere need to start arguing policies in their merits, not on prideful delusions that you get to define who is and is not a “real American”.
By the way, if you’re simple enough that you cannot comprehend any reality beyond “Republican” and “Democrat” or “righty” and “lefty” and just respond with more “yeah but your side….” crap, then don’t bother.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 18, 2009 at 0652 hrs
ATV-you never told “iwasthere” that his/her argument was lazy and pathetic. You were telling “Hutch” that he and his party were lazy and pathetic(post #7). Strangely, you then say “on the spectrum” you are closer to “Hutch”.(post #12). I’m confused. I think you need to reread the posts. I was the one that called you a hypocrite.
Hutch and I are the ones pushing “Free speech”. You are welcome to join. One more thing, please don’t include me in ANY category that includes Bill Ayers.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 18, 2009 at 2027 hrs
You are right, I was mistaken in who I was talking to.
But it hardly matters.
You seem to mistake my opinion that Hutch’s argument is lazy with a desire to shut him up. That isn’t the case at all. I’m simply stating that the argument, “If you disagree with me you’re anti-American or not a REAL American” is intellectually lazy. It’s just like when a left-winger says “If you disagree with me you hate blacks”. It’s designed as a short-cut to thinking, and to stop debate.
Do you disagree with that statement? If so then you hate me.
See. It’s a stupid argument.
That doesn’t mean I think you should shut up. If you want to continue to protest and make your stupid, lazy argument then go ahead. I’ll gladly fight for your right to use weak, lazy, pathetic arguments.
Whether you think you’re more of a REAL American than Bill Ayres is irrelevant. You both are citizens, you’ve both expressed your opinions, you both partake in our society. Our existece as a society has included people like you and people like him since it started. Sure he’s broken the law and is probably more of a whackjob than you, but that doesn’t really matter. The only difference in your American-ness is your opinion, which is irrelevant.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 19, 2009 at 1405 hrs
ATV…again, you must be reading incorrectly. YOU are the only one talking about who is a REAL AMERICAN. That is another way to short-cut thinking and stop debate. You like to tell someone else WHAT THEY ARE THINKING, even when they are not! Please, you don’t have to fight for my right to speak when they’re words you are trying to put in my mouth. Have people in your life told you that you do this?
I do agree with the two arguments you made above, but you are the only won that has said those things.
Also, you brought up Ayers and his “American-ness”...I just asked not to be catergorized with him.
You need to find better “talking points”.
Peace out!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 19, 2009 at 2015 hrs
Wow, this argument is getting convoluted. I won’t profess to speak for ATV, but I’m personally all for free speech. I will say that I think that some speech ends up being more effective than other speech to the extent it effects the change it seeks to produce.
I think that history will show that the great teabagging party of last week is largely unfocused, ineffective speech, for the same reason that G8 protests are laughable - there are enough wackjobs in the group for society-at-large to effectively dismiss the whole thing. Society is extremely cynical that way. And as Joe Wineke joked about, grassroots movements don’t have roadies setting up stages and stadium screens.
While organization is important, the essence of any grassroots movement is that it isn’t dependent upon lobbyists, former politicians, and corporate interests to pony up the fuel to keep the fire burning. Rage and negative energy are very difficult emotions to sustain because most people don’t want to walk around pissed off every day. The challenge of this movement will be to turn all this negative energy into a positive message of change that can be politically successful.
Posted by Recess Supervisor on April 19, 2009 at 2138 hrs
Indeed iwasthere, peace out. I apologize if I put words in your mouth. I was reacting to what HUTCH said about his protest representing “ordinary folks” as opposed to other protests being made up of whackos, an obvious variant of the “REAL American” argument.
I don’t have “talking points”. I hope you don’t either.
Indeed, peace out.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 20, 2009 at 0602 hrs
Hi ATV, I think we are almost in agreement. I do disagree with your “obvious variant of the ‘Real America’ argument” statement. Here, you are still putting words in someone’s mouth. Hutch said that both sides have their extremes. He said that the citizens protesting last Wednesday, did so peacefully. He felt that bothered those on the left. Whether it did or didn’t is up to you. From this site, I think some were bothered. I feel like they want to down play what happened on Wednesday. If I am correct, that is an attempt to stop another’s opinion.
I was proud to participate last Wednesday. I just wish my involvement wasn’t ridiculed and negated. I know I have a right to free speech, even if I don’t know what the sexual slang of “tea-bagging” is. I hope you could agree with me. We all know different slangs…believe me, whether I like it or not…I know the slang of “tea-bagging” now. I’m wondering what will be said if we protest on the 4th of July. Is there a slang, we should know about? http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fourth of july I actually just found this. lol
I don’t know you, ATV, but I think we both are against shutting out opinions. At first, I have to admit, I thought you were close-minded(my bad-I learned this from my kids, see I can be cool). So, I have been quilty of reading your mind as well. I apologize.
As always, peace out!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 20, 2009 at 0915 hrs
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