Even though I'm rolling my eyes at this whole demonstration thing I have to admit their signs are pretty funny

I passed by a demonstration today, one guy had a sign that said "Party Like It's 1773".

I agree with Genesis, though I'm not a fan or participant - the signs and costumes do make it more appealing.

Went to the one in Nashville and didn't see any costumes. Saw lots of people fed up with the spending, borrowing and impending taxation to pay for it all. Didn't hear one speaker invoke Democrats versus Republicans, or vice versa. Simply heard a lot of people upset that the government is spending money it doesn't have. Too bad the media and blogs like this do their part at belittling the Tea Parties. Everyone should be concerned at the money being spent whether you lean to the left or right. The only way to pay for it will be with raising taxes and fees. They have already proven they cannot curb spending. How can you folks be cool with that? Photos and videos on my website (if you're interested and it doesn't get moderated/deleted) from the Nashville Tea Party: http://lipskip.com

Fed up with IMPENDING taxation?

There are far too many things wrong with this country. There should be major protesting happening every day. That way we can all be certain that no one will ignore our thoughts and feelings...
Wait hold on a sec. **Searches for the number of people in the US who don't completely ignore protestors.** Nope guess not.

Yep. In my view, impending taxation. Sure taxes and fees are ridiculous today. Can't do much about that. We have too many obligations to pay for. What I see happening is that there will be impending (i.e. future) increases in taxes. That is one of the reasons for the protests today. Plus if you make over $250,000 higher taxes are already guranteed.

Those of you who do affiliate work on the Internet, you know, selling stuff that other people make. If you live in Connecticut you are are seeing some affiliate programs fire you from selling their goods because of SB 806. That, my friends, is a state bill that attempt to tax retailers relationships with affiliates. The retailers are simply letting these people go, truly affecting how these people make money. "Dear --------,
Due to business reasons connected with the new online tax law in Connecticut, we have chosen to remove all Connecticut affiliates, effective March 31st, 2009"
http://blog.affiliatetip.com/archives/a-connecticut-affiliate-in-king-ar...
Yea, taxes make a lot of sense.

Taxes make sense to you - but you weren't moved to action by spending nearly a trillion dollars on two wars that have claimed 5,400 American lives and more than 90,000 civilians, or the costly and inept response to the largest natural disaster in the history of the U.S. that claimed some 1,300 lives and devastated a city?

That doesn't make sense to me.

splork,

the Nashville Tea Party must have been the exception, because all I've heard from the Tea Parties across the state of Texas is "Democratic liberal spending!" and "Conservatives take back the White House" and other such divisive nonsense. They've even got people riled up enough down here they're screaming for a secession. @_@ I really hope my fellow Texans don't want to be associated with *that* again.

Not only that, nobody's belittling the protests. I've seen more serious coverage of these Tea Parties than ANY "radical left-wing/liberal" protest during the last 8 years [can't even think of one right now, can you?]. I can think of better stories for entertainment purposes.

Personally, I've been mad about government spending for quite a while. Seems like everyone involved in this is just *really* late on the bandwagon.

All of those people should be at work instead of being out at these ultra lame and selfish protests.

These are the same dumb freaks who didn't say word one all throughout the Bush administration when Bush requested tax increases on the middle and upper class. Now Obama is there and these mental giants are up in arms cause "democrats tax". Well, republicans whine & bit*h.

This independent voter studies the situation and keeps her nose to the grindstone.

The more crap that this 'land of the free' puts on its citizens the more I seriously contemplate leaving. Yay! More things for Americans to pay for because the people who should have been leading us in the correct direction for years made mistakes that they won't have to deal with. Yes! Don't we all want to pay for the war errors of others and for the loads of money that several idiots made the mistake of borrowing over the past 30 years? I can seriously almost hear the laughter that is coming from the countries that gave us money. I bet those leaders already knew how likely we would be to pay them back before 2014.

I didn't get to go to an event, but I mailed in a tea bag.

Now there's a dedicated radical!

I am so sick of people saying people are only NOW complaining about the government spending. I do not know any conservatives that were happy with Bush's spending and they complained then too.
Get a new BS rhetoric to throw around already!

Someone elected Bush twice and it definitely wasn't the left; and someone elected Republicans to Congress until '06 - that wasn't the left.

Government policies drive government spending and very few of you criticized the government costly policies that caused today's problems. You'd rather target a guy who's been in office less than three months than admit you weren't interested enough to pay attention before his election.

Here's what I'm not getting, considering a lot of these people attending these "rallies" will not be affected by tax increase, in fact their taxes will be lower than it was last year. Our economy was in fact booming during the Clinton years, when we had high taxes, it's pretty pointless. I was watching on both fox and cnn and I saw some idiots calling our president a fascist. Do they even know the definition of Fascism let alone Marxism. Please, stop being brainwashed by Hannity's definition as it is very much wrong.

It's sad to see how so many in our country are reverting back to the peasant class mentality. Easily manipulated by those in the upper class to get their dirty work done for them.

I just love how so many of the slightly older party-goers talk about tea bags without knowing what else they might be saying...juvenile, I know...

zeze, my mother is in town (still! ) and has been reading about tea parties, and prompted by a comment on a site she reads, she asked me last week what teabagging is. I refused to respond then, but today she found a link which described it. I was mortified and told her she can't look at that kind of crap if she's going to be on my computer.

Haha...I would have lied! lol!

You should have just shown her an NBA game where one guy dunks, hangs on the rim and the other guy under him is in the wrong place, wrong time - and said that's it! She would think it means a dunk or hanging on the rim or...anything besides the truth.

But honestly, i've been dying of laughter at how many people have no idea what it means!

I don't think it matters when you start believing in a more fiscally responsible government. many liberals find great joy in countering the complaints about the Obama/Pelosi spending spree by saying "nobody complained as Bush was doing it." Well I didn't hear liberals complaining either for one. For another, how is it a good thing for this administration to double down on what liberals are now saying was bad policy during the Bush years? So it was bad when Bush was trashing the country but it's OK for Obama to trash it times two? Get real.

Today's protest was about too much government spending and borrowing. With this much money being spent on a crisis only a politician like Rohm Emmauel could love there will be a time that we have to pay for it. It may not be income taxes. It may be fees. Higher gas taxes. Higher cigarette taxes. Higher fees on cell phones. This bill has to be paid back. So this protest today was also a reminder that we do not want to pay higher taxes because of inefficient and wasteful government spending.

Fascism: a political philosophy that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.

To many people our government marches ever closer to this philosophy. Banks and car companies are being controlled by the government. The DHS puts out a report warning of "right wing extremism". Saw a lot of that today boyo. And I can't think of too many liberals that are for the individual rights over government oversight/regulation/restriction. Think about all the libs crying out for more government intervention because of Wall Street. Why can't social security be at least partially managed by individuals, etc. ad nauseum. Funny too, since one would think that being "liberal" would define individuality and freedom. Interesting how the conservative is thought of more for individual rights than the liberal. Strange times indeed.

I am really disappointed in the degrading comments being made towards the right wing or the left.
Inappropriate. :/
The government is spending too much money that they don't have, and they've been doing it for far too long. It's about time it got some coverage.

Sorry Splork, lots of people complained about the money being diverted from important considerations here to wars in the Middle East.

When you spend money to make the country's infrastructure stronger, you create jobs, save money that had been going on band-aid projects & repairs. When you spend on schools, you improve education. When you spend on health care, you cut waste and have a healthier population... war spending is welfare for the military-industrial complex, and kills and maims thousands of people.

People who are 'more for individual rights' probably should be for keeping people alive, making sure they're fed, clothed, have shelter and their health is looked after.

As far as money being diverted to the wars, I don't think, based on the size of the deficit and additional debt, that Bush and Congress gave us, that any program went begging for money. Didn't we increase entitlements even with the prescription card thing?

I wish we would spend to make our infrastructure stronger. But very little of the "stimulus" is going to that, much less spending *now* when its needed, not in '10'and '11 when votes are needed. We already spend more on education than just about any other nation in the world and it sure has been worth it hasn't it? How exactly is spending on health care cutting health care waste? More computers? Putting records online? War spending provides jobs, much like those for your infrastructure spending. Over 40 states benefit for building the F-22. Or used to. Or do those jobs not count? Lots of Democrats. along with Republicans, voted thumbs up for the Iraq war not to mention the coalition formed after 9/11 to go into Afghanistan. The poor in this country are a heck of a lot better off, fed, housed, sheltered than the rest of the world. The opportunities are certainly better than anywhere else in the world, or am I missing something with all the illegals rolling in trying to find opportunity? And there is not a hospital in the country that can turn away anyone needing help.

This is the problem, the left wing liberal media will have you believe that this was all about bush wacking Obama. Or that we were only complaining about democrats. It is getting really old and lame. I was at the Fresno Tea Party. It was definitely not just against liberal. I did not hear one speaker utter Obama's name. I heard Schwarzenegger's a lot though. I also heard the 3 republicans names in California that voted for this horrible taxation that was retroactive. And no I didn't protest the war spending, as it happened over a longer period of time, but I am against how much was spent. And there can always be a point when we say enough is enough. That is where I m at. You can paint it however you'd like steph, and say that "where were you when the repubs spent blah blah blah" But i am not naive enough to think that someone can't have the straw that broke the camels back moment. i am frustrated with Obama, that is true. But i am also frustrated with all of those Repubs who say they are conservatives and spend a crap load of money. i wish that you wouldn't trivialize everyone's intentions, simply because you don't want to use the brain power to wrap your mind around a bigger picture. Look at it like this, Rosa Parks didn't want to move on that bus. Were people frustrated before that??? YES She incited a movement. But that doesn't mean that there wasn't racism going on before that point and that people didn't want to deal with it. It is the same here. And it is very shallow minded to assume that we aren't frustrated with ALL runaway spending. Despite what MSNBC and other MSM want you to believe, this was NOT about Obama.

comment 10- really mature

Well said #21. Again many people on here think that because it has been done in the past, everyone should get free reign. The buck needs to stop sometime. no better time then the present.
And to all of those thatthink that we aren't being taxed more need to re-read the tax code. Although our percentage may not be increased, people over 100,000 are unable to deduct a lot of things under Obamas tax code that they were able to under previous ones. Specifically Day care expenses that are prorated over $40,000 in earned income. Also home interest is also prorated past a certain point. Also Obama's tax code calls for not allowing to put money into 401k plans and the like tax deferred.
Also I am in california, they just raised a crap load of taxes...

Those guys are awesome! And GREAT signs. lol

I was a "dumb freak" who went to my towns Tea Party, Hundreds were there in front of the courthouse, it was a great demonstration, good results, very proud of my fellow citizens!!

yea, Comment number 10.....immature and unpatriotic.

"Also Obama's tax code calls for not allowing to put money into 401k plans and the like tax deferred."

Hain, once again you have been listening to too much Fox News. No one is touching your 401k.

I have heard many of these people complaining about bailouts, saying, "where is my bailout". First of all, check your paycheck stub. 95% of Americans started getting a reduction in payroll taxes April 1st, and so most people are already getting bigger paychecks. That was part of the stimulus.

Secondly, when Bush was putting us into Trillions of dollars of debt, where did everyone think it was going to come from? Did you think that when he left his MASSIVE debt would disappear? Where were all of these people then?

Third, the Obama administration is dealing with a global financial crisis like none the world has EVER seen. For people to pretend that these extraordinary times reflect how money will be spent after the crisis is absurd, seriously. Yes, it sucks to spend so much money. But that is what we get when our financial industry is allowed to run wild because of deregulation. We are all paying for the mistakes of the past 8 years. Blaming Obama is just motivated by political agenda.

Jillness thank you thank you very much. Just thinking about the crap that Fox News feeds its devoted watchers can induce headaches... It would be very very nice if everyone did not just believe everything that they saw on tv, no matter what format it appeared in. (ie. fox, abc, nbc, cbs...) I hate it when people start foaming at the mouth over the 'awful things that Obama is doing to the country right now.' Geez people at least wait till you have actual proof that the country is being ruined forever. As if the last eight years of our lives were that politically and economically great to begin with!

I do wish you people (liberal wackos) would stop bashing Fox News simply because they don't kiss up to Democrats and spew liberal talking points 24/7! I just saw a clip of a CNN reporter opening criticizing one of the Chicago protesters as he was holding his 2 year old child. Oh yeah that's professional journalism right there! Completely unbiased!
I was at the NYC Tea Party yesterday along with 12,500 others. Face it guys, not everyone thinks the sun shines out of Obama's @$$.

You don't have to think the "the sun shines out of Obama's @$$." But you should use actual facts and not fearmongering gossip to attack him.

Ahem kh61582. Not every Democrat or Independent is taking time out of their day(s) to only bash the news of fox. (ie ME) Take a look at what was said in my post that just above yours.

**t would be very very nice if everyone did not just believe everything that they saw on tv, no matter what format it appeared in. (ie. fox, abc, nbc, cbs...**

I am sorry that I forgot to include CNN.

Well said silversnowflakes- no matter where you stand, you should be able to appreciate that most stations are biased one way or the other.
It gets so old when people bash Fox News, but claim Rachel Maddows is an unbiased, appropriate news source, OR vice versa. Wake up and smell the coffee, people...Everyone has their own opinions, and they will somehow be reflected wherever those people are given power of any sort.

Jillness, no doubt there is extra money in peoples paycheck due to the "stimulus". It wasn't a lot but it allowed Obama to claim victory that he lowered taxes. Unfortunately its just money being churned from the fed down to the local level because the feds had to stop giving money to the states who in turn are raising fees and taxes to pay for budget shortfalls so it is a net-net wash in most cases.

Bush *added to* already trillions of dollars in debt. We already had a mountain of debt when he took office. Yes the deficit was lower but the national debt was not zero. Again, to justify the trillions that Obama is unleashing on us by saying Bush did the same thing is not right. "These people" were sitting on their hands as Bush spent like a liberal. Doesn't mean that it isn't right to speak up now. I didn't hear the liberals saying much when he added to the entitlement programs and went on his spending spree. Last I checked Congress was Democrat since '06. They didn't put up much of a fight did they?

The world dealt with a much bigger problem during the depression. Obama and the Democrats just do not have any better ideas than to spend their way out of it.

People at the Tea Parties were blaming the last 8 years for inept spending. We can certainly blame Obama for a debt and deficit that he is adding to whether it is 80 days in or 4 years. He's no more responsible than Bush.

Whether you jumped on board yesterday or have been concerned about the spending for the last 20 years, I don't see how it matters. All that matters is that people are starting to realize that this country cannot absorb this kind of spending forever. Folks can spin it political, left versus right, Obama versus conservatives, blah, blah, blah... but there are plenty of people on both sides who choose, or have chosen, a more fiscal responsible position.

I went to the Phoenix Tea Party at 5:00 in the evening when people were off of work. I think it is great people can express their views peacefully and as we can all see, creatively. I think most people there would agree with me that the spending is out of control on both sides of the aisle. Government waste is a bipartisan issue and that needs to be taken care of. Voting for a bill that you haven't even read is ridiculous and careless. Although, I guess its easy to spend money that isn't yours in the first place.

Urban Chic its a shame that the people who care about what their country is doing (no matter what side of the chess board their on) out number the people who are wasting all that money that isn't theirs to waste. I wonder sometimes how judges, congressmen, governors and so on sleep at night... I also wonder why people don't just take the words of news anchors at face value. Actually, I wonder a lot about this country... that in itself is sad.
Thank you amelloratelj, now if only everyone chose to think of their news that way.