Attempting to paint this is as some sort of "GOP" thing is silly.
Reports on various Tea Party sites, via Michele Malkin's blog:
Something hugely significant just happened here at the Sacramento Tea Party. Organizer Mark Meckler singled out GOP opportunists who wouldn?t give him the time of day weeks ago ? and then wanted to hitch their wagons to the Tea Party bandwagon at the last minute.
Meckler said he heard that California GOP chair Ron Nehring was in the audience. Meckler invited him to say hi to the crowd ? and then ripped him for waffling on the massive tax hike ballot measures (particularly Prop1A - $16 billion tax hikes).
Massive boos from the crowd of thousands here against the Calif. GOP establishment.
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Michael Steele was denied permission to speak in Chicago, because the organizers didn?t want the GOP to hijack the event.
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Jonathan Hoenig, the Capitalist Pig, also gave the GOP a smack down at the Chicago protest pointing out Bush?s abandonment of the free market system.
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Local radio station here (owned by the NBC television station affiliate) in Grand Rapids, MI, said about 4,000 were in Lansing. Earlier this morning, 1,000 were in tiny Hudsonville, a suburb of Grand Rapids. Later tonite, they are expecting a really large crowd by the Ford Museum downtown. So the local stations are keeping up (radio). Fox news is doing shots of the various areas, Cavuto has been interviewed in Sacramento. In Sacramento, they are not letting ANY politicians speak, they are sick of all of them. HAHA.
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Just got back from the Colorado Springs event (I took a long lunch, but have to work!). There was a big crowd, and Rep. Doug Lamborn spoke. He is one of the few that has voted correctly!
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Gilbert, Arizona noon rally we had over one thousand so I am pleased. Every time someone mocked the porkulus bill the crowd chanted ?yes we can?; not sure just how to take that.
John McCain did not attend-so sad. (little tear here)
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At Carson City, NV, Rep. Dean Heller got lots of applause - he voted against TARP, etc.
Also strong against illegal immigration and against amnesty, et al.
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With $16 billion in tax hikes, those who did see it are certainly paying good money. I wonder if it took 30 pieces of silver to get politicians like Arnold and Ron to support the California tax hikes and betray their party.
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Was Hannity trying to turn the Atlanta Tea Party into a Republican event? Doesn?t he get it either?
And now Greta is going to talk to the chairman of the RNC?
I?m going to bed.
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NotASlickFan: why are you watching Hannity anyway? He?s a RINO enabler. He still gushes every time McCain, Boehner, McConnell or any other RINO appears as his guest. He is part of the problem. He is blind to what you are complaining about.
If anything I would say this movement is building off of what Ron Paul started. Truly grass roots.