Tax Day Tea Party Protests Around the Country
Bloggers on reforming the tax code, protests, extremism, Jamie Foxx , Miley Cyrus, and Sarah Palin
Our daily look at stories and topics that are lighting up the Internets:
Tea-Bagging the Tax Code
Protests small and medium-size are sweeping the nation ... and the blogosphere. Here's the latest on the Tea Party protests from the Huffington Post. And here's a map of every Tea Party in the country. It's worth noting that the tone in the Tea Party debates is particularly hostile, even militant, as these blogposts attest. If you're anything like us, you'll probably want to hear Marc Ambinder explain what in the heck is going on. Let's get to the debate:
The Tea -Baggers: Conservative Michelle Malkin gives her thoughts on the protests. Here's one conservative blogger's picture of the day. Conservative Mark Krikorian thinks protesters like himself need "more political theater and fewer marketing consultants." Plus, a reader sends Krikorian details of one South Carolina protest: "They will be selling the 'Obama burger'—you pay for one and they cut it in half and give the rest to the guy behind you for free!" Conservative kmorrison writes about the new movement: "A fascinating element of today's protests is how Tea Party organizers harnessed the power of the internet to generate a truly grass roots movement." And conservative Kristen Soltis thinks that the socially liberal, fiscally conservative youngsters involved in today's protests are the likely future of the GOP. Mary Kate Cary would likely concur.
The Opposition: Protest away, writes liberal Robert Schlesinger, it's just too bad that the majority of the American public doesn't care. Dan Amira writes on one Tea Party's failure to obtain protesting permits: "Nothing will stop these colorful anti-government characters from making their voices heard! Nothing! Except, maybe, lacking the necessary permits to carry out their symbolic acts of resistance without breaking municipal code!" Liberal Jed Lewison makes fun of Fox News. Liberal Amanda Terkel sums up the protests here. Fiscal conservative Tony Campbell doesn't see the point: "These 'Tea Parties' are a waste of our combined time, effort and patience ... besides I do not even like Tea, I like my Mocha Latte from Starbucks." Liberal Thom Hartmann explains what the Boston Tea Party was really about.
More on Taxes
Conservative Douglas Holtz-Eakin explains the madness of the modern-day tax code. His point: "It is bad for democracy to promise to revolutionize health care, education, infrastructure, energy, and the environment and tell people that 5 percent of Americans will bear the burden." Liberal Daniel Gross examines conservative arguments (like this one) that the tax-code hurts charities: "These folks just care a lot more about tax cuts than they do about helping charities and will marshal the most effective arguments they can for their position." Andrew Sullivan sees a way to bring the GOP back to the center through the tax code issue (video). Conservative Ongoing Priorities begs for tax mercy. And who wouldn't want to listen to The Beatles?
... Meanwhile ...
Vietnam bans karaoke dancing... Obama still deciding on releasing Bush's torture policy... Jamie Foxx apologizes for telling Miley Cyrus to "get a gum transplant, do heroin and crack, and catch chlamydia"... And George Will, Paul Rudd, and others filmed reading a harlequin romance... Plus, the Palin family's personal vendetta against Levi Johnston.
Reader Comments
tea parties
What was small, really, was the way the Media reported these tea parties. I am really concerned about that lack of honesty and objectivity. Instead of asking genuine questions, the "journalist" from CNN was trying to dissuade and intimidate one of the protesters. It is shameful! We have the right, as citizens, to know the news, and to make up our own opinions. The international press must have a secret field day about this; imagine, one generation of reporters covers the Watergate, the next generation is busy with cover-up.
We Were Warned
"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have." ~ Thomas Jefferson
"There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation. One is by the sword, the other is by debt." ~ John Adams
Since the people in government are being considered as irresponsible, it is good to realize they are citizens of the USA the same as the rest of us. That means they are representative of everyone else in their attitudes and ways.
About two years ago I read an article that stated the average credit card debt for Americans was about $10,000. That's a lot of money when it is multiplied by hundreds of millions of people. Hundreds of thousands of people refinanced their homes to relieve credit card debt as property values continued to climb for many years - giving the impression they didn't need to pay for their spending.
It's not Republican or Democrat, though the differences of the two parties give to us a sense of the consequences of varying indulgences, right and wrong. Borrow and spend is not wrong if done for the right reasons. It all isn't about finding ways to get what we want, it is about realizing why we want what we do.
tea party
I went to a tea party, yesterday, to protest government deficit spending. It was bad under Bush and worse under Obama. The media doesn't want to understand. We are not angry Obama won. We are angry because Obama isn't keeping his promises. He promised to go line by line to cut earmarks. Then he signs a 8000+ earmark bill withOUT even trying to cut any pork out of it. He signed the stimulus bill withOUT taking the time to make it better/leaner. He now wants $83 billion to spend on the wars. We want Obama to be better than Bush with our tax money. And we are not seeing it. Also, State and local taxes are increasing. My property tax tripled in 2008.
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