Tax Day Tea Party Protests Around the Country

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.