WASHINGTON (CNN) – The organizer of a "Tea Party" protest in Virginia says he intends to move forward with plans to burn House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Tom Perriello in effigy next weekend at a rally to protest Democratic health care legislation.
The event is scheduled for next Saturday in Danville, which borders North Carolina and sits at the southern end of Perriello's congressional district. Perriello, a Democrat, narrowly won his House seat in 2008 and is considered a top target of Congressional Republicans in next year's midterm elections.
When news of the rally surfaced Friday, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen condemned the plans as "shocking and despicable."
But Nigel Coleman, the organizer of the Tea Party, told CNN he doesn't see what all the fuss is about. The attention, he said, should be on the Democratic plans to overhaul the health care system.
"We're not going to actually set Perriello on fire or Mrs. Pelosi on fire," Coleman said. "But we have been trying to months to get our point across just how vehemently we are opposed to this health care legislation. For the House vote to come so close and to know that Mr. Perriello is on the other side, it's a kick in the stomach that a lot of people couldn't take."
Coleman said none of Perriello's potential Republican challengers have been invited to the event, which he expects will draw about 100 people.
"Something shocking and despicable is how they've handled this health care legislation," Coleman said, responding to Van Hollen's statement. "Going behind closed doors, writing a bill that is going to fundamentally change what America is. More people are going to be killed by this health care legislation than this bonfire."
From CNN Politics
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what a complete waste of time!!! These people are being run by mad, rogue, palinites!!! These burnings are just a way of getting attention. Too bad it isn't working!!
You have to be kidding...burning if effigy? These people are nuts
They use the same talk as the other side did for Bush and Cheney. How many large paper dolls of Bush did we see burning around the USA and World? Countless.
The Tea Party isn't going to literally burn them at the stake. It's just a tough language to support their position.
I'm no Tea Party supporter, but can respect their protesting.
While we have always celebrated diversity, this is going too far. To the moronic tea baggers one can only say, "America, love it or leave it."
Well, that will certainly convince people that the Tea Baggers are not unhinged or out to lunch in any way...
Why do the TeaBaggers hate America so much? Isn't their approach treasonous? We are currently at War and they are trying to tear the country down? They should be shot for reason. If you don't like living here you can get out!
These folks are getting more and more extreme. They are so far out of mainstream American society, yet CNN and other outlets keep covering them like they are reasonable protestors. Do these "patriots" have any idea that the majority of Americans favor of a strong public option for health care? This has been shown to be the case in survey after survey. Pelosi and Periello are fighting for good health care for all Americans. Don't we deserve that? Yes, we do.
100 nutcases in one location. Alert the mental health professionals. Thanks CNN for showing how crazy the republican party has become. The party of angry wacho tea baggers. Now if they would only wear brown shirts and arm bands...
More Palin coverage helps too.
Sounds like incitement to riot. They should be arrested and investigated by the FBI and Secret Service because they are obviously a threat to the 3rd person in line to the Presidency.
The Republicans lost... the people voted for real change. No doubt these 'good Christain folk' are proud to stand up and deny health care to millions of Americans. No more for-profit health care – please.
While this particuls event may be somewhat silly, what is sillier is the Democrats and the Presidents insistence that social (nationalized) health care works. It doesn't. I lived in the US for 45 years and moved to Canada 10 years ago for work. I am still trying to move back. If waiting 3 days in an emergency ward after an ambualnce ride, or 9 months for an MRI, or mamogram, or having your Doctor telling you that had you been living in the US the heart attack you experienced woul never have come to pass in the US then go for it. It simply doesnt work, I live it. You are simply assured the same inefficient service as evry one else gets..You will see
So let's see. They'll burn someone in effigy, then go to church and praise God. I love the GOP.
When something really, really bad happens, the blood will be on all of their hands, from Beck to Limbaugh and everyone in between.
These are very disturbed people.
Sounds just like the Iranian students in the USA in 1979. What is next? The Tea Party takes hostages until 'their' government is returned to 'them'? They have all the hallmarks of an incipient domestic terrorist group. I hope the Feds have them all under surveillance!
burning someone in effigy is unamerican.
This is still America, and we are still free. The Tea Party is doing this in plain sight, which is more than can be said for Pelosi's healthcare reform bill.
Wait... so... somehow burning Pelosi in effigy will prove to the country that these people are sensible, rational human beings who want responsible health care reform rather than reactionary extreme right wing nuts who would oppose any form of reform whatsoever?
So this is supposed to send a message to the government that they want a different form of health care reform. Yeah. Because clearly the republicans have been voicing a clear, rational alternative to the public option which has worked in numerous other countries.
What scares me is as much as I'd think this tactic should backfire, as much as I'd hope that this would expose these teabaggers as the insane reactionary mindless idiots they are, I'm afraid that they'll probably be able to rally considerable support from other mindless idiots. I hated bush, but even doing this to bush seems extreme, let alone a SINGLE representative who wants to propose a SINGLE socialistic reform. Socialistic reforms aren't inherently bad people, I direct you to the public school system, private schools still exist but the public school system has been vital for educating generations of Americans. Though, as the case would be for these teabaggers, it has apparently failed.
"But we have been trying to months to get our point across just how vehemently we are opposed to this health care legislation," says Nigel Coleman.
Here again is another example of how teapartiers/baggers imagine that their anger and opinion is more important than anyone else's.
Mr. Coleman goes on to overexaggerate when he says, "More people are going to be killed by this health care legislation than this bonfire."
Mr. Coleman is entitled to his opinion just like everyone else, but in order to be heard a person needs to be realistic AT THE VERY LEAST.
Even as a conservative, this disgusts me. I hope these tea party people know that this will only stifle our cause. Let the liberals be the only ones to stoop to such a level, as they burned Bush in effigy several times.
The Tea Party are using the same tactics of the Nazi Brownshirts of the Thirties in order to subvert the democratic process.
That is just too trashy for words.
Interesting, I guess.
To bad I missed all the "tickers" during Bush's years when Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and the rest were all burned in effigy every week at anti-war rallies.
They also missed all the signs calling Bush Hitler and the T-shirts and such.
Don't want anyone to get a bad impression of the mythical far left.
Why don't these poor misguided, misinformed people spend their time doing something constructive!?!
And this is news why?
Something this important should not be passed without the support of the entire country. If its cot the support of half, Ill eat my hat. These people in congress the house and senate need to go. They are moving forward with their own agenda, and thats not what we voted them in for. The arent protecting our intrests and they are destroying this nation.
The tea partiers just get crazier and crazier.