Tea party protesters gathered on Capitol Hill in September 2009. (Photo Credit: Getty Images/File)
Washington (CNN) - Some Tea Party activists from across the country are planning a 'national strike' on January 20, the one-year anniversary of President Barack Obama's inauguration.
The idea of holding an economic protest sprung up during the holidays as the result of a conference call held by various Tea Party group leaders, according to Allen Hardage, a conservative grassroots organizer from Georgia.
"Tea Party activists are frustrated that despite a huge turnout over the last year Congress is ignoring them," says Hardage, who is national operations director for the planned strike. "The question is that if the elected officials ignore you, what do you do to exercises your right to self-governance? So we decided to hold a National Day of Strike where we go after the large donors of the people pushing this radical agenda."
Hardage says the idea of the one-day strike is to focus attention on the businesses that support the most liberal members of Congress as well as groups that advocate "big government" policies.
But Hardage says the move will not be a boycott: "Here we are exposing the agenda of some of the most widely known companies in America and letting the consumer decide. If a corporation decides to jump into politics to the tune of millions of dollars, then they need to expect that they will alienate some of their customers."
The strike is being promoted online through the organizers' Web site through Web sites of various Tea Party groups and on social networking sites.
CNN reached out to a number of national Tea Party organizations. While some were aware of the planned strike and some not informed, none said they were going to actively take part in the event.
From CNN Politics
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I am telling you NONE of these strikes will deter this administration... you should do what the teroriss do so NoObama understands what is going on
I wonder if they'lll top their *huge" turnout of 75,000 at the DC protest. How pathetic.
the only effective strike would be by the military.
LOL...who cares? Blithering idiots will do bluitheringly idiotic things. "Monkey Throws Poop" is not a shocking headline, CNN.
While some were aware of the planned strike and some not informed, none said they were going to actively take part in the event.
is it still a "party" if no one shows up.
Doesn't the taliban also talk of "planning strikes" on our country?
Not much difference between the two groups they both want our nation and our president to fail. These people should be in Gitmo.
These tea baggers need to get meaningful lives and shut up.....
Yeah...good luck with all that.
Huh. Those of us who actually work for a living will be WORKING that day. Guess it's corporately-funded astroturfers who have the luxury to pretend to be revolutionaries.
How infantile!!!
Like other moderate democrats I've joined TEA (Tax Enough Already) Party in my city. TEA PARTY goers came from different political parties. Survival of our wallet is bigger than survival of our political affiliation. #1 is myself, my political affiliation can be found located at the bottom of my lists.
(The question is that if the elected officials ignore you, )
I think they're supose to ignore the crazy fringe element!!
It'll be funny if they lose their jobs because they went on strike, and then have no health care.
They're all retirees! If they care to "strike", the gov should "strike" back and cancel all of their "socialist" benefits. As a taxpaying citizen, I'm sick of those old jerks who had everything handed to them in their good union jobs now telling ME I should do without while at the same time expecting me to fork more of MY hard-earned $$$ for them!
The democrats should abandon their radical agenda and adopt the teabagger's radical agenda. Makes perfect sense.
Once the grassroots organization Fux News gets behind this, there will be a lot more interest.
Does this mean that the big health insurance companies will be exposed by the Tea Party people for spending millions to buy our congressmen off to stop reform?
Like other moderate democrats I've joined TEA (Tax Enough Already) Party in my city. TEA PARTY goers came from different political parties. Survival of our wallet is bigger than survival of our political affiliation. My #1 is myself, my children, my family; my political affiliation can be found located at the bottom of my lists. Politicians come and go, my family stays with me until the day I die.
Can't wait to see what old crowd footage Fox will photoshop in to make it look like anyone really cared about this latest radical fringe nutjob tantrum.
I support your right to strike. Given your politics I doubt you would support mine but that is the price I'll pay for being a proud liberal.
Cheer up tea partiers at least my guy was elected imagine if McCain and Palin had won and the Supreme court gave it away to Obama. Oh man that would really suck.........
Maybe the "frustration" supposedly felt by Tea Party Activists has far more to do with the conclusion reached by Congress and the more rational elements of our society that the Tea Baggers are the political equivilent of a bad case of gas: initially offensive, but utterly lacking substance and soon dissipated into nothing.
The petit bourgeois are revolting! Hee hee. Just once, I'd like to see the urban poor (and the growing not-so-urban poor) surround one of these mass temper tantrums and chase their whining lilly white butts back to the suburbs where they belong. Have a nice day!
Hurray it's like senior ditch day all over again! I wonder how many of those who participate in this will use a sick day???
The reason people are ignoring you is because you are a bunch of ignorant racist hicks being exploited by the Republican party.
Where were you 8 years ago. Shame on you.?
hayward, Calif.
The idea that rallies and tea parties are an acceptable alternative to you know, voting is ridiculous. Do these people actually think that the government will ignore the mandate given them by voters and listen to a bunch of people at a rally? Go read the constiution and not just the parts you like...
Funny, but it's scary how many people don't realize the Boston "Tea Party" was a gross act of terrorism committed against an occupying force, the British. Now the Tea Partiers are doing the same thing against their own country – isn't that treason?
Hmmm, let's see...........a group of people who haven't been at work for the past year, and instead have been running around the country throwing tantrums and being a nuissance, are going to go on strike.
Yea, that's going to be a HUGE thing. People that aren't working are going to go on strike. That's GENUIS! The worst case is that some republican/conservative moron that has been financing them is going to lose even MORE money.
What are they really protesting about on the 20th? They are protesting the election of a BLACK man to the white house. Just like republican congress which would rather say no to everythimng than put forth suggestions to help their country reduce the health care cost for every working stiff in this country. People cutting of their noses to spite their faces!!!
Welcome to America, tea baggers.
The anti-war movement held numerous protests during the Bush years, much bigger ones than the tea baggers, and they were ignored by the media as well as the politicians. Now, the media gives you attention for your little soirees (and Faux News even helps you organize them), but you're not getting pampered by Democratic politicians, so you're peeved.
It's your right to tea bag or sand bag or bag your face or whatever. It's my right to recognize you as losers and totally ignore you. I don't think your strike will be felt whatsoever.
C'mon people stop the whinning about every little thing, and get o work.
If you'll would spend more time working to help someone else in need and be grateful for what you have, and stop trying to bring this President down who is trying his best to help you close minded fools, the country would be a better place.
This is why other countries say we don't appreciate what we have. And the way you fight against the Gov't now that we have a smart President running things you just don't want to have it be known that we can make peace without war. The way you hateful people terroriize this President, call him names, put out threats and against him, you should not be affraid of the emeimes from other countries when they terrorize your Ass. Now you see how it feels to cont. to do hateful things to this President.
What goes around comes around people. Let stop this foolishness and try making peace for once in your life.
Thank God they are being ignored. Conservative republicains have had loud voice in Washington for 8 years and I think they did enough damage. It is also funny that they are upset about all the government spending that really took place while the GOP was in power – we are just now seeing the effects of their policies.
Now you know how we felt for eight years under Bush. Frustration doesn't come close. Come on guys, there are certainly a lot of you, but you don't represent a majority and scrweaming and hollering isn't apt to make you one. Obama is pretty much trying to do what he said he would during the campaign. If anything, he's ratcheted back on some of his healthcare and other proposals to get a majority in the Senate. Certainly the deficit is much bigger than anyone wanted it to be, but that's what needs to be done in an economic crisis. As we come out of the recession over the next two years, we absolutely need to deal with entitlements and discretionary spending and start paying our way.
"CNN reached out to a number of national Tea Party organizations. While some were aware of the planned strike and some not informed, none said they were going to actively take part in the event."
Apparently, rather thana realizing that the tip was bogus the CNN staff ran the story anyway. Since when is advertising for a small group of planners in a movement considered legitimate news?
Tea Party = sore losers
This tea party stuff is getting out of hand.... Go sit down people!
These people should get something to do rather than stricking
if they strike and get fired then I hope someone more deserving will get their jobs.
why shouldn't they be ignored? They hold signs of Obama with a Hitler moustache, call him a Nazi/Socialist/non-citizen and expect to be taken seriously???
Personally, I think teapartiers should protest against big corporations before they protest against a big government. As corporate rights are growing ever stronger against individual rights, how else can we protect ourselves against corporate take-over of the nation? Shouldn't teapartiers take on the health insurance industry before they protest against our government?
I am insured and have got plenty of tea to sip, but many Americans are paid with too low an income and can't afford health insurance premiums. You or I can become one of them if we lose our good jobs and drain our savings. Our own government is not the British empire in 1773. Why don't you march on Wall Street before you protest anywhere else? Thanks!
It sounds like Mr. Hardage needs a little nap. Or prehaps a one-way ticket to the "good ol' days".
The biggest "Big Government policies" came under the last administration...
Homeland Security
Medicare part B
Tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and Corporations
Etc.,
Where were you so called "tea baggers" the last 8 years?
And "The question is that if the elected officials ignore you..." it's because you deserve to be ignored!!
The Bush administration predicted that the war it started in Iraq would cost $50 billion to $60 billion. The Congressional Budget Office and other analysts say that it will cost $1 trillion to $2 trillion. Joseph E. Stiglitz, a Nobel Prize-winning economist and critic of the war, puts the long-term cost of the war at more than $4 trillion.
Where were the TEA BAGGERS then?
Oh my goodness, they're going to strike. Whatever shall we do??? Their demonstartions during the health care debate really shook the foundations of congress and changed the course of America forever. They are so frighteningly powerful, and I'm so, so afraid of what they might do next. What if they stomp their little feet? What if they hold their collective breath 'til they turn blue??? What if they throw themselves on the floor and scream and kick??? I'm so, so scared.
What this tea partier neglects to say is that the majority voted, and the majority wants health care reform and the majority knows this president had to take some drastic measures to drag us out of a horrible downward spiral. Does this idiot remember what level the DOW had sunk to on Jan. 20th of last year?
These people are really really nut cases.
Maybe if somebody knew what they want, they'd not be ignored, but since nobody knows, not even themselves......
What kind of radical agenda are they talking about??
The non-reform healt-reform??
Give me a break!!!!!!!!!!
Congress is ignoring them because they are a bunch of whack jobs. How many times did we see a tea bagger screaming about not wanting government run health care, only to find out that they were receiving health care from medicare. Or how many times did we see a tea bagger being interviewed who couldn't answer even the simplest questions about the current health care system or the proposals. It is absolutely ok to protest, but it would be nice if these people actually new something beyond the Limbaugh/Beck type of rhetoric.
Acknowledging these idiots would be like praising a disruptive mentally challenged child.
How nice that the teabaggers have all this time on their hands so they can organize and protest - what exactly???? Taxation without representation such as was done at the Boston Tea Party? These teabaggers do have representation, but they just don't like the decisions being made by their representatives. Too bad. So vote your congressman or congresswoman out of office next election. I would join them to protest on the other side, but I have to work to pay for their social security – the idiots!!
So, CNN, if "none said they were going to actively take part in the event," why are you bothering to give these loonies any publicity?
Hang on, that's the sort of thing that the Socialist French do!
Okay, this group wants less governtment spending. What are they willing to cut to get that? Do they want less military spending? Do they want less protection from criminal gangs? I haven't heard what they are for and what they look to do. Can they explain that?
Congress is ignoring them? Two reasons:
1. Ignoramuses shouting incoherently should be ignored.
2. The Tea Party needs more money and lobbyists if it's seriously interested in influencing anyone on the Dem side.
you got to be kidding me that the so call tea baggers are going to have
strike first of all nobody came to there rallies jon stewart showed that
was crap when fair and balance faux news doctor the video of there
DC rally showing more people then there actually was , i will be the
first person to cross there picket line because I don't like scabs
Grassroots? There is no grassroots involved in the Tea Parties. FEC records prove that.
Another socially CONservative teabagger wishing failure upon on our country's economy for the sake of selfish politics. Limbaugh must be so proud.
Give me a break.
Wow...... Don't buy something on Monday to show a point (of course you will just turn around and buy it on Tuesday). This lame idea has not caused oil companies to lower the price of gas so why would it cause anyone else to pay attention....
These people are a joke. They are running around the country protesting the costs of pulling the nation out of one of the worst messes left by any administration, Bush-Cheney. They protest taxes, yet the Bush tax cuts were just a shift of the tax load to the middle class who are now paying for those mistakes. The Tea Party folks will wake up one day and realize who is really taking them for a ride!
I expect any minute this whole crazy thing with the tea baggers, the birthers, the GOP, all this stupid, absurd insanity will come to an end just like "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" did. The cops will come riding in and put a final stop to the madness.
A day with out Teabaggers??? I cant wait!!!
Please, for the love of god, please "strike" my place of business so I dont have to talk to any of you ignorant idiots.
Someone needs to tell these idiots that what they are actually proposing is a picket, not a strike. On second thought, why bother?
Sorry, can someone get the guy a dictionary? He is plainly describing a boycott, not a strike. Don't get me wrong, that's not the biggest problem with his agenda by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm not sure where this weird (and false) definition of "strike" is coming from. Unless maybe he considers being a consumer his profession?
A strike?? – from what, being retired and collecting a Social Security check or getting socialized medicine via Medicare.
If it wasn't so sad, it would be funny. Afterall, it is the big corporations funding the Tea Baggers' astro-turf agenda.
Once again, the richest 2% using the dumbest 40% to stay in power.
And what is this article, precisely, except an advertisement for an event the author himself indicated was anything but widespread?
"Let's follow this story, and if it doesn't go anywhere, we'll force it, by god!"
An national economic strike, during the worst recession this nation has experienced since the great depression, is tantamount to sedition or possibly even treason. How many more people do they want to become unemployed and homeless? This is not free speech.
These people want only to force their will down the rest of our throats without regard to principles of democracy. This act, if they carry through with it, shows their true colors and intentions.
Shame on them and anyone who supports them!
You know of course we can do the same thing and there are far more of us than you! Reference Obama winning by 11 million votes (11,000,000), instead of winning by Supreme Court verdict
Actually the american people should make this a week long strike. Look at the college kids, what field do they want to be unemployed in? This administration is radical to the bone and they lie constantly. They don't even know how to tell the truth anymore.
We need the states controlling themselves, that would iron out the problems.
Once states started being successful others would follow but this government don't want that at all.
All must go this year. Elect all new people on both sides. These idiots just don't listen to the people at all.
these people make NO sense. huge turnouts? how about inflated false numbers. they can do whatever they want to do, when they get fired they can just blame obama.
I agree with the TEA Party movement; however, TEA party leaders, don't try to turn the movement into a "United We Stand" fiasco. If we protest the current governance, it is reasonable to expect we would join with the GOP.
Tea Baggers: Get a life.
Hope they have fun. I'll be at the office trying to earn a buck
None of these(or very little) teabaggers voted for Obama. And guess what? He won by over 9 million votes.
Tea Baggers are being ignored because they did not vote for the majority in Congress. Let them strike, the are only hurting themselves.
It is time these idiots start representing the voters.
Time for the party of YES to outrageous behavior and poltics to go back home.
I thought the TEA-BAGGERS were non-partisan ... one would have to conclude that they approve of Conservatives which are made up primarily of REPUBLICANS. They've proven that they are just what I always assumed they were ... ignorant Bozos without a plan ... while whining and pretending they are patriots!
Bet their strike won't be against gun stores, insurance companies or anything defense industry.
Don't these people have jobs?
Nothing good can come out of a movement built on unfocused hate.
who does that lady with the sign think elected the president?
When ignorance meets stupidity..Obama taking away your rights...its almost as if Cheney never thought about using the army to attack u.s citizens-look it up...
Well, this will be interesting...
When are these t-baggers going to understand that the majority of Americans really DON'T believe in the same things they do.
My guess, is there will be a few thousand more people on the un-employment line after this debacle unfolds. I bet $50 most of them will turn to the government for a "handout" once it happens to them.
Demonstrates how they only want to promote own politics and not really participate to help country. UGH...
Nice picture. Where are all the brown people? Have a nice day!
2 Comments, The Tea-Baggers Are Free To Do What They Want. It's Just Becoming Obvious To Even Ignorant People That The Tea-Party Movement Is About Everything But Taxes Or Big Goverment. As To "Uncle-Tom" Michael Steele's Comments, When You Listen To A Fool, When You Quote A Fool, And When You Believe A Fool. Then You Are An Even Bigger Fool For Doing So.
Great, the banks walked away with $750 billion under the old administration without any oversight– I guess that was not reason enough for the Tea Partiers to take action. Stimulate the economy, keep GM and auto industry from going bankrupt, put in long term plan to save health care, etc – those are reasons to have a boycott.
Ahhhh, the good old days are back when public mind control just runs amuck.
So, a group of people who have been running around the country throwing tantrums, and thus haven't been working for the past year, are going to go on strike. BRILLIANT! We might actually save money if these clowns stopped charging per diem for their tantrum tour.
Do these people have jobs? If not, how can they go on Strike?
Were these people on another universe from Years 2000 – 2008? Just wondering !!
Happy New Year !!
A misguieded group that only provides a knee jerk reaction to important issues. Their agenda: attack Obama reagrdless of the issue. But hey, they agree with Hannity on all issues including the need to avoid honest, intellectaul debate. Where were they when the Bush administration was spending away ... not to be found.
These demonstrations or "tea parties", call them what you want - they rarely make any difference. Nada.
The "system" is too big and powerful and won't let itself be changed, no matter what the general populace wants.
For the GOP and ALLof the OLD Tea Bags, 'IGNORANCE IS BLISS!!!"
The petit bourgeoisie are revolting! Hee hee. Have a nice day!
What is so "radical" about Americans having real health care coverage?
This should be interesting. A group of people that haven't been at work and instead have been travelling the country for the past year throwing tantrums are going to go on strike.
Wonder what the outcome will be? Perhaps savings for their corporate masters since they aren't charging it to their vacation time?
Don't any of these people have jobs or are they living off the government with unemployment compensation or SS?
I think they forget that what ever they paid into Social Security (matched, of course by their employer) has been used up a long time ago and now the benefits they receive are coming from the taxes that the rest of us working smucks pay in.
They don't understand this and you can't argue with ignorant people.
The way these people "strike" is hilarious. They don't work, so the feel that their boycotting of industries will get their opinions expressed. Typical BAC method of protest, keep that wallet sealed. They don't buy very much anyway, they have next to a null influence on the countries economy, and they don't really do much in the national work place.
When will they realize that THEY DON'T MATTER?
I can't wait for the "rapture". For Jesus to return and take all these lazy christians out of here so that the rest of us can get some real work done.
Reminds me of the bumper sticker: "What if they threw a War and nobody came?" So the wingnuts go on strike. Does that mean one day of National Sanity?? I think Yes!
I understand and empathize with this group. They have the right to express their beliefs and what they believe should be governed. However, the problem with this and many other groups is the language.
These groups LOVE to say they are america or represent everyone/majority of americans. False is not even a strong enough word to describe it. 10-20k marched last year which is a huge number, but 60 million people voted democratically last year versus 55 million conservatively.
Congress didn't ignore the people, the people elected congress to do what it is doing now...finally.
I listened to 8 years of the anti-Bush crowd complaining. You want to talk about hate? Those people know nothing but hate for anything that is different from themselves. And of course people are skeptical about Obama. He lied about Gitmo, it is still in operation here in 2010. He lied about openess. Can you follow the stimulus money? Moreover, terrorists attack this country and all the media can say about Obama's reaction is a sob story about how it interrupted his golf game.
Here we go again, another "White People Only" rally... Kinda like only what Palin, Hannity, Beck & Rush would attract. That's the only America they represent.
What a bunch dumb sheep being led out to slaughter , they themselves don't know why their protesting , I have a thought for all of them , if your so against the government then why not give back that social security and the medicare and any other govenment assisant's you maybe getting , and while your at it , those roads that the stimulus (your were so against ) help rebuild and repave , how about you not driving on them either since you teabagger's have such a problem with the government ......
Radical agenda? Let's see ending the wrong war and turning around the other one, saving the country from a depression, saving the auto industry, telling school kids to work hard, trying to make health care more affordable and cover more people, working to improve our security, fighting global warming,, trying to create more jobs and all without the help of Republicans. Sounds real radical. Nobody is paying attention? Maybe you should try selling the tinfoil hats on ebay. Better yet, Get A Job.
Ha ha "waaa when will they listen to us?!?" - try the same time the Neo-Cons listen to me ask politely that the government not kill innocent people and invade countries for a corporate/oil agenda. Jeez all we're trying to do is lower the cost of health insurance, it's not like thousands of soldiers being lied to about WMD's and being sent into harms way.
Isn't a 'strike' only effective if it disrupts the provision of services or goods that people actually need or want?
If all the mimes hanging around city parks went on "strike" would anyone care?
I haven't seen anything from the teaparties that leads me to believe that them going on strike would have any effect at all, even if ALL of them do it. They are not contributing anything of value anyway.
I am really upset that the gov't taxes me this much for Social Security benefits when I see this many old people with nothing better to do other that travel around the country to protest their crazy beliefs... all of these folks should be taken off of SS until they become productive again.
These are the same people who cursed the Vietnam War protesters for raising their young voices against going to fight a war they didn't believe in & dying. The NERVE of those scuzzies. Of course, their lil angels, like Bush & Cheney, were getting into the National Guard or getting endless deferments.
racist, hate mongers, the tea partiers found nothing wrong during the Bush admin, i suggest they stick their heads back in the sand, protest, they are jokes
Just a bunch of spoon fed morons.These idiots have NO clue what they stand for! Nothing new here!
I'm looking forward to their strike. I'm looking forward to it having zero impact whatsoever on the economy.
If you look at the ethnic make-up of the Tea-baggers, you will see that the crowd is made up of older white people, hardly representatives of the U.S.A!
For the Tea-baggers:
An estimated 800,000 to THREE MILLION Americans attended President Obama's inaugural celebration!
also, isn't this like the fifth of these that they have tried and failed to do?
How nice. The lefties on this site have a problem with people PROTESTING. The lefties have a problem with people STRIKING, BOYCOTTING, etc. As Jon Stewart would say, I-RO-NY."
Do these idiots not know the difference between a strike and a boycott?
If Faux News wasn't behind these gatherings, no one would ever have heard of the teabaggers.
And they, like all the other GOP patsies, don't realize they're being used by the GOP, Faux and all the other folks out there spewing division and hate in the name of "patriotism" and "Christianity" – when their actions reveal all they care about is giving irresponsible tax cuts to the wealthy and lining their own pockets.
Because really, teabaggers, was your life better after 8 years of Bush policies (and 30 years of Reaganonmics)? My guess is "No."
Contrast that to Social Security, clean air and water, Medicare, Medicaid, the Interstate Highway system, the Voting Rights Act, and the National Parks System, the Space program, and many other society advancements – not to mention 40 years of economic expansion and prosperity – all the result of Democrats and their policies.
I don't get it .... How can a bunch of people who don't work go on strike?
ALL the Tea Bags in America.. are protesting the facf that Millions of Americans have NO health Insurance.. They do this from their love of Jesus and Jesus views of concern for mankind.......Am I right? Tea Baggers?