Tea Party: Will you be drinking or dunking?
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/04/15/art.teaparty1.gi.jpg caption="Activists nationwide are holding gatherings on Tax Day, April 15."]WASHINGTON (CNN) – Finger sandwiches won't be served, but there will be a lot of frustration brewing about the current tax system at "Tea Parties" being held Wednesday across the nation.
Activists are holding these events on tax day to voice their opposition to the current tax system and the federal government's spending decisions, such as bailing out the banks and the auto industry.
So, what do you think? Have President Obama and Congress taken the right steps to help the ailing economy? Have Republicans been smart to oppose his fiscal policies? Does the tax code need an overhaul?
Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below.
Here are some CNN stories about the nationwide "Tax Day Tea Party":
Activists gear up for national 'Tax Day Tea Party'
GOP uses tax day to raise money
GOP encourages supporters to send virtual tea bags to top Dems
Listen: CNN Radio analyzes the politics of Tax Day
From CNN Politics
- Untitled
- 10 Cards Charging 0% Interest Until 2024
- White House says 50 US officials targeted with spyware as it rolls out new ban of hacking tools
- Supreme Court won't review contempt conviction of anti-Chevron environmental lawyer
- Proud Boy testifies that talk of 'stacking bodies' was locker-room banter
- Trump hush money probe ends day without voting after appearance from ex-National Enquirer publisher David Pecker
Doug go take your medicine.....and drink your tea!
Mark, aren't we still paying for the HORRIBLE SPENDING BUSH AND CHENEY ran up?Obama didn't create this mess, you know..his predecessors did....
We are paying taxes for 2008..still a Bush year right????
I am a little bit at a loss after reading some of these comments... do these folks actually LIKE taxes or are they just trying to lay down some cover for Obama?
Republicans always have been sore losers. They have a sense of entitlement to The Presidency. Then they act outraged when members of Congress use the same tactics they used when they were in the majority. Now they're trying to use this "Tea Party" thing as a populist revolution. It's the only thing they can come up with because their leadership sure isn't doing them any good, oh, that's right, they don't have any leadership. So what do they do, make it look like "the people" are revolting. You hear things like "THE PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO TAKE IT ANY MORE" on pretend news stations like FOX. Well, take what? Most of you are getting a tax break! If the republicans don't figure out why they really lost, they'll just keep losing. And so far, they're only proving that they haven't learned anything.
The Republican party and the conservatives got us into this mess. Expecting them to have the intelligence to get us out of it is grasping at straws. You can't lower your income and increase your spending without ending up in bankruptcy – and that's pretty much where we are, thanks to Republicans. They want a tea party? Let them eat cake!
FOOLS. The "no taxes" crowd never takes into account the likely results of their half-baked notions. Under Clinton, taxes were higher, the economy was better and we had a surplus. There is a point at where hollowing out what we hold in common, and permitting a casino-like atmosphere in our economy have a price. During the last eight years, we discovered that point.
Carl,
I do understand that the rational people out there at the tea parties have your views; but it is the irrational and the extremists who have taken over – I will not be involved in ANYTHING Rush Limbaugh is involved with. I think the BIG mistake was to call it a tea party. That's our history, and these protests have made a mockery of our history. Look at all the people in costume – its a joke!
T from MO:
“Come on, don't have your minds filled with this junk and spew it back out on these boards pretending like you developed your own ideas. Think about the truth and come back with a new perspective”
I suggest you take your own advice. You come one here trying to lecture with your own version of the “truth”, while at the same time “spewing” the same generalized accusations, i.e. “some of you don’t even pay income taxes”
How do you know that?
You said: “funds are used in states where we do not have an opportunity to vote”
Are you serious? This is your truth and “new perspective”? Are you still fighting the Civil War? It’s called United States for a reason, Einstein!
You said: “Fair for those who work hard for their income even though it's greater than $250K?”
A question to you and to those who keep making the same stupid statement: Do only people who make over $250k work hard?
Please, while developing your “own” ideas, think beyond your front porch.
Well, it's great that this media inspired, Rethuglican corporate paid 'grassroots' movement has several hundred rallies of about 100 people at each. WOW, a movement of 7,000 people. I guess it's good to realize the 26% of the population who have IQs small enough to support corporate America ripping them off even more go out and protest for their corporate partners. Where's the beef wing nuts? You're getting a tax deduction. Perhaps, you used the wrong day to mark your protests. But maybe you want to spend your tax dollars on tax rebates for the rich. Keep it going fools.
So, what do you think? Have President Obama and Congress taken the right steps to help the ailing economy?
Seems to be working.
Have Republicans been smart to oppose his fiscal policies?
No, but have they ever been? Their franchise is the ignorant, the fearful and the greedy.
Does the tax code need an overhaul?
Sure. We need to close all the loopholes for corporations and the rich.
The GOP's and anyone who believes in them, believed in Bush, who
left us in this big mess. They went along with whatever Bush wanted.
Now, they should shut up and give Obama some respect!!!!!
These "tea parties" are in instigation of trouble by the Limbaugh's
Roves, and Hannity's, who are making fools of themselves.
Exactly where did most of you go to school? Congress writes and passes the SPENDING Bills – the President only signs them. The last two years of Pres. Bush's term Congress was controlled by the Dems. Fiscal policies also take time to actually see results so many of the things that get inacted in a Pres.'s term of office don't bear results until he's out of office.
Protesters do work – many of these people are everyday sift workers – someone commented about the losers who aren't working finding time to go to these protests.
This country is being ripped apart by people who don't bother to try to work together to see each other's point of view. Where did all the hate come from? I pay my taxes – always have – have worked hard as do my children and their spouses and yet we continually pay more and more and are being told it's "Un-American" for us to protest. When did I lose my rights?
Liberals, you can spin these Tea Parties anyway you want. You can call it a GOP stunt, you can call all the normal, everyday Americans out there protesting our goverments stupidty. It really doesn't matter and it is not going to work. We know what these tea parties are all about. You can stay asleep and when you wake up your country will be no more, and you will wonder what happen. These are everyday, working AMericans protesting, which is there constituional right against a goverment that has abused there power for way to long. That includes Before Bush up to and inlcuding Obama. This movement will grow stronger and stronger by 2010, then you'll wonder what happen. Bye bye Chuck Schummer. You will be out of office as well. You have insulted the Amercan people way to many times in the last 4 months
T from MO:
“Come on, don't have your minds filled with this junk and spew it back out on these boards pretending like you developed your own ideas. Think about the truth and come back with a new perspective”
I suggest you take your own advice. You come on here trying to lecture with your own version of the “truth”, while at the same time “spewing” the same generalized accusations, i.e. “some of you don’t even pay income taxes”
How do you know that?
You said: “funds are used in states where we do not have an opportunity to vote”
Are you serious? This is your truth and “new perspective”? Are you still fighting the Civil War? It’s called United States for a reason, Einstein!
You said: “Fair for those who work hard for their income even though it's greater than $250K?”
A question to you and to those who keep making the same stupid statement: Do only people who make over $250k work hard?
Please, while developing your “own” ideas, think beyond your front porch
I live in a great country. I PROUDLY pay for that right.
Let the side show begin... This is absolutely hilarious... They look like a bunch of idiots, while our intellectual President is carrying on with business at the White House meeting with families to hear substantive matters... He makes all of the GOP look like they live in single wide trailer homes with confederate flags hanging from them, while the kids walk around with diapers and no shoes or shirt on. Oh yeah, and the wives with 3 teeth in their mouths (cause the husbands done knocked the other ones out) walk around holding a baby on one hip.. He trounced the repubs and they have been off balance ever since... Heeeehawww!!!!
Like Paul Begala said, these people are like the arsonists complaining about the fire department using too much water.
Where were they the past 8 years when W and company were turning a huge surplus into a massive deficit, complete with tax cuts to the wealthy and an expensive, misguided war?
They need to just shut up, and give Obama two years to fix this mess. But they won't, particularly when the right wing clowns like Hannity, Glenn Beck, Rush, and O'Reilly keep goading them into participating in totally media-driven events.
So, as we all know, the Boston Tea Party involved dumping tea as an act against unfair government involvement.
So, with the GOP putting their symbol on the tea-bags, aren't they essentially telling people to dump THEM because they represent unfair government involvement?
Did anyone involved with the Teabaggers or the GOP even bother to think this through?
Nice move.
Please more and more "Tea Parties".
All's fair in Love and Politics, but watch out for the clandestine democrat Gestapo cloistered somewhere in the beltway. They are very good and have been trained by the North Koreans and the Church of Scientology on how to suppress free speech and either eliminate or silence their opponents using fear and Oh NO!, the law.
Where were the Tea Party folks when George Bush and Dick Cheney and others were leading us into an ill-advised, costly, deadly and unneccessary war against Iraq meanwhile giving huge tax breaks to their rich buddies? Or in the first bailout when George and his buddies were gving handouts with no restrictions to his buddies on Wall Street? Where did that $$$ go? I agree there have been too many handouts but if you are going to protest, let's start with the party that was in power from 2000-2008, they are the reason we are in this mess. John R.
If you want to stand up for what you believe in, fine, be my guest. I applaud those who take a stand for what they believe in, even if I disagree, and I do.
But what is up with the young kids in the picture? Do they fully understand what is going on? Have they had the opportunity to hear both sides and choose? And even if they did do they really understand it? I know at that age (particularly of the youngest in the picture), I would not have understood any of this. If your kids fully understand what is going on and they want to protest, then fine. But if they do not understand it, they should not be drug into this.
The origin of the tea party was a good one, a grass roots organization which siad enough is enough the government needs to be more accountable to the people on how they spend the money we give them. The tax codes need to be overhauled to get a more equaitable split.
I agree with that.
Then the political parties got involved, the RNC made it out to be an attack on President Obama, it never was intended to be one on him. Fox News has turned this into a "Republican Group Trying to restore America" it was not intended to be one but a bipartisian group. The majority who are protestign today do not even understand the real reason they are protesting. Some complain about a tax increase (one that has not yet occured if indeed it ever does), others complain about spending policies they do not understand or disagree with.
this I object to.
Simply put President Obama has two things he is dealing with in the Economy. 1) since at least 1968 deregulation has been the guiding factor in our economy (with a few minor exceptions) under the guise of a "free market" unfortunately what most people refuse to understand is that a "free market" ONLY works when the playing field is level, ie wages are similar, environmental concerns are similar, health and safety concerns are similar, MOST of our trading partners do not have equal requirements in these areas and the ones who have taken the most jobs from our economy have significantly less than we do so "FREE MARKET" DOES NOT WORK, IT BRINGS US ALL DOWN TO A LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR-THIRD WORLD LEVEL. 2)The economy FAILED just prior to President Obama taking office, not a downturn but a total collapse, our banking system failed, our back up system (Insurance Companies) failed, all we were left with that was working was our government, so essentially our government had to supply what was needed to maintain our country solvent and operating, and that is ALOT of money. While some cry about the expenses they should really look closer MOST of the money spent (iethe President Obama bailouts and stimulus funds) were NOT grants or free money MOST were LOANS in otherwords the companies getting them will have to pay them back. The major cost will be in the difference in interest rates between what the government is giving and what the government is paying to borrow the money. I am NOT saying there has not been a lot of money spent/scheduled to be spent I AM saying that it is needed to keep the economy from total failure and that, in the long run, a large protion will be recovered not from your taxes but from the companies we lent the money to. Now I KNOW the radical religious right want to spin this one way and the looney left want to spin it another way but do the research folks... and now let the foolishness return this moment of clarity was brought to you by a registered independent who voted Democratic (this time last time I voted Libertarian...)
To Jeff: I say "D" All of the Above.
Tom: you are RIGHT On! Nobody was skinching & whining over the Bush spending and all the $$ flushed down the toilet...also known as Iraq.
GOP-Hypocrisy its Best
I think at this point, the homeless have more sense than these unAmericans. Not only do a lot of them look worst than Halloween in crazy outfits; the real reason for their protest is the fact that a black man is President.....It is camouflaged by other topics, but the bottom line is this: We resent being losers. But we resent losing to a black man even more......Let there be peace....
Down with the Pelosi Bama Bloat!!!
these people are so unimformed, as the old saying goes " stupid is as stupid does". where the h*ll were they when Bush ran the deficit into trillions of dollars? as i see all the " tea baggers " are white, as i see these are the same people that followed the McCain – Palin Klan rallies thats all.