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
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I hope they were protesting when the Bush tax cuts were being pushed through and we were spending all this money in Iraq.
I hope they were protesting when our blood was being shed over an idiotic, poorly executed,misguided war.
If we actually went after the 9/11 terrorists, we could have had the world to help us, saved 3 trillion dollars, a lot of soldiers lives, and made the world a little safer.
The government involvement in our checkbooks makes me skittish as well... but crying afoul at efforts to get us on the right track is ignorant and irresponsible.
It seems some of these people want FREEDOM! from responsibility for our own actions. It's ugly, yes. Now grow up kids.
How many of the protesters will be paid by the GOP??? Just like in Florida in 2000, they had to pay people to protest and even flew some in. Gee, did not know there were that many people in the USA making over $250,000 a year.
I think its funny.
The top 1% of rich people are facing a 3% tax increase, so they con the less-educated, the low information voter and the easily angered voters into believing their taxes will go up, too. It's cynical and classic republican.
But that's not what is so funny...what is so funny is that the same people fall for it EVERY TIME. It's also funny that I'm supposed to be scared of Obama, who has accomplished more in 3 month than Bush did in 8 years.
I was scared of Bush because he never thought things through and said one thing and then did another. I do not fear Obama.
These parties arent about Republicans or Democrats, or Liberals or Conerservatives, they are about tax paying AMERICANS who are tired of politicians spending and spending and the problem just keeps getting worse. I will be at the one in Atlanta and am surprised that CNN is actually even discussing this since it doesnt fit in with thier agenda or the agenda of the most of the other drive by media outlets.
There needs to be a step back and re-evaluate what these "Tea Parties" are actually protesting. Are they protesting President Obama's stimulus plan or his attempts at reantimating our economy? They they must have enough money to be able to take the day off. If they are protesting unfair taxation laws, the fact that 80% of the wealth of this country is protected from taxation by tax shelters and off-shore accounts, then I'm with them!
Flat tax. Business flat tax. No tax incentives. No tax cuts. It is the only way we can get taxation on an even keel in this country.
Republicans? I do recall a party of sorts being led by an inarticulate bubble head now confined to some TExas ranch. I think they're being led by someone who closely resembles their mascot, the Elephant. Other than that, they have blurred into obscurity.
So many Democrats commenting....clearly a lot of people are just shutting off the news services and their one sided coverage. Prop 8 in CA had a fraction of the amount of protestors yet the mainstream media is all over it with coverage, now they ignore these protests. Wake up people, the mainstream media is a dying franchise.
Wow I feel so embarassed for these people. I like the comment saying that all these folks should be interviewed and asked EXACTLY what it is about our tax system that they disapprove of, how much they make, what tax bracket they are in and what ideas they have to amend their problems. Embarassing......
classified as a RWE, by the government, and proud of it!! DHS and dems prove they suppor the troops when it is convenient for them.
hacks on this message board playing the race card are more pathetic than ever. as soon you do this, we win the debate.
I see that you all will like to pay higher state taxes, cig. taxes, cell phone taxes........good luck
Where were all these people when President Bush and the Republicans were going to war with Iraq for NO GOOD REASON?
A war that I must remind everyone that has cost BILLIONS -continues to cost BILLIONS and ADDED to the HUGE deficit that we currently have. Oh yea the Republicans conveniently did not include that in their budget-Criminal bastards-they should all be rounded up and jailed
WHY did they not stand up and protests then???
The original Boston Tea Party was held to protest taxation without representation. The people holding these "Tea parties" have had the best representation money could buy for a long time now. This is nothing more than a bunch of very rich people inciting a bunch of ignorant people into believing Obama is coming after their guns and their money, when the truth is if they make less than $200K per year, they'll pay less in taxes! They're just mad because their party has lost the last couple of election cycles and isn't running the show anymore. That's democracy, folks! Get over it!
WOW. Read through some of the Republican posts on this thread and you'll see that they've altogether just bypassed the specious logic and red herrings that were their trademark, and instead they're going straight to the conspiracy theories.
I wonder if all of the protesters know what they are protesting for.....a 3% raise? The sad part is if your protesting in SC, TX, MS, AK, and LA........your obviously not getting any extension for your unemployment....please tell me that 5 governors know something the other 45 don't.......oh, they are running in 2012 and the rest are worried about their constituents. They should be protesting the 5 governors that are taxing them without representation!
Protest deez. DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZZ Nuts! Tea bagging is soooo lame. like all of the GOP and Newt
I don't really understand why these people are throwing tea parties.The Boston Tea Party was a protest aver taxation without representation. In November we all went and voted and selected the people to represent us and decide on matters such as taxation. So, we have taxation WITH representation.
First, these tea parties have to be the most ridiculous idea ever. Where were these people the last eight years? Second, I love how unaware all of the wingnuts are over the whole teabagging thing.
Wow. After getting communally "tea-bagged" by the Republicans for the past 8 years, how dare they ask for a reduction in their taxes now?!? Shut up and pay up, you whiney pansies. Not wanting to pay for the things we want and demand from our government is ludicris. Why didn't these same people complain when Bush was spending all our tax money jousting at windmills and rebating the rich? No wonder this kind of thinking makes me want to barf!
Hey tea part freaks do us all a favor and go to work or do something productive today, this is foolish!
@charlie, are you serious! Have you been living under a rock for the past 8 years. GWB just waisted a trillion dollars in Iraq for WMD that didn't even exist. He was president when the first multi-billion dollar bailout went out, but suddenly under Obama your aware of what's going on ..PLEASE!
@ Mark and other Naysayers and Obama Haters,
Who is still paying for Roosevelts socialist plans? Social Security, Medicare, SSI. Whose still paying for that? We all are.
@ Doug,
Stop lying on the President, he never said any of those lies you are spewing. Typical limbaugh-hannity-beck-jim jones remix kool aid drinker.
ONCE AGAIN THE MALLEABLE, NOT TOO SWIFT SECTOR OF THE AMERICAN POPULANCE , IS BEING MANIPULATED AND USED FOR THE AMUSEMENT OF THE RIGHT WING ELITE.
Yes, where were these "tea parties" during the last eight years when we were held hostage by the most incompetent administration in this
country's history? The Bush Administration cost us 5 trillion dollars and we have little to show for it–except for crumbling infrastructure, schools, corrupt ACTA-led universities, 9/11, 2 largely lost wars, a dying environment...
George Bush and Dick Cheney have spent much of their lives making messes that other people have had to clean up. The American people and Barack Obama have to enlist in the cleanup operation.
Sorry, there is no time for tea parties.
Despite the snide comments by "progressives," who generally have ged's and have only a passing interest in syntax, usage, grammar and spelling, this is the beginning of the end of statism in this country. States are not appendages of the federal government (the states ratified the Constitution and a central government) and nowhere in the Constituion is redistribution of wealth written approvingly. I am amazed on a dialy basic of the lethal obtuseness and historical amnesia of 90% of folks on sites like this who should be embarrassed to expressed their untutored opinions.
To those whining about Obama bringing us Socialism. That is such a crock. We already have Socialism today! Fire Dept, Hospitals, Schools, etc are all forms of Socialism. By the way, Socialism does not equate to Communism. The far right is trying to create outrage where there is none.
We all are having tough times paying the rent, the mortgage, our utilities, and car payments. That is a fact! What we do from here is simple. We decide how to fix things and move forward. What we DON'T do is exactly what the Republicans ARE DOING. That is absolutely nothing to fix the problems. They have proposed NO IDEAS, NO PLANS, NOTHING. The only thing they want to do is make things stall, fail and flounder until 2012 so that they can get back in office.
Do you think you can survive that long? If the answer is no then tell your Republican Congressman to STOP STALLING and get to work on fixing our Economy! Tell them we don't need a "stupid tea party", we need results. And that is what the Democrats and Obama have been trying to do.
Nuff Said!