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April 16, 2009 01:51 AM UTC

Bigotry and Insanity On Parade at Denver's "Tea Party"

  • 96 Comments
  • by: Alan

(Edited to remove the “for immediate release” stuff at the top, and Mike Huttner’s phone number (everybody already has it, guys–make your press releases into blogs and save us the trouble). Otherwise, yech… – promoted by Colorado Pols)

DENVER: ProgressNow Colorado staff once again braved a crowd of belligerent right-wing protesters at today’s “Tea Party” protest event at the Colorado State Capitol. And once again, ProgressNow recorded for posterity shameful displays of both ignorance about President Obama’s agenda and overt racism.

“These protesters were exercising their First Amendment rights to assemble and say whatever they want, but Americans need to understand who was really organizing these ‘protests’ and what attendees were actually saying,” said ProgressNow Colorado Founder Michael Huttner. “We believe that most Americans, even many who may disagree with the President’s policies, would never identify with what was on display at the Capitol today.”  

Billed as “citizen-organized” and “spontaneous” events, the “Tea Parties” were in fact chiefly organized by well-known right wing D.C. lobbyist groups such as FreedomWorks and the Club for Growth. Not to mention the Fox News Channel, who according to a report from Media Matters “provided organizing details, publicized the rallies on their website, used news anchors to invite people to attend the rallies, interviewed protest organizers, publicized the appearance of news hosts as special guests of the tea parties, and Fox News host Glenn Beck even called the gatherings ‘FNC Tax Day Tea Parties.'”

“This is what happens when out-of-state ‘astroturf’ groups push demagogic events like this in our state,” Huttner continued. “It brings out the worst elements in our political culture, people who embarrass the event’s organizers more than anyone else. What does Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry, the keynote speaker at this event, think of the young kid carrying the ‘Obama monkey’ sign? Or the many pictures of Obama dressed up as Hitler? Is this the kind of political discourse he wants to foster by headlining at these rallies?”

“This insanity isn’t going to convince Americans that Obama is on the wrong track. According to a Gallup poll released just yesterday, 71% of Americans have confidence in the President to bring about an economic recovery. To answer that overwhelming majority, Dick Armey and Josh Penry managed to scare up–quite literally–a few hundred crazies and racists on a beautiful April afternoon.”

###

Comments

96 thoughts on “Bigotry and Insanity On Parade at Denver’s “Tea Party”

  1. . . . that ColoradoPols and ProgressNow view as enemies a group of freedom-loving citizens who gather to protest debt, spending, taxes and infringements on freedom.  Many of the protesters blasted both Democrats and Republicans.  Two crazies cary inappropriate signs, and you try and demonize the entire crowd?  What kind of people are you?  What constituency is against freedom and smaller government?  Who do you guys represent?

    1. And your “smaller government” bullshit, espoused by the previous president, has led to the biggest government in history, not to mention the biggest debt.

      You’re not going to get away with framing this argument in that manner.

      None of us are against freedom.

      1. Anyone who attended the rally saw that it wasn’t just “two crazies.” Moreover, I do not recall comparable protests against “debt” and “spending” while GWB presided. Where was the outrage from the right, then?

        Last year when the state house debated the budget, Rep. May expressed his disgust at the failure to pass a rainy day fund. Rep. Madden stood up and replied that the Republicans had years and years to pass just such a bill and declined at every opportunity. In other words, Republicans, conservatives, and libertarians have ceded their credibility on a wide range of issues and it will probably take a lot of time and work to restore the public’s trust. In the meantime, these people look like a bunch of pawns embracing goofy astroturf tea parties/circle jerks.

        1.    You obviously weren’t listening. There were plenty of complaints for many years!!

            As usual, many refuse to view events through any spectrum except their own rose colored one. This demonstration (wasn’t really even a protest per se) was against government spending and high taxes, it included all politicians (Rs, Ds, Indies, Socialist etc.) Contrary to what was widely reported by reporters pushing an agenda!  

            It WAS grass roots and not funded by anyone other than individuals! Did some Right-wingers and Republicans latch on? Sure they did! Just Like Mr. Obama and many of his peers latched on to protests over the last several years.

            To characterize all present (based on a few signs or comments) as bigots, racists and insane is very much Hitlerish!! (See early 1930s Germany history) These are American citizens exercising rights granted to them by the Constitution For goodness Sakes! Respect them for that, and respect their right to have an opinion that may differ from yours!

            Finally, why do you all always resort to GWB to defend your positions, it just demonstrates how weak of a point you have! This has nothing to do with GWB! So get over it already! Evaluate each event on its individual merits please!

            BTW, current events are current, you really can’t make comparisons to Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Lenin or any other from the past, but a large portion of what is happening bears a strong resemblance, and you are just kidding yourself if you think otherwise! What is happening is an amalgam (for lack of a better word) of events that occurred over the last 100-150 years, and it is DANGEROUS!

          Sorry for the rant!

          1. Indeed.

            To characterize all present (based on a few signs or comments) as bigots, racists and insane is very much Hitlerish!! (See early 1930s Germany history) …

            Please add something other than the ‘proof by I-Said-So’ tactic employed here.

            BTW, current events are current, you really can’t make comparisons to Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Lenin or any other from the past, but a large portion of what is happening bears a strong resemblance, and you are just kidding yourself if you think otherwise! What is happening is an amalgam (for lack of a better word) of events that occurred over the last 100-150 years, and it is DANGEROUS!

            And what, looking through a historical frame, isn’t “an amalgam (for lack of a better word) of events that occurred over the last 100-150 years”? Or are you  thinking a kind of Hitler-Stalin-French-Swedish-Breshnev-Mao kind of combo?

            1. Yes.. exactly what I meant a Hitler-Stalin-French-Swedish (appeasement)-Breshnev-Mao even Lenin Castro tossed in as well. that kind of combo.

              Additionally, unlike others who absolutely cannot comment negatively on “their guy” many of these unhealthy trends, acts have been occurring in our country for quite some time.. even the last 7 or so years..

      2. If you’ve followed my posts in the past, I have criticized Republicans as well on the issue of the size of government.  That was my whole point.  A lot of the people who showed up were critical of both parties.

        1. Criticizing both parties is, obviously, a valid and important thing to do, though it doesn’t make the “small government” movement any more noble or correct.  

          I would guess that the desired government of most people who showed up runs the gamut from Ron Paul wack-ocracy, to libertarian utopia (with a pony in every garage), to Christian Theocracy.  

          1. Surprised that a “right winger” actually bothers to read a leftist site? I consider myself an United States Citizen and I try and read a wide range of material both hard copies and cyber-space! If you insist on applying a label to anyone (a very judgmental and unwise course of action..) I’d classify myself as a Libertarian. But apparently I and anyone else who doesn’t agree with you has absolutely no worth at all and isn’t entitled to state their pinion. right?

            For your info, just discovered this site. I do have a life!

            1. keeps registering under different user names.

              But apparently I and anyone else who doesn’t agree with you has absolutely no worth at all and isn’t entitled to state their pinion.

              It did not take long for you to descend into groveling self-pity. That might be record time.

              [stops old slow clap, starts another one]

              1. Interesting. Wasn’t aware I’ve ever had a different user name. Especially difficult given that I just found this site for the very first time, yesterday! Self pity??? Please. As Tom Selleck said in a movie you have no idea how little I care about your opinion of me. I don’t expect or necessarily even want you to listen, but I do expect you to honor my constitutional right to express an opinion, no matter the viewpoint! And I do respect your right and will listen to yours…  

                1. is that people never tire of declaring with great pride how little they care about other people’s opinion of them, when the mere act of making that declaration betrays most eloquently how deeply they care about other people’s opinion of them.

                  1. Ha HA ha.. That is so funny I can’t stop myself from laughing… No sir, I really don’t care what you think of me, or my opinions.. not in the least.

                    As for you quote.. total BS, my experiences show me that many progressives don’t believe in the lives of anyone except their own elitist selves. As a rule they seem to think most other people are simple, illiterate, ignorant, incapable of seeing life’s complexities, or just naive. And therefore these individuals can’t take care of themselves, so the progressives have to step in and take care of them! That way the progressive can be assured people will act in the manner the progressive wants and believes is right.

                    I, on the other hand believe in the INDIVIDUAL! I believe that left alone without undue hardships and restrictions placed on them there is nothing that can’t be attained by an individual and therefore a collective society.  

            2. You are always welcome to make any statements regarding pinions (although I prefer the spelling piñon) or junipers or spruces or firs or even pines.

              Please, just check the bark for beetles before introducing your statements into beetle-free threads. Thanks.

    2. I have always resisted the overwhelming temptation to complete your monogram for you, but you make it oh so hard to restrain myself.

      What kind of people I am (can’t speak for anyone else) is the kind of people who prefer eschewing oversimplistic platitudes that push for extreme and ill-informed policies, in favor of going to the trouble of basing conclusions on thorough and well-informed analyses. Such analyses seek to refine the articulation of government agency and private sector enterprise, rather than rely on arbitrary declarations about their relative merits in disregard of the bulk of the conclusions of the discipline dedicated to studying such matters. Rational people of good will who go to the trouble of trying to know what they’re talking about recognize that how, how much, and in what ways government interfaces with other social actors, both individual and corporate, is a subtle and complex issue, and an indispensible means to the utilitarian ends of working toward an ever-more sustainable, just, robust, efficient social system, ever more conducive to human welfare and social justice, here and elsewhere, now and in the future.

      Reliance on buzzwords and platitudes, such as you employ in your post to defend this mob of yahoos, designed not to stimulate thought and dialogue but rather to manipulate mass emotions, in a crowd brandishing expressions of racism toward our first African American president, is nothing to blithely dismiss as a bunch of good Americans defending all that is right and true and holy on Earth. We’ve seen far too many such “good Americans” in our national history, to our national shame, such as those who proudly bore your completed monogram, using words and ideas uncomfortably similar to the ones you use now.

      The pendulum swings in this country between, from a global perspective, the far right and the middle, and those, like you, emersed in the organized ignorance of the far right, bemoan this country’s occasional flirtations with enough sanity and decency to popularly condemn rallies such as the one you are doing contortions to defend. Your commitment to social injustice is, from where we stand today as a nation, history, whether you sign off on it with two K’s or three.

      1. I have provided specific critiques of the big government approach repeatedly.  We haven’t had a President committed to actually reducing the size of government since the 1980s, and even there he was unable to accomplish much of what he wanted due to a Congress that wanted to spend a lot of money.

          1. was 40%.  Penry ought to be ashamed to be associated with these dangerous nut jobs.  Let’s hope they are just as incompetent as they are stupid. Apparently Penry is or he wouldn’t be touching this with a ten foot  pole. Estimate of how many attended?

        1. as in (paraphrased here)

          I am Katate Kid.  Obama bad, push us to Socialism. Democrats bad, take away freedom (although I can’t or won’t say how). Small government good (no I won’t define it, where it starts or where it ends).

          Americans love freedom. Americans love small government. Americans soon wake up and hate Obama and bad Dems.  I will post every outlier poll or other talking point which affirms this hope as realizing just beyond the now, while ignoring the vast weight of other information to the contrary.

          I will repeat above, perhaps with a slight modification or two, but never straying far from Hannity.

          I will at times attempt snark or satire to show the other pollsters how stupid they are for missing my point.

          But thanks for playing.  Its kind of cute, in that annoying kid sort of way.  

    3. I didn’t see the people photographed while I was there but if you check out the video in my comment below, you will see some people (and one speaker!) who I was able to interview and were common stock at the rally. Its hilarious.

  2. … all the incredible anger and fear directed at Obama? Why all the references to him being a Nazi?

    I haven’t seen ONE policy or position of Obama’s that’s remotely Hitlerian, so why do people persist in showing him with Nazi armbands, etc.?

    Just please explain that for me.

    If you can.

        1. that you called Bush a Nazi?  Really defensive there RB.  I was referring to the way that Bush=Hitler was prominently displayed, in one form or another, in all of those protests over the last 8 years.  

          Sounds like you need more fiber in your diet.

          1. What Hitler was reviled for was his use of a national military, both internationally and domestically, in an aggressive and violent assualt on humanity. He, and the movement he led, has thus become an archetype for such militaristic assaults on humanity. With this in mind, you want to justify comparing Obama to Hitler, though Obama is showing a preference for diplomacy over the militancy of his predecesor and a retreat from the internationally-recognized human rights abuses of his predecessor, because people made the exaggerated, but not entirely indefensible, comparison of that predecesor to Hitler?

            I just wanted to make sure I understood your “logic” correctly.

            1. I merely pointed out that it seems to be the thing to do anymore, as evidenced by the protests against the former president from the day he took office on.  So how can anyone be surprised or upset when some on the opposite side use the same tactics and memes?  

              1. and disclaim your own with a semantic shell-game (distinguishing “justify” from “rationalize”). Permit me to argue by analogy:

                If I were to spend eight years comparing a crow to a vulture as both being carrion eaters, and then someone comes along and compares a horse to the same vulture trying to invoke the same distaste invoked by being a carrion-eater but basing their comparison on the claim that both a horse and a vulture have long beaks, I would say the former makes some sense, while the latter makes none whatsoever.

                The fact that one animal that is not a vulture was compared, with some limited basis, to a vulture, in no way explains or renders reasonable that another that has about as little resemblance to a vulture as possible was then subsequently compared to a vulture. The first was an exaggeration, the latter a non-sequitor.

        2. How you are still the same angry jerk that you were during the Bush years.  Cologeek never said that YOU called Bush a Nazi, but if you can’t recognize that Bush haters DID call Bush a Nazi, you are a moron in the first degree.  So, can you admit that people on your side called Bush a Nazi, or are you a moron?

           

          1. his guy won the election and essentially nothing changed on what he was always pissed off about.

            We are still in Iraq and aren’t leaving any time soon.

            We are sending more troops to Afghanistan and will be there for the duration, however long that is.

            Apparently the present administration will not support putting the previous administration or anyone who worked for them through show trials. This includes interrogators of terrorists.

            The President is essentially following the previous administrations lead on our ongoing overseas missions.

            Sir Robin got what he asked for in the last election, and now he’s finding out it was not what he really wanted.

            Hell, I’d be pissed if my dream date turned out to be just the same as my ex!

    1. Half Glass Full,

      I built an account just to give you a answer.  It may not be the same as other people’s, but it’s my rationale, from merriam-webster;

      Main Entry: fasВ·cism  

      Pronunciation:

      Function: noun

      Etymology: Italian fascismo, from fascio bundle, fasces, group, from Latin fascis bundle & fasces fasces

      Date: 1921

      1often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition

      So far, we have the charismatic leader (check), who wants government regulation of all sectors of private business (finance, health, education, manufacturing, farming, etc) (check), so all we need now is suppression of opposition (Fairness Doctrine, anyone?)and we’ll be three for three.  The presence of DHS agents moving through the crowd was NOT conducive towards countering this arguement.

      If it looks like fascism, controls like fascism, and acts like fascism, I’d say we were talking about fascism.  But maybe there are other opionions out there.

      1. Centralized autocratic government – NO (checks and balances)

        exhalts nation above individual – NO (closing guantanamo is a good example, and so is warrantless wiretaps for that matter)

        exhalts race above individual – NO, just think that one out a little

        dictatorial leader – NO, check November ’08 ELECTION

        forcible suppression of opposition – NO, did they let the water cannons loose on the teabaggers yesterday ?

        This are just a few reasons why you are wrong, but you get the idea.  Your theory is piss poor.

        1. No, my answer was merely incomplete.  I have better things to do with my day than write supported doctoral theses addressing every minor point.  He asked a general question and I gave him a general answer.

          Now – on to your question (which I was anticipating) :

          Centralized autocratic government – according to the Department of Homeland Security report released this week, individuals who are anti-government or who believe that state rights should supersede the federal government are now considered to be watchlisted.  So I guess the only legitimate government in this country is in DC.  And from Obama’s comment “I won, you lost”, I would say YES on both centralized and autocratic.

          Exalts nation above the individual – The Democratic senior leadership has said several times that they are at war with “the individual”.  So YES to that one as well.

          Exalts race – actually, if you read the definition is says often, not always.  So not a valid arguement point either way.

          Dictatorial leader – again, hear what I said not what you read.  The definition was “charismatic”.  You defeat yourself.

          Forcible Suppression – as should be obvious, I am waiting to see.  

          I did like your knee-jerk reaction though.

          1. oops.  my bad on the dictatorial/charismatic thing.  I guess I need reading glasses too.  

            So only 3/5 facist.  I guess that makes him ok, eh?

          2. I have better things to do with my day than write supported doctoral theses addressing every minor point.

            If you can’t support what you post, don’t post it.  It’s really very simple.

            Big time-saver, too.

          3. What is the source for this?

            The Democratic senior leadership has said several times that they are at war with “the individual”.  So YES to that one as well.

            history on this?

            according to the Department of Homeland Security report released this week, individuals who are anti-government or who believe that state rights should supersede the federal government are now considered to be watchlisted.

             

            Ed Schultz show, among others I heard, reported that this report was prepared during the Bush Administration and its function is not to suppress opposition, but an attempt to identify potential domestic terrorists….along the lines of Eric Rudoph and Tim McVey…both of whom meet the profile.  I think there is the possibility that they can impinge on the 1st and 4th Amendment, which is why I support, financially, the ACLU…

            A sad sidelight to this is the death of seven police officers within the last month…In California, the criminal was a drug thug who violated his parole….typical dangerous situation..in Pittsburg, it was a gun nut….police need all the information they can get to protect themselves….has to be a balance…hence the ACLU..

            Go somewhere else….maybe not..maybe we need to read the latest talking points from hate radio/repubs

      2. Um, your “definition” of fascist said “dictatorial.” Then you switched to using “charismatic” throughout.

        JFK was charismatic. FDR was charismatic. Obama is charismatic. Clinton was charismatic when he wasn’t being a lying horndog.

        By your definition, I guess Nixon would be the least fascistic president we’ve ever had – because charismatic he was not!

        The notion that the “Fairness Doctrine” equals “suppression of opposition” is likewise laughable. (Not that there’s the slightest indication that the Obama Administration is actually going to attempt to reinstate that doctrine.)

        The Obama Administration neither looks like fascism, controls like fascism, and acts like fascism – except to a very small group of rabidly paranoid people who actually seem to be motivated by darker urges. How else do you explain people bitterly complaining about high taxes when the Obama Administratin will actually be lowering them?  

    1. that KK and others have emphasized that the teabaggers were there without “being paid by Michael Huttner”.

      He really should be paying them because they’re doing his job for him.

      1. as is becoming usual, nailed it with all the ‘grassroots’ Faux-TV-noise anchors teabagging across the nation…  

        The YouTube videos all found were all taged with some political astroturf consulting firm that invents ‘grassroots’ things for whatever corporate john finds them at the corner of K street…

        So is KK a shill?  Or just completely brainwashed?  I think it almost worth a poll.

    2. That kid won’t tolerate the organization and hierarchy of the Republican party.

      If he moves to Alaska (where they tax the snot outta O&G and redistribute to everyone) he’ll join the AIP.

      If he stays here- he’ll be a minuteman or worse.  He won’t organize. He won’t canvas.  He’s not going to be knocking on doors in the midterm, nor will he run for office.

      If he can get through college after the gubment takes all his money, maybe he’ll work for the Independence Institute.

  3. ….opposing 527’s (sympathizing with Democrats), in my House race, made my religion and first name an issue in the campaign…. in addition, how many Hillary Clinton supporters actively referred to our President as “Hussein” during the Iowa and NH primaries???

    I love our first amendment rights of free speech, even though it sometimes produces ugly displays of prejudice – that said, the idea that the Democratic Party is completely void of such bigoted politics is a farce

    Both Republicans and Democrats could afford to make the political debate more healthy

    peace and love all!  

    1. if any of the Democrats in the state legislature would have made an issue of you using the Koran for your oath of office like Former Rep. (God it feels good to call him “former”) Vrigil Goode (R-VA) did when Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), the first Muslim elected to congress did.

  4. how what was just recently “the highest form of patriotism” is now just “bigotry and insanity”?  Maybe we serfs should all just shut up and prepare to shoulder the burden that President Obama is shoving onto our shoulders.  

    The huge debt that he and the Democrats running Congress are adding onto our economy is going to screw over Americans for at least the next two generations.  And that’s assuming he doesn’t completely FUBAR the way we do business and actually leave us ways to economically recover.  

    President Obama is the man in charge, and if people don’t like the direction he is taking us, they have the right to call him names and protest, just like the left did with President Bush pretty much from day one.  

    Sorry that you can’t emotionally handle protests from those that will eventually have to pay for all the crap coming out of D.C. right now, but I doubt that this is the last you’ll see.

    1. Keep talking that hypocritical BS. You did nothing while Bush and the GOP ran up sky-high deficits. You’re only mad because the money is going for programs you don’t like.

      1. because in less than six months in the White House, President Obama is proposing spending more money than Bush did in eight years.  This is after running on a campaign of fiscal responsibility.  Where exactly is that “net cut” in the budget that he talked about?  It isn’t there, it won’t be there, and people are upset about it.  The only difference I am seeing between the current occupant of the White House and the last one is the amount of money they spend.  

        1. … if you or and ‘pub can propose what we ought to do for this historical crisis, I’m happy to weigh the pros and cons.

          I will grant that the sense I get from the White House is that they’re throwing everything out there to see what sticks. It’s too bad and I get people being angry about it…. EXCEPT for the sense I get that most righties are mad as much as what the money is being spent on. So-called fiscal conservatives never seem to mind sky-high military spending, and few ever seem to question any of the expenditures. That’s where most of Bush’s big spending went. And all these so-called libertarians were just as silent as any lockstep ‘pub footsoldier on the matter.

          I just don’t buy these protests as being about the record spending.

          1. I just don’t buy these protests as being ONLY about the expenditures. Most of these people have a visceral, unthinking dislike of our president – that, or like the antiwar protests, only the loons get any camera time and that’s skewing my impression of things.

            1. Welcome to how I felt during the last 8 years.  Feel free to enjoy it as much as we conservatives did.  

              A lot of conservatives weren’t happy with how Republicans were spending like it was going out of style.  But we didn’t see any viable alternatives, especially from the Democratic Party.  I reluctantly voted for McCain, not because I was wildly enthusiastic about him, but I knew that I wouldn’t like the direction that Barack Obama wanted to take us.  

                1. As someone else around here noted, there were thousands protesting his inauguration, and it didn’t let up the the next eight years.  It didn’t matter to most of those protesting what the reason was, as long as it was against Bush.  

                  Notice for example how the anti-war crowd aren’t attacking the President now that it is not a Republican. A.N.S.W.E.R marched against the Pentagon and “war profiteers”.  Nowhere in the article is President Obama’s name even mentioned, despite the fact that he is expanding the war in Afghanistan.

                  1. Yeah, he was protested against from day 1 – remember how he won that first election?

                    Still, that settled down, didn’t it? You bet it did, until he foolishly went to war in Iraq under the flimsiest excuse, an excuse anyone who looked at the available evidence knew was bad.

                    So, that was about 2 years without protest from anyone other than the most hardened lefty, and I know there were no rallies in the interim.

                    Now, Why wouldn’t anyone care about the war in Afghanistan? Oh yeah – all but the most knee-jerk antiwar protester knows that that’s a righteous operation. And I seem to recall some of Obama’s campaign rhetoric regarding the war there – expanding operations there to go after bin Laden. Of course, if you weren’t such a blind I-hate-everything-that’s-liberal type you probably would have paid attention to what he said about that.

                    1. By organizations that are now silent.  They protested Bush and now support Obama for doing the same things.  What I am pointing out is the lefts hypocrisy on protesting the war.  We are still in Iraq, which seemed to be a bad thing to you under Bush.  President Obama seems to be using the previous administrations template as how to proceed there.  But that doesn’t seem to bother you.

                      And as to the way George Bush got into the White House.  He won the election, sorry but even the NY Times has accepted that fact.

                      They did that on October 1, 2005.

                      But being such a blind I-hate-everything-that’s-conservative type, that probably slipped by you.

                    2. The protests against the Afghanistan war were tiny, especially in comparison to what came later. I know because I was involved with some of them.

                      Bush’s approval rating was 90% after 9/11, and that included the vast majority of Democrats too. Every person with a functioning brain knows that.

                      Stop lying.

                    3. On September 29, 2001, as many as 20,000 people demonstrated in Washington, DC, USA, denouncing the impending invasion of Afghanistan. The protests were organized by the recently formed A.N.S.W.E.R. coalition. Thousands gathered at Meridian Hill Park (Malcolm X Park) and marched downtown, while elsewhere members of the Anti-Capitalist Convergence clashed briefly with police on their way to Edward R. Murrow park, across from the headquarters of the World Bank and the IMF. Both groups of marchers converged on a rally at the Freedom Plaza.[1]

                      In San Francisco, USA, almost 10,000 people converged on a park in San Francisco’s Mission District to denounce the Bush administration’s plans for military intervention in Afghanistan.[2]

                      In Los Angeles, USA, roughly 2,500 protesters marched through the streets of Westwood.[3]

                      In New York City, USA, 3,000 to 5,000 people took part in a peace march at Union Square.[4]

                      Hardly what I would call “tiny”.  But compared to what came later, they could be called small.  I will cop to hyperbole on massive, got a little hot under the collar.  I apologize for that.  But to say that Bush got a free ride from protests until Iraq is a crock.

                    4. On April 20, 2002, 75,000 people marched in Washington DC against USA militarism and foreign policy in the largest peace presence since the war began the previous fall.[13] The April 20th Mobilization to Stop the War, a coalition of many groups, held a rally just south of the Washington Monument. Another protest focusing on Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people was held near the White House, while a third protest focusing on the policies of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund took place near the headquarters of those institutions. The three rallies then converged together in a march up Pennsylvania Avenue to the United States Capitol in the largest anti-war demonstration to take place in Washington since the Gulf War more than a decade ago.[14]  Another 15,000 to 20,000 people marched in San Francisco, New York City, USA, in a simultaneous protest on the West Coast.[

                       Maybe not “massive” but tiny is bs as well.

                    5. I was unaware of them, although given the timing I wouldn’t be surprised if those protests were also in part due to W’s banging of the war drums. In fact I’m sure that’s what the 4/20/2002 demonstrations were about.

                      I stick by my assessment that at least the anti-Bush admin demonstrations were, for the most part if not in total, a response to actual actions taken by W that damaged America. Obama’s policies have yet to be shown to be damaging, and their timing (like those of the early demonstrations against Bush) bears out that the participants are as I characterized them above.

    2. Maybe most people (71%) understand that Obama is taking us down a road forced on him by our previous President. And what does his economic policies have anything to do with Nazism.

      Republicans: “8 years of destroying our country, and 8 more years of doing nothing about it but protesting.”

      1. don’t understand that when the bill comes due for the road President Obama and the Democrats are choosing to take us down, everyone is going to pay for it.  

        The whole “Nazi” focus of the ProgressNow Colorado report is smoke and mirrors bullshit to obfuscate the real nature of the protests, and to try and discredit the movement.

        Democrats:  “Going along with Republicans despite having power to stop them for 4 of the last 8 years.”

    3. Or that protest is unpatriotic. Well, not recently anyway.

      But to say it’s idiotic- well, that’s just a matter of opinion.

      Double the national debt to have 8 years of Bush/Cheney compared to double the national debt to have 8 years of Obama/Biden.

      McCain/Palen lost, just like all the other Republican presidential hopefuls.  Their supporters should speak up and speak out.  They should engage in the process, including rallies and protests.

      If they want their engagement to be effective and useful, they should also avoid the obvious insanity like calling the President a monkey, comparing him to Hitler or promoting the attention-loving-no-ideas Joe the Plumber.

      Meanwhile- those of us who supported Obama should engage too.  We should promote what we kind of America we want. And that includes that we should  witness and call out the lunacy when we see it.

      Ask yourself this- did any of the teabagging events yesterday help any R candidate or candidate wannabe in any useful way? Is CD1 in play now? DId the monkey sign help in CD1, 7, 2, 3 or 4?  Did the Hitler references help any potential gubernatorial candidates?

    4. That the teabaggers were all Republicans protesting Obama – not this so-called “Democrats and independents” “grassroots” movement that lying liars tried to promote it as.

  5. Would Pols or ProgressNow be so kind as to remind me or link to a post where there was equal outrage to Bush being called a Nazi or a monkey.

    I just want to make sure that the anger has been spread equally and that Progress Now hasn’t simply turned a blind eye to equally disturbing display’s by the left.

          1. and occasionally express them. In fact I am actually not (as you understandably may have thought) completely fair and unbiased. I occasionally criticize people who disagree with me more than people who agree with me.

            I know, I know, your mind’s a little blown right now.

            Besides, I’m not Progress Now, and they’re Colorado-focused. You were complaining about them not covering something in San Francisco, but it turns out they also don’t cover any of that crazy stuff in Texas.

      1. I never called Bush a Nazi.  I repeatedly pointed out that his justification for a “pre-emptive” strike against Iraq was identical to the rationale for the Hitler moving into Poland, et.al.

        As an American, who was raised on the history of the Nuremberg trials…and who was admonished daily by my war hero father, not to let it happen in America….I am absolutely obligated to protest official behavior which I believe violates international law…

        1. Just stopped by to see if the folks around here were as freaked out by the sudden organization of conservative folks as I am fired up by it.

          And it seems you folks are.  Should be a fun few years.

          Thank you for not calling President Bush a Nazi.  A lot of people, however, did.  And did it frequently.  Of course, your hedge is about the same as what the person holding the “great orator” sign would make, so we can take both for what they’re worth.  Frankly, I don’t think either is a serious violation of Godwin’s Law.  “BUSHITLER,” on the other hand…

          Unfortunately, I won’t be around much.  As a conservative, Catholic veteran, apparently I’m a terror risk, and probably getting spied on right now by Secretary Janet.  I’d better lie low for now.  

          Hoist a Sam Adams for me at the party this weekend.  

          1. No, that’s not at all over the top.

            The only time calling a President a Nazi is unacceptable is when it’s done to a Republican. Thanks for clearing that up.

            I’m thrilled that Republicans are protesting. I’ve been waiting years to tell those fucking hippies to get fucking jobs.

          2. I believe you’re a veteran if I’m not mistaken. If you were investigated for being involved in some kind of right-wing plot against this country, then you deserve to know. That being said, if there are people, who happen to be veterans returning home from abroad, who decide that violent anti-government ideologies are the best way to go–then the government should investigate them.

            A blanket investigation of veterans returning home from Iraq would certainly be a scandal. I don’t think that’s what Janet Napolitano (DHS, not FBI by the way) was doing. I think there was actionable intelligence to indicate that domestic extremist groups might pose a terrorist threat.

            The last president also investigated left-wing groups, and it looks like they’re going to get a free pass on it.

            Presidential administrations deserve scrutiny. Under the last president, we were told that the FBI was investigating people who posed a threat to us. When the left objected, we were accused of being traitors. I prefer to give the current President the benefit of the doubt (which Bush was afforded, years after his firs 100 days) and if it turns out that these were politically motivated investigations, then Obama and Napolitano will get some (much-deserved) ire–from me at least.

            Until then, though, I would say that given the track record of far-far-right extremist groups, the powers that be deserve to be heard out.

          3. Members of my household were involved in the so-called right to life movement back in the nineties…..after the clinic bombings in alabama and the doctor killed in NY and right around the time of the Oklahoma bombings…Congress passed legislation which put suspected domestic terrorists under the RICO law…and got warrants to spy on..little old ladies knitting booties for unwed mothers…as well as the Congress of Catholic bishops.  The Supreme Court finally found that legislation unconstitutional in a suit filed by practically everybody…..thank god.  This, Yokel, is exactly the process you defended so well….so I thank you, too.

            Unfortunately, you can’t control who comes to your party ..in a free society…(take note, you  Colopols meet-ups) and it is always a delicate balance on how to keep the bad guys from infiltrating and underminng what the good guys are doing…

            PS….at least they said they were knitting booties…I was not about to question little old ladies armed with knitting

            needles….and an attitude…

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