Array of signs from 9/12/09 D.C. teabagger march from Jon Perr's "10 Lessons for Tea Baggers" Sept. 15 post on Crooks & Liars It's good to know that some U.S. House members have nothing more pressing on their agendas than U.S. House Resolution 870 which says this: "Expressing gratitude and appreciation to the individuals and families who participated in the Taxpayer March on Washington on September 12, 2009."
The resolution was introduced on October 26 by Rep. Price of Georgia, who lives in the Atlanta suburbs but actually is a practicing M.D. Rep. Price is best-known for the following votes (according to www.ontheissues.org/GA/Tom_Price.htm):
Voted NO on regulating tobacco as a drug. (Apr 2009)
Voted NO on expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program. (Jan 2009)
Voted NO on giving mental health full equity with physical health. (Mar 2008)
Voted NO on Veto override: Extend SCHIP to cover 6M more kids. (Jan 2008)
Voted NO on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility. (Oct 2007)
Voted NO on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D. (Jan 2007)
Voted YES on denying non-emergency treatment for lack of Medicare co-pay. (Feb 2006)
That's just a sampling. Suffice to say that he doesn't take his medical or constitutional oaths very seriously.
His co-sponsors include well-known wacko Rep. Bachmann of Ohio, who says that Obama's health care bill calls for "sex clinics;" Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, who carries a gun when home in Florida and has referred to the residents of U.S. possessions Puerto Rico and Guam as "foreign citizens;" Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona, who's concerned that the U.S. isn't doing enough to prevent Korean missiles from interrupting retirees' golf games in Lake Havasu City (H.R. 2845: Protect the Homeland from North Korean and Iranian Ballistic Missiles Act; and -- alas -- Rep. Cynthia Lummis of Cheyenne, Wyoming's lone U.S. rep, one of the staunchest opponents of real health care reform.
All these fine folks (and dozens more) are pushing HRS 870:
Whereas, on September 12, 2009, hundreds of thousands of American patriots, who refuse to sit idly by as the Federal Government advances skyrocketing deficits, taxpayer-funded bailouts, pork-barrel projects, burdensome taxes, unaccountable policy czars, command-and-control energy policy, and a government takeover of health care, came to Washington, DC, to show their disapproval;
Whereas individuals also wanted to convey their displeasure with the future tax increases that will be required to pay for deficit-financed spending;
Whereas these individuals understand that the fundamental American principles of limited government and personal liberty are under direct assault;
Whereas this dedicated group of freedom-loving Americans believe in open, accountable, responsible, constitutionally based government;
Whereas hundreds of buses, multiple caravans of cars from across the country, and many individually chartered flights, as well as thousands of lone-traveling cars and
trucks, brought these patriots to Washington, DC, solely for this event;
Whereas these individuals endured considerable personal expense to get to the march, including transportation and lodging expenses, as well as lost wages in many instances;
Whereas estimates of the number of people who peacefully marched from Freedom Plaza to the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on September 12, 2009, range as high as 1,700,000 marchers;
Whereas all 50 States were represented in the march;
Whereas this event is considered to be the largest ever gathering of fiscal conservatives in Washington, DC;
Whereas special accolades are due to the grassroots citizens organizations across the country who helped individuals exercise their constitutionally protected First Amendment rights in the Nation's capital; and
Whereas when the current trends of government expansion and freedom retrenchment are reversed, it will be due in large part to the efforts of the hundreds of thousands who marched on Washington, DC, on September 12, 2009: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives expresses its gratitude and appreciation to the hundreds of thousands of people who marched on Washington, DC, on September 12, 2009, to show their love of liberty and their grievance with recent government actions.
So many strange things about this. I'm particularly struck by the figure of 1,700,000 marchers. It's been well documented that the crowd was much, much, much lower. ABCNews.com reported an approximate figure of 60,000 to 70,000 protesters, stats supplied by the D.C., fire department. Even 60,000 people is a lot if you live in Wyoming. We don't have a single city with 60,000 people (Casper and Cheyenne come the closest at 55,000-some). So, the teabaggers have something to brag about. But wildly inflated attendance figures do nothing for this group's credibility, whatever this group may be.
It's tough to understand how the resolution can credit "grassroots citizens organizations" for the march's turnout. Unless you count Glenn Beck's Project 912 and Rupert Murdoch's Fox News as grassroots organizations. Also corporate-funded astroturf orgs.
I want to thank Rep. Lummis for spending her time on such nonsensical resolutions. On second thought, maybe this is the best way to keep her away from the more pressing issues of the day.
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