TPMDC
The Mob That Wasn't Greets Arrival Of Pelosi Bill
Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 29, 2009, 11:16AM
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It certainly wasn't the "flash mob" organizers were hoping for, but a small but determined group of Tea Party Patriots gathered on the Capitol Lawn this morning to protest the announcement of a final House health care reform bill.
TPMDC counted about 10 Tea Partiers holding signs denouncing a "government takeover" of health care and looking with disdain as House Democrats gathered on the Capitol Steps. They stood in a larger group of protesters from other groups, mostly focused on abortion rights.
Joann Abbott, a grandmother from Northern Virginia, made the drive to the protest this morning after seeing the email sent by Tea Party leaders last night. When asked if she was part of the "flash mob," she laughed. "I'm here on my own," she said, looking around at the scattered protesters around her. "If this is organized, we suck."
Lisa Miller, another protestor, said she was an organizer with a D.C. tea party group. She insisted that the event wasn't organized by a national organization, despite yesterday's email which was signed by a group calling itself "Your Tea Party Patriots National Coordinator Team."
"People keep reporting we're a single group," she said. "But we're not -- we're all separate."
"It's like we're in different cars but we're all going in the same direction," Abbott explained.
Those details out of the way, the pair turned back to the crown gathering on the marble steps about 50 yards away. Capitol Police kept the protesters too far from the event to see it, but the strains of a U2 song played as background music for the gathering Democrats drifted across the plaza to within earshot.
"Look at their king-like behavior," Miller scoffed. "They're re-introducing the same sham they've been pushing for years. It's evident people in this building don't care about us."
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CT Voter
October 29, 2009 11:21 AM
"If this is organized, we suck."
Thanks for that quote.
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Darrius
October 29, 2009 11:32 AM in reply to CT Voter
Well, at least we know she is capable of learning, albeit, at a very slow rate.
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jzap
October 29, 2009 3:15 PM in reply to Darrius
Reminds me of Monty Python's Life of Brian. . . .
Brian addressing the huge crowd: Remember, you're all different!
Crowd: Yes, we're all different!
Solitary figure in the crowd raises his hand: I'm not!
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bjobotts2
October 29, 2009 7:18 PM in reply to jzap
Good quote. Very appropriate. These goobers did not even have time to read the bill...but they're against it. Totally silent when Bush was making the deficit explode and set about torturing people and wire tapping Americans...but when it comes to dems...whatever it is...they're against it.
Guess the astro-turf organizers were busy painting more red handed buses to get to DC huh.
The sign saying Obamacare is elderly genocide has an arrow on the other side pointing down that says "I'm Insane and a Liar" Only stupidity and ignorance is demonstrated by such a sign...and the holder is totally unaware of that. Like anyone in congress is gonna' vote for "elderly genocide". Go back to whatever planet you think you come from because it's not earth.
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Chris
October 29, 2009 12:15 PM in reply to CT Voter
Whatever Josh and Evan! You both know that millions showed up to quick mob the Democratic unveiling. When Fox News and Republicans talk about other networks failing to report "news" or ask tough questions, this is exactly what they are talking about.
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AhTrini1
October 29, 2009 9:45 PM in reply to Chris
1,700,000 to be exact!
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NH
October 30, 2009 1:39 PM in reply to CT Voter
Doesn't matter. Government takeover of the private sector STILL SUCKS.
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johnmccsf
October 29, 2009 11:34 AM
Nancy's left them holding their teabags
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Matt Jones
October 29, 2009 11:39 AM
Ms. Miller then added, "We're the Judean People's Front! The Popular Front is over there!" :)
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MSNY
October 29, 2009 1:43 PM in reply to Matt Jones
"ROCKS FOR THE STONING. ROCKS FOR THE STONING"
"I'll take a packet of sharp, two packets of round and some pebbles please. "
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acamus
October 29, 2009 1:44 PM in reply to Matt Jones
Meanwhile the People's Front of Judea, after making a wrong turn on I-495, was last seen somewhere near Woodbridge, Virginia.
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tiowally
October 29, 2009 2:18 PM in reply to acamus
Update: Following a series ill-fated course corrections, the People's Front of Judea have now stopped at the Waffle House in Harrisonburg, Virginia, for an emergency meeting of the steering committee. And some hashbrowns (smothered, covered and chunked).
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Clavis
October 29, 2009 11:41 AM
"When we protest something, we're standing up for America! When liberals protest something, they're suffering from Bush Derangement Syndrome and are wild-eyed radicals ready to destroy America!"
Just more stupid, bigoted tribalism. Nothing more.
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Xantar
October 29, 2009 11:42 AM
She's probably right. I don't think Nancy Pelosi gives a damn what Lisa Miller or any other teabagger thinks. The step Miller is missing is that elected officials generally don't care what you think if they know you're never going to vote for them no matter what they do (including agreeing with your exact position).
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zonk
October 29, 2009 11:42 AM
I should hope not.
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Zell
October 29, 2009 11:46 AM
Actually, you suck regardless of whether it's organized or not.
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swmckay
October 29, 2009 11:46 AM
So Fox News will report that, oh, at least 125,000 people showed up?
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Zell
October 29, 2009 11:52 AM in reply to swmckay
Including George Washington!
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Tom Betz
October 29, 2009 12:16 PM in reply to swmckay
Not, this is the "Tea Party Patriots" faction that Fox News has abandoned. Fox News is now affiliated with the Dick Armey/PAC-funded "Tea Party Express" faction, the one with the bus.
I'll be very surprised if Fox News reports on this event at all.
See this older Washington Independent story for info on the origins of the split.
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Ethan
October 29, 2009 12:56 PM in reply to Tom Betz
The Tea Party Patriots despise the Express faction, which they see as over-affiliated with the GOP. The TPP is the grassroots wing while the TPE is the astroturf wing.
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jeffgee
October 29, 2009 1:29 PM in reply to Tom Betz
If they devoted any time to it, Jon Stewart would call them out on the tiny turnout.
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sherifffruitfly
October 29, 2009 11:56 AM
Really? I heard it was a lot more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdg-b08uWRc
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CityGuy
October 29, 2009 12:00 PM in reply to sherifffruitfly
Hmmm.... That looks more exciting than anything the Tea Baggers could dream up. All 10(000) of them!
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pppwww
October 29, 2009 12:02 PM
"Look at their king-like behavior,"
that's awesomely funny.
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pppwww
October 29, 2009 12:11 PM in reply to pppwww
"look at that single person exhibiting group-like behavior"
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cwnidog
October 29, 2009 12:32 PM in reply to pppwww
Isn't that normally referred to as a multiple-personality disorder?
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jfields
October 29, 2009 12:10 PM
FOX: "Fully 7% percent of the Earth's population showed up this morning to express their outrage..."
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Chris
October 29, 2009 12:16 PM in reply to jfields
Exactly! There's no reason to believe that it wasn't the second largest gathering in DC history. Second only to the millions that showed up on 9/12.
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fkaZk0sm0
October 29, 2009 12:13 PM
"It's like we're in different cars but we're all going in the same direction," Abbott explained.
and yet only ten of you made it to your destination.
maybe the email should have included a link to google maps.
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Ben Schacht
October 29, 2009 12:14 PM
Is anyone else confused by the ambiguity of the sign in the photo? "Obamacare is Elderly Genocide."
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Richardxx
October 29, 2009 12:36 PM
If this is the best protest that the tea baggers can organize without FOX setting it up and advertising for weeks, then the politicians certainly don't need to fear tea bagger reaction to whatever they do.
It also demonstrates the critical role that FOX played in earlier tea bagger protests. FOX is exposed as the political operator behind those earlier protests if this is what happens to the same crowd without FOX instigation, coordination and participation. The tea baggers are political operatives for FOX. Without FOX there is no group there.
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Icon
October 29, 2009 12:51 PM
"It's evident people in this building don't care about us."
Actually, if you knew anything about economics and let rational, pragmatic considerations guide your politics rather than irrational right-wing ideology, you'd realize it's evident that the people in that building do care about you.
Ironically, since the people in that building have a much better understanding of what the bill is and what it will for you than you do, the people in that building care more about you than you do yourself.
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bjobotts2
October 29, 2009 7:43 PM in reply to Icon
Agreed. Well put. Like telling grandma when she's standing in a foot of water in the rain and telling your brother to get away from her and you have the good sense to say "Come on grand ma, here's a raincoat and an umbrella. I have a towel in the car. Let's go get dried off ok. To which she responds..."you want to kill me" as you guide her under the umbrella and put the rain coat around her.
That's the logic of tea baggers who spout off uninformed opinions based on their dislike of the rain.
They only believe in democracy when they are in power...no one else has the right, not even the majority, to do something they don't approve. "Private Ins Promotes Elderly Genocide Through Recission"...Thank God for Medicare ( a government run Health care ins plan) and the tiny sickly public option we are allowed.
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Avvocato
October 29, 2009 12:59 PM
Why are you referring to them as Tea Partiers? They are Tea Baggers and we all know what that means!
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neilhell
October 29, 2009 1:10 PM
Well, no wonder the behavior seemed "king-like" if the "crown" was "gathering" on the Capitol Steps...
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jeffgee
October 29, 2009 1:25 PM
The big question: did Fox News promote it at all or are they on to their next outrage, AARP?
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Tom Betz
October 29, 2009 1:32 PM in reply to jeffgee
I just checked FoxNews.com. No mention at all of "Tea Party Patriots" for several weeks now; and there's a video pimping the "Tea Party Express" bus tour dated 10/25.
The "Tea Party Patriots" group is officially a non-entity at Fox News as of October.
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midnight rambler
October 29, 2009 2:26 PM in reply to jeffgee
Front and center on their web page right now is a new story about the war on Christmas.
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bluesplashy
October 29, 2009 9:32 PM in reply to midnight rambler
Dear God, it is that time of year AGAIN!
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lapdogs
October 29, 2009 2:07 PM
Could any of the ten tea-baggers sing?
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lapdogs
October 29, 2009 2:09 PM
Guess that FAUX OPINION Producer had the day off and couldn't whip all ten of them up.
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Bass Ace
October 29, 2009 2:23 PM
Jeez - They talk a good game about democracy, but only seem to be able to stomach it when it goes their way.
Same way they cherry pick the writings of Thomas Payne.
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AhTrini1
October 29, 2009 9:43 PM
"Us" means White, mostly racist, a lot bigoted, supposedly christian, republican Americans.
""They're re-introducing the same sham they've been pushing for years. It's evident people in this building don't care about us.""
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Bob
October 30, 2009 10:08 AM
"TPMDC counted about 10 Tea Partiers"
I don't understand this. Either you counted 10 people or you counted 11 people. I am interested in how many people were there. Was it only 10 or wasn't it? It isn't like you were trying to estimate 1000 people...
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JEP07
October 30, 2009 10:20 AM
"It's like we're in different cars but we're all going in the same direction,"
Cars? Would those be the new 2010 Lemmings?
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NH
October 30, 2009 1:36 PM
I guess tea party people are those who actually WORK and are not on welfare so they don't have time to go to DC on such short notice.
That's fine because 1.7M of us told the real story back on 9/12.
So this is just a bunch of hype from the leftist-media about being a failed demonstration.
There are more people against this communist crap now than ever before.
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