The Tax Day Tea Party is a national collaborative grassroots effort organized by Smart Girl Politics, Top Conservatives on Twitter, the DontGo Movement and many other online groups/coalitions.

The Tea Party protests, in their current form, began in early 2009 when Rick Santelli, the On Air Editor for CNBC, set out on a rant to expose the bankrupt liberal agenda of the White House Administration and Congress. Specifically, the flawed “Stimulus Bill” and pork filled budget.

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The big one’s gonna be in Dallas but for us North Dallas types, here is a list of places to let your presence be seen.

City: Plano
When: April 15, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Where: Park & Preston/2201 Preston Rd.  and Parker & Preston/3301 Preston Rd.

City: Richardson
When: April 15, Noon
Where:Richardson City Hall, 411 W. Arapaho

City: McKinney
When: April 15, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Where: Eldorado & Craig/ 2950 Craig Dr.

City: Frisco
When: April 15, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Where: Gaylord & Preston/ 3100 Preston Rd. and Lebanon & Preston/ 5049 Preston Rd.

City: Carrollton/Farmers Branch/Colleyville
When: April 15, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
Where: Intersection of Josey Ln. and Trinity Mills (President George Bush Freeway)

Source: http://taxdayteaparty.com/teaparty/texas/

Oh and hey, there are sites for other states too, not just the great state of Texas.

UPDATE: My twitter feed has links to photos from the Richardson noon hour teaparty.

UPDATE Teh DEUX: My Flickr set of both the lunch time Richardson and the rush hour Plano teaparties

Since our Constitution was ratified, it’s been amended 27 times, each amendment embracing the themes of the Preamble that we all learned in school, and now sing to the tune from a Saturday morning cartoon show.  Our country is founded and has continuously trod down the path of forming a, “more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” Since that time our Constitution has recognized that our citizens have the right to cast a ballot, regardless of race, color, status of servitude or sex.  The wisdom, or perhaps just dumb luck, of the founders of this great nation have withstood the test of time, and the United States of America is still the beacon of freedom for the rest of the world.

In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. marched peacefully into our nation’s captial and delivered a speech.  His ‘I have a Dream’ remarks have inspired generations for their clear enuciations of the promises of our country’s founding documents and applying them as ‘promisary notes’ to future generations.  Dr. King looked forward to the day where people could, “live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”  Its wonderful to see that dream played out once more today, as our Nation, in 51 separate elections have elected someone not based on the color of their skin, but on the ideals that he enuciated in his campaign for this country’s highest office.

President Elect Barack Obama has a steep road ahead of him, many challenges face our nation, both domestically and internationally.  When Mr. Obama raises his hand on January 21st, 2009 to become our 44th President, even though he did not have my vote, he’ll have my support.

The Congress has also been chosen as well, and for the first time since 1997, the Democratic party hold all the reins of the government.  This isn’t a catastrophe, but a challenge.  A challenge that the Republican party failed when they had the same opportunity in more recent times.  The houses of Congress are responsible, not only to their constituents at home in their states and districts, but also to the country as a whole.

In the past eight years, there have been some horrible things said about our current President.  I have no doubt that the ire felt by the fringes for Mr. Bush won’t wane easily, but I’m glad to see that comparisions of our honorable President to that horrible beast that waged war against the world 60 years ago will cease.  As Mr. Obama begins his planning for his administration, it is my hope that those that oppose Mr. Obama’s policies and positions will do so with the decorum and respect that the office of the President of the United States deserves.

Regardless, we live in a great Nation, that has and will continue to be blessed by God.

Let freedom ring.

Newt on the Thrillah from Wassila – Sarah the Impaler

The reporter asking the question, and getting Newt’s response was golden, “um-er, back to you Keith.”  Making Keith say he’ll look into it.  Okay, great because Olberman is fair and balanced… and remember when the question was posed to Obama, he skipped the top of Governor Palin’s resume, and skipped down to her two terms as Mayor of Wassila, Alaska.

Dude, she’s Governor.  Of Alaska.  That big state up there with a whole heck-a-lotta oil, and not to mention CRAB. (Sorry, shoutout to my Biggest Deadliest Catch hommies — If Sarah get’s elected can she put Edgar Hansen in the Department of kicking uppity Senators’ asses?)

hat-tip ( Kim@Wizbang )

There are a lot of cruel things being said of the Governor, (most of the horrid ones are rehashed by partisans posting on twitter using the ‘Little Know Facts’ meme ) and sometimes you get a whisp of something substantial, somethings like experience (which is something she lacks in about the same proportion as Mr. Obama), or quality of eductaion (University of Idaho isn’t an Ivy league school).

But what intrigues me, the more I read and know about Sarah Palin is what she’s done with the little bit of time she’s had in office.  She is an anti-corruption warlord on par with Xena.  She went against the former Republican governor of Alaska in the primary, then after beating her Democratic challenger in the general election, sold the tax-payer paid for luxury jet on eBay, and flies commericial*, even favoring coach.  She also pretty much ended the pork-barrel funding of Ted Steven’s ‘bridge to nowhere’, and realigned any funds to other needed infrastructure in her state.

That fact is one that effects my vote, let states make funding decisions, stop earmarks at the federal level that only invite corruption and cronyism as people send money to home districts to keep getting elected.  I would rather pay more state taxes than to have federal taxes go to pork barrel projects. Because even though the capital of Texas is Austin, a hot bed of liberals, they know better what Texas needs than anyone in Washington (even though I’m sure KBH and Conyrn are fiscally responsible).

The one thing I do like about McCain is his refusal to send home pork money to his state, and I’d absolutely love it if he sent a bundle of veto’s back to congress telling them to trim the fat.  I don’t see Obama paying close attention to that, since his political philosophy is more of a centralized economy that a free-market, states-rights type of economy.

This isn’t a single issue election, but it seems that the GOP seems poised to start charging down the path to ‘change’ with the unorthodox pick of Ms. Palin as VP candidate.  Much more leaning that direction than picking a 35 year veteran from Deleware (which by the way has the same number of electoral votes as Alaska).

So as you read the scary stories of the gun-packing, moose-hunting, basketball-shooting, salmon-fishing, child-bearing, miss congeniality, consider the source, research it a bit, and listen to what McCain and Palin say they’ll do, and reflect on what they’ve already done.

Peace.

*There is even a blog post out there that has this story and debunks the horrible ‘Sarah Palin’s son is really her daughter’s baby’ rumor, where in writing the post the author parenthetically comments on her being pregnant.  One of the wonderful thing about internet diaries is they record these details, which are easily overlooked by nefarious smear machines.

Some little remembered facts about Quayle… (from Wikipedia)

• Bush was trailing by as much as 15 points to Dukakis before the Republican Convention in 88.
• Senator John McCain, said of Quayle “I can’t believe a guy that handsome wouldn’t have some impact.”
• Sure enough, post convention the Bush/Quayle got a bump, and never trailed.
• Despite the well remembered gaffe in the VP debate (“You are no Jack Kennedy”), Quayle wasn’t remembered for being compared to Lloyd Bentsen in the experience question.
• The Bush/Quayle ticket went on to win the November election with a 53–46 margin by sweeping 40 states and capturing 426 electoral votes.

So, be careful with the Quayle comparisons… Remember Bush/Quayle won.  It was Bush Sr. that killed his re-election chances with the ‘No New Taxes’ flub.

The rest politics so I’m stuffing most under the fold.  Click on more to get it all

Though I think The Anchoress has a point (maybe three):

It is always interesting to me to reflect that Jesus always went to the sinners to get his work done, to spread his message. He didn’t go to the “pure” ones who thought they already knew everything they needed to know, and who would never dare to taint themselves by dealing with the lesser among them. He went to the guys who screwed up, made mistakes and understood that they were not worthy, who knew that they didn’t know everything. The guys who would continue to make mistakes but who would grow and would – most importantly – never give up.

Someone sent me several versions of this story about Christian conservatives meeting to consider a break with the GOP and the establishment of a third party.

“The conclusion was that if there is a pro-abortion nominee they will consider working with a third party,” said the person, who spoke to Salon on the condition of anonymity. The private meeting was not a part of the official CNP schedule, which is itself a closely held secret. “Dobson came in just for this meeting,” the person said.

Yep. Right on schedule. Writes my Li’l Bro Thom: Did they learn nothing from ‘92? They may as well start engraving the “President Clinton” commemorative coins now…

I’ve never been a huge Dobson fan when he gets on his political boots and goes for a ride.  He’s much better at framing a cultural perspective, than shaping political policy. 

But trying for a third party run… have we not learned in the last 16 years that third parties do nothing but hurt your cause.  Bush and Dole weren’t conservative enough, and so we got 8 years of Clinton.  Gore and Kerry weren’t liberal in all the green places so we (thankfully!) got 8 years of Bush.  See the lesson?

I was listening to Scott Wilder last night, and what he said was truth, ”Like it or not, the President sworn in January 2009 will either be Republican or Democrat.  “If you’re not voting for one of those two parties, your candidate will lose, and more than likely the candidate the least supportive of the values that drove you to vote for a third party will win.  Just consider it.

The homepage is festooned with tribbles! – Jonah Goldberg

What, you thought I meant the Senate and House?

Emmit, may have the NASCAR vote, but Mario and Joey have teh hotnes
s, and with all the men watching the election polls, and getting drunker and drunker, their wives will vote for teh hotness.

The powers that be at ABC unilaterally extended the voting hours, but it won’t matter.

L == straight liberal because liberals are all crooked.

I hit the R button, because I actually liked my choices, even including Gov. Perry.  I want my grandmas to be grandmas… regardless of their toughness.  And celebrity Governors have a mixed record.  Better the devil you know.

Sam Johnson is a good Representative, and Kay Bailey Hutchinson is a good Senator.

So do you civic duty, and go vote.  And remember liberals vote on Wednesday. :p