Denver Anti-Tax Activists Rally At The Capitol

Produced by HuffPost Denver's Local Citizen Reporting Team

The steps of the Denver capitol bustled Wednesday with discontented Coloradans eager to define themselves wake of growing media attention. Approximately 100-200 State representatives and members of local Tea Party groups gathered at the top of the capitol's stairs to express fears of "Obamacare and "big government," and a equally profound concern that their movement is being misunderstood.

Colorado lawmakers present for the rally included Republican state representatives Jim Kerr of Jefferson County, Steve King of Delta Mesa County and Larry Liston of El Paso County.

One of the opening speakers was John Caldara from the conservative radio channel 850 KOA who set the tone for the event event by making sure to define the conservative movement as distinct from the Republican party.

"We have a lot to complain about, and we had 10 years of--for lack of a better word--our team in government. But what was missing was us...we are a movement that is too big to fail," Caldera said.

Tea Party groups have been springing up throughout the state since the movement's first big successful rally last April of 2009.

Tea Party organizer and Colorado resident Debbie Clair has hosted the first rallies in Warren, Ohio and says she is concerned about the movement's image.

"There's this huge misconception about it. It is not the Democrats or Republicans, it's just people who are worried about their freedoms," Clair said.

Barbie Kelley says she's been a member since that last April because she is afraid of the current government.

"I have fear for my country, and am extremely worried about global government. I'm worried about my second amendment rights, and April 19th was the first rally I attended," Kelley said. "No one tells us to come here, not the Republicans, not anyone. We come because we fear for our country."

Asked about the Gadsden flag she was carrying, Kelley smoothed out the wrinkles and showed the famous yellow cartoon of a curled snake saying, "Don't tread on me," that's dated since the American Revolution.

"It's telling the government not to tread on the citizens. We own them, not the other way around," Kelley said.

Kelley said [when explaining the misconceptions of the Tea Party] "I just want to make sure you note that there are African Americans here. It's definitely not a White racist thing."

When Clair was asked about what freedoms she was concerned about, she gave the example of the controversial health care reform initiatives.

"Fine, I understand health care needs to change. Just not this one. Capitalism works very well on its own," Clair said, adding, "We are saying to Congress 'you are our employees' and they're just not getting it."

Comments

[TimeToPunt]

11:00 AM on 03/15/2010

The Teabagger movement is a gift to the Democratic Party in that now the far right Republicans will be electioneering and voting on two fronts, split straight down the middle.

Sweet.

[LMPE]

11:02 PM on 03/12/2010

Yawn

[blood1]

08:38 AM on 03/12/2010

If members of this group, don't want healthcare via a reform program, they can either keep their own private insurance (which meets the mandate) or if they can't afford health insurance premiums, then they can pay a small fine - which is their complaint.

So, if that is their talking point, I have to ask, how much money have they personally expended to have the rallies (assuming that they are independent of the astro-turf groups)? Would that money have covered the penalty that they will have to pay in 5 years?

Of course they have the right to demonstrate. No one has taken away their 2nd amendment rights. Why aren't they outraged about the Corporations that are ripping them off?

Sorry, until they have a "TO DO" list of demands that can have a legislative impact, 100-200 people in CO are a small media event, but are receiving more than their 15 minutes of fame. Just saying NO is not a way to become a political party, or effect change.

[Robobrewer]

06:51 PM on 03/11/2010

I have asked this before and I must ask it again. Why are Teabaggers so angry?
They voted for the politicians who got us into our current situation for the last 30-40 years.
The Republican party was always very clear in their message of deregulating government regulations which were put in place to protect American citizens from the abuses of corporate power.
The Republican party always made it clear that they had no qualms running up the debt and sabotaging the prosperity of future generations.
I distinctly remember many of our current ills being predicted when Reagan was preaching his irresponsible policies and ripping the solar panels of the White House roof. I'll bet most of those Teabaggers who could vote back then, did so for him.
I also have no doubt that most Teabaggers voted for Bush/Cheney, so I ask again; Why are Teabaggers angry???
They got exactly what they voted for time after time.

[Robobrewer]

06:32 PM on 03/11/2010

Interesting that most of those tea-bagging ignoramuses are only angry at the current government but not the previous ones which actually got us into the current disaster we are in.
Where were those dopes during the Nixon administration when he took us off the gold standard?
Where were those morons during the Reagan and Bush 1 administrations when everything was deregulated, military spending went to the moon, and tax cuts for the wealthy all laid the foundation for the destruction of the middle class?
Where was the outrage when the Glass-Steagall Act was revoked by Clinton and the Republican Congress?
Most of all, where in the universe where those teabagging pinheads during the Bush/Cheney 8 year debacle???
Teabaggers have no credibility. The fact that they have only become outraged now that there is a black Democrat in the White House, in spite of the fact that he has continued and supported almost all of Bush/Cheney's policies, exposes them as the uninformed, radical, bigots that they are.

[azdirk]

01:47 PM on 03/11/2010

I understand that the Tea Partiers are also angry at the banks and Wall Street and their influence in our government. I share that anger. Would a weaker central government not make it impossible to control them when this so-called too powerful central government does not?

[LisaCACO]

10:31 AM on 03/11/2010

yes, I agree. lots of angry white folks, mostly male, many completely uninformed. it's sad.

[LittleMittens]

01:28 AM on 03/11/2010

As a resident of Colorado, don't let these 'teabaggers' fool you. Every single self proclaimed 'teabagger' that I have met has been an angry white racist, every single one. Most are completely oblivious to all facts of EVERY issue they are capable of articulating. And I wonder how long it took the photographer to find a sign that where the words were actually spelled correctly?

[LoneSentinel]

10:57 AM on 03/11/2010

As a resident of Colorado and a tea Party supporter, I find LittleMittens comments to be ignorant. Care to debate the issues with me? I use the same handle on Beliefnet & City-Data sites...let us see who is more 'oblivious to ALL the facts'.

[azdirk]

01:50 PM on 03/11/2010

I understand that the Tea Partiers are also angry at the banks and Wall Street and their influence in our government. I share that anger. Would a weaker central government not make it impossible to control them when this so-called too powerful central government does not? As for the racist angle, there is much evidence that it is true. You may not be, but that is not an indication that such does not exist in others.

[amaboss52]

06:33 PM on 03/11/2010

Im a Coloradoan and I agree completely.