The Rise of the Dick Armey, the Summer's Biggest Blockbuster

The Democrats are in power, leaving the Republicans plenty of discretionary time to make their own special brand of mischief. The Tea Parties of last April, as silly as they seemed, were the first shot across this administration's bow.

The silver haired granny who disrupts your town hall meeting may well have gotten her marching orders from the Republican's answer to MoveOn.org, the conservative Grassfire.org, Resistnet FreedomWorks.org or perhaps the Tea Party Patriots.

In addition to this summer's Town Hall festivities, the Republican's 'astroturf' movement is planning a big blowout in the nation's capital for the second week in September, the timing to correspond with the debate over the president's Health Care Reform legislation.

"Government goes to those who show up"

That is a quote from the FreedomWorks website.

Dick Armey is right. At one time this sort of activism was the sole province of the labor unions and the civil rights movement, now scrappy clutches of conservative Republicans are mixing it up at town hall meetings all over the country. The events are covered by a sensation mad media, as a result, the only voices heard belong to the badly behaved.

Do you recall the 'Brooks Brothers Riot' November of 2000 ?

That relatively minor disruption, by a small cohort of well dressed, conservative activists at the Miami/Dade election recount offices, effectively ushered in the first term of George W. Bush. It was a simple plan, but oh so elegant.

The concerned taxpayers who are exercising their first amendment rights at town hall meetings (they claim they've torn a page from MoveOn's play book) are merely in dress rehearsal for the big event, The Taxpayers March on Washington DC, scheduled for September 9-12 2009.

Getting Barack Obama elected was just the beginning, defending his six o'clock position is a full time job. Pull out your dayrunners progressives. Mark down this dates:

Event: The Taxpayer's March On Washington DC Date: September 12, 2009 Place: Washington DC Time: 9:00 AM at the Lincoln Memorial 1:00 PM at the Capitol Building

Sponsored by Grassfire.org, Resistinet, FreedomWorks, The National Taxpayers Union, Campaign for Liberty, The Tea Party Patriots, The Club for Growth and others.

Darla Dawald, National coordinator for the march has invited all of us to contact her directly at Grassfire.org and Resistnet.com. One Step Promotions is offering affordable travel packages for every budget.

Sun Tzu counsels us to understand the nature of our adversary.

Lately I have spent some time reading the material on the major conservative websites. I encourage you to do the same, gentle reader, the stakes are far too high.

Is there anything on your calendar that trumps defending the promised change of the last election ? If we snooze this time, (the notion of health care reform hasn't seen the light of day since 1993) think of what we may lose for decades to come.

Many of the conservative activist organizations have adopted lofty patriotic names evoking the founding father's struggle against tyranny. To my mind that begs the question, If patriotism is their private bailiwick, are those of us who truly believe that access to health care is the most basic of civil rights, unpatriotic ?

MoveOn, you wrote the book with the missing page. You also have an enviable e-mail data base. The Republicans keep repeating, "Elections have consequences." It would be a pity to disappoint them.

Dick Armey is the former Republican Representative of the 26th congressional district of Texas, he currently serves as chairman of FreedomWorks.org. Dick Armey will be a headline speaker at The Taxpayer's March on Washington DC

Comments

[Adobe]

This is a well wriiten and well thought out call to arms to take these people seriously.It's easy to dismiss them as idiots who sit in front of Fox News all day or have Rush (not the band)spewing hate and disruption endlessly but that doesn't negate the seriousness of it-or even the constant annoyance of seeing these people everywhere.Anyway,great piece,writer!

[mimigrammy]

These people are as transparent as the titles they give themselves. Let them have their rally, they are Constitutionally entitled to do so. However, given the fact they all carry concealed weapons and are hanging onto the fringes of mental competency, I will just stay as far away as possible and watch the show in the safety of my home on Cable TV. If their rally is anything like the "Tea Parties" and "Town Hall" debacles, it will be an afternoon of slap-stick comedy we won't want to miss. You have to ask yourself; How many times can a party of people shoot themselves in the foot while trying to make a point that is pointless?

[Mark Twaine]

With the excemption of those who watch FOX News people know only the insane will show up.

[JiminNC]

I have that weekend free and have not seen the Lincoln Memorial in a while.

[sawheat1]

We need to go a day ahead of time , that way the portal potties will be full.

[gypsysailor]

Bring your eggs and bring your tomatoes! These people running around shooting their mouths off are trying to bring down a government elected by the people for the people. They may be family, they may be friends, they may be neighbors, who knows? But the one thing they all are is WRONG!

[MacGregor57]

gypsy, a march on Washington is a practice almost as old as the city itself. With the proper permitting and hygiene requirements, etc. being met, the march would no doubt be legal and an expression of what this country is all about. If violence or other illegalities were to arise, the Capitol Police, etc. would take the place of eggs and tomatoes. To challenge the validity of this march is to do so at your peril. Please don't over do it friend.

[Fotios]

The march is valid, but I like the idea of putting as many Obama supporters in the crowd with signs and megaphones as possible. Show these people that the people who are angry are the same people who voted against Obama. The Country is divided on the issue of health care, but all we see is the people who are angry.