Sunday, 2/23/14, Public Square

Tea Parties Are So Last Year

Tea Party groups plan ‘strike’

Posted: January 5th, 2010 05:28 AM ET

From CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser

Tea party protesters gathered on Capitol Hill in September 2009. (Photo Credit: Getty Images/File)

Washington (CNN) – Some Tea Party activists from across the country are planning a ‘national strike’ on January 20, the one-year anniversary of President Barack Obama’s inauguration.

The idea of holding an economic protest sprung up during the holidays as the result of a conference call held by various Tea Party group leaders, according to Allen Hardage, a conservative grassroots organizer from Georgia.

“Tea Party activists are frustrated that despite a huge turnout over the last year Congress is ignoring them,” says Hardage, who is national operations director for the planned strike. “The question is that if the elected officials ignore you, what do you do to exercises your right to self-governance? So we decided to hold a National Day of Strike where we go after the large donors of the people pushing this radical agenda.”

Hardage says the idea of the one-day strike is to focus attention on the businesses that support the most liberal members of Congress as well as groups that advocate “big government” policies.

But Hardage says the move will not be a boycott: “Here we are exposing the agenda of some of the most widely known companies in America and letting the consumer decide. If a corporation decides to jump into politics to the tune of millions of dollars, then they need to expect that they will alienate some of their customers.”

The strike is being promoted online through the organizers’ Web site through Web sites of various Tea Party groups and on social networking sites.

CNN reached out to a number of national Tea Party organizations. While some were aware of the planned strike and some not informed, none said they were going to actively take part in the event.

Lilacluvr

Smaller “more pure” Republican Party

The economy, Afghanistan, the charges of radical leftist/communist/Marxist/Maoist agenda, all the controversy around reforming health care and the inexplicable opposition to anything Obama should indicate success for Republicans in the 2010 mid term elections.  All those factors should also point toward this president likely being a one-term president.  If you listen to the people who seem to be Republican spokespersons, that’s what they will tell you will happen.  But if you study the numbers, that’s not what’s going on.

The Wall Street Journal has an interesting story that contends Tea Party activists are energizing the Republican Party, but all that enthusiasm comes with a price: They may be scaring away the moderates that would help the GOP retake the House in 2010.  With closed primaries, the smaller “more pure” Republican party will nominate only the most far right-wing movement conservatives they can find, further alienating moderates.

Yes, the loudest of the Republicans are predicting a big comeback and just may be the reason the party stays out of power until they get their heads on straight.

fnord