I'm exhausted. Stood out in a cold rain for three hours yesterday. Felt right.

Your pixes captured that same earnest uneasiness - the sense that something needs to be righted - a sense that it's time to stand up and start pushing back.

Read Henninger, today.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123984940990523727.html

The particular signs have great energy but are on no side of any issue. People are angry but don't know what to do about it.

I think this is a reasonable path for the out-of-power Republicans at the moment: They don't know how things will go wrong but sense that indeed they will, so they build a movement that is as strong as possible but ideologically agile so they can move quickly and effectively when the time comes. They risk, however, appearing incoherent or demagogic until things become clear.

Fred

I'm no longer a Republican. I guess I'd be classified Conservative/Independent. There were many diverse ideologies out there. I suppose the common denominator is that they are not socialist/statists, but realize that the precious freedoms we enjoy in our Republic appear to be one election away from disappearing.

To those who claim these are a bunch of gun toting redneck Republicans I ask that you watch this video of the Hartford, Connecticut Tea Party (not teabagging, which is something Keith Olbermann does with every word he utters).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w3EYBdR0zU

It's a little slow in the beginning, but if you go to the 1:52 mark you will watch an unknown black woman speak. Watch the shouts from the protesters. They don't sound like racists to me. It's still about liberty and whether we're gonna have any. And yes, too much taxation is tyranny. Does "Big Bro 0" really know what's best for us? Borrowing our children's money for more BS programs that are going to require endless more BS programs to fix the problems that they cause. Remember, this economic decline was caused because people who couldn't afford to own homes had to have a "program" to get them. The Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 to the rescue. Good intentions or vote buying? I will throw in the corporate greed didn't help. The Democrats were in charge og the Congress since 2006. They could have made some changes to banking laws. They did not. Bush and Dems both to blame. My kids will pay. Thanks US Government.

"There were many diverse ideologies out there. I suppose the common denominator is that they are not socialist/statists,. . ."

Neither is the current government.

". . . but realize that the precious freedoms we enjoy in our Republic appear to be one election away from disappearing."

You lost the election because your candidate was an idiot and his running mate, if possible, even stupider. You are out of power because your ilk ran the country into the ground over the last 8 years, including, most importantly, a disastrous war and occupation that has cost the nation some 5,000 dead and $1 trillion.

No one has touched anyone's "precious freedoms." The U.S. tax code has not, unfortunately, changed - the rich are still getting off easy, and the middle and lower income brackets pay less than they do in most any other Western democracy.

You people are idiots.

I whole heartedly second nandemosan. If people would understand that we already have socialist healthcare with our medicare program, a program no one seems to deny is helping our seniors, then why is helping those who are ineligible and can not afford corporate insurance companies' ridiculous insurability requirements suddenly wrong? Oh ya, PS for all of those tea party supporters who apparently did not pay attention in 6th grade history class: the Boston Tea Party was not to protest taxes in general, but to protest not having a representative that would be able to vote on taxes. You have one, we voted, and you lost. Deal with it. Everyone who has double and triple digit medical bills out there has been dealing with being ignored for years and we're absolutely sick and tired of being overlooked by the greedy and the fortunate who apparently never get sick, don't want to admit that we exist because it would ruin their bubble, and are not self-employed, so they never have to worry about medical expenses. Also, the tax proposals would still put us at a rate lower than when Reagan was in office, and you somehow were OK with taxes back then. What gives? Why the change in attitudes for taxes now? Is it perhaps that there is actually latent mistrust of those who appear different from yourselves? Not sure you can handle anything changing your life's status quo? Some of us need a change to survive, so enough already with your stupidity. Pay attention to history, learn about the people in your community that you obviously have ignored, and face the world as it really is and then try to fix it, and stop complaining when the solution is a little tough.

Now this is just sad.

There was once a time when a mere link from James Wolcott, king of the combovers, would send at least three dozens trolls here within 12 hours. It's now more th an 24 and all I get is one measly moonbat.

The Wolcott lad's traffic must be in the toilet with his lovers.

It's Ok, Gerard. You posted at nappy-time, and only the Ritalin-twins were still awake. (The twins used to EAT the paste when wired, now they only copy 'n paste.)

When the others awoke, another link (shiny thing!) distracted them, and now they are into yet another CNN poll.

You still got it, big-guy, it's all in the timing.

"If people would understand that we already have socialist healthcare with our medicare program, a program no one seems to deny is helping our seniors...."

Medicare could (and should) go away tomorrow, taking with it every dollar I paid in, and I would not turn a hair. Same for Social Security. I'd waive a lump sum refund in return for being let the hell out of it.

Heartless? Sure, if you like. Your mistake is thinking I give a fuck what you think.

I agree with Ken regarding Social Security and Medicare. I'm 52, and I'd be willing to walk away from the money I've paid in and write it off as a loss, if only they would just quit taking it out of my paycheck.