Pence Tells Tea Partiers To 'Remember In November'

A prominent House conservative told participants in the second annual 9/12 Rally in Washington yesterday that the Obama administration is using the recession to wage socioeconomic war.

“No American should face a tax increase in January…not one. We will not compromise our economy to accommodate the class warfare rhetoric of this administration,” said Mike Pence (R-Ind.), Chairman of the House Republican Conference. Pence told the roughly 100,000 in attendance to stand against President Obama’s attempt to allow a series of tax cuts for the wealthy to expire at the end of this year.

“We do not consent to higher taxes on any American in the worst economy in 25 years. When did higher taxes ever get anybody hired?”

Pence spoke at the same rally last year, which focused mainly on drumming up resistance to a healthcare reform bill that would later become law. This year, the message from Pence and other speakers, including conservative Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R), was purely political.

Pence urged the audience to focus on voting out liberal members of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections, while Cuccinelli touted his own efforts to stop provisions within the aforementioned healthcare law from going into effect in his state.

The rally was organized by the conservative nonprofit organization FreedomWorks, along with a number of smaller local Tea Party groups. Glenn Beck’s 9.12 Project played an additional role in helping organize the rally both this year and last.

Former House Majority Leader Unleashes Armey Of Attacks On Democrats

By Benny Martinez
University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas) called the Tea Party movement an effort to return the Republican Party to its grassroots spirit, and chided lawmakers for passing “panic legislation" in the more than eight years since the attacks of September 11, 2001.

During a luncheon Monday at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Armey, CEO of the organization FreedomWorks, defended the Tea Party movement at length, criticizing the leadership of the Democratic party for failing to earn the support of the public. He blasted the Democratic agenda, especially healthcare reform, saying “[Democrats] will get politically bounced” if their bill passes.

For good measure, Armey used the word “inept” to describe the leadership style of current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)

Responding to criticism that his organization has helped create an environment of obstruction over key legislative items, Armey attributed the failure to get health reform done to Democrats “accustomed to doing sloppy work."

"I don’t think they have left within them the skills to do the disciplined, hard work that such ventures require," he added.

While the former Congressman did say that he believes President Barack Obama will get the votes necessary to pass health reform, he criticized the undertaking.

“They are ineptly trying to do the wrong thing.”

RNC And A Tea Party Movement Leader Join Forces Against Health Care Reform

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele and former House Speaker Dick Armey (R-Texas), a figurehead for the conservative “tea party” movement, presented a united front late Monday morning against Democrats’ legislative efforts to reform the U.S. health care system.

“I’m ... very honored to partner with grass roots activists, to invite them to be a part of this effort to push back against this takeover of health care,” said Steele during the duo’s joint conference call with reporters. “This is a partnership, and it’s one that’s based on some core principles that I think are foundational for the GOP.”

Although the tea party movement, which receives logistical support from the Armey steered non-profit group Freedomworks, is typically viewed as more radical than the current party establishment, Armey defended both the RNC and Steele as chairman.

“I have a clear sense that chairman Steele wants to lead that party back to it’s days of being the champion of individual liberty and the practitioner of responsible restraint in spending and government.”

Both conservative leaders took issue with the Senate’s 1:00 am cloture vote Monday morning, with Steele adding that even if moderate Senate Democrats vote against the bill in its final form, the 60-40 party-line vote in favor of cloture shows where their intentions actually lie.

Steele, who seemed to become increasingly enthusiastic throughout the call, also accused Congress of giving the public the middle finger.

“Enough is enough,” Steele said. “I’m tired of Congress thumbing their nose and flipping the bird to the American people.”

The Tea Party Movement Is Coming To Washington

Meagan Wiseley, University of New Mexico - Talk Radio News Service

The FreedomWorks Foundation is sponsoring a three day event that will give grassroots conservatives the opportunity to express their dissatisfaction with government spending to Congress. The September 12 "March On Washington" will be the largest gathering of fiscal conservatives in history, with tens of thousands expected.

In a conference call Wedneday to promote the event, FreedomWorks President and CEO Matt Kibbe said, "I do think that our theme of 'government goes to those who show up' is relevant here. We've seen lots of Americans leave their homes and come to townhall meetings and come to Washington."

September 9th and 10th will be dedicated to workshops, training seminars and rallies. Fiscal conservatives will also have the opportunity to address their congressmen during lobbying visits to Capitol Hill.

Jenny Beth Martin with The Tea Party Patriots, who also participated in Wednesday's conference call, said of her fellow patriots, "They think it's time for their elected officials to pay attention to what they have to say. They will have that opportunity on Thursday and Friday while they are in D.C."

The three day event will begin Thursday September 9th.