At a two-hour-plus gathering organized by the tea party's new political action committee, men and women it identified as the top "limited government" congressional candidates criticized big government, big deficits, high taxes, the new health-care plan, and illegal immigrants. "Hello, all you patriots," said Pat Sellers, who is challenging Republican Rep. Jim Gerlach in Pennsylvania's Sixth District. He wants to stop giving citizenship and free services to babies born in this country to illegal immigrants and said the country could do without the federal Departments of Education and Energy.
One woman held a poster with a picture of Obama with a cigarette in his mouth and the words:He thinks he knows what is best for our health care. Oh come on. Don Adams, president of the Independence Hall Tea Party PAC, got the crowd to chant, "Take back Congress!" Tables were set up for people who vowed to take back the federal government and the country and to boot out House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Obama. They out did one another with memorable greetings. "Happy anniversary, fellow revolutionaries," said Christine O'Donnell, who is running for the Senate in Delaware and wants to shake up the "lords of the back room."
She was referring to the one-year anniversary marked by some tea party groups. "Obviously, it's not enough for us to just protest," Adams said before the event. "We have to vote. It's extremely important that we organize politically and that we take back Congress if we're going to have any modicum of success." Joey Vento, of "speak English" cheesesteak fame, was also a speaker. Vento fame shot up after he refused to serve people that could not speak English and has displayed a sign that says, “if you want to order here you must speak English. "I don't know about you, but I want America back," he said. The crowd agreed. He said America needed to get rid of illegal immigrants and likened calling them "undocumented" to "calling a drug dealer an unlicensed pharmacist." He talked about the hardships his parets had when they migrated to America.
Before his opening prayer, the Rev. Bill Devlin, president of Redeem the Vote, chided former President Bill Clinton for his comments Friday about the danger of antigovernment rhetoric that Clinton said was heard by "the serious and the delirious alike." The political speakers included several candidates running for Pennsylvania's Eighth Congressional District seat, now held by Democrat Patrick Murphy - James Jones, Gloria Carlineo, Ira Hoffman, and Mike Fitzpatrick - along with Rep. Charlie Dent, Josh Quinter, and Patrick Meehan, who are running in other Pennsylvania districts. From New Jersey, there were Dale Glading, Mark Falzon, and Jon Runyan, a former Eagles offensive lineman who is running for the Third Congressional District seat, now held by Democrat John Adler.
"Just like all of you standing out here, I'm fed up with what these career politicians are doing in this country," John Runyan ,said the retired Philadelphia Eagle, taxes were out of control, the stimulus bill didn't work, and people were confused by the health-care overhaul. "We really need to get people like Nancy Pelosi out of office today." Runyan said he was used to having a playbook after his years in sports. Now, he said, he has a new playbook, waving a pocket-size Constitution. Bottom line of the rally was a dozen candidates stood in a chilly wind on Independence Mall on Saturday, attempting to sweet talk members of the Independence Hall Tea Party, who are moving beyond protesting to making political endorsements.
Sponsors of Saturday April 17, 2010 included the 286 Band, Americans for Limited Government, Independence Hall Tea Party PAC, midnightbluesays.com, Diamond State Te Party Campaign for Liberty, Patriot Caucus, Ron Paul was represented and set up a table, Voter Registration tables were available also. The location of the event benefited from the visitor traffic of the Independence hall, National Constitution and Visitors center. Most stopped and kept walking. There was a homemade sign contest and new American flags that had 13 starts, red and white strips and a roman numeral #2 in the center. Yellow signs being sold was the slogan don’t tread on me. Many walked to the Love statue at 15th and JFK sts. For a much smaller rally
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Take Back Congress Tea Party
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/08/2010 - 5:35pmThe Inquirer reporter got it wrong.
The Take Back Congress Tea Party drew over 1,000 people. Nearly 800 programs were distributed--and not everyone took one--especially if they were with a spouse.
At the height of the event, when Congressional Candidate
Jon Runyan spoke, there were about 800 people.
The Inquirer reporter sat in the 1st row and never turned around--if she had, she would've honestly reported the number.
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