Beautiful Day for a Health Care Protest: Thousands Attend Washington, DC Tea Party Rally Against ObamaCare (video)
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on March 21, 2010
It was a beautiful day for a “high noon” tea party rally of thousands of Americans from all over the country. An estimated 20,000 to 50,000 people (depends on who and what you read) were believed to have converged at the West Lawn in Washington, DC outside the congressional building on Saturday to protest the pending ramrodding of government-run health care by Congress. “Kill the bill” and “Don’t tread on me” were recurring themes on a number of protest signs at the “Code Red” rally.
Thank you to the thousands of patriots who attended. Millions of Americans who couldn’t be there were rooting you on.
From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, ‘Tea party’ heard as D.C. focus of protest:
WASHINGTON — Veerle Vandecasteele strolled along the White House’s front-lawn fence Saturday, a cloudless and unseasonably warm day.
“What a beautiful capital city this is!” she said, explaining that she and her mother, Freeda, flew in from Belgium at midweek.
“I am very struck by how peaceful your protesters are — indeed, friendly,” she said about passing “tea party” activists, clad mostly in red, white and blue and hoisting homemade signs.
When the Vandecasteeles planned their sight-seeing trip, they never suspected it would coincide with a make-or-break congressional vote on health care, accompanying pro-and-con rallies and a pair of unrelated protests.
The House was poised to vote today on that controversial bill, 14 months after President Obama opened his first health-care forum.
In between were missed deadlines, angry town hall meetings for many congressmen on summer recess, a House bill passed in November followed by a Senate version approved on Christmas Eve.
When Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown won a special January election to fill the Senate seat of the late Democrat Ted Kennedy — thanks largely to voter anger over the health-care debate — it further complicated Obama’s crusade. Brown’s victory ended Senate Democrats’ 60-vote majority and their ability to easily block a GOP filibuster.
By week’s end, after days of closed-door dealing and White House arm-twisting, House Democrats appeared confident of mustering the 216 votes needed to pass the Senate bill.
[...]
In the 12 blocks between the White House and Capitol Hill, a steady stream of people carried homemade signs and “Don’t tread on me” flags, folding chairs and coolers to a tea party rally against the health-care bill on the Capitol’s West Lawn.
Rochester, N.Y., native Jim Garrity hurried toward that rally with his son, Andy. “Up until a couple of months ago, I was a lifelong Democrat,” he said. “Not any more.”
A mechanical engineer, Garrity, 68, said he never participated in politics or protests before, but, “I couldn’t not be here. It’s important that my voice is heard.”
The crowd covering the West Lawn included a mix of younger and older protesters as well as whole families, many with their pets in tow.
Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., one of the rally’s many speakers, said he was impressed by the throng’s “electric” energy.
FOX News: Tea Party’s Last Stand? | March 20, 2010
Examiner.com has a live-blog, detailed accounting of the rally. Here is just a portion, so be sure to visit the site to read it in its entirety… Code Red Kill The Bill Rally Against Health Care Bill Live Blog – Code Red Kill Bill Rally Continues Sunday March 21 Capitol Hill Washington DC:
12:37 (EST): A Latina woman from Brazil who became an American Citizen, came for opportunity in America, and now sees things happening in America that happened in Latin America: politicians preaching hope and change for the people, but really only doing it to further their own agendas.
12:41 (EST): Rep. Gohmert takes the stage and says that there are over 17,000 new jobs in the bill for the IRS!!
12:43 (EST): Congressman from Tennessee says, “If this bill passes, we will repeal it, and if they can’t repeal it, then we’ll meet them at the state line with our governors.”
12:45 (EST): Rep. Scalese says “If this deal is so good, then why are doing backroom deals and ferrying congressmen on Air Force One like a Ferris Wheel at Disneyland?”
12:49 (EST): Diane Young, an African American educator from Maryland says she feels betrayed by Obama, and that he rode into office on pernicious lies.
12:57 (EST): Marsha Blackburn takes stage: “Let’s kill the bill and start over with real health care reform. This is about freedom. We the people are standing strong, and you all are leading the way. Some people say Republicans are the part of “no,” but we are the party of “know,” and the more we know the more we don’t like it.
1:02 (EST): Rep. Kingston of Georgia says, “If this bill is so good, why have so many deals been made with the President’s own party?”
1:05 (EST): Andrew Langer, President of Inst. for Liberty takes the stage and says he wants everyone to be whistle blowers- he handed out a few thousand but ran out since the crowd is much bigger than that.
1:07 (EST): The president of Doctors and Patients has doctors behind her wearing real coats, not coats from the White House costume department. One of the speakers says that CBS news says the crowd is 2,000, but looks much bigger than that. That’s quite a crowd for something planned just 3 days ago!
1:15 (EST): Jon Voight just took stage (introduced by Bachmann) and says, “Obama has a compulsion, he will turn this country into a socialist country- it’s a runaway train he can’t stop- Obama will be a one term president, but the damage he will cause will harm this country for years. We have to stop it!” Voight goes on to discuss the interview Obama had with Brett Baird on Fox showed how he would not dare answer any questions. Obama gestures showed that he was trying to say, “Don’t you dare speak when the President speaks!”
1:24 (EST): Rep. Gingrey of Georgia takes the podium. Gingrey is also a doctor. He says, “The Stimulus bill was supposed to be for shovel ready projects, and we saw what happened to that! Now with the health care bill, if 75-year-olds need medicine or attention, a health care czar will say that they are shovel-ready!
1:27 (EST): Dr. Milton Hill, Obama’s second cousin, takes the podium. “The bill is brought to you by the same people who chose health and well being of smelt fish over humans! Stop this bill and on Monday, your doctor will concentrate on your health, not studying government tables!”
1:30 (EST): Michele Bachmann comes back and says she estimates that there are over 50,000 people now gathered in D.C. for the Code Red Kill the Bill rally!
1:35 (EST): Rep. Aiken from Missouri takes stage, and then the National director of Resistnet takes podium and says, “I spend everyday reading the blogs and what you write!”
1:40 (EST): Rep. Rogers takes the stage and says, “When asked what type of government we have, Ben Franklin said that we have a Constitutional Republic, if we can keep it! Back there in the capitol, they are lying, cheating, and stealing to get to your health care. Only here could they be cheating the 85% who do have health care to give to the 15% that do not have health care.
1:42 (EST) The Resistnet president speaks again, “I may be blonde, but I studied economics. I’m tired of being lied to! We are all being treated like we’re a bunch of ‘dumb blondes!’ Stand here and declare that this bill be killed!”
1:44 (EST): Rep. King of Iowa takes the podium- “We’re going to keep this hill.” He tells a story of “Toxic Stew.” (Admin note: video of “toxic stew” story below, h/t to Flopping Aces)
1:46 (EST): Brendan Steinhauser of Freedom Works takes a picture of the crowd, and thinks the lawn is holding 40,000 people. He says he just heard from Rep. Cardoza and will NOT be supporting the deem and pass. He is listening to the people, who are making a difference.
1:53 (EST): Tito Munoz, president of the Hispanic Coalition says, “First and foremost, I am an American. I did not come to America for dependency – I came here form liberty! We’re going to stay here at the capitol, and will come back 10, 100, a million times!”
1:57 (EST): Tea Party leaders take the stage and say, “We’re tired of this elitism and backroom deals!”
2:01 (EST): A speaker from Americans for Life says she just got a count from the whip- Pelosi doesn’t have the votes!!
DC ObamaCare Protest: Rep King’s Toxic Stew of Healthcare Reform | March 20, 2010
From WHAG, Your4State.com, Local Groups Protest Health Care Bill in D.C.:
WASHINGTON D.C. – As the debate over healthcare continues to be a hot topic in our nation’s capitol, a group of nearly 100 Four-State Area residents made the trip to D.C. Saturday to protest against the health care bill, which will be voted on Sunday.
The Hagerstown Tea Party took about 60 people, and met up with a group of about 40 from Martinsburg to be a part of a rally against the passage of the health care bill.
About 50,000 people from across the nation participated in the rally.
From Times-Union, Local Residents Traveling To D.C. To Protest Health Care:
Sixteen local residents will travel to Washington, D.C., to join with millions this weekend to show their opposition to the health care bill.
The House is expected to pass the health care bill as early as Sunday with reconciliation so all of the representatives don’t have to vote for the Senate version, which contains abortion language that pro-life democrats will vote against.
The Senate health care bill was approved earlier this year.
The local group also will meet with 3rd District U.S. Congressman Mark Souder Saturday, who has agreed to give the local residents a tour of the capitol.
The group will travel today in three vans, arrive in Washington tonight and return Sunday morning. They have made signs for the rally, encouraging lawmakers to not pass the health care bill.
From First Coast News, First Coast Tea Party Members Rally in DC:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — First Coast Tea Party members are in Washington, D.C. They rallied in front of the Capitol Saturday with thousands of others against the Health Care Bill.
Billie Tucker of Jacksonville was among the 50-thousand people voicing their opposition. She arrived in Washington Friday night and said the feeling in Washington right now is historic.
“We’re just hoping and praying they do the right thing. These people are not violent. There’s none of that but everywhere you we go there are people who love their country. But you cannot keep pushing the people. You can’t keep doing this to them and when the people say, ‘We don’t want this,’ and do it anyway, they’ll suffer the consequences for sure in November.”
Tucker plans to stay in Washington with the thousands of Tea Party members for Sunday’s vote. She’ll be back in Jacksonville on Wednesday.
And, to be placed in the “never let a good health care protest be put to waste” file, anti-war demonstrators, with veteran protester Cindy Sheehan, were in attendance. And were arrested, of course.
From Toronto Sun, D.C. anti-war protesters target Obama:
WASHINGTON — Thousands of protesters — many directing their anger squarely at President Barack Obama — marched through the U.S. capital Saturday to urge immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
At least eight people, including activist Cindy Sheehan, were arrested by U.S. Park Police at the end of the march, after laying coffins at a fence outside the White House. Friday marked the seventh anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
“Arrest that war criminal!” Sheehan shouted outside the White House before her arrest, referring to Obama.
At a rally before the march, Sheehan asked whether “the honeymoon was over with that war criminal in the White House” — an apparent reference to Obama — prompting moderate applause.
The protesters defied orders to clear the sidewalk on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House and park police say they face charges of failure to obey a lawful order.
Activist Ralph Nader told thousands who gathered in Lafayette Park across from the White House that Obama has essentially continued the policies of the Bush administration, and it was foolish to have thought otherwise.
“He’s kept Guantanamo open, he’s continued to use indefinite detention,” Nader said. The only real difference, he said is that “Obama’s speeches are better.”
Additional reading:
CBS News: Crossing a Line in the Health Care Debate?
Mcnorman’s Weblog: ObamaCrapCare Gone Wild!
Jon Voight, Big Government: Obama’s Emboldened: Our Fight Has Just Begun
Another Black Conservative: White House spams federal employees with ObamaCare emails
Motor City Times: OVERHEARD: “None of these members wants to be the deciding vote”
Frugal Café Blog Zone: Washington, DC Tea Party Rally Video: ‘Kill the Bill’ ObamaCare Tea Party Protest, March 20, 2010 and Let Me Call You Sweetheart… Democrats’ Dirty Deals & Bribes to Pass ObamaCare (video) and Tyranny USA: Just When You Thought ObamaCare Couldn’t Get Worse… IRS Slotted to Become Obama’s Health Gestapo and Dems Want America to Feel Defeated… Game’s Not Over on Health Care, You Scoundrels — I’m a Diamondbacks Fan & We DON’T Give Up and Phones Continue to Melt in DC Against ObamaCare & Slaughter Solution… Rush Limbaugh on ObamaCare’s Funded Abortions, DC Tea Party Rally Info (video) and High Noon for Patriots: ObamaCare Tea Party Rally Saturday in DC. and “DemonPass Lambs-to-the-Slaughter” Bill Passed, 222 – 203… Call Congress Today – Update: ‘Take the Town Halls to Washington’ Link
Mike Flynn, Big Government: ObamaCare: To Pass Or Not to Pass
Diary of a Mad Conservative: Obama with ‘real’ patriots
FireDogLake, FDL Action, Fact Sheet: The Truth About the Health Care Bill
American Thinker: ObamaCare is Tyranny, Not Legislation
Warner Todd Huston, Big Government: VP Biden Says Obama Plans to ‘Control Insurance Companies’
Legal Insurrection: The Truth Still Matters, Even The Night Before and Pelosi’s Abortion Land Mine May Go “Boom” and So Many Lies, So Little Time
The Lonely Conservative: Crunch Time – Let Your Voice Be Heard, America!
Gateway Pundit: Rep. Nathan Deal (R-GA): “The Problem With Socialism Is You Run Out of Other People’s Money” (Video) and US BISHOPS: Do Not Pass Pro-Abortion Democratic Health Care Bill and Report: Pelosi & Stupak Make a Deal… Flashback: Stupak Says He’d Vote For Bill With Abortion Funding (Video) and Pure Evil… Pelosi Prays to St. Joseph to Help Her Pass Abortion-Funding Bill …Update: Pelosi Has Wrong Saint’s Day and Slaughter Time… Dems One Vote Short of Nationalizing Health Care and St. Louis Tea Party Coalition Ups the Ante to Match Radicals In Washington and Democrat’s Use Of “Slaughter Rule” Is Unprecedented and OBAMA ON FOX NEWS… Baier NAILS Obama!… Obama Approves Louisiana Purchase… Obama Flounders: and New Poll Finds Americans Really, Really Don’t Like Obamacare and Key Democrat Says Using Slaughter Rule Is “Wrong”
Radio Vice Online: Democrat memo – don’t discuss health care legislation details
Hot Air: Video: Ryan vs Slaughter on Medicare reform and AP fact check: Premiums will rise under ObamaCare
Patterico’s Pontifications: Last Call — Health Care Sale Ends Tonight (Updated) and Health Care: Alive and Kicking (Updated) and Obama’s Great Society
Charging Elephant: List of UNDECIDED, VULNERABLE Reps to CALL!
On My Watch — The Writings of SamHenry: Does Obama Health Care Obsession Mean Leadership Loss to Lula in Middle East? and Obama Lied: You May NOT be Able to Keep the Med Insurance You Have.
Flopping Aces: Weekend healthcare vote… but on what, how and is it legal? and A Powerful Message from the RGA
VotingFemale: BREAKING: Pelosi to force Sunday Vote on ObamaCare with only 214 yea votes and CBO’s Obamacare Score? Off by over $1 trillion; double spending is the lie that won’t go away
GayPatriot: Congressman Lewis’s Questionable Account Says A Lot and Congressman Mike Rogers’ Statement on Health Care and Risks For Senate Republicans in Opposing House “Fixes”? Maybe, but not nearly so great as those for House Democrats Voting For them
The Powers That Be: Pelosi Prays to St. Joseph, Patron Saint of Fighting Communism (pause for laughter) and A Day in the Life of a Protest Sign Request
Nice Deb: Video: America’s Comeback and Video: Sen. Tom Coburn’s Message To Dems – “Be Prepared To Defend Selling Your Vote In The House”
Rep Michele Bachmann, Big Government: Sabbath: Vote On Abortion
Sister Toldjah: Today’s House schedule – Do the Dems have 216 votes?
Philip Klein, American Spectator: CBO Confirms That Without Accounting Gimmicks, Obamacare Adds to Deficits
Michelle Malkin: Cave-in Watch and The Deem-o-crats’ towering deception
About the author
Beautiful site! Wish I could have been there. But I will be in Searchlight next Saturday morning to see Sarah Palin and the tea party express take off! And I’ll bring back pictures.
Great post!
Roxy
Roxy,
How awesome!!!! Palin and the Tea Party Express – do you know if Lloyd Marcus will be performing? *a bit green with envy*
Will love to hear/read all about it on your blog when you return. How exciting for you, dear friend! I may have to “borrow” some of your photos… heh heh.
But 400 BILLION on unconstitutional health care is ok?
Prescription Drug Benefit.
The final version (conference report) of H.R. 1 would create a prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients. Beginning in 2006, prescription coverage would be available to seniors through private insurers for a monthly premium estimated at $35. There would be a $250 annual deductible, then 75 percent of drug costs up to $2,250 would be reimbursed. Drug costs greater than $2,250 would not be covered until out-ofpocket expenses exceeded $3,600, after which 95 percent of drug costs would be reimbursed. Low-income recipients would receive more subsidies than other seniors by paying lower premiums, having smaller deductibles, and making lower co-payments for each prescription. The total cost of the new prescription drug benefit would be limited to the $400 billion that Congress had budgeted earlier this year for the first 10 years of this new entitlement program. The House adopted the conference report on H.R. 1 on November 22, 2003 by a vote of 220 to 215 (Roll Call 669).
Marsha Blackburn Voted FOR this bill.
Marsha Blackburn is my Congressman.
See her unconstitutional votes at :
http://tinyurl.com/qhayna
Mickey
I was one of the proud 50,000 to 60,000 9-12ers/Tea Partiers that was in DC on 03/20/2010. I like to compare these fine people with the great people I used to square dance with in the 1980s. I very seldom met anyone that I disliked among these proud Americans.
Once again, as in 2009, we left DC “clean”, with no arrests or problems to the city on our party, and we made our point withiout any riots, etc.
One thing the leftwing liberal subversive democrats in DC must understand. This will not end with them forcing their pinko fraudulent legislation, Obamacare, down our throats.
We will be back on April 15, 2010 to show our disdain for this communist movement in our government:
Oh, and yes, we DO EXPECT Sarah Palin to be on the presidential ticket in 2012.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Frank. God bless you for your involvement in protesting this hijacking of America’s freedoms. Wish I could have been there with you (I live in AZ), but I was there all day in spirit.
Nancy Pelosi syayed that she would ‘clean out the swamp’, and as much as I hate to say it, she is keeping her word.
In 2010, due to her insolence, We the People will clean the swamp.
The rebellion of the States against the draconian mandates is indicative that the Constitutional philosophies are still in play.
Mark Levin has stated that the repeal process could take years, meaning any bill to repeal would have to be signed by Obama.
Never happen !
In my estimation, 2010 could be a shoe in for conservatives.
In 2012, Obama could be eliminated by such a majority that even he in his arrogance may admit that he underestimated the American People.
God Bless America.
Nancy Pelosi stated.
Fat fingers and old eyes.
AFVET – I saw that typo and was going to fix it for you, but you caught it first. LOL
Look familiar?
I was there, and I’ll just say this: If those people try to “demon” pass this Healthcare bill, they’ll regret it.
And they did pass it, despite the majority of voters telling them we don’t want this monstrosity… but we’ve only begun, Bekah. This isn’t over. Thanks for attending in DC – you’re a true patriot.
I’m devastated and angry that the democrats voted this horrible bill thru even tho the majority of Americans don’t want it. They have forgotten that they serve us, we are not their little children for them to ignore us and do what THEY think is the right thing to do. We have not begun to fight – this is not the end.
You are witnessing a ‘bloodless coup’.
Unfortunately, it is being imposed upon the United States of America by it’s own government.
[...] could have marched in three major marches – Iraq war protest, immigration reform, or a little Tea Party about healthcare reform. No thanks. I marched my butt right on out of town to Mason Neck State [...]
Protest health care bill by refusing to participate in Census
THIS MOMENTOUS DAY!
Not one day in anyone’s life is an uneventful day, no day without profound meaning, no matter how dull and boring it might seem, no matter whether you are a seamstress or a queen, a shoeshine boy or a movie star, a renowned philosopher or a Down’s syndrome child.
Because in every day of your life, there are opportunities to perform little kindnesses for others, both by conscious acts of will and unconscious example.
Each smallest act of kindness – even just words of hope when they are needed, the remembrance of a birthday, a compliment that engenders a smile – reverberates across great distances and spans of time, affecting lives unknown to the one whose generous spirit was the source of this good echo, because kindness is passed on and grows each time it’s passed, until a simple courtesy becomes an act of selfless courage years later and far away.
Likewise, each small meanness, each thoughtless expression of hatred, each envious and bitter act, regardless of how petty, can inspire others, and is therefore the seed that ultimately produces evil fruit, poisoning people whom you have never met and never will.
All human lives are so profoundly and intricately entwined – those dead, those living, those generations yet to come – that the fate of all is the fate of each, and the hope of humanity rests in every heart and in every pair of hands.
Therefore, after every failure, we are obliged to strive again for success, and when faced with the end of one thing, we must build something new and better in the ashes, just as from pain and grief, we must weave hope, for each of us is a thread critical to the strength – the very survival – of the human tapestry.
Every hour in every life contains such often-unrecognized potential to affect the world that the great days for which we, in our dissatisfaction, so often yearn are already with us; all great days and thrilling possibilities are combined always in THIS MOMENTOUS DAY!
Excerpt from Dean Koontz’s book, “From the Corner of His Eye”.
It embodies the idea of how the smallest of acts can have such a profound effect on each of our lives.
Luv all the photos of the rally! I am so glad I read your article.What a great article. Thank you for sharing.