Protest suits thousands to a tea
By Robert Behre
Lowcountry conservatives upset with the $787 billion stimulus bill and the beginning of President Barack Obama's administration turned out in force today to protest escalating federal spending, the nation's complicated tax structure and dozens of other causes.
Both U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint and Gov. Mark Sanford briefly addressed the gathering at the U.S. Customhouse — a crowd estimated at 2,500 or more.
The Post and Courier
Gov. Mark Sanford, who has received national attention with his position on federal stimulus money, waits to speak as U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint addressed a large crowd gathered at the U.S. Customhouse at the "Charleston Tea Party."
"I guess my simple question would be ... will we use this rallying cry as the beginning of this larger notion to change the way things are going in America?" Sanford asked the crowd.
Sanford also defended his controversial handling of $700 million worth of federal stimulus money — money that he wanted to use to pay down the state's debt. "There is no such thing as free money, and that even applies to this notion of stimulus," he said.
DeMint, whose campaign announced today it has $2.2 million on hand for his 2010 re-election bid, asked those assembled if they were ready to take back their country.
"You probably have figured out that the only change coming to Washington is the change in your pocket," DeMint said.
The Charleston event was one of hundreds nationwide billed as "Tea Party" protests and held on the date federal income tax forms are due. Several thousand South Carolinans also gathered at the Statehouse in Columbia, where Sanford and DeMint also spoke.
Organizers drew parallels between their protest and the 1773 Boston Tea Party in which colonists dumped tea into that city's harbor to protest taxation without representation.
But tea rarely entered the picture at the Customhouse this afternoon. Only a few dozen people were sighted with tea bags from their hats or earrings.
Far more common were hand-painted signs that carried messages as diverse as: "Global Warming: Another LIE to raise taxes," "Don't spread my wealth, spread my work ethic," "Obummer" and "Socialism is not change."
The Post and Courier
Ken Birdsong (right), of Gilbert, and Matthew Whitmer, of Mount Pleasant, display the theme for a large crowd gathered on at the U.S. Customhouse for the "Charleston Tea Party" on tax day.
Once Sanford and DeMint were done, dozens of regular folks got a chance to make brief remarks to the crowd, and their comments included support for the Fair Tax, which would replace the federal income tax with a tax based on what people spend.
They also voiced praise for U.S. soldiers overseas, complaints about how illegal immigrants were taking away American jobs, support for gun ownership and dwindling rights in general. A man who identified himself as "Bob the Builder" asked, "Apparently, there were those in Washington who didn't get the message that slavery was abolished 150 years ago. We want to give them that message."
Several also mentioned a new Homeland Security Department intelligence assessment warning that right-wing extremists could use the bad state of the U.S. economy and the election of the nation's first black president to recruit members. "Went to bed a bitter clinger —woke up an extremist right winger," one man's sign read.
The event was touted on conservative Web sites, but the Republican Party was not in complete control. One man wore a T-shirt with both a donkey and an elephant, the symbols for both major parties. "Cull both herds," the shirt read.
But former Charleston County GOP Chair Cyndi Mosteller said the event will help Republicans if the party's elected officials give voice — and their votes — to the sentiments voiced today.
Related story
'Tea Party' tax protest is brewing, published 4/15/09
"I think these people are saying government has reached too far in the scope of what it wants to spend and what it wants to control," she said.
But Democratic National Committee spokesman Hari Sevugan said many at the nation's Tea Party protests promoted and benefited from policies of President George Bush's administration.
"While we support the right of Americans to petition their government, what's clear is that the overwhelming majority of folks support President Obama's plan to get the economy back on track and provide 95 percent of working families with tax relief," Sevugan said.
Elaine Magliacane of Charleston said she showed up with an "I am not an ATM" sign because she was concerned about how the federal spending will affect her six grandchildren and future great-grandchildren.
Glenn Little of Ridgeville distributed phoney $1 million bills that he called "stimulus money." They had a picture of celebrities like actress Nicole Kidman on the front a religious message on the back.
"My pastor said, 'Let's go protest,' " Little said. "I feel like I have to do my little part. All of us together can make a light. We have to shine."
The crowd was larger than any GOP presidential was able to draw in the Lowcountry before the January 2008 primary. Charleston County Sheriff Al Cannon said he believed more than 2,500 might have shown up and said a sheriff's helicopter took photos that can be used to get a more accurate estimate.
Regardless of the number, the crowd was enough to pack the stone plaza on the west side of the Customhouse and to prompt police to shut down East Bay Street from Market to Cumberland streets. The crowd gradually shrunk between the time Sanford and DeMint left around 6 p.m. and the protest ended a few hours later.
E-mail this story
Printer-friendly version
Comments
blah_blah_blah (anonymous) says...
blah, blah, blah
its amazing how people quickly forgot the last 8 years, and are only concerned about government spending when its the other party doing the spending.
blah, blah, blah!
April 15, 2009 at 9:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dawgsfan (anonymous) says...
Did I miss the news that tax rates had increased?
April 15, 2009 at 9:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
freekoffhisleash (anonymous) says...
Yea, yea, yea. Funny that Obamessiah has spent more in 4 months than has been spent on the entire Iraq war, not to mention that the fool has also spent more in 4 months than has ANY RULER/KING/PRESIDENT/CHIEF IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND!
Somehow, I would bet you would blame Bush for that too.
Keep drinkin the kool-aid blah.
April 15, 2009 at 9:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seneca264 (anonymous) says...
Robert Behre appears to be stupid. Maybe if he got off his fat rear and talked to the people (hard to do when you are sitting in your little cubicle) he would find that a lot of "liberal" folks are against the government's waste of our tax dollars. I find it interesting that Robert has taken it upon himself to associate the protests with party affiliation. Robert is not a journalist, he is merely pushing his own skewed idealogy on the readers. This is clearly failed journalism. This is why most of the papers are going out of business. I am sure the Post and Courier will be going south soon also.
April 15, 2009 at 9:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
charlestonnative1963 (anonymous) says...
this is funny. With Bush as the head and the Republican party leading the way-they spent more at a record pace than any Democrate can imagine. They took the US into a war which they lied about, spent billions on a war that russia proved could NOT be won and spent, spent spent and continued to spend. They spent so much on Iraq that they neglected the infrastructture of the USA, allowed rampant deregulation of housing, allowed the multi rich to continue to have big tax breaks to which they hide in over seas bank accounts rather than re invested in our own business, tortured, need i go on. THe Ameican people have elected an OMG African Americn president and they cant take. How on earth we in SC continue to elect people that the rest of the nation stand back and laughs their kiesters off is beyond me. I have lived in SC for 46 years but I feel we are headed in the wrong direction with our current demented leadership. We are going to continue on this course and end up with the poorest of schools, the lowest educated work forse, the lowest property values and the highest crime rates in the nation. People will not graduate from high school, will not be able to afford college when they do, and those who are left will become the criminal element. NC here I come. Retirememnt income and all. Of course no one really believes there were 2500 people there anyway but to have Demented stand there and declare it is about all I can take.
April 15, 2009 at 9:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
charlestonnative1963 (anonymous) says...
And there is a picture of Mark Sanford and son in the background of the plantation. He has recieved national attention, yes sir he has...but have you heard what they are saying...just listen to the REPUBLICAN gov. of NC. Even the Gov. of LA and Sarah Palin herself are taking the money, as is the honorable Gov. of Texas, but not mark Sanford, NO hes carrying US down the drain with him.
April 15, 2009 at 9:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
USC_Alumni (anonymous) says...
This is so obviously race and party driven. They should call this the African American in the White House protest.
For 8 years when Bush was spending money this country didn't have these people didn't care at all.
April 15, 2009 at 10:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
20lbtest (anonymous) says...
Obama, CNN, Begala, Axelrod and his flock are nervous and they are hearing the drumbeat....
This is great stuff!
History is being made folks...
You can tell by how they try to minimize and marginalize us... but South Carolinians are used to a good fight.
We will not be intimidated...
Yeah come on!
April 15, 2009 at 10:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jennywren (anonymous) says...
It is amazing how this automatically turns into a race issue when Obama is criticized. This was not about just Obama, this was about all the crooked politicians in Washington, that are supposed to work for you and me, not doing their jobs! They are taxing us and our children/grandchildren to death! Charleston native, go ahead and leave SC. We don't need your liberal self here anyway. If this was Acorn or some lefty organization protesting, you guys would look oh-so-much smarter than us. Today was a great, peaceful protest against taxation without true representation. Bush was just as bad as Obama is. America is just waking up.
April 15, 2009 at 10:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
omarro1974 (anonymous) says...
A bunch of morons protesting their own tax cut. Classic.
April 15, 2009 at 10:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dolphins66 (anonymous) says...
Please try to keep in mind that this is not about any party affiliation. This is about the direction that our country is going in and has been going in for many years. For those of you who are Americans and not illegals, this is about YOUR future, YOUR children's futures, and your grandchildren's futures. This is about our government, some liberal, some conservative and some in-betweens...all making poor choices for our future. I'm proud of these folks who made the time to PEACEFULLY protest the wrong direction this country is moving in. Cheers to you all, Republican or Democrat or whatever you label yourself as..AMERICAN.
April 15, 2009 at 10:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JLong (anonymous) says...
Charleston native 1963 - explain how anyone lied about the Iraq Campaign.
Also explain how you came to the conclusion that Bush and the Republicans spent more than the Democrats would have (hilarious because I remember all the policy battles...not once was the Democratic and media position that Bush and the Republicans were asking for too much money to be spent - in fact it was always the exact opposite).
More money was spent on infrastructure during Bush's administrations than during most of the past twenty or thirty years. Look it up.
Housing was never regulated. Do you even have a clue about what you're talking about? I highly doubt it.
As for the multi-rich or rich having big tax breaks...the simple fact is the rich pay all the taxes. Nearly 50% of Americans pay no taxes because of the various tax credits put in place. Giving someone a tax credit is not a tax cut. Let me see if I can explain this to you - if you make $1000 and pay $100 in income tax...and then the government gives you $200 in tax credit so that you receive a $200 income tax refund...you have gotten a welfare payment of $100. You paid no taxes. That is pretty much how Obama's 'tax cut' for 95% of Americans works (except the 95% number is bs). Also, you argue for my point of view in your statement about overseas bank accounts...you want them to invest that money in business in the US? So do conservatives. It has been shown to be empirically true that if you implement tax policies that encourage private investment (lower marginal tax rates, lower capital gains taxes, lower corporate tax rates, etc.) then you encourage investment in private businesses. Yours and the Democrats' policy prescriptions have been shown to have a detrimental effect on business investment.
People will graduate from high school if they want to. People can go to college if they want to. It is not my job or responsibility to ensure either of those things...and definitely not to pay for them. Furthermore, according to the political structure of our country/Constitution...that is no province of the Federal government (not really the province of the State governments either). Educate yourself on our Founding principles.
April 15, 2009 at 10:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JLong (anonymous) says...
Omarro 1974 - I'd be willing to bet that between the two of us...I'm not the moron.
Are you saying that the people who qualify for Obama's tax credit/welfare payments - but are against them in principle - are morons because they believe that some things are more important than getting their suck on the government teat? The simple fact is - politicians are buying ignorant fools' votes with these welfare payments. The end result will be a nation that is under the rule of these politicians and government bureaucrats. The people won't be free then.
Was it ever contemplated by our Founders that a day would come where the majority of US citizens would have the right to vote but not the responsibility of paying for their government? I doubt this. We are at the point of having one of the exact things the Founders feared - tyranny of the majority - a democracy where the majority is able to vote themselves the wealth of a minority of citizens (i.e. taxpayers). Federalism has been virtually demolished - which has increased domestic strife and caused the center of government to steadily pass out of the hands of the People and into the hands of career government bureaucrats.
April 15, 2009 at 11:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jennywren (anonymous) says...
Just one more thing...Mark Sanford is doing the right thing by not taking this stimulus money. Prostitution is easy money too, but you never know what you're gonna end up with a few years down the road. It usually ends in regret.
April 15, 2009 at 11:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KidYendor (anonymous) says...
This protest rally was not simply an attack on Barry Obama but an attack on government leaders and Congress as a whole. There is no one in big government who will say it is not their responsibility to fix bad businesses and banks. There is no one in government who will say you should not have children if you can't afford them. There is no one in government who will say they need to stay out of the housing and loan business. This is what this big gathering of lowcountry residents was protesting and then stating government should get lean and back to basics. I had a great time at the rally and I look forward to more. Thank you Tea Party organizers.
April 15, 2009 at 11:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
flatscaster (anonymous) says...
haha, this is cute. If I disagree with porky pie politics it means that I am a racist? Sweet. Is that the best you can do?
GWB is out of office, you can stop using him as a whipping horse now. The new clock started Jan 15.
And where can I get a "cull both herds" t-shirt?
April 15, 2009 at 11:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
awwhite1134 (anonymous) says...
I'm a darned liberal too but REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS BOTH EVERY DAY ON HERE NEED to agree that BOTHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH parties have screwed this up and for DeMint to stand up there and act like he's not part of the problem as the same for Pelosi and any of these know it all politicians or shock jocks and that goes for Maddow, Limbaugh, Olberman, Beck, Hanity, etc etc... Everyone needs to get over themselves and give us back our country. No one is a dictator or tyrant... maybe call them buttheads(not what i wanted to say censorship) who say one thing and do another. Bush screwed up so did the democratic house and senate and yea Obama is doing his share to, but the fact is people need to sit back and look at how unprecedented this all is. The fact remains that this deficit has been spent since the beginning of this countries foundation in 1776 and it still needs to be paid back. Taxes unfortunately are how we do so. 600 billion in federal taxes are said to go unpaid this year (how do we pay our troops, how do we defend our country, how do we rebuild after disasters, how do we keep our roads up to snuff etc. I mailed my taxes off months ago and send what I owed as did many millions of other Americans so maybe we can stop being all about do now and spend later like we have done so for centuries...
What we all disagree on is who shares more of the burden so on so forth. But at the end of the day, remember what the first tea party was for NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION... WE HAVE REPRESENTATiON so therefore that 250 million that doesn't vote needs to start voting and voicing their opinion instead of after the fact. But at the end of the day its right back to both parties are wasted full spenders just on different things. I don't stand around for a free handout I actually work 3 jobs so careful how you label and be careful how u call one party one thing and praise your party, when your party equally has as many skeletons in their closet as the other. By the way I wonder how many out of the 2,500 people actually voted. The deficit has been building for decades and will continue to do so, until more occasions like this come up... But nothing will get accomplished unless we agree THAT WE won't stand for any wasteful spending and leave the insults out of it and admit THEYRE ALL (buttheads)...They all are wasteful in some form or another. WE NEED REAL SOULUTIONS NOT MORE AND MORE and more name calling and media butt kissing by BOTH PARTIES. Also does any republican stand against of the biggest socialist expenses MEDICARE? Uhh no, so were all hypocrites at the end of the day: so let's admit it for once
April 15, 2009 at 11:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
berniew (anonymous) says...
I happen to agree with jennywren. This has absolutely nothing to do with race or party affiliation. This absolutely has to do with our country selling away all of our children and grandchildren's freedoms and rights.
I come from a long line of people who have fought and served for this great nation, so that we could have the freedoms that we currently have today. (of course, unless we allow all of these greedy politicians to auction it off to the highest bidders). My father served this great nation in WWII and I can honestly say that I am so glad that he is not alive today to see what has happened to the great nation that he fought so deligently and honorably for so long ago.
My husband is also currently over in Iraq, helping to serve this great nation. It's a shame that we have become so complaisant and so concerned about political correctness that we are willing to "sell our souls" so to speak. My family loves this country with our whole heart and soul, but I for one am not willing to abandon our constitution and the basic principles of our founding fathers.
I don't want the government having all of this control. These politicans work for us. I, for one, hail Governor Sanford for his decision. NO MORE DEBT.......NO MORE TAXES....NO MORE FREE RIDES.....
I work hard for my money, as does my husband.. We support our own family and our needs...I am not willing to support a deadbeat, an illegal or basically just a lazy individual looking for a "free ride". We need a whole new government, one that works for the people...not one that works to oppress it's people. WE NEED ANOTHER REAGAN..PLAIN AND SIMPLE.
By the way for all of those "wonderful" liberals....you do have, currently at least, the constitional right to leave and when you go, please by all means... take all of the illegals with you. You can feed them, cloth them, bath them and tax the life out of them.
April 16, 2009 at midnight ( permalink | suggest removal )
schrutebeetfarms (anonymous) says...
The Boston Tea Party was a revolutionary (it would have been called treason had they lost the war) act committed by brave men who were willing to put their life on the line for their communities and families.
These "tea parties" are inane bits of nonsense - a chance for the sore losers to whine about how badly they got their rears handed to them in November in a fair, democratically determined election. If you people are so pissed off that the poor, mistreated, horribly oppressed richest people in the entire world are having to pay more taxes - why not go out and volunteer at one of the horribly underfunded schools that the stimulus aims to assist? Or spend your afternoon trying to find a job for someone who lost their employment in the last year?
April 16, 2009 at 12:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
omarro1974 (anonymous) says...
Posted by schrutebeetfarms on April 16, 2009 at 12:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The Boston Tea Party was a revolutionary (it would have been called treason had they lost the war) act committed by brave men who were willing to put their life on the line for their communities and families.
These "tea parties" are inane bits of nonsense - a chance for the sore losers to whine about how badly they got their rears handed to them in November in a fair, democratically determined election. If you people are so pissed off that the poor, mistreated, horribly oppressed richest people in the entire world are having to pay more taxes - why not go out and volunteer at one of the horribly underfunded schools that the stimulus aims to assist? Or spend your afternoon trying to find a job for someone who lost their employment in the last year?
----------------------------------------------------------
They are too busy teabagging!........................someone had to say it.
April 16, 2009 at 1:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sardis12 (anonymous) says...
Reagan? You must be kidding. The seeds of almost every problem this country faces today were planted by during the Reagan years.
Tax cuts for the rich so their money would "trickle down" to the commoners. But greed took over, the money didn't trickle, and it prompted the class division we have today. So that didn't work.
Ronnie promised a balanced budget, but the combination of reduced income from the tax cuts, plus the billions he spent propping up Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden, then spending more billions to support right-wing death squads in Central America, sent the deficit through the roof, more than doubling during his tenure. So that didn't work...
But never fear, along came Bill Clinton, who raised taxes on the rich only two percent, and created a surplus, problem solved. Then monkey-boy Bush came along and undid that. Nice going, George...
Reagan suggested that Martin Luther King was a communist, he completely ignored the onset of the HIV/AIDS crisis, he deregulated everything he could get his hands on, and he kicked off the era of "anything goes" partisan politics that makes working together so difficult for politicians today.
So please name something positive he did besides smiling pretty for the cameras. I hate to tell you, but sun did not shine out of Ronald Reagan's arse.
April 16, 2009 at 1:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mac0cm4 (anonymous) says...
Just a whole lot of people who wanted a reason to complain. Organized complaining. An excuse for a social event. Get a hobby, people. Your little protest will accomplish little, if anything at all.
I do enjoy the whole party line crap too - because it is most definitely the conservative Republicans enjoying and exploiting this opportunity with their captive conservative church-based audience down here. They resent the fact that a Democrat is in office. I bet they bitched just as much when slick Willy was in office.
People will have to wake up and realize that it doesn't matter what party is in office, it will be just as dorked up as it has always been. And a little protest in Charleston, SC will do little.
April 16, 2009 at 9:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Postandcourier.com is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Postandcourier.com does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not postandcourier.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Read our full Terms and Conditions.
Users can now build user-to-user connections, follow friends' recent posts, add an avatar that fits their personality, and more. If you have posted here before you'll need to sign up again, or if you've never posted before, start now by signing up!
- Most Commented
- Most Emailed
- Shared
- Upper King on rise: Hotels, apartments, restaurants changing face of downtown area
- Missing woman case gets murkier
- Missing woman's fiance found dead in his home
- Body of missing woman's fiance was found near handgun
- DAVID SLADE: S.C. offers hybrid car tax credit
- Pinterest: Pinning hopes and dreams
- Black women today: Strong. Resilient. Ambitious.
- Facebook posts may cost you a job
- Isle of Palms wants to patch beach
- Advocating for cyclists
