Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.10.2009 - By 8:07 a.m., nearly two hours before the speeches began, the main parking lot of the Tucson Electric Park was filling up. Walking down a random aisle, there was a car with a bumper sticker for limited-government advocate Ron Paul, next to another with an “I’m NRA and I vote” sticker, adjacent to one with a fading “W 04” sticker.
Folks were serving coffee out of thermoses and handing out muffins and doughnuts. Vendors were selling small American flags and Kettle Korn.
Among the early tailgaters in the parking lot, small business owner Chris Bubany was offering passers-by a helping of her chile relleno casserole and peanut butter cookies.
“We’re normal, non-racist everyday Tucsonans who are very concerned about the direction our government is going, ” she said.
Health care topped her list of concerns, followed by stimulus spending and the devaluation of the dollar.
She said she was grateful for the sense of community at the event. “It helps to know other Americans are very concerned as well, that it’s not just me.”
Enjoying the casserole was Tim Curry, a 58-year-old laid off construction worker. Curry said he lost his job a year ago when the market slowed. His boss said he had to let him go first because he knew that, unlike many of his employees, Curry’s house was paid off and he’d paid cash for his vehicles. “We did everything right. We were conservative with our money and did all we could to live within our means and we still got hit. I was penalized for being prudent.”
Bob Park, a retired law enforcement officer, stood at the front of the entrance, handing out signs he’d made that read, “Change 2010.” Park drove down from Prescott for the event, he said. “I don’t like what’s going on in the country from the top down.”
THE BIG EVENT
Inside the park, Tea Party organizers were raising funds by selling T-shirts, some of which said, “I am the mob.”
One man wore a necklace of tea bags. Another wore a T-shirt that said, “Tyranny Response Team.”
A man carried a placard with Obama’s face photoshopped onto a yellow bull, with the caption, “21st century golden calf.”
A woman carried a sign stating, “First Black President leads U.S. into slavery.”
There were signs of Obama with a Pinocchio nose and with the Joker’s face paint and smile. There was another with Obama as one of the three Stooges.
A couple carried brooms, with signs stating, “Clean sweep. Vote out the crooks.”
Several people in the audience waved yellow flags with the saying, “Don’t tread on me.”
Richard Colasuonno, a 68-year-old retired New York City teacher, carried a sign that said, “Thank you Joe Wilson” on one side, in a nod to the Congressman who yelled “You lie!” to the President during his health care speech. Colasuonno maintained Obama lied about several things, including making government more transparent. On the flip side, the sign in part read, “The radicals are at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue — not here.”
“I don’t like the direction the country is going in,” he said, citing healthcare plans and the cap and trade bill designed to counter carbon emissions. “When you have a government that has total control, you end up with tyranny.”
He said he doesn’t plan to wait until 2010 to send a message. He said he plans to start with the 2009 city election.
POLITICAL ACTIVISM
The crowd was in a signing mood.
A petition to recall Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was circulated out of a bed of a pickup truck.
Another recall effort, this one against Democratic Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson, was collecting signatures near the entrance of the park.
Thomas D. Young, who is organizing the Giffords recall effort, needs 83,000 signatures by January to launch the effort, although Giffords is up for re-election in 2010. “Something needs to change. Even if all this does is raise awareness and get people involved, that’s a good thing.” Nancy Day, a registered nurse, had photo radar in her sights. Asking voters to sign a petition to put photo radar on the ballot next year, she asked event-goers if they liked “to be watched 24/7 and ticketed by a machine.”
The three Republican City Council candidates were in attendance, as was Brian Miller, who is challenging Giffords for her seat. Auto dealer Jim Click was there, as was Bill Arnold, the chairman of the public safety initiative, Prop. 200.
A perhaps unexpected visitor: David Higuera, the campaign manager for Democratic council incumbent Karin Uhlich, wearing a pro-Uhlich T-shirt and carrying a “No on 200” placard up and down the aisles, warning it will increase taxes. He said he was getting a 50/50 thumbs up reaction to the sign. “People are starting to understand that this is an unfunded mandate,” he said.
Later, Council hopeful Shaun McClusky took some of his time at the microphone to point out that the No on 200 campaign was being funded in part by the Democratic Party.
The crowd booed when a reference was made to Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize. It gave a standing ovation, however, to former Congressman J.D. Hayworth, who is rumored to be considering a primary bid against U.S. Sen. John McCain, when he noted 80 percent of Americans want the borders secured. Hayworth, who has a talk radio show, lost his congressional seat to Democrat Harry Mitchell in 2006.
Barry Goldwater Jr., told the crowd it was in the middle of a revolution. “Will we continue to climb toward socialism or will we continue to fight for liberty and freedom?” He got the biggest laugh when he broke down the word “politics” into poli — meaning many — and tics —meaning blood-sucking creatures.
Wisconsin talk show host James T. Harris took the microphone to the stands, asking why attendees were there, given that he’d heard that people who come to tea parties are Nazis, racists and anti-American. Some of the answers: “Freedom.” “I love my country.” “This is patriotism.” “I’m tired of big government trying to run my life.” “I’m damn sick and tired of this government taking the American people’s money.”
Harris told the crowd not to be complacent, urging them to engage people with Obama bumper stickers and asking a simple question: “How’s that ‘change’ working out for you?”
The main speaker, firebrand judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano of FOX News, defended the Second Amendment, attacked the sweeping powers of the Patriot Act and questioned where it states in the constitution that the federal government is authorized to regulate health care.
“Gatherings like these tell Washington: Stay the hell there and leave our freedoms alone,” he said.
Folks were serving coffee out of thermoses and handing out muffins and doughnuts. Vendors were selling small American flags and Kettle Korn.
Among the early tailgaters in the parking lot, small business owner Chris Bubany was offering passers-by a helping of her chile relleno casserole and peanut butter cookies.
“We’re normal, non-racist everyday Tucsonans who are very concerned about the direction our government is going, ” she said.
Health care topped her list of concerns, followed by stimulus spending and the devaluation of the dollar.
She said she was grateful for the sense of community at the event. “It helps to know other Americans are very concerned as well, that it’s not just me.”
Enjoying the casserole was Tim Curry, a 58-year-old laid off construction worker. Curry said he lost his job a year ago when the market slowed. His boss said he had to let him go first because he knew that, unlike many of his employees, Curry’s house was paid off and he’d paid cash for his vehicles. “We did everything right. We were conservative with our money and did all we could to live within our means and we still got hit. I was penalized for being prudent.”
Bob Park, a retired law enforcement officer, stood at the front of the entrance, handing out signs he’d made that read, “Change 2010.” Park drove down from Prescott for the event, he said. “I don’t like what’s going on in the country from the top down.”
THE BIG EVENT
Inside the park, Tea Party organizers were raising funds by selling T-shirts, some of which said, “I am the mob.”
One man wore a necklace of tea bags. Another wore a T-shirt that said, “Tyranny Response Team.”
A man carried a placard with Obama’s face photoshopped onto a yellow bull, with the caption, “21st century golden calf.”
A woman carried a sign stating, “First Black President leads U.S. into slavery.”
There were signs of Obama with a Pinocchio nose and with the Joker’s face paint and smile. There was another with Obama as one of the three Stooges.
A couple carried brooms, with signs stating, “Clean sweep. Vote out the crooks.”
Several people in the audience waved yellow flags with the saying, “Don’t tread on me.”
Richard Colasuonno, a 68-year-old retired New York City teacher, carried a sign that said, “Thank you Joe Wilson” on one side, in a nod to the Congressman who yelled “You lie!” to the President during his health care speech. Colasuonno maintained Obama lied about several things, including making government more transparent. On the flip side, the sign in part read, “The radicals are at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue — not here.”
“I don’t like the direction the country is going in,” he said, citing healthcare plans and the cap and trade bill designed to counter carbon emissions. “When you have a government that has total control, you end up with tyranny.”
He said he doesn’t plan to wait until 2010 to send a message. He said he plans to start with the 2009 city election.
POLITICAL ACTIVISM
The crowd was in a signing mood.
A petition to recall Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was circulated out of a bed of a pickup truck.
Another recall effort, this one against Democratic Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson, was collecting signatures near the entrance of the park.
Thomas D. Young, who is organizing the Giffords recall effort, needs 83,000 signatures by January to launch the effort, although Giffords is up for re-election in 2010. “Something needs to change. Even if all this does is raise awareness and get people involved, that’s a good thing.” Nancy Day, a registered nurse, had photo radar in her sights. Asking voters to sign a petition to put photo radar on the ballot next year, she asked event-goers if they liked “to be watched 24/7 and ticketed by a machine.”
The three Republican City Council candidates were in attendance, as was Brian Miller, who is challenging Giffords for her seat. Auto dealer Jim Click was there, as was Bill Arnold, the chairman of the public safety initiative, Prop. 200.
A perhaps unexpected visitor: David Higuera, the campaign manager for Democratic council incumbent Karin Uhlich, wearing a pro-Uhlich T-shirt and carrying a “No on 200” placard up and down the aisles, warning it will increase taxes. He said he was getting a 50/50 thumbs up reaction to the sign. “People are starting to understand that this is an unfunded mandate,” he said.
Later, Council hopeful Shaun McClusky took some of his time at the microphone to point out that the No on 200 campaign was being funded in part by the Democratic Party.
The crowd booed when a reference was made to Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize. It gave a standing ovation, however, to former Congressman J.D. Hayworth, who is rumored to be considering a primary bid against U.S. Sen. John McCain, when he noted 80 percent of Americans want the borders secured. Hayworth, who has a talk radio show, lost his congressional seat to Democrat Harry Mitchell in 2006.
Barry Goldwater Jr., told the crowd it was in the middle of a revolution. “Will we continue to climb toward socialism or will we continue to fight for liberty and freedom?” He got the biggest laugh when he broke down the word “politics” into poli — meaning many — and tics —meaning blood-sucking creatures.
Wisconsin talk show host James T. Harris took the microphone to the stands, asking why attendees were there, given that he’d heard that people who come to tea parties are Nazis, racists and anti-American. Some of the answers: “Freedom.” “I love my country.” “This is patriotism.” “I’m tired of big government trying to run my life.” “I’m damn sick and tired of this government taking the American people’s money.”
Harris told the crowd not to be complacent, urging them to engage people with Obama bumper stickers and asking a simple question: “How’s that ‘change’ working out for you?”
The main speaker, firebrand judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano of FOX News, defended the Second Amendment, attacked the sweeping powers of the Patriot Act and questioned where it states in the constitution that the federal government is authorized to regulate health care.
“Gatherings like these tell Washington: Stay the hell there and leave our freedoms alone,” he said.
