At Washington rally, Tea Party supporters demand cuts - not compromise

Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn. gestures while addressing a Tea Party "Continuing Revolution Rally" on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 31, 2011.

/ AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Around 200 Tea Party protesters gathered on Capitol Hill today for a rally intended to pressure congressional Republicans to stick to their guns on cutting spending. The current Continuing Resolution, a bill that keeps the government funded and operating, expires next Friday. Lawmakers hope to be able to pass a spending bill that would cover the rest of the fiscal year to September 30th.

The crowd was significantly smaller than the rallies with thousands attending last year at the height of the health care debate. But the crowd was still energized with its anti-government spending message. They erupted in cheers to "cut it or shut it" numerous times. They waved the usual "Don't tread on me" flags and held signs that read "Extreme Spending Requires Extreme Cuts" and "Remember your promises. We do." Another sign said "Obamacare- Bend over and Cough."

But two messages from Tea Party Patriots to lawmakers were clear: the members do not want compromise and they are still watching members of Congress on spending.

"The American people want substance - meaningful cuts," said Tea Party Patriots National Coordinator Jenny Beth Martin. "Not self-serving symbolism that Congress throws at the American people when patting themselves on the back."

Numerous lawmakers spoke at the rally to assure the Tea Party that they are listening.

"I'm going to fight Obamacare until it's gone," vowed Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa).

"Let's go pick a fight!" yelled Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), who said a shutdown could be necessary to protect everyone's "children and grandchildren."

"If liberals in the Senate would rather play political games and shut down the government instead of making a small down payment on fiscal discipline and reform, I say shut it down," Pence said to applause.

Tea Party favorite Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) told the crowd that Democrats are the ones who want to shut the government down.

"They want to shut government down and use tea party as a scapegoat and say it's the Tea Party's fault," she said.

But the Republican many Tea Party members across the country are watching as lawmakers try to hash out a seventh Continuing Resolution to keep government operating is House Speaker John Boehner. Boehner is in the difficult position of trying to satisfy Tea Party demands while finding a way to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year so that members can move on to other difficult business -- like raising the debt ceiling, a vote Bachmann also said she would oppose.

Tea Party Nation sent a message to its members today saying that "Boehner must go" when there were reports that the Speaker had compromised with the Senate on a number lower than the House-passed bill with $61 billion in cuts.

When asked about the threat at a press conference today, Boehner said he was fine with it.

"I'm glad that they're engaged in the process," he said. "You know, I said over a year ago that we should talk with the Tea Party folks, that we should listen to them and we should walk amongst them. I don't feel any differently about it today. Any time Americans want to engage in their government...we should welcome that."

One of the 87 freshmen elected with Tea Party help, Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL), told the crowd that they were trying to change the way Washington worked. He told them to "pat us on the back when we do something right." But Walsh also told them to "have that boot ready" to kick where the sun don't shine if they get off track.

An act that Speaker Boehner may feel is happening already.

[theaffluentsociety2]

US has lowest marginal taxation rates than any developed country in the world.. That says it all. These Tea Party blokes are a bunch of spoiled yuppies.

[jambo223]

Let's face it. The tea party was a movement concocted by FOX News and has now become a voice for a whining infantile group of failed cases that only want their way and have no tolerance for any other point of view. They seem to have adopted the mantel of extreme reaction to anything that smacks of intelligence or tolerance and will probabaly fade away pretty quick.

[noloyalisti]

These Tea Bag KKKlan people are the PERFECT corporate pawns for the evil rich like the Koch Brothers. Ignorant, uneducated, pea brained morons who don't even know what is in the Constitution (maybe they can't even read).

But the reason two hundred gullible KKKlanners get press coverage is the media is owned and controlled by the same right wing radical extremists that formed the Tea Bag KKKlan.

[meboard]

LowClass53 only votes for candidates with great ta-tas... Their ability to lead the nation is really irrelevant. LowClass53 thought "w" had a nice rack too! See what we got from him...

[BuckeyeChuck]

The tea party must be the most uneducated group ever assembled. They all preach anti government hate, but let there SS check be one day late and listen to them cry. "Tea Party" you are part of the problem not part of the solution.

[SDRACBMS]

I really wish the teabaggers would stop saying how they are for the american people, the only american people they stand for are the rich who funded their campaigns! They've done nothing but screw the average middle and low income americans then have rallys like this where they say 'we want to protect your children and grandchildren'. Yeah right! Cuts are needed in government spending but not the cuts their suggesting. They don't cut what's a benefit to themselves. The very second a cut goes through that puts more middle/low income familes into poverty these clowns will be tossed from office!

[meboard]

Come on folks; give them a break...who can be at a rally on a Thursday except institutionalized mental patients out on a day pass?

[payasyougo]

Hey tea party folks... If the Democrats can keep the RINOs dancing to this tune of wasting another 6 months fixing nothing on the budget then the Democrats can put forth the campaign of the failure of the Republicans on the promise to create jobs. They are buying time.

And the RINOs will blame the tea party.

See, the Democrats and the RINOs can work together - to try and derail the tea party.

[jimbom121]

Well, what have the Repubs, including tea baggers done to create jobs?

[abbe91]

"Let's go pick a fight!" yelled Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), who said a shutdown could be necessary to protect everyone's "children and grandchildren."

"Tea Party favorite Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) told the crowd that Democrats are the ones who want to shut the government down."

Then Mike Pence is a democrat ? Or what ?

[rjstolb]

Let's see--crowd estimate 150; Republican politicians = 25; reporters = 50; gaulkers = 25; tea party activists = 50. And, I'm going to seriously consider what 50 morons have to say about the economy and federal government. I DON't THINK SO!!!!!