Tax Day Brings Out "Tea Party" Protesters

(CBS)  Kellen Giuda hopes you don't just pay your taxes today. He wants you to protest them, too.

Giuda is running one of the hundreds of demonstrations planned across the country this Tax Day against what the protesters believe are higher-than-necessary taxes and excess government spending, largely on the part of the Obama administration.

The demonstrations mark the culmination of a movement spurred in part by a February rant from CNBC personality Rick Santelli that generated more than a million views on YouTube - and even a White House response.

As you might recall, Santelli - surrounded by traders in Chicago - complained that Americans were being forced by the Obama administration to "subsidize the losers' mortgages" and called for a "Chicago tea party" to show his and others' anger.

Of course, the tea party that seems to have inspired the comment - the Boston Tea Party, that iconic 1773 protest in which Massachusetts colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor - was tied largely to taxation without representation by the British government. That's no longer an issue for most Americans. (Though there are notable exceptions.)

But the rant - and the tea party rhetoric - struck a chord with Americans like Giuda, who organized Wednesday's New York City protest. The evening event features Newt Gingrich among its speakers. (Check back to CBSNews.com Thursday for a report from the protest.)

"Santelli hit a lot of things that I believe - that the government needs to stop getting involved in everything," Giuda said. "They're too much involved in my life, my money. Everybody's working hard - it's not up to the government to decide how our money should be allocated - it should be up to us."

Supporters have also repurposed the word "TEA" and turned it into an acronym for "Taxed Enough Already."

Giuda, the president of a startup media company, called the Obama administration's actions "maddening."

The tea party protest has been met with derision from many on the left, in part because of some unfortunate terminology - the protesters have become known as "teabaggers" thanks to their practice of sending tea bags to elected representatives - and in part because the movement is perhaps less organic than organizers might want the public to think.

From The EconWatch Blog: An Update On Tea Party Protests Around The Country

First Hand Account From San Francisco

Though there do seem to be genuine anti-tax, anti-spending Americans who have gotten involved in the protests out of their frustration with the government, some have complained that their movement has been co-opted by Republicans more concerned with scoring points against the party in power than establishing fiscal discipline.

Supporters of former GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul reportedly initially pushed the tea party idea in protest of spending during the Bush administration. Now that a Democrat is in the White House, mainstream Republicans have taken up the cause: As outlined by Think Progress, a number of Congressional Republicans are speaking at tea party protests, and Louisiana Sen. David Vitter sponsored a bill to honor them.

The GOP has also looked to capitalize on the phenomenon -- with a Web site that allows people to send a virtual postcard, complete with tea bag of their choice, to the president, vice president and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate. That's probably better than sending actual tea bags to elected representatives: Huffington Post reports that the practice has "raised security concerns, and sometimes forced the evacuation of congressional offices in anthrax-like scares."

"It turns out that the tea parties don't represent a spontaneous outpouring of public sentiment," liberal columnist Paul Krugman wrote in the New York Times this week. "They're AstroTurf (fake grass roots) events, manufactured by the usual suspects. In particular, a key role is being played by FreedomWorks, an organization run by Richard Armey, the former House majority leader, and supported by the usual group of right-wing billionaires. And the parties are, of course, being promoted heavily by Fox News."

It will difficult to know to what degree that is true until the dust settles Wednesday. But no matter what happens, the president will likely still have most Americans on his side: In the latest CBS News/New York Times poll 56 percent of those surveyed said the support President Obama's handling of the economy. And 74 percent support higher taxes on the rich, the only group that Mr. Obama has proposed be taxed at a higher rate.

Photos: Tax Day "Tea Parties" Anti-tax protests are being held across the country. (Photo: AP)

Still, Brendan Steinhauser, the director of campaigns for FreedomWorks, says the movement reflects genuine anger on the part of the sizable number of people, even if they are now in the minority. He is spending Wednesday in Atlanta with Armey, who is speaking at a tea party protest.

"This thing is very widespread - it's blanketed the country," said. Echoing Republicans like Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina, he described the protesters as a bipartisan bunch that represents "a hodgepodge of different groups [and] interests."

"The idea is to build a network," Steinhauser said, "and carry this momentum into the elections and hold both parties accountable."

More than 750 tea party protests are planned across the country overall Wednesday, and organizers estimate that the events in large cities like Atlanta and New York will attract several thousand people.

[mububa]

My daughter works on Capitol Hill. She considers political considerations to be un-professional on her job. She treats all people equally. She treats Republicans and Democrats with respect.

She said: (in regards to the "tea party" people) that they yelled both racist and homophobic remarks at people on the capitol grounds.

She does not lie.

Are racist and homophobic people really representative of the American People?

I hope not.

[zorbaka]

It is mostly about who gets the money in Washington. The lobbyists decide. Half goes to the Senators and Representatives. The other half goes to the people the lobbyists work for. Many lawyers in tight with Democrats and corporate sponsors in tight with the Republicans. NRA. Never re-elect anybody until the millionaires and billionaires are dethroned from taking your money you worked for and never being satisfied with only 90% of it. I'm not a rich hater or socialist. I'm not envious of them. It's just that the money needs to circulate through the economy and not be hoarded by a few wealthy people.

[WTFux88]

call us teabaggers and ill tea bag u.

stop being so obviously in the tank for OBAMA. damn do some real reporting asswhipes.

[FreedomOfSpeechEndangered]

I am very concerned about the media and its propaganda machinery here in the U.S.
Tea Party protests are the voices of the PEOPLE. And the vast majority of them is well informed about the $9 TRILLION in debt the government is giving us. That money gets spent for "scientific" research on PIG ODOR seems to be a joke, but it isn't, although it's funny. Sure, the President "misspoke" when he was talking about the 57 (!) STATES OF AMERICA in one of his speeches in a neuro-linguistic programming fashion. We all remember the 2 most significant words he has repeated uncountable times: CHANGE and HOPE. These two words must be proof for his smartness and high education. Correct?
The legislation's idea about wire tapping for "right wing" people, like homecoming U.S. veterans, for example and probably anybody else who can see that a liberal mind set might be the real right wing-thinking will keep America safe. Right?
Muslim extremists are not in war with the U.S. Correct? There is not such a thing like "terrorism" - at least not in this matter. The current legislation simply gets rid of this term in the language and the problem is solved. Easy is that. Let's be nice to people who behead others in front of running cameras, the they will be nice to us too. Right?
Embryonic stem cell research - is not necessary, because adult stem cell research can bring the same results, but if our President finds it beneficial, it must be OK. Right?
The increase of Trillions of debt for the U.S. tax payer, wasn't that the current legislation who signed this without reading the ("stimulus") bill before their signature? It had to rushed through, that nobody would get suspicious about pig odor for instance (although this is nothing than peanuts in this spending package). However in many heads seems to spook the idea, that Bush is responsible the mess this country is in. OK, then let's be fair and make Clinton responsible for 9/11. Remember, Bush was just a few months in office when this happened.
As a former citizen of Germany I don't need the apologies of the current U.S. president. The U.S. helped to free our country in 1945. I have no intention being mad about that.
But I am mad about this current machinery of lies and betrayal. And it seems the purpose is to destroy freedom and people who think and act independently.
That's why the parties will go on and the amount of people that speak out will increase, so that the real majority of the American people can't get overlooked and overheard anymore. The recent voting majority has been created in marketing fashion - many know this and evidence is to find for this all over. Folks, do it in the manner as the people in East and West Germany have done it, that have demonstrated with a candle stick in their hands and a prayer in their hearts, that freedom will be back soon. Come together.
That is the only true hope for change anyone of us can have and should help to create.

[icepickiii]

Crawford? Yea, this isnt about Republicans(although many are hijacking it). We should have sent them Tea-bags too. I cant believe people were offended by all this. This is what has been missing in America. A voice of the people. So often we are quiet and let things happen. Its about time people rose up and acted. Im sensing an America that is less apathetic towards politics. We want to be FREE, not TAXED by the FED, plain and simple.

[albertus1114]

ralpherus - this is all the effect of the last 8 years damage done by your republican friends. Thanks for nothing.

[wanttobeheard]

The people of America are doing whatever it takes to be heard. We are sick of tax dollars going to bonuses and bailouts, making the rich richer and making it profitable for those who don't want to work, not to. The money should be going to the average hard working citizens who are making less than 100,000 a year, instead of going to the people that lead their businesses to bankruptcy, or I should say BAILOUTS. Obama has truly disappointed me. He is just like the corrupt Congress, Wall Street, CEO's, etc. He is supporting those that supported him at the expense of Americans. The average guy is being kicked in the teeth. I have yet to see Obama or Congress do anything yet that will truly help the average citizen. Obama has proved that he is just as big a politician as the rest of them. Obamas CHANGE is truly disappointing. Why the Tea Party? If we don't speak up now in a few years we won't be allowed to have a voice. We don't have one now, but if we don't try to get our voice back today, tomorrow will be too late

[midwestkris]

I was appalled by the "tea party" protests.

We don't have tea parties, we VOTE. The Boston Tea Party was not about taxation, it was taxation WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.

I was also disgusted by the lack of patriotism in the local "tea party" protestors. Some had taken the American flag and stained it...with tea? The white stripes and white stars on the protestor's flag were YELLOW. Disgusting.

[geratric1943]

How can you say we have representation when those in Congress do not listen to what their constituents are saying? When a majority of people are against things like the Health Care bill and amnesty for illegals, they do what they want. As for patriotism, Democrats have said that protests are the highest from of patriotism. While I may not agree with how some treat the American flag, it is a protected form of free speech. As a Democrat, I am disgusted with how those against the protesters try to belittle them with the vulgar term 'teabaggers.' For a so called tolerant Democrat party to use such language is reprehensible.

[cbsblogger]

If Americans ever want to take back their country from the corporations and special interests and the entranched Ds and Rs it is going to take more than sitting on their fat axx watching TV. It is going to take marching on the streets with signs and protests regularly and sometimes in bad weather.

[ModerateOne]

I'm ticked off at ALL the media coverage of these protests.  The involvement of Fox personalities, the sophomoric comments on MSNBC and CNN, the GOTCHA journalism of CNN, the denigration by CBS and NBC.  GROW UP !!  Those of you in the meida are too busy looking at your navels to do real news. 

The real story here is, people are FED UP with politics as usual and that goes for both parties.  The federal government has spent more than it's taken in for 32 of the last 36 years, Republicans and Democrats are BOTH at the trough pigging out on THOUSANDS of earmarks for their special interests, not to mention the mismanagement of the economy by both of these parties. This kind of spending cannot be sustained and people know it. 

The point is, we ALL have to look in the mirror and ask, am I asking for too much?  When politicians offer to give you something, we all need to pay more attention to how much it will cost.