Free Market Protesters Hit The Hill

 It's gotta be a tough time for free-market purists.

Congress just passed a $700 billion bailout of the financial industry, the Republican candidate for president has proposed a $300 billion mortgage buyout program, and Treasury is about to become the biggest shareholder in U.S. banks.

But free market soldiers, guided by the invisible hand of Adam Smith, are planning their push back on  the west front of the Capitol on Friday. A group called Americans for Prosperity is hoping to bring 800 to 1,000 protesters to Capitol Hill to "expose government policies that have ushered in market unrest and promote free-market solutions."

This protest of free marketers is the kick off event for the annual "Defending the American Dream Summit," to be held in Arlington, Va. The event is described as at the "the nation’s largest gathering of free-market conservatives committed to changing the policy landscape on issues such as taxes, spending, and unfettered markets."

A spokeswoman for the group says they invited Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), a bailout critic and leading House conservative, but his presence is "not confirmed" yet.

The protest comes a little to late to effect Congress, though. The bailout passed last Friday and Congress has adjourned for the election.

"Big-government supporters are on the attack – the free market and our American way of life are the targets,” said AFP President Tim Phillips. “This rally is a call to arms for those who believe government is the problem, not a solution. The one-thousand citizens who will protest in front of the U.S. Capitol represent millions more Americans across the country who believe in free-market principles."