It was a political correspondent's dream come true: 1200 angry
protestors upset with the President, the governor, the government, and,
of course, the media.
Welcome to the Tea Party demonstration on the capitol law on Tax Day
2010.
It was a sound bite heaven ripe for the pickin'.
"It's called "We the People, not "We the Congress," argued Gary
Swartz from Lapeer County's Hadley Township as he bemoaned Congress
adopting health care reform when "75% of the people didn't want it."
But Gary's comments were chicken feed compared to a crusty former
Marine from Haslett Jake Eckenrode.
He was riding President Obama for "systematically and actually
destroying the country." Asked why a president would want to do that
to his own country, Jake opined there were folks "pulling his string"
including members of the president's inner circle made up of
"socialists, Marxists, and some of them are even avowed communists and
that is not what the United States is all about."
And there is still more.
Cheryl Trombly from Mt. Pleasant walked right up to a reporter with
a TV camera in tow wanting him to know that "I'm not here to spit on
anybody." She had it in for the media and the manner in which it was
supposedly portraying the Tea Party Movement.
Quick, turn the camera on.
"I'm not a racists. I'm not here to provoke any riots. I do have a
gun at home but I didn't bring it with me today."
How come?
"We're here for positive results," she asserted.
And then there was Barrett Colovas who sheepishly whispered in the
same reporter's ear, "I'm actually an Obama supporter.'
Keep the camera rolling.
Referring to those who surrounded him, he noted, "They don't want
to open their minds to maybe there are some better ideas."
So maybe there are some closed minds here?
"I think so.'
And finally this. David Holtz who runs a liberal blog described
the protest crowd thusly, "A cranky, angry, pissed-off crowd."
'Nuf said.