Reading the Tea Leaves

In less than a week's time, Americans in all corners of the country will gather to protest the massive taxes and spending coming down the pike--Tax Day Tea Party, April 15th. [Chicago noon to 2, Kluczynski Federal Building Plaza, 230 S. Dearborn]

Earlier off the cuff rallies haven't received much media coverage, perhaps because they thought such spontaneous outrage over the porkulus bill and then the bailouts upon bailouts was a flash in the pan. But no. Perhaps they will pay attention now, because this grassroots movement is only growing. Look at the map.

Some activists on the left are planning to disrupt the rallies, trying to brand us as extremists, but this is a truly mainstream, non-partisan Tea Party. A Sacramento Tea Party organizer spoke up the other day:

“We don’t take them seriously at all, and I’ll tell you why,” “It’s not that they don’t exist – we expect people to attempt to infiltrate,” Meckler said. “We expect people to attempt to disturb what we are doing, but the reality is that this is a very broad-based grassroots movement. There is no leader at the top. There is no individual event that they can disturb that would cause us a problem nationwide.”

Meckler explained that everyone was invited – even if they come to promote a philosophy that runs counter to what the tea party movement is attempting to convey.

“So also, the people – we trust the grassroots,” Meckler continued. “We know, the people are skeptical of anyone approaching at these events, and we believe that people are going to handle it well. And in fact, we invite everybody to come to our events. We don’t care if they are from ACORN, The Huffington Post or the Daily Kos. We want them all there. We’re excited to have them attend.”

And I heard from a Chicago source that GOP Chairman Michael Steele offered to speak but was respectfully declined.

You don't have to read tea leaves to recognize that the people who are turning out for these tea parties are everyday Americans, shaken by a level of taxation we have never seen and spending that will bury our children and grandchildren with debt they will never escape.

The women I met on that cold day in February were shocked but determined. They had never come to any kind of rally before but were worried for their children and grandchildren. These women and men came together as Americans, because they care about the future of America.More: Eric Odom's Don't Go blogpost with his statement on the Steele offer. Illinois Review reaction. I think conservatives need to recognize our mutual interest in small government. Huffpo misrepresents the issue as usual.

More: Look at what we're fighting folks!: Rasmussen, "Just 53% Say Capitalism Better Than Socialism". Those of us who love democratic capitalism--free minds and free markets-- need to come together.

More: Founding Bloggers.