The Texas Tea Party

In 1773, a group of colonists in Boston sent a message to the King of England: Stop. Screwing. With. Us!. The event became known as the Boston Tea Party, and it eventually led to a revolution. In 2008, a group of House Representatives are sending a message to the Speaker: Stop screwing with the American people. Allow a vote on the American Energy Act. The tone isn’t quite as hostile as it was just before the American Revolution, but it’s becoming important for people to wake up to what’s happening. The outcome of this event is still undecided.

History first. England imposed the Tea Act on the Colonies, which lifted all tariffs on British-owned tea suppliers importing from other British colonies. This allowed the British East India Company to sell its tea for half the price of colonial importers, who still had to pay the British taxes. The Tea Act was a response by England to a boycott called by John Hancock on tea sold by the British East India Company. The boycott reduced British East Indian tea sales by 98% in the colonies.

In response to the Tea Act, a group of defiant protestors, thought to be members of the Sons of Liberty, disguised themselves as Indians and were equipped with hatchets. They boarded three ships in Boston Harbor carrying East Indian tea and dumped the equivalent of $2 million dollars of today’s money worth of tea into the water. The Tea Act was shortly thereafter repealed. Many say this event sparked the spirit of the American Revolution.

On Friday August 1, 2008, the House of Representatives voted to adjourn for a 5 week recess. The vote was not unanimous, in fact it only passed by 1 vote. Every House Republican and a few Democrats voted to have a vote on the American Energy Act before the session closed. The Speaker did not even want debate on the topic, let alone an up or down vote. The Speaker called for the House to adjourn.

A few Reps remained in the Chamber and started giving impromptu speeches. While one spoke, others went to the halls and found tourists and asked if they would like to sit in the House of Representatives? The seats filled quickly. Some Congressmen, after getting phone calls while still at the airport, cancelled and went back to the Hill. Some went home, filled some obligations and went back. More are coming back next week. There are nearly a hundred back already and the seats are packed standing-room-only every day with tourists who are witnessing history.

Never has the House continued floor debates this long into a recess. There is no end in sight. The debates may continue until the House reconvenes in September.

The debate isn’t about grandstanding on an issue that was voted down. The debate is about not being allowed to vote. These are House Representatives. These people vote for us and they are not being allowed to vote on an issue that 70% of the country supports them on. There hasn’t been this much agreement on anything since September 12, 2001.

This is an historical moment in our Democracy. The Speaker of the House is not being very democratic.

The Brits went too far with the colonists, who were not necessarily hostile to British rule, until British rule undermined their individual freedoms. Has the Speaker gone too far with her power, to deny a vote on an issue that she personally doesn’t want to lose? When is it tea time in America?

Mega Dittos

August 1st 2008 marks the 20th anniversary of Rush Limbaugh as an American hero. Rush has provided the adrenaline to Buckley’s philosophy. Rush has provided the moral vindication for those of us who supported Reagan. Rush represents what the real American people think.

I first met Rush in 1993, 5 years after his syndicated radio show hit the road.

I watched TV shows like Crossfire and McNeil/Lehr. It was the only thing on. There was no internet (to speak of….huge congrats to Al Gore for inventing it). There was no Fox News. It was public television, local television, and network news.

I was watching something, but I don’t remember what. The guest was a conservative who was about to get a TV show. He said that there wouldn’t be any guests on his show, because the show was about what he thought. I thought, “who is this guy”? The conversation turned political and I found myself agreeing with everything this guy said. Again, I asked, like Marty McFly’s teenage mom in Back To The Future, “Who is that guy”? “I don’t know, but I’m gonna find out”.

I set the tape of my VCR for 2:30 in the morning, so I could tape Rush Limbaugh.

It’s crazy that the Rush phenomena occurred just before cable TV exploded. Rush was relegated to the worst time slots, often pre-empted for an out-of-service Indian in a compass picture. Rush got screwed on TV. Television program directors showed their true colors. Rush was undeniably popular. However, he was spurned to the worst time-slots so that people didn’t hear what he had to say. Ideology trumped truth, and ratings.

Rush said screw TV and went on with his radio show, which was always his passion. 20 million listeners a day have given Rush not only a loyal audience, but most recently a $400 million contract extension. Rush is the King of talk radio. Even Howard Stern needs to bow down.

Rush is right 99.7% of the time. The times he is wrong, are about as frequent as the times we change our own minds. Rush speaks for people who believe in human rights. Rush believes in the ability of anyone to achieve whatever he wants to achieve. Rush certainly did.

Rush Limbaugh is a great American and deserves our respect. Who doesn’t respect Rush Limbaugh? There are several, but are they better than him? How many people are better than Rush Limbaugh?

Mega Dittos. Long Live The King!