Memo to Rush: Coming up on the 15th Anniversary of the March for Justice (with complete video)

one man's opinion

[ken5050]

Rush was talking today about the evolution of the Tea Party, and he devoted several minutes to speaking kindly about Free Republic, and Freepers. Rush got some of it right, but not all. This has been discussed on a few threads today, and I'd posted a few comments, but felt it deserved a thread of its own. We're coming up ( Oct 31st) on the 15th anniversary of the March for Justice..and in case you've forgotten, or weren't there at the beginning, C-span, bless their hearts, has it all for us in their video archives.

[ken5050]

Here's the link to FOUR HOURS of fascinating video. Bookmark this for later, when you have the time. You'll laugh, you'll cry..you'll see some old friends, and a few who have departed this mortal coil.

I was there..I'd joined FR a few months earlier..part of the GREAT FREEPER class of 1998. I learned that there were thousands around the country who felt the same as I did, and even more, FR made it fun for conservatives to protest, to vent. Up until then ..the left had the whole "demonstration" shtick to themselves..well, we found out that we were much, much better at it than they were..

So watch, enjoy, and if you have memories, and/or pics to share, please post 'em.

Matt Drudge spoke to the group, as did Ann Coulter. Connie Haire ( a.k.a Clinton's a liar) ran the show. Yup..FR launched more than a few careers.

Ann Coulter stood next to me for several hours..well, actually she paced back and forth next to where I was standing. I recall that she chain-smoked Gauloises continuously..easily several packs, and that her roots were really, really, dirty...happily, she has far more talented people doing her hair today.

Somewhere, I have a pic of me and Mr. Cigarman.

FReeps thus began as art form..and IMHO reached their culmination just after the 2000 election, when Freepers and others stood outside the Naval Observatory day and night, chanting for Gore to "get out of Cheney's house!"

In his superb book about that election, "At Any Cost: How Al Gore Tried to Steal the 2000 Election" Bill Sammon writes that the sound of Freepers yelling incessantly drove Gore nuts. He called John Sweeney, who was then the president of the AFL-CIO, and demanded that he bus down hundreds of counter-demonstrators. Sweeney promised to do so, but never did..it was the long Thanksgiving weekend, and they couldn't get any union people to come out.

So, yes indeed, that's the genesis of the Tea Party

[ken5050]

FYI..you’ll enjoy this

[Paladin2]

"when Freepers and others stood outside the Naval Observatory day and night"

I made my Dad drop my bro and me off at the location and then we did a circumnavigation of the VP usurper's abode. ManBearPig is really just a HOG.

[gorush]

[afraidfortherepublic]

Bookmark for later.

How many of us joined through a link on Drudge — the old Whitewater files?

[ken5050]

FYI..enjoy

[ken5050]

The c-span video is a hoot..a time warp..

[ken5050]

and how could I forget to mention Lucianne Goldberg...FR made her, and thus launched her son..

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks Ken5050. Great snag there. I’ll save the link and check it out again next week.

[ken5050]

FYI...

[gorush]

I'm anxious to see it, thanks.

[AppyPappy]

That was a great day. I made the Spinach Dip for the VIP tent. When Ann Coulter found out why, she almost got sick

[AppyPappy]

Psst...Connie Hair

[Yaelle]

Great history!

What did rush say about us today? In the car Rush was taken over by the film Ponyo.

[HeartlandOfAmerica]

I attended! Some might remember the crazy guy running around asking people to sign his sweatshirt :)

[clintonh8r]

Thanks for the FR history! My first awarenes of FR was outside the Broward County courthouse, November 2000, protesting the illegal recount that was going on inside. The cops kept opposing sides at opposite ends of SE 6th Street, with a no-man's-land of media and LEOs in between. We had the leftards and Gorebots outnumbered at least 10-1, but some guy had sneaked behind "enemy lines" with a big FREE REPUBLIC sign that he hid until the camers looked his way, at which time he would raise the sign, so that the pro-Gore forces were on TV with a big Free Republic sign behind them!

Speaking of Bill Sammon, what evr happened to him?

[bmwcyle]

I remember it well.

[gorush]

My brother and I drove in from Wisconsin and I proudly carried Wisconsin’s flag in the opening ceremony. There was a get together at the AIA building that evening that we attended before driving all night to get home in time for the Packer game on Sunday. I’ve a stack of photos and great memories.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Indeed, and what treasures they are.

[Jane Long]

Wonderful. Thanks for posting and for the link ;)