Posted on 03/13/2009 9:44:02 AM PDT by Jim Robinson
Kansas City, Missouri - The maturing Tea Party Protest Movement claimed its first victory this week when Senator Claire McCaskill, D, Missouri, voted against the Omnibus Spending Bill. McCaskill cited her opposition to earmarks in opposing the bill’s passage.
“Evidently we made our point,” Kansas City Tea Party organizer Robert Ballard said of McCaskill’s defection from the democratic party line in the Senate. “We applaud McCaskill for recognizing the deep level of discontent in this country that’s being driven by President Obama’s desire to reshape America with an agenda we believe moves America toward a socialist society. We’re counting on Claire to continue her leadership in the fight against funding special interests and corruption in Washington D.C.”
McCaskill’s surprising reversal on the spending bill comes just 11 days after an estimated 200 protesters marched on McCaskill’s Kansas City regional office to hold one of many Tea Party protests sweeping the nation since President Barack Obama began unveiling his agenda for reshaping America.
Obama himself referred to the Omnibus Bill as “flawed” as he signed the $410 billion measure that will fund many federal programs into fiscal year 2009.
Amanda Grosserode, a home-schooling mother who organized a similar protest at the Overland Park, Kansas office of Democratic Representative Dennis Moore expressed optimism for the Tea Party Protest Movement. “Changing Senator McCaskill’s mind is just the movement’s first measurable victory,” Grosserode said. “Washington D.C. can not ignore this movement so long as we stand on our principles and never give up the fight to save our values, preserve the American Dream as we know it, and insist on fiscal responsibility.”
When asked if organizing the Tea Party at McCaskill’s office was worth the effort, not to mention enduring 4” of snow and biting wind, Ballard thought for a minute about the cause. “To have a leading Senator like Claire McCaskill hear our demands and respond this quickly, and this dramatically, makes it all worthwhile. We’ll hold as many Tea Parties as it takes to get the job done.”
Ballard and Grosserode are planning more protests, and seeking ways to grow the movement.
ping
McCaskill is very aware that MO went for McCain not Obama. McCaskill was a huge Obama supporter, btw.
BUMP!!!!
Rorschach: Never compromise.
It is because we are not burning things.
You are correct. Kit Bond voted for McCaskill so they could get the 86 million or whatever the earmark amt. was.
Bond is retiring, he could care less.Dirty bunch of politicians........
I’m delighted to see this. Maybe just maybe we can turn this around with grass roots action!
Don’t put too much into it. Bond (the supposed conservative out of the two) voted for the omnibus bill, giving her cover. She voted against it, because she knew that it was going to pass, no matter what her vote.
It was business as usual for the Missouri delegation.
Great news about McCaskill but she knew it would pass without her help.
Disappointing news to learn-
Jo Anne Emerson, REPUBLICAN Congresswoman from Missouri voted YES on the Omnibus Bill, “Earmarkulus.”
She sits on the Appropriations Committee and has served 8 terms so far.
She is up like most for re-election in 2010.
We need to keep up the pressure with the Tea Parties so the Budget doesn’t pass the way it is.
It was good she voted no. But Bond cancelled her out with his BS.
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