schute, the website used to promote the tea parties was purchased in August, 8 months before the protests. Sure you can believe that the local tea parties were a grassroots effort but the concept (and the money) was planted, just as johnse said, way before the election. The parties were also heavily promoted by Fox News and by other right wing pundits, like Michelle Malkin. Grassroots means from the people, not funded by corporate interests like Fox News. Even today in The Star, Congressman Todd Tiahrt calls for a "grassroots" campaign to oppose Obama's agenda. He isn't even transparent about it! Tiahrt is running for US Senate and you can be sure he will attend as many of these "grassroots" rallies he can, to build up support for his campaign. There is nothing wrong with that, other than the dishonesty in calling the rallies "grassroots". I commend you for speaking out about a cause you believe in, even though I disagree with you. But all of you tea partiers are being used by the GOP to say NO to the president. And this isn't about the economy. If our GOP representatives were concerned about the economy, they would have said NO to Bush's spending as well.

schute, no I was not out there but I am not just parroting the/if any talking points. You can check it out if you want but the Koch's of KS were the ones to get the tea parties going, then of course the guy on CNBC who went on his rant against President Obama, then Hannity & the rest on Fox picked it up and have run with it. Now if yours is not affiliated with any outside organizations, that is a good thing & I agree with most of what you say as it is what we need to turn things around but the country is so divided it will be difficult. Also, even White Supremacists groups announced they were going to be at these tea parties for recruiting purposes. Maybe not yours but it shows where the majority of these lean politically. Thanks for the comment also and I do hope we can get a government and people to start finding ways to bring us all together and start solving problems so our future generations can have as good a life if not better than the rest of us.

Johnse63, were you out there, or are you just parroting talking points? This event was not sponsored by Fox News or Sean Hannity - the Kansas City Tea Party organization is not affiliated with any outside groups, and there were more people there upset with REPUBLICANS than they are with Democrats!!! As for the question of "where we were during the Bush Administration," we were just as against his spending like a drunken sailor as we are Obama's spending. But the difference is that Obama's spending is making even Bush's profligate spending look like chump change. For crying out loud, Obama and this Congress are going to increase our total national debt by over TWENTY PERCENT in the FIRST YEAR of his administration! How can you defend that??? I am willing to pay taxes to finance government expenditures that are IN LINE WITH THE CONSTITUTION - you know, that document that everyone in Washingon, on BOTH SIDES of the so-called "partisan divide," don't seem to acknowledge or care about any more. Like it or not, if we end up with hyperinflation or economic devastation because of all of this out-of-control spending AGAINST THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, you will suffer just as much as my family and I will. The only ones who won't suffer are those banksters and special interests that are getting special benefits from their connections with pliable politicians. Is that what you, and your children, deserve? Ask yourself if you are truly thinking about this country's future, or whether you are really wishing to continue to fight these phanton battles about "partisanship." It's time that we thought of the principles upon which this great nation was founded, before they are gone forever.

These tea parties were started by average Americans fed up with DC. We should pay taxes, but not cap and trade, healthcare etc. Don't you realize that 2/3 of all uninsured people in the US don't want health insurance because their cheap. Bush spending 720 million a day in Iraq is chump change. Obama spent 11 trillion dollars in 6 months more than all presidents combined. I think that is a bit more than Bush.

I think the anti-tax independence day rally would have more credibility if it was a bi-partisan even rather than a Fox News, Hannity, etc pushed event along with the Koch's who actually got it off the ground. Also, where were these very people during the 8 yrs of the Bush Admin? I really do not believe it is making much of a movement other than Fox News.

I am proud to pay taxes. They are the price we pay for living in a civilized society. Do these protesters not understand that even the sidewalk they are standing on to protest was paid for with tax dollars? I also wonder where they were while Bush was spending $720 million a day in Iraq.