Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

After the Tea Parties, Run for Office! Posted: 18 May 2009 11:33 AM PDT We get a lot of questions about why FreeAndEqual.org would be so involved in supporting ReTeaParty.com and the Tea Party movement in general.  What does ballot access reform have to do with these Tea Parties? Our main mission at Free and Equal is to break down ballot access barriers by any peaceful means available.  Whether it is by petitioning to get candidates and parties on the ballot, supporting initiatives which reduce barriers to participation, lobbying state legislatures to reform their laws, filing and supporting lawsuits to strike these barriers down, or mobilizing public opinion to bring electoral reform to the forefront of the political debate, Free and Equal intends to be there. However, ballot access is not an end unto itself.  Electoral reform is just one important way to achieve a much more fundamental goal.  Constitutional government can happen only when every citizen has an equal share of the rights and responsibilities to run it. That's where the Tea Parties come in.  The achievement of this goal becomes possible when educated people are willing to rise up and take back their government.  The Tea Party movement is the strongest outpouring of this activity in America today.  We are excited to be able to help it along any way we can.  Everything we do is a reflection of our independence and our desire to return political power to its rightful owners. Free and Equal has established a goal make sure every federal race in 2010 is contested by an independent minded candidate, whatever their party affiliation.  In the Tea Party movement, we see an army of regular citizens who would do a much better job of representing the people at every level of government than the current crop of professional politicians. The hardest step to take when one becoming active in politics, is taking the first one.  We are told so many lies to inhibit our participation.  The truth is, yes indeed, you can fight City Hall.  You are not alone.  One person can indeed make a difference. Here's another truth of which the politicians are keenly aware, one they are desperately hoping you'll forget – they can only stay in office with our consent. Those of us in the Tea Party movement have taken that first step.  We have reclaimed our Constitutional right to peacefully seek redress of grievances. The Tea Party can not and will not end on July 4th.  What will happen when people leave the rally? During the Vietnam War, I was in elementary school.  My teachers told me that communist countries like Vietnam or the Soviet Union claim to hold free elections, but that is a lie because they only allow one government approved candidate on the ballot. These days, I walk into the voting booth and see race after race with only one or two government approved candidate on the ballot that have a legitimate shot.  And I have to ask myself, what country am I living in again? We can no longer afford to give the career politicians a free pass.  They have no incentive to change their ways until the people have an opportunity to choose something else on Election Day. To those who will make this challenge, the Tea Party movement offers you an army of politically savvy and motivated supporters.  You will not be alone when you answer the call to enter public service by running for office. Our organizations remain completely nonpartisan because we recognize the system we live in today.  People ready to redeclare our independence reside in all parties. Free and Equal naturally encourages people to run as independents or under a third party banner.  At the same time, we recognize that living in this two-party system means many good candidates will choose to run as a Democrat or a Republican for purely practical reasons. We are working to create an environment where party labels mean less than one's individual convictions.  We invite all candidates to seek the support of the Tea Party movement. There is no formal process to seek this support.  The people in this movement, not us organizers, will decide which candidates merit their support. We are looking for candidates who will uphold the principles of fair treatment and equal justice under the law. We want candidates who oppose bailouts, the rise of our national debt and the favoritism of corporate welfare. We need candidates who will defend our Constitutional rights to privacy, fair trials and free expression. We seek candidates who have a record of transparency, people we can trust to be honest and direct with the people that elect them. We put out the call now – start planning to run for office for 2010.  Know that the average citizen can do a better job representing the people that the professional politicians. To those of you who will answer this call and challenge the incumbent political class, there's a whole lot of great people already here to help you.

Bigger and better? Posted: 18 May 2009 07:31 AM PDT Will the July 4 Tea Parties surpass the April 15 turnout? Will they gain more widespread attention in the national media?  Will they attract more Independents and Democrats? Let’s hear some of your predictions.

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