Tea Party Saturday in San Diego

We made it to the Tea Party rally on Harbor Drive in San Diego this morning. Both boys wanted to go, so it was a family outing. Credit to Waynok for today's pictures and video (if I can get a YouTube account going and fix Java, I may upload some clips.) We were a little late to the proceedings, having stopped at the Starbucks near the trolley station prior to taking public transport to the event. Turns out the opportunity cost wasn't as high as we might have thought. Someone at the City, hearing about the event, decided to gouge citizens $10 per car, for what is normally free parking. (I have no problem paying for parking, but when the city uses it as a means to attempt limit freedom of assembly, when parking is normally free on the weekend, then I take issue.)

We had a great time showing solidarity with the hundreds who ignored the rain to have a great time. We signed petitions and listened to speeches and shook hands with people whose signs and T-shirts we liked. Bought some T-shirts from SarahB. We heard appeals from representatives of not one, but two candidates, who want to challenge Susan Davis in our predominantly Democrat 53rd Congressional district. Something is definitely going on.

Lots of folks driving by honked their support. Even a driver of a city bus honked, smiled and waved too. Something is going on.

Across the street the counter-demonstration was pretty thin. A few dozen tops. Also, I couldn't figure out their purpose. A bunch of them had peacenik signs, as if a pro-war platform is the focus of the Tea Parties. Another group had signs supporting universal health care, "Single Payer Now" and "Health Care is a Right not a Privilege" were two signs. But then I noticed that they also said they were from socialistworkers.org. What morons. The Tea Party position is that the Obamacare and like bills are socialist, and you guys go and make our point. Thanks for the help.

Roger Hedgecock was great. He talked about one person making a difference and standing up for what's right. I admit that I have often concluded that the average American didn't care about constitutional limits the way I did, but now I know otherwise. Like Winston Churchill said of another war against tyranny:

Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.

Afterwards, we got lunch nearby. We ended up at Cefalu Pizza. I may post a full review on B-Daddy's Other blog, but suffice to say they had Stone Pale Ale on draft and a terrific torpedo sub on baguette.

B-Daddy in his Viva La Reagan Revolucion shirt enjoying a Stone and Torpedo.

All in all and excellent day.

P.S. I have changed my masthead tag line to reflect the way that I believe I can best support the Tea Party movement, (Unofficial Chief Ideologist of the San Diego Tea Party Movement.) However, my ideology may or may not be mainstream to the movement. I invite the comments of Tea Partiers after viewing the Freedom Coalition Agenda, my semi-official platform, which pre-dates the Tea Parties. I will admit in advance that I am remiss in posting a plank about financial regulation and bailouts.