Tea Party supporters rally on the west steps of the Colorado State Capitol. (March 31, 2010) |
DENVER - Passion. Anger. Excitement. Those were just some of the emotions brewing at the Tea Party Express III rally at the Colorado State Capitol Wednesday.
"It's very frustrating and it's frustrating to watch how some of this stuff has come down," said one Tea Party member, standing at the curb holding a sign that criticized the federal government.
The anti-tax movement drew a large crowd: about 500 people. It's not as large as the previous rally with 2,000 people, but they were just as fired up--this time for change in November.
The group's mantra is 'Just Vote Them Out.' They're talking about politicians they say don't represent the people because of 'yes' votes on health care reform, deficit spending and bailouts.
"There's a strong movement to have a replacement for Rep. Markey. Rep. Perlmutter, Rep. Salazar. Rep. Polis," says Tea Party Organizer Lu Busse.
Blocks away, at the Mercury Café, was one of the politicians Tea Partiers are targeting.
"Those guys would have us do nothing. Vote 'No.' They like status quo. Well, the status quo doesn't work," says U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Denver).
Perlmutter says the victory for health care reform means the sick can't be discriminated against anymore, including his teenaged daughter.
"I have a daughter with epilepsy. She didn't ask to have epilepsy. She's a good kid. She still has seizures," he says.
Toby Serrano can also now buy health insurance for his 15-year-old daughter, Maria, despite a birth defect.
"Any amount of money I could offer she could not get insured. So this opened a big door. For the last nine years my daughter was unable to be insured. Now I have the opportunity to get her health insurance. It makes me very excited," he says with a smile.
He says he doesn't understand why -in his words- the "tea bag people would not want to be part of making America better."
But Tea Party members say they don't necessarily mind reform--just the way it was done in this bill.
The Tea Party Express III has moved onto Nebraska and makes its way to Washington, DC on Ap. 15, Tax Day.
Expect another large rally at the Colorado State Capitol that day too.
Related: 'Holding an absurd sign and screaming gibberish'
"It's very frustrating and it's frustrating to watch how some of this stuff has come down," said one Tea Party member, standing at the curb holding a sign that criticized the federal government.
The anti-tax movement drew a large crowd: about 500 people. It's not as large as the previous rally with 2,000 people, but they were just as fired up--this time for change in November.
The group's mantra is 'Just Vote Them Out.' They're talking about politicians they say don't represent the people because of 'yes' votes on health care reform, deficit spending and bailouts.
"There's a strong movement to have a replacement for Rep. Markey. Rep. Perlmutter, Rep. Salazar. Rep. Polis," says Tea Party Organizer Lu Busse.
Blocks away, at the Mercury Café, was one of the politicians Tea Partiers are targeting.
"Those guys would have us do nothing. Vote 'No.' They like status quo. Well, the status quo doesn't work," says U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Denver).
Perlmutter says the victory for health care reform means the sick can't be discriminated against anymore, including his teenaged daughter.
"I have a daughter with epilepsy. She didn't ask to have epilepsy. She's a good kid. She still has seizures," he says.
Toby Serrano can also now buy health insurance for his 15-year-old daughter, Maria, despite a birth defect.
"Any amount of money I could offer she could not get insured. So this opened a big door. For the last nine years my daughter was unable to be insured. Now I have the opportunity to get her health insurance. It makes me very excited," he says with a smile.
He says he doesn't understand why -in his words- the "tea bag people would not want to be part of making America better."
But Tea Party members say they don't necessarily mind reform--just the way it was done in this bill.
The Tea Party Express III has moved onto Nebraska and makes its way to Washington, DC on Ap. 15, Tax Day.
Expect another large rally at the Colorado State Capitol that day too.
Related: 'Holding an absurd sign and screaming gibberish'
