The Tea Party Patriots hosted a rally near Capitol Hill on Thursday afternoon to encourage House leaders to resist compromising with the White House on the budget to avoid a government shutdown.
Compared to past Tea Party rallies, Thursday's event was relatively small -- maybe 300 people, a hefty portion of them members of the media. But the crowd was determined to make their voice heard and make it clear they're not backing down.
"House Republicans have run headlong in to Harry Reid. Harry Reid actually took to the floor of the Senate and said that our modest down payment on fiscal discipline was reckless, irresponsible, mean-spirited," Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) said. "If liberals in the Senate would rather play political games and shut down the government instead of making a small down payment on fiscal discipline and reform, I say shut it down."
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/03/republicans-pump-up-tea-partiers-at-continuing-revolution-rally-video.php"Take the fight to the enemy!" a tea party supporter standing behind Pence dressed like the comic-book superhero Captain America yelled.
There were signs calling for cuts to NPR, Planned Parenthood and Obamacare, others claiming Obama "is trying to make America no longer a Christian nation" and chants of "cut it or shut it."