Quotes of the day

“Thousands of Tea Party demonstrations are expected around the country today, but the movement must decide whether its purpose is merely to organize demonstrations and express outrage, or to move on to the next crucial stage of a successful grass-roots revolution — electing a new generation of public officials with the guts to make the hard decisions required to enact genuine reforms. That will require Tea Partiers — millions of whom have never before been interested in politics — to get involved in both political parties as volunteers, party officials, candidates for elective office, and campaign donors at every level of government. For those who are not yet involved, the Post-Party Summits political organizing workshops convening in coming weeks in cities around the country would be a great place to get started. Just Google ‘Post-Party Summit.'”

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“We have reached a point where the tea party movement will either go forward in greater organization or it will not. As one of those people who turned out for the initial protests, the later protests, flew around the country speaking at rallies, etc. I would like to say goodbye.

“I hope the activists on the street will leave with me. It is not that we are leaving the tea party movement, but rather we choose to assert ourselves in the movements of America and focus not as tea party activists, but as concerned Americans troubled by the direction of the country. As the organizations of the tea party movement evolve into a federation, we activists choose to evolve into activists in the political process in our municipalities, counties, states, and nation…

“After you have been to your tax day tea party protest on Thursday, and please don’t view me as discouraging you from one last big hurrah, I hope you’ll leave the tea party protests behind and engage in the process. There is a difference between the two words me must understand and use to direct our focus.”

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“Angry Fox News executives ordered host Sean Hannity to abandon plans to broadcast his nightly show as part of a Tea Party rally in Cincinnati on Thursday after top executives learned that he was set to headline the event, proceeds from which would benefit the local Tea Party organization.

“Rally organizers had listed Hannity, who is on a book tour, as the headliner of the four-hour Tax Day event at the University of Cincinnati. The rally, expected to draw as many as 13,000 people, was set feature speakers such as ‘Liberal Facism’ author Jonah Goldberg and local Tea Party leaders. Participants were being charged a minimum of $5, with seats near Hannity’s set going for $20, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer, which reported that any profits would go to future Tea Party events. Media Matters for America noted that Hannity’s personal website directed supporters to a link to buy tickets for the Cincinnati rally…

“‘Fox News never agreed to allow the Cincinnati Tea Party organizers to use Sean Hannity’s television program to profit from broadcasting his show from the event,” said Bill Shine, the network’s executive vice president of programming. “When senior executives in New York were made aware of this, we changed our plans for tonight’s show.'”