significant turn of events

A stunning statement.

Blue states such as Minnesota, Wisconsin, and New Hampshire have flipped. President Obama's former Senate seat was filled by a Republican. A grassroots movement organized itself, rallied, and made a difference.

Last January, Ohio representative and House Minority Leader John Boehner said the following:

"Many people believe that teams are judged by how many games they win," Boehner said. "I would suggest that the best way to judge a team is to look at how they handle losing."

Yesterday, the Republican Party orchestrated the biggest pick-up of House seats, by any party, since 1948. A rather staggering feat, considering this country is only two years removed from a supposed revolution of "hope and change," speculated by many to be a permanent alteration in this nation's government and ideology.

Oops.

The citizens of the United States have spoken ... loudly: STOP spending. Listen to the people. We've come to take our country back. This nation was built by independent, hard-working people, not by a big protosocialist government and Washington takeovers. Whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, you represent us, not your own interests.

Oh, and by the way ... we're paying attention.

hypocrisy at its finest

Last August, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi portrayed the Tea Party movement and its followers as racist, nazi, gun nuts, and chided the groups as being "astroturf" rather than true grass-roots organizations.

"I have some concerns about some of the language being used, because I saw this myself in the late 70s in San Francisco,'' Pelosi said. "This kind of rhetoric was very frightening, and it created a climate where violence took place.

Low and behold, now that the movement has gained a great deal of momentum -- effecting the outcome of elections in some cases --- as well as garnered supporters from all political walks-of-life, good ol' Nancy has decided that she drastically needs to change her tune ... or at least, her public comments. She's now decided that she and the Tea Party movement have "shared views."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she has much in common with the Tea Party. The speaker now says she shares views with the movement she dismissed last summer as being “Astroturf” -- her suggestion that the grassroots of the Tea Party were a creation of the Republican Party.

In a “This Week” interview with ABC’s Elizabeth Vargas, Pelosi said, “We share some of the views of the Tea Partiers in terms of the role of special interest in Washington, D.C., as -- it just has to stop. And that's why I've fought the special interest, whether it's on energy, whether it's on health insurance, whether it's on pharmaceuticals and the rest.”

Madam Speaker, YOU are a fraud.

my faculty meeting ran late ...

... so I didn't get to join my dear friend, Missy, at the Tea Party in Downtown Houston. Dammit. And Dammit some more. I try not to get too political on my blog, but I obviously voice my feelings from time to time, because its important to me. Today is one of those days.

I support my President, and I respect the will of the people. It's called a democracy, and it's a beautiful thing. But I've been increasingly concerned with the trend of events recently, mainly and primarily events revolving around more and more big government.

I'm so, so proud of all the folks who DID make their voices heard today, despite the bashing from the "main stream" media. So, instead of making a long rambling post about why I felt so strongly and passionately about the Tea Parties today, I thought I'd post some of my favorite Tea Party quotes from my browsing around the 'net today ...

"Your fair share is NOT in my wallet."

"Spread my ambition, not my wealth."

...at the Greenville, S.C., Tea Party, "They will be selling the 'Obama burger' — you pay for one and they cut it in half and give the rest to the guy behind you for free!"

"Next time read the bill."

"Member of the the irrelevant, lunatic fringe!"

"Your only HOPE is that I'm paying your mortgage."