Happy tax day
Today's the deadline for Americans to get their federal and state tax returns mailed in - which usually is accompanied by the tradition of TV news reporters standing outside a mailbox to capture the oh-so-telegenic sight of a line of cars.
This year, though, we have something else to celebrate - thanks to the AstroTurf (that's fake grassroots) movement, mounted by right-wing lobbying groups and Fox News Channel, to launch "Tax Day Tea Parties" across the country.
As the Tribune's Cathy McKitrick reported today, several such events are scheduled in Utah - the biggest being one at noon at the Federal Building in downtown Salt Lake City, where Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, and U.S. Reps. Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz will suck up to, er, rally the eager (and, one hopes, waterproof) crowd.
What are the "tea party" enthusiasts - or "teabaggers," as they have unfortunately dubbed themselves - protesting? Are they protesting the Obama administration, which is planning to cut taxes for most Americans? Are they protesting government bailouts, most of which were started under the Bush administration? Are they protesting because they can't come up with anything better? Are they protesting because Fox News told them to?
The nature of the protest, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow said Tuesday night, is "amorphous," but "the adoption of their teabag as their symbol - now that is plain as a one-two punch to the face." (Seriously, as any lesbian received as much enjoyment from "teabagging" as Maddow has this last week?)
Here's the web site listing Utah events, and here's a response from the Utah Democrats.
This year, though, we have something else to celebrate - thanks to the AstroTurf (that's fake grassroots) movement, mounted by right-wing lobbying groups and Fox News Channel, to launch "Tax Day Tea Parties" across the country.
As the Tribune's Cathy McKitrick reported today, several such events are scheduled in Utah - the biggest being one at noon at the Federal Building in downtown Salt Lake City, where Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, and U.S. Reps. Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz will suck up to, er, rally the eager (and, one hopes, waterproof) crowd.
What are the "tea party" enthusiasts - or "teabaggers," as they have unfortunately dubbed themselves - protesting? Are they protesting the Obama administration, which is planning to cut taxes for most Americans? Are they protesting government bailouts, most of which were started under the Bush administration? Are they protesting because they can't come up with anything better? Are they protesting because Fox News told them to?
The nature of the protest, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow said Tuesday night, is "amorphous," but "the adoption of their teabag as their symbol - now that is plain as a one-two punch to the face." (Seriously, as any lesbian received as much enjoyment from "teabagging" as Maddow has this last week?)
Here's the web site listing Utah events, and here's a response from the Utah Democrats.
Labels: Jason Chaffetz, Mark Shurtleff, politics, Rob Bishop, television
