FreedomWorks

Washington, D.C.—FreedomWorks is leveraging its national grassroots infrastructure, a volunteer network over half a million strong, to launch a modern-day “tea party” protest movement our Founding Fathers would be proud of.

Last month, in a fit of rage over the talk of more government bailouts to include a new, massive housing bailout plan, CNBC’s Rick Santelli called for a taxpayer tea party in Chicago while reporting from the floor of Chicago Mercantile Exchange. From this desperate rallying cry FreedomWorks has tapped into the outrage building from within our own membership as well as allied conservative grassroots forces to organize a 25-city Tea Party Tour where taxpayers angry that their hard-earned money is being usurped by the government for irresponsible bailouts, can show President Obama and Congressional Democrats that their push towards outright socialism will not stand.

Even before Santelli’s rant FreedomWorks was priming the pump for an all-out taxpayer revolt.  In January, Chairman Dick Armey issued a “call to action” to all members urging them to call, write, and personally visit their legislators in the name of stopping the bailout train.  Then in February FreedomWorks Florida members organized a counter-protest to an Obama town hall event in Fort Myers promoting the wrong-headed stimulus plan.  As the idea for a tea party themed protest materialized, FreedomWorks was well-positioned to coordinate the national tour through its campaign website, IamWithRick.com.  True to its name, the site features the video of Rick on the floor of the Chicago Exchange and seeks to enlist concerned taxpayers to attend tour events.

Working with other groups and individuals within the free-market, limited government community, FreedomWorks has already coordinated 9 tour events in Washington, D.C., Sarasota, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Fort Myers, St. Louis, Atlanta, and Philadelphia in just the last week.  Hundreds of activists are turning out in droves to these protests and the media is already taking notice.  Stories referencing FreedomWorks’ Tea Party Tour have surfaced in The New York Times, AmericanDaily.com, MSNBC.com, and the nationally syndicated G. Gordon Liddy radio show.  Rush Limbaugh even referenced the tea party effort during his address at the annual CPAC conference in Washington, D.C.

In the coming weeks more events are planned in cities all over the country to include Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Saint Paul, Milwaukee, Charlotte, and Tallahassee to name several.  These events are not simply showcasing conservative ire, but recruiting volunteers to join the ranks of FreedomWorks as we march on to our membership goal of a million activists committed to liberty; a force capable of not only doing battle with the Left, but winning.

To see other events currently being planned, please visit: www.IamWithRick.com