Jupiter/PBG Chapter Kicks Off with Overflow Crowd
Following successful launches of the Boca and Wellington chapters last week, the Palm Beach County Tea Party launched in Palm Beach Gardens with a 400+ overflow crowd to hear keynote speaker Congressman Allen West, CD22.
After the debt ceiling debate and the Congressman’s vote for the Boehner “deal”, many tea party members were questioning the strategy and wondered if he had taken a walk on the dark side. They were willing to listen to an explanation though and it appeared that most left satisfied. In her introduction, PBCTP founder Pam Wohlschlegel asked the crowd for a show of hands of who would NOT have voted for this deal and most of the room responded.
Not a stranger to conflict or live fire, Allen West stepped into the breach and led off with the importance of reading both Sun Tzu (“The Art of War”) and Alinsky (“Rules for Radicals”). He explained that we are engaged in the “long war” and cannot expect total victory in 7 months. Laying it out in the context of Gettysburg and the delaying action in Buford’s defense of Cemetary Ridge, he explained that we must wait for the arrival of the Army of the Potomac in November 2012. Taking the Senate and the White House is the means by which we must reverse the damage that has already been done by 2 1/2 years of the Obama Administration.
Prior to the meeting, Congressman West had replied to our questions about the debt ceiling in great detail. (See Our Congressmen Respond) and this lengthy treatise should be required reading prior to criticism of his position. We asked one of his staffers how the response was prepared and were told simply “Oh, Allen wrote it himself.” Truly a representative that does his homework and eats his peas.
George Bennett of the Palm Beach Post covered the meeting – read his account in Palm Beach Gardens tea party crowd shows West love even if they did hate his debt ceiling vote
Some Pictures from Fred and Ed:
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A truly amazing standing room only turnout. Excellent organization and meeting format. I was shocked at the “new” people present having attended most of the past local Tea Party Meeting. I am guessing almost 50% of the folks raised their hands when Pam asked who had never been to a Tea Party meeting in the past. I would challenge the leadership to reach out to these people and encourage them to come again, with one stipulation–come and each bring at least one friend or acquaintence to the next meeting!
Mark W