Day 13 – Duluth, MN, April 9, 2010

Duluth, Minnesota, in a backlot they came, dressed as colonials protesting taxation, bloated government, fiscal irresponsibility, and a socialist in the White House.

Escanaba, MI – Day 14, April 9, 2010

It was a sparkling sunny morning at Escanaba where we began our rally at the Ludington Park Band Shell.  One woman told me how disappointed she and other “Yoopers” (how the Upper Peninsula residents refer to themselves:  “U” “P” = Yoopers) were with their representative Bart Stupak.  “We are heartbroken,” she said at his caving to the Health Care bill.  Just as we started our rally, Stupak was on TV announcing his retirement from the House of Representatives.  Coincidence?  Hardly.

We are advancing constantly. Stupak retires.

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Escanaba, Michigan

Like many of you, we got word that Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak has announced he will retire. In fact, Stupak was making his announcement as we were opening the show at the Ludington Park Bandshell in Escanaba. (See pics below)

He knows his goose is cooked and he’ll never win another election in his district after he betrayed those who supported him because of his supposed “Pro Life position.  One woman at the Escanaba Rally told me how disappointed and heartbroken she and others were at his vote for the Health Care bill and against life.  From Matt Smith of the Catholic Advocate:

Congressman Stupak has served the people of Northern Michigan for nearly twenty years. He has endured the tragedy of losing a son to suicide and worked tirelessly to focus on the role prescriptions might have played in his son’s decision, so other parents would not suffer the same pain. He consistently stood for the cause of life, but when it came to the biggest battle in years, could not go the distance.

Congressman Stupak unsuccessfully tried to have it both ways on health care. He made a drastic error in judgment that will ultimately further abortion in the United States.

We wish him and Laurie well as they begin the next chapter in their lives. Even after a long career in Congress, in Washington, you are, unfortunately, most remembered for how you depart. Many pro-life activists feel Congressman Stupak quit on them, so it is only fitting he retire from the arena if he has lost his heart for the battles.

By Matt Smith, Catholic Advocate Vice President

So today we go on to rallies in his District and celebrate his retirement.  But we won’t stop there. While Stupak chokes on the tea we’ve served up for him, we will not rest, we will not dig a foxhole.  The enemy never sleeps.  Neither do we.

Stupak is just the first of many who realize they’ve already lost their exalted perches in Congress, and it’s not yet November. Our team may have won this game and we’re on a roll to the championship, but it’s not time to go for beer and pizza yet.

Today’s headlines at the Drudge Report:

Gingrich:  Obama’s the most radical president ever.

Rush Limbaugh – Obama inflicting until damage on this great country

Palin: Obama’s Nuclear stance is like a kid who says “Punch me in the face”

Liz Cheney says: Obama is putting America on a path to decline

Hanity says Obama is a socialist

Michael Savage calls Obama the Destroyer

We can’t falter, we can’t rest.  We must continue to take ground, moving forward constantly.  And in November when we’ve taken back the House and maybe the Senate, the battle still will not be over.  Our men don’t dig foxholes.  We will continue to push the enemy back, until we have recaptured and reclaimed our country and our liberty.  We are not holding our positions.  We are advancing constantly. And we are not interested in holding on to anything except the House, Senate and the White House of course.

Push! Push! Push!

Escanaba turned out in grand style for the event.

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Under a front page, top of the fold headline that read “Tea and Grumpets”, the Ironwood, Michigan Daily Globe featured a color photo of Tea Party team member William Owens at the podium.

“More than 400 people from the Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin descended on Bessemer to rally behind the Tea Party Express, which stormed into town with two motives — limit the federal government and remove U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, from office.” — Daily Globe, Ironwood Michigan, Friday, April 9, 2010

Here’s our schedule for the next few days:

6pm Rally – Bud Weber Park
Sault Sainte Marie, MI

DAY 15 – SATURDAY, April 10
7 am-depart SSM
8 am – Whistle Stop Cheboygan MI
8:50 am – Depart Cheboygan
10 am – Whistle Stop Petosky MI
10:15 am – Depart Petosky
11:20 am-Rally Traverse City MI
1 pm – depart Traverse City
3 pm – Whistle Stop Big Rapids MI
3:15 – Depart Big Rapids
4:15 – Rally Grand Rapids (band shell)
6 pm – depart Grand Rapids
7:15 pm – Rally Lansing
9:30 – Arrive Lansing hotel

Day 16 – SUNDAY, April 11
8 am- depart Lansing
10 am – Rally Detroit (Civic Center Park Historical Vilale
12 noon – depart Detroit
3 pm – Rally Cleveland
5 pm – depart Cleveland
7 pm – Rally in Erie PA
9:15 pm – Arrive Erie PA hotel (Courtyeard)d

Day 17 – MONDAY April 12
9 am – Depart Erie
11 am- rally Buffalo NY
1 pm – Depart Buffalo
4 pm-  Rally Syracuse
6 pm – Depart Syracuse
9 pm – arrive Albany

Sault Ste. Marie, MI – Day 14, April 9, 2010

The weather was bone chilling, with windchill temps of 25 degrees, but these patriots wrapped themselves in blankets and warm clothing.  It was the last stop of the day, and as the sun sank in the western sky, it peeked out between the grey clouds to cast a golden glow on the bridge adjacent to Bud Weber Park.

Taking the Tea Party Online – Viewer Demand Grows

The Tea Party Express TV online stream went down Thursday night during our Ironwood, Michigan rally when it was slammed by viewer demand.  Producer William Owens said viewership of our livestreamed rallies has grown exponentially since its debut on the second day of the tour in Arizona.

“Once an email went out announcing our first visit to Michigan to be broadcast live,” William said, “within minutes our bandwidth was exceeded, which has been set to a very high bandwidth.  Nonetheless it was immediately consumed.”

Owens worked the problem with his server host and had the site back up within approximately 17 minutes.  Throughout the netcast, viewership continued to increase.  ”We are excited about the demand and are making plans to ensure that we will not experience this interruption again,” William said.

“Our viewership numbers are now into the six digits, with demand increasing every day.”

Future plans for the Tea Party Express online TV?

“It is to be an ongoing site even when we’re not touring, that will provide relevant video clips from different parts of the country.  And  keeping people abreast of Tea Party movement news.  It’s a robust site. We’ll have archives of past events, so you’ll only be a click away from a tea party.”

To view the livestream or archive videos of the Tea Party Express tour log on to Tea Party Express.TV and register to receive email notices of livestream feeds.