GrokSurf's San Diego

‘Cracked teapot’ is what comes to mind when I read about the latest “movement” they say is sweeping the country.

My Sunday morning reading included a report about a group called East County Tea Party which held a rally in El Cajon on Saturday, attracting a delegation of prominent Republicans to the mix. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Republicans in attendance included El Cajon Councilman Bill Wells, Assemblyman Joel Anderson, Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone, Rick Powell, candidate for the Assembly, and Rep. Duncan Hunter.

Amusingly, the U-T observed that “The crowd, including a few people wearing Colonial-style costumes and hats with dangling tea bags, listened to speakers and wandered past candidates’ booths” and then quoted Duncan Hunter saying “This is America, look around…These are just normal folks.”

On Twitter, Tony Krvaric, Chairman of the Republican Party of San Diego tweeted to his followers: “Fantastic turnout here in El Cajon at the East County TEA Party, organized by Barry Willis. Hundreds of freedom loving patriots here!”

The U-T’s printed edition headline was “Tea Party rally brings out sizable crowd” but the headline changed in the online edition to “Tea Party rally draws about 1,000.” More soberly, I think, KFMB channel 8 reported that dozens of people attended.

KFMB also noted that “a recent CNN poll showed that half of Americans don’t know what the Tea Party is all about.” That half, I suspect, includes most Tea Party members.

As for Duncan Hunter’s “these are just normal folks” comment, I’d reply that who’s really normal is the person who wrote this viewpoint in The Moderate Voice:

“I will not sit idly by while these tea party fools moan on and on about supposed attacks on their “liberty” when the real beast that threatens us is an out of control private health insurance market and not the Federal government.”

To the wandering Tea Party attendees, these Ten Lessons for Tea Baggers are highly recommended (thanks to OB Rag for the find).

Feb 23 update: a couple of other perspectives on the rally.

• SanDiego GOP Chairman Tony Krvaric (aka Strider) posed as a grassroots “Concerned Citizen” – Daily Kos
• EPIC FAIL: Local GOP LEADER “blends” with TEA PARTY activists! – Shrine of Flaming Capitalism