Obama slammed: 'Chains we can believe in'

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A sign with President Obama's famous "O" logo stating, "Chains we can believe in" welcomed hundreds of protesters to a tea party event here this evening in one of the nation's most affluent regions.

The well-known "O" logo of President Obama is combined with a play on his "Change we can believe in" slogan at a tea party protest April 15, 2009, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (WND photo / Joe Kovacs)

Those braving rain showers to sound their objections to Obama's policies voiced a common theme, one suggesting America is rapidly racing toward socialism.

"We're headed toward socialism, and socialism is anathema to everything this country's ever stood for," said Fritz Breland, a self-employed yacht broker from Boynton Beach, Fla. "I'm essentially unemployed because no one's buying."

Bearing a simple cardboard sign equating Obama with socialism and evil, Breland was outspoken in his disgust for the direction in which he believes the U.S. is now headed.

Fritz Breland of Boynton Beach, Fla., displays a sign associating President Obama with socialism and evil at a tea party protest in West Palm Beach, Fla., April 15, 2009 (WND photo / Joe Kovacs)

"I see through you, Mr. Obama. You're a socialist, and I will fight you with my last dying breath," he said.

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A West Palm Beach police officer monitoring the event from several stories up in a parking garage estimated the crowd to be approximately 500 before a downpour began to disperse some participants.

Carole Buell of Wellington, Fla., holds sign protesting government spending at West Palm Beach's tea party April 15, 2009 (WND photo / Joe Kovacs)

Among those seeking shelter from the weather was Cheri Goldberg of Boca Raton, Fla., who admitted this was her first political rally.

"I have never in my entire life demonstrated, and I'm in my mid-sixties," she told WND. She said she was upset because lawmakers are "signing these bills giving out money. They haven't even read them."

An unidentified girl braves rain showers to display a sign at West Palm Beach's tea party April 15, 2009 (WND photo / Joe Kovacs)

Her message to Obama and Congress was simple: "Obey the Constitution, stop the bailouts and stop spending. Spend only what we have."

Tom and Carol Dekker of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., said they fled California five years ago, closing their construction business because of a high tax burden there.

"In California, we were paying upwards of 70 percent of our income to the government in taxes," said Mrs. Dekker. "Seventy percent! That's socialism."

Two unidenitified girls hold signs while relaxing during West Palm Beach's tea party April 15, 2009 (WND photo / Joe Kovacs)

She said if she could talk to the president in person, her advice to him would be, "Step down. He's ruining our country."

A sign calling the Federal Reserve Bank a terrorist organization is displayed at West Palm Beach's tea party protest April 15, 2009 (WND photo / Joe Kovacs)

Tom Dekker said Obama's mantra of "change" and his new direction are not where America has been since its inception, and says it's unfortunate the former state lawmaker and congressman hasn't had "any knowledge of running businesses to appreciate what it's like to be able to pay your taxes, pay your employees, pay all your bills."

"He thinks that he's got an endless pot of money that he can continue to spend, and he's mistaken. He does not. People are just at the tipping point right now, and if they don't change their ways in Washington, people are going to stop ... maybe they just stop paying taxes. If everyone stopped paying their taxes, I think that would really impact what's going on."

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