Tea party leaders would welcome meeting Obama

Leaders of a nationwide "tea party" movement that saw an estimated 1 million people gather at hundreds of locations across the United States on Tax Day to protest not just taxes but the sudden rampant spending in Washington say they have accepted an invitation from President Obama to meet.

The national leadership team of the Nationwide Tea Party coalition confirmed members were responding to Obama's invitation "to have a serious conversation about how we are going to cut our health care costs down over the long term, how we are going to stabilize Social Security."

The invitation came at a "town meeting" appearance by the president in Arnold, Mo., today, and was reported by Politico.com.

The Website also posted video of the president's invitation, which is embedded here:

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"We want to broaden the scope to address the president's runaway march to socialist-statism, and the rampant across-the-board irresponsible spending he is promoting with his $787 billion stimulus plan and his $1 trillion annual deficit, his takeover of General Motors, Chrysler and the banks," said Michael Patrick Leahy, a member of the leadership squad.

The team includes more than two dozen of the more than 900 local organizers of the April 15 Tax Day Tea Parties, which were attended "by more than 1 million Americans." Also on the team are Judson Phillips, who organized the Nashville event that attracted 10,000 people, and James Dickey, who set up the Dallas event attended by 5,000.

Kellen Giuda, organizer of New York's party attended by 12,000 and of Parcbench, said, "I think a constructive dialogue with the president would be a great opportunity for him to acknowledge that, yes, many Americans have a problem with the way Washington is handling our taxpayer dollars and also that we are concerned about health care and Social Security reform.

"I am happy he is open to a discussion," Giuda said. "The tea parties are protesting against fiscal irresponsibility and any dialogue we can have will hopefully bring a better public understanding of our country's finances. Health care and social security reform is a
large concern to us."

It was at the Missouri meeting marking his 100th day in office that Obama commented on the tea party demonstrations.

"Those of you who are watching certain news channels on which I'm not very popular, and you see folks waving tea bags around," said the president, "let me just remind them that I am happy to have a serious conversation about how we are going to cut our health care costs down over the long term, how we are going to stabilize Social Security."

Reports said it was the president's most direct response to date to the April 15 rallies.

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Giuda said the leaders soon will be reaching out to the White House to request the details of a meeting the president suggested.

Sacramento, Calif., tea party (WND photo / Chelsea Schilling)

As WND has reported, on and around April 15, citizens gathered in nearly 2,000 U.S. cities to issue a coast-to-coast protest of increased government control, taxes and spending. More than 350 "tea party" protests already are on the calendar for Independence Day."

"We are leading a revolution, and this is the first day of that revolution," Sacramento tea party organizer Mark Meckler said before the crowd that gathered at the California capitol. "Politicians will no longer be able to divide our nation. They are taking our money, and we aren't going to stand here and take it anymore."

WND was at the Sacramento rally, reporting on the "sea of red, white and blue U.S. flags waved above a large crowd that surrounded the building and spilled into city streets."

"We've had it!" Meckler shouted. "We're tired of being punished by politicians!"

The crowd cheered wildly and drowned out Meckler's voice, chanting, "Vote them out! Vote them out!"

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