Brain-Jockey

Revolt, Repeal, Retire: Time for a New Tea Party

Written by Audrie Zettick on February 26, 2009

A host of taxpayers will make their voices heard this Friday, February 27 at noon (EST) and beyond at regional or virtual “tea party” protests. Coordinated by groups Top Conservatives on Twitter, Smart Girl Politics and the #Dontgo Movement, it was originally billed as a Chicago Tea Party in response to CNBC on-air personality Rick Santelli’s rant on a Chicago trading floor about needing a new taxpayer protest a la the Boston Tea Party.  It has spread like wild fire to a nationwide effort.  

The intent is to let Congress know that we want them to repeal all their irresponsibile spending bills.  If not, we’ll retire THEM in the 2010 election.  We are mad.  We know technology.  And we intend to use it toward that end.

Congress must repeal :

The Mortgage Bailout
The $1 Trillion Pork-Laden Stimulus
The Auto Bailout
The Wall Street Bailout

If you are like me, you’ve been busy.  You have obligations (hey, we’re selling our family business this week AND my local tea party in Harrisburg is scheduled for when my scout troop has a cookie booth obligation!).  Nonetheless, there are so many ways to participate, you can find one.  I will.

• Find a local event (see this list or this list.  (Not all are on Friday, Feb. 27).   You can RSVP and network with others on these local events on Facebook here.  But if you are not a Facebook user, fear not.  Just use the info off the other links I gave above.  
• Host a local event (again, can be for any date). Find helpful guidelines here.
• Twitter at that time, using the hashtag #teaparty
• “Attend” the virtual tea party in Second Life (I’m new to this, but may try.  The worst that can happen is that I wander around lost in a virtual world….they say they’ll have signposts to follow, so perhaps this can’t be any worse than IKEA.  The best that can happen is that people think I AM actually tall and thin…).  Here’s a link to a video about how Second Life works.  And here is info on where the protest will be: 
• Friday, February 27, 2009
  9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. SLT/PST
  12:00 n. - 12:30 p.m. EST
  Sagamore Island Dock
  http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sagamore/165/155/32
  Follow markers from the landing point (gazebo) to the dock

If you want to make a sign for the protest, here are suggested slogans.

Or get a chuckle out of the related videos on the tea party protest theme posted on Michele Malkin’s blog. 

Here, I have the inspiration for the entire event.  See you at the Party.

Survive Obama Inauguration Day and Beyond: Let Your Heart Be A Twitter

Written by Audrie Zettick on January 20, 2009

Many heads are in the clouds and hearts all a twitter with this historic inauguration.  To heck with the size of our carbon footprints, let’s make a carbon caldera as we party like it’s 1999.  

Actually, I’m staying home but I don’t behoove Obama supporters (except perhaps those in the media) their fun and adoration of “the One.”  I avoid fawning over pop culture icons, but admit to being speechless the first time I met Reagan.  I wore “Reagan red” in the 1980s—but only because I looked “hot” in the color. 

And you’d have to have a heart of granite not to be moved by the inauguration of our first black President, in a town where the Capitol was build by slaves.  

Yes, I’m for Hope and Change.  Hope that Obama’s inauguration leads to an historic presidency where the first family becomes less a pop culture figure but more an example of a healthy, intact family to emulate.  Hope that President Obama’s speech on accountability and responsibility isn’t about government’s responsibility as a nanny state, but our’s as citizens. And I hope that I still have change in my pocket after Nancy Pelosi’s majority gets through with my purse.

But as I watch the inauguration today, I’m still filled with dread.  Our local paper drove home why I feel that way with an opening line that reads “Today, America changes course.”  With high level officials like Hillary Clinton and Eric Holder at the helm of major policy-making departments, I’m anxious. Lesser known figures such as Cass Sunstein and several at the Justice Department frighten me even more. As regulatory “czar,” Sunstein is in a position to advance his principles, which include designing regulations around how people behave.  He definitely doesn’t behave the way the folks in my family do, where we eat meat, have relatives that hunt, and haven’t included our pet fish in our wills.

Last week, I came across many lists about how to survive the inauguration, such as this one that gives the advice not to wear sequins lest you become stuck to another sequin-attired attendee at an inaugural ball. Not what I had in mind.  Alas, how do conservatives make it through today, tomorrow and next week without our heads exploding?

Fear not, my friends.  I have found the solution.  Attend the Twitter Ball (see Washington Times) hosted by Smart Girl Politics at 9 p.m. tonight (Jan. 20).  Why?

• It beats wrapping your head in duct tape.
• You can wear sequins without worrying about getting stuck to folks like Nancy Pelosi.
• You can wear pajamas…or less.
• Some of us from #TCOT (Top Conservatives on Twitter) will be there.
• You can rub “virtual elbows” with people like Saul Anuzis, Chip Saltzman, Amanda Carpenter, and others.
• It’s less calories than chocolate (my personal choice for relieving anxiety)
• You can engage in several tracks of discussion, such as 2012, Taking Back the Congress and more.
• You can turn these discussions into action.
• It’s a hangover-free event and even cheaper than Wild Turkey.
• No worry about how many porta-potties are present. 

See you online.

The “Right” Women in Politics

Written by Audrie Zettick on January 15, 2009

In case you didn’t catch my post on Smart Girl Politics, here it is again.  And it’s partly why I’ll be in their chat room tonight (1/15/09) at 10:00 p.m. EST to have some fun with like-minded folks.

I read with interest Michelle Malkin’s recent blog post on “Pelosi: We need more back-scratching Big Govt hacks in skirts like… It reminded me of how tough it is to be a female Republican.

When I ran for Congress (1990, PA-8), I had to put up with comments from both inside and outside the party. On the campaign trail, I had someone shout at me “why aren’t you home having babies” (that was from a democrat woman). I was interviewed for a news article in which I was asked how I’d handle family (I had no kids yet) if elected. Sigh. Instead of the clever retort of “do you ever ask the guys that question” I actually tried to answer. I noted that I’d deal with it, and bring kids to the Capitol if necessary. Then I received flack from some Republicans, who claimed “I’d be using taxpayer money for babysitters.” (Didn’t say the staff would be watching them).

My mom, Elaine Zettick, was the first woman elected County Commissioner in Bucks County, PA. She received flack for the structural changes she made to the Commissioners’ bathroom (the entrance from the back of the 3-commissioner area went only into the men’s room). She wanted to be able to use the shower there. She sometimes slept on her couch when events necessitated a late night stay up-county and she couldn’t make it home.

Even as a county commissioner, Mom sometimes had to sneak onto golf courses disguised as a man (registered as E. Zettick). Often, the only way to network with the “old boys” and big shots was on the golf course. (She’d beat them in the longest drive…proof that there is justice in the world).

Much has changed since the late 1970s and 1980s. But not everything.

As a Republican woman voter, I’d like to help elect more women. But more importantly, I vote for what is right for my country and state, not for gender politics.

One reason I’m involved in Smart Girl Politics is to help build a network of like minded women. Encourage them to be activists. Perhaps even run for office. Grow our “farm team.”

Then maybe my choices on election day could include the “right” woman.