A swarm of impassioned locals filled Blackie’s on the 700 block of Clark Street Wednesday night as the Chicago Tea Party Patriots hosted their monthly meeting.
The evening included remarks from congressional candidate Isaac Hayes, a Republican congressman from the 2nd District; political commentator and entrepreneur Dan Proft; and Tea Party Organizer Steve Stevlic.
As the floor opened for discussion, many individuals voiced opinions about the current state of affairs. The bipartisan crowd eagerly flocked to such issues as health care and the economy.
“We must cut Washington by getting rid of agencies that are unconstitutional, by making sure every spending bill that comes before congress now has a repay constitutional requirement,” said Hayes.
The exchange continued as Hayes addressed the fact that he is a proponent of free trade, term limits, Second Amendment rights without restrictions, school choice, unions and extending the tax cuts implemented under former President George W. Bush.
“I do not want to have to tell my grandchildren or son what America used to be,” said Hayes. “Freedom and liberty must be definitive with every generation or else it will be taken from us.”
Hayes is running against Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. for the position and stated in his remarks that according to statistics, 72 percent of Illinoisans do not have a favorable opinion of his opponent. This comes on the brink of reports that Jackson has been involved in extramarital affairs.
“One of the things I was asked was, ‘How are you going to have influence being a freshman congressman?’ The way things are looking, there’s going to be a whole bunch of freshman coming in,” quipped Hayes.
Dan Proft also took the floor, adding lighthearted and comedic charm to the heavy discussion.
“One in four self-identified Democrats favor to repeal Obamacare. You know what that means, don’t you? That could only mean one thing. Twenty-five percent of Democrats are racist,” joked Proft.
Aside from poking fun at both parties, Proft addressed the fact that, like it or not, the Tea Party movement looks like it’s here to stay. Coming into the midterm elections, there looks to be great change stirring throughout Illinois and the rest of the nation.
“The Tea Party movement has dominated this election cycle,” said Proft.
In regard to both Democrats and Republicans, Proft noted, “We have tried to find the perfect ideological fit…rather than looking for a new dynamic oasis that could transcend disagreements on policy issues.”
Proft also reiterated a wisecrack from 1994 as said by three-term Wyoming Sen. Malcolm Wallop. “If the Democrats in congress introduce a bill to burn down the U.S. Capitol, Republicans would compromise and agree to phase in over three years.”
Tea Party Organizer Steve Stevlic acted as emcee for the evening, adopting a bipartisan approach to the whole shebang.
“It’s not just the media, it’s not just the democrats that don’t know what the Tea Party Movement is all about. The republican establishment does not know what the Tea Party Movement is about either,” said Stevlic.
The Tea Party movement gained national attention in 2009. The general concerns of the party include limiting the size of government, reducing wasteful spending, adhering to the United States Constitution, lowering taxes and stabilizing the economy.
“The reaction is because people have been hurt in the past couple of years in a way they have never been hurt before. When people get hurt they pick their heads up and they look around and say, “What the hell is going on,” said Proft. “What it’s really about is recalibrating the relationship between our government and the individual citizen.”
Proft’s final remark of the evening seems to sum up the entire movement.
“The Tea Party isn’t part of the Republican Party, it’s a critique of the Republican Party. It’s the criticism of what it has become,” said Proft.
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