Article featured on News-Leader.com
The Branson Tea Party Coalition rallied Saturday in one final pre-election push and organizers are looking forward to next year and a new focus on local municipalities.
About 2,000 people gathered at the Tri-Lakes Center to demonstrate and listen to country singer Ray Stevens and Milton Wolf, a second cousin of President Barack Obama who opposes the federal health care law.
Some vendors handed out campaign literature and an Ayn Rand primer; others sold DVDs or offered concealed carry classes.
Timothy von Becker of Ozark attached a cardboard box to his hat to promote his service, packupandgetout.com. Through his site, people can pay shipping to send boxes to members of Congress with the suggestion that those members should leave. Donors can donate toward a larger pool or send a box to the person of their choosing. “We’re not going away after November,” von Becker promised.
Stevens, a winner of two Grammys, said in an interview that he’s worried about the direction of the country, and he likes the people in the tea party movement.
“It’s a class of people I belong to,” he said.
Attendees said they enjoyed meeting like-minded people and many pointed to the health care bill as the impetus for their outrage.
“It’s refreshing to see people with resolve to take their anger to the polls, not the streets,” said Jerry Ozee, a Hollister resident who came with his wife, Shirley.