Republicans may have missed their chance to shape public opinion of this week’s Supreme Court hearing on the constitutionality of Obamacare by failing to show up outside the court Monday to protest the law.
Union bosses and liberal activists outnumbered national Tea Party affiliates by a rate of 20 to one for the better part of the day, making it difficult for the small group of conservative counter-protestors to make their voices heard above the pro-health reform supporters’ singing and chanting.
More pro-life activists rallied in front of the Department of Health and Human Services on Friday than pro-Obamacare activists were gathered at the Court Monday morning. However, Friday’s protest did not attract the national attention that the first day of the landmark hearing did, giving liberals a one-up in the battle to shape public opinion.
A Tea Party Patriots rally on Saturday also drew several hundred conservative protestors but rain kept many like-minded conservatives and friendly press away.
Tea Party Patriots grassroots coordinator Keli Carender, who was counter-protesting at the Supreme Court on Monday said she wasn’t worried about the Left stealing the spotlight.
“We’re used to that sort of thing,” she said.
Carender pointed out that conservatives protesting on Capitol Hill this week had to take off work and pay their own way to DC, whereas as liberals in attendance were bussed to DC by unions, which she said also reimbursed them for wages lost from missing work to protest.
“But it’s fine. The thing is we’re passionate, we’re tireless and we’re never ever going to stop,” Carender said. “If the law the law doesn’t get overturned, I certainly won’t comply. There are millions out there who won’t. They can put me in jail for all I care.”
Protect Your Care, a political action group whose mission is to stop the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – AKA Obamacare – from being repealed, was technically in charge of Monday’s protest, but the protestors themselves were mostly union members & bosses.
Members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the Association of Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) wore purple and green shirts to denote their respective unions, making them easy to pick out in the crowd. Orange construction vests denoted union bosses.
Activists from the National Organization for Women (NOW), Families USA and Health Care Association of Michigan (HCAM) also showed up at the Court to support the ACA.
Rachel Wolf, a spokesperson for Protect Your Care, said that Tuesday national Planned Parenthood and other national “women’s groups” were planning to join their protest.
Despite a rough start Monday, conservatives don’t plan to come to the fight unarmed on Day 2.
Americans for Prosperity will hold a #HandsOff my healthcare really Tuesday at 1pm.
After Monday’s public shellacking, Tea Party Patriots announced a last-minute press conference for 10:15 am on Tuesday in front of the Supreme Court featuring Tea Party Patriots co-founder Jenny Beth Martin and other big name speakers including, Reps. Michele Bachmann (Minn.), Tom Price (Ga.) and Andy Harris (Md.).
Tuesday will mark day two of the three day National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) v. Sebelius Supreme Court trial, which is being trumped as the most important court case since Roe v. Wade in 1973.
