Labor Day Rallies and Other Mass Events Continue Uproar Against Washington

September 8, 2009 (LPAC)—Today's traditional Labor Day rallies, and many other kinds of events continue to show the public outrage at Washington economic and Nazi health care "reform," and other policies across the board.

* Illinois. 8,000-10,000 persons showed up in suburban New Lenox/Joliet on Labor Day, for the 20th stop of the Tea Party Express, going cross country from California to Washington, D.C. Organizers of the rally/stopover expected 400+ people, and were themselves amazed at the mass turn-out for the event, which focussed against Obama's health care"reform," "stimulus," etc.

* Ohio. On Sunday in Youngstown, a former steel city, a 1200 person celebration dinner was held to honor former Rep. Jim Traficant (D), who was released from seven years in jail last week, where he was doing time for a corruption sentence, imposed with the consent and connivance of Washington, after he had represented Youngstown for nine terms. Traficant is a figure associated with the productive years of the Great Lakes states, when the mills and manufacturing were working; his tenure included such achievements as the establishment of a new Veterans medical clinic in Youngstown, so the locals wouldn't have to drive to Cleveland or Pittsburgh. Today, official unemployment in the city is 14%. The mills are shut. The "welcome-back" affair turned into an anti-Washington rally. Traficant, who is 68 years old, said, "I plan to get right back in it."

* West Virginia. An estimated 75,000 people attended today's day-long Friends of America Labor Day Rally and music extravaganza against carbon cap-and-trade, against Washington, and for coal mining and electricity, held in Logan County, in the far southwest of the state, sponsored by Massey Energy Co. Massey reportedly paid a million dollars for the event, including preparing a reclaimed strip-mine as the outdoor venue for a potential crowd of 100,000, and hiring top country singers.

People streamed in from surrounding states—Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina, and from many others, including Alaska—some for the freebies, and all for the anti-Washington speeches and personalities, including Lord Christopher Monckton, Fox News' Sean Hannity, and Massey Energy CEO, President and Chairman Don Blankenship, who said, "Well, we're smart enough to know that only God can change the Earth's temperature—not Al Gore." And, "We don't want a government that is run by people who believe they can change the Earth's temperature when they can't balance a budget..."

Massey Energy itself, the largest coal company in central Appalachia, is both hated and respected in the region, for its fierce consolidation drive and stiffing of miners and independent companies. Blankenship and Massey are currently fighting in court to get out of paying millions of dollars in health care payments owed to members of the United Mine Workers (UMW) Health and Retirement Fund, from Massey's takeover of Harlan Coal. Massey, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, is the fourth largest U.S. coal company (based on coal-produced revenue), and the largest U.S. producer of metallurgical coal.