If Democrats' ability to turn out participants for an anti-tax cut rally is any insight into their ability to turn out voters this fall, the Party of Pelosi might be in trouble.
Democrats organized a "tax march" rally on Capitol Hill Tuesday to coincide with the federal tax day; attendees called for repealing Republicans' recent tax reform package.
But just a handful of participants actually showed up, despite the biggest names in Democratic politics making an appearance. Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.), and Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) were just a few of the bold-face names to participate.
Worse, most of the attendees appeared to be staffers from these lawmakers' offices, or union members. After each applause line, only a handful of attendees could be heard applauding.
A number of speakers suggested the unseasonably cool weather might be to blame for the diminished crowd.
Most of the attendees had pre-printed signs and repeatedly chanted "Throw them out!"
At the rally, Rep. Crowley suggested Republicans who supported the tax cut bill do not have a soul.
"We have to assume as people of faith they may have souls, but they didn’t demonstrate it when they passed this bill," Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) said Tuesday at a rally on Capitol Hill. "Because what this is all a setup for is so they can go after Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. That’s the setup. That’s what this is all about." [Video]
Keeping on this religious theme, Sister Simone Campbell argued that taxation equates to "holiness."
"I as a person of faith am here on this policy because it is preying on our worst selves," Campell told a small crowd on Capitol Hill Tuesday. "It is challenging us to only think of me and mine, how much of a tax break did I get. I’m sorry, Pope Francis has made it abundantly clear last week that holiness, faith, engagement in a faith journey requires the commitment to the common good, not to the individual good only. So I stand up here saying I’m calling on a few people to act in a holy fashion. Isn’t that a radical tax rallying cry? Be holy. Be holy and care for the common good. Be holy and care for each other. Be holy and insist that everyone in our beloved nation, the richest nation on Earth, has access to healthcare, has access to quality education, has access to affordable, quality broadband service in our nation because everybody needs to be connected." [Video]
If Democrats retake Congress, a priority will be raising taxes on all income groups by repealing the round of tax cuts Republicans passed earlier this year, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Tuesday.
Commenting on the tax reform law Republicans passed, Pelosi started a chant at a tax day protest, "We won't let it stand!" [Video]