Texas GOP Vote

The Texas Tea Party Patriots PAC put on a "America Strikes Back" event Friday which included keynote speaker Andrew Breitbart from Big Government. Conservative luminaries at the event included Dan Patrick, Paul Bettencourt, Apostle Claver, Catherine Engelbrecht, media personality Laura Ingraham and others. The event took place in front of a crowded Woodlands Town Green under a beautiful Texas sky. Radio personality Michael Berry was the master of ceremonies. A consistent theme of the evening was the importance of taking our country back and stopping the Obama administration's big government assault on our country and our values. TexasGOPVote event coverage includes pictures, video, and notes from the event:

Co-founder of the Texas Tea Party PAC, Suzanne Guggenheim, started off the event by saying that many people wonder who the leader of the Tea Party is. "The Tea Party is us!"

She explained that Texas has been written off as not having winnable Republican races, but Texas must believe that we can do this. We must vote out:

Sheila Jackson Lee
Gene Green
Chet Edwards

"If it's time to clean up the country, shouldn't we first clean up our own backyard?"

Co-founders Suzanne Guggenheim and Julie Turner address the crowd

Co-founder of the Texas Tea Party PAC, Julie Turner, then explained:

"In just 3 weeks we will be voting to gain back our country. Candidate Obama was right, we do cling to our guns and religion."

"The Tea Party is growing, 1 in 4 voters share Tea Party values or have close friends or family that share the same views as the Tea Party."

She said that the main purpose of this event is to call others to vote. "Go to the polls and bring 3 conservatives with you."

She explained that Chet Edwards is running campaigns saying he's against the Pelosi agenda but that's not how he voted, too little too late. It's time for Republican Candidate Bill Flores.

Gene Green says that constituents' views don't matter to him, and that it's Gene Green that decides what the district gets. It's time for Republican candidate Roy Morales.

Sheila Jackson Lee- where to start? Records show that she votes 100% on the left. It's time for Republican Candidate John Faulk.

Michael Berry, Texas "Radio Czar" - KTRH- 740AM & Radio Mojo - 950AM was the emcee of the event. 

Michael Berry explained that after the drilling moratorium, he tried calling people from the oil industry to come on his show, but they wouldn't because they feared retribution. However, IPAA (Independent Petroleum Association of America) Chairman Bruce Vincent stepped up and came on the show. He says he wished there were more people like him that would show some spine.

He also made a good point quoting Charles Dickens - "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." He asked how many people attended a political rally more than 2 years ago? Not many people raised their hands. The he asked how many people have attended their first political rally within the last two years? The majority of people raised their hands.

IPAA Chairman Bruce Vincent then discussed the significance the oil industry has in Texas and how the drilling moratorium is killing our economy.

Catherine Engelbrecht - King Street Patriots - "True The Vote" spoke next.

Engelbrecht discussed her "True the Vote" effort. She explained that she and some friends volunteered to help at the polls and could not believe what they saw. There were people with no proof of registration. Some people came in and said they didn't know who to vote for and so the election judge would go into the booth with them and help them vote. When Engelbrecht told the election judge what she saw, all he said was it was his word against hers, and thus began "True the Vote."

Tea Party crowd - more than 5,000 attended

Senator Dan Patrick, Paul Bettencourt and Sam Malone before going on stage

Next Michael Berry introduced radio show hosts Sam Malone and Paul Bettencourt. He explained that even though he works for 740am KTRH and Sam Malone, Paul Bettencourt, and Senator Dan Patrick work for 700am KSEV, they are not competitors, but are working together for the same cause. Sam Malone and Paul Bettencourt rallied the crowd and gave some encouraging words! Sam Malone taped the crowd to prove to skeptics that Tea Parties are more that "just a little crowd of radicals." Paul ("The Tax Man") Bettencourt talked about voting out the tax-happy liberals and encouraged everyone to bring 5 people to the polls with them when they go to vote in just a few weeks. Paul Bettencourt is also and an outspoken critic of Houston's big government program and the new fees and burdens proposed in Houston's Proposition 1, which he opposes. 

Paul Bettencourt, Michael Berry, and Sam Malone on stage together, Sam Malone records the crowd

Apostle Claver – RagingElephants.org

Apostle Claver started off by reading a prophetic message from 2 Corinthians 6:14 - 7:1. 

He explained that when he opens the Bible, he sees political parallels.

"I have nothing in common with a liberal, nothing in common. We need public servants that will not compromise, that will not surrender."

He explained that in 1776, the Founders of this Nation went up against a tyrant by the name of King George. "We're facing King George to the 20th power."

"When the fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, they knew they were signing their lives away. Do the people that are asking you to vote for them have that spirit?"

"Tyranny stops now!"

"Tyranny Stops Now!"

The Bible says to purify body of contaminants, "To me socialism, liberalism is a contaminant."

He explained that the #1 cause of death in the Black community is abortion. "And who is the facilitator of their murder? The very same folks that said they would protect them."

He said that Planned Parenthood has just come out with its list of endorsed candidates, and almost every single one of them is in the Congressional Black Caucus. Who will stand up for these innocent lives?

"If you look around, there's something missing? Where are the people of color? They have the same values as we do, but they don't vote that way. We need to go out there and share our values with them. Go to RagingElephants.org and subscribe. Raging Elephants is working hard to reach out to these people."

Laura Ingraham - Fox News Contributor - Talk show host - Renowned author 

Laura Ingraham started off by saying she has been to Texas more in the past year than any other state. "Obama said the enthusiasm gaffe is kind of overblown. I'm looking out on this audience today, and let me tell you - we are blowing them away tonight."

"These are the people who Obama has reached out to Obama has reached out to: women, potheads, the Latino Caucus, the Black Caucus, convicts, dead people, and the atheists."

"Joe Biden said that if the Republicans win, there is going to be Hell to play. Maybe he meant Hell to pay?"

She explained that if Republicans win the Senate seats in Delaware, West Virginia, or Illinois, those seats will be filled immediately since those seats are currently vacant.

Laura Ingraham with her kids Maria (adopted from Guatemala) and Dimitri (adopted from Russia).

Laura Ingraham with Andrew Breitbart after her speech

Senator Dan Patrick - Texas State Senator  - Talk Show Host -KSEV - 700AM

Senator Dan Patrick started off his speech by asking: "Have you noticed that there are fewer and fewer Obama stickers driving around. Must have been Clash for Clunkers - the government didn't think of that, did it?"

Senator Dan Patrick addresses the crowd

Senator Patrick told a story of a man who lost his son in the war. The man told Senator Patrick, "The day our son died defending our liberties, he became not only our son, but a son of America."

Senator Patrick stated, "The people that started Tea Parties don't care if you're a Republican or Democrat, they care about their kids."

Senator Dan Patrick laid out a concise way to manage our nation's immigration problem. He stated that we must secure the border first. Once the border is secured, then we can deal with the people who are here illegally. He said that it is not realistic to deport 10-12 million people. "So our immigration policy is: end sanctuary cities, secure the border, and after that we get to step to and figure out what to do with the people who are here. Once the border is secured, deport all the criminals..."

Poster contest  - The poster that won said,
"If Obama is the answer... How stupid was the question? Can't fix stupid."

Jim McIngvale – "Mattress Mack" - Gallery Furniture

"Obviously the government approach is not working. Stop providing handouts, but instead, help others help themselves."

"Whose judgment to you trust? The judgment of a career politician or the judgment of the American people?"

He finished his speech with the old proverb: "If you give a man fish, you'll feed him for a day. If you teach a man how to fish, you'll feed him for a lifetime."

Andrew Breitbart - BigGoverment.com 

He told the story of Hannah Giles. She helped Breitbart take down ACORN.

"Obama is a socialist - 100% They have told me that I can't say that, well I say, say it as loud as you can. Do you know what socialists are when it comes down to it? Thugs and bullies."

"Brad Freidman likes to attack me all the time. Brad, are you listening? Your partner was the speedway bomber."

"All my enemies use Brad as a reputable source. 
The first line of defense for the left is the mainstream media and Hollywood."

Andrew Breitbart and Hannah Giles

He told a story about how a liberal writer got a hold of a man at the Tea Party who had his gun showing and started a conversation about whether Tea Parties were racist. Breitbart explained that the writer went out of her way to cut off the head of the person in the picture. Why would they go out of their way to not show the man's head? Because the person was Black and him being Black didn't go along with the left's narrative.

Read more about the incident here and view MSNBC's coverage here.

Andrew Breitbart told another story of how Black man, Kenneth Gladney, was beat up by SEIU thugs for selling Gadsden flags ("Don't Tread On Me") flags at a town hall meeting. Breitbart made it the headline story on his blog, but the mainstream media ignored it.

"The mainstream media continues to lie about the American people."

Breitbart explained that he has only 9 employees. How does someone with 9 people take on the government? He said he has a special business model - the American people. "The American people are my eyes and my ears."

View more pictures here.