Tea Party Patriots, Including Many From Sammamish, Rally in Bellevue on Friday Evening

By 5 p.m. on Friday, U.S. flags and signs critical of President Barack Obama were waving in the air along Factoria Boulevard Southeast in Bellevue.

About 50 to 60 supporters of the Tea Party Patriots gathered for a Tax Day rally on the busy street, near Factoria Mall, to let commuters know of their message of lower taxes, fiscal responsibility, free markets and limited government.

"I want my country back," said Del Tingwall, a 77-year-old from Sammamish. "I want the values that I knew. We weren't in debt. People used to help each other."

The people who stood on the busy street said they came from Sammamish, Issaquah, Bellevue, Renton, Seattle, Covington and Maple Valley. The rally marked the second of its kind on Friday.

Earlier, Attorney General Rob McKenna to a crowd of Tea Party supporters, conservatives and Republicans at a rally at Bellevue City Hall. At that rally, there was a smaller group protesting the Tea Party supporters. At this flag and sign waving event on Friday evening, there were no counter protesters.

In the Sammamish-Issaquah area, there are about 350 supporters of the Tea Party Patriots, state coordinator Woody Hertzog said.

"We're average Americans who feel politicians aren't listening to us," the 40-year-old from Sammamish said.

"It comes down to reckless spending. We're here to protest reckless spending."

Among his other concerns: The country's deficit, federal health care legislation which he feels is being "mandated down the people" and high taxes. He believes in a strict interpretation of the U.S. Constitution and what its framers wanted.

Or as Tingwall noted: "Less government is good government - at all levels."

For example, Hertzog said, the document does not contain any requirement for the U.S. Department of Education. He would like to see more public policy matters handled on the local level. 

The Tea Party Patriots, he added, are just as furious with Democrats as the Republicans.

Joining the Tea Party Patriots at this rally were members of the Sons of Liberty Riders, a motorcycle group that supports a "free republic."

On the business card of the group's president was a mission statement: "We will ride and support any event or group which promotes constitutional principles, freedom & liberty."

As the Tea Party Patriots stood on the street, motorists honked in support. A few honked in opposition - flashing a thumbs down sign as they passed. One woman blew air kisses from her passenger seat.

One woman kept honking her car's horn. When she was stopped in traffic, she rolled down her window to talk with the Tea Party Patriots.

"I'm going to drive back and forth," she said, meaning that her honking in support of the crowd would continue.