Three Thousand Citizens Rally at Statehouse Tea Party

An estimated 3,000 South Carolinians swarmed the Statehouse April 15 to protest excessive government spending and push for a return to small government and individual liberty. Governor Mark Sanford and U.S. Senator Jim DeMint each had their speeches interrupted by applause and cheers as both praised citizens for their opposition to the federal stimulus package and what they claimed is the United States' move toward socialism.

The Tea Party was one of hundreds planned throughout the state and country on the day millions of Americans file state and federal tax returns.

Organizer Britton Clark told the crowd "Thank God for officials like Gov. Mark Sanford. They have been reviled, they have been mocked by the media for doing the right thing."

Governor Sanford told the crowd their strength in numbers is unforgettable and will send a strong signal to elected officials in South Carolina and across the country.

"Thank you for being here. There was a gathering here at this same spot just a couple weeks ago with a group of teachers...and that group was a whole lot smaller than this group," said Sanford.

DeMint told the crowd their push for more individual freedom and liberty is precisely what makes America strong.

"What works in America is always and has always been freedom," DeMint said. "The only way we're going to stop our...spending is to do these (rallies) all over the country as long as it takes to take back our government."