Richmond Tea Party Report: Liberty 101

Among the Virginians I met at Saturday's "Liberty 101" event in Richmond was the charming Kayrn McDermott who files a report today at the Examiner:

[Richmond talk-radio czar] Doc Thompson . . . told the assembled throng how his political views were formulated after reading Ayn Rand’s tome ‘Atlas Shrugged’ whilst in his twenties. Thompson then went on to introduce over ten speakers . . .

. . . including some guy who gave "a fiery yet humorous address," so read the whole thing.

You meet the most fascinating people at these Tea Party events. The temperature was more than 90 degrees Saturday, so I went searching for ice water amid the vendor tents at the shade-deficient Chesterfield County Fairgrounds.

This thirsty quest led to a conversation with Patrick McSweeney of Restore the Founders' Vision, a Virginia-based grassroots organization, and Ben Marchi, Virginia state director of Americans For Prosperity.

Of course, my feelings were still sore that AFP's Erik Telford insulted me by leaving me out of next month's RightOnline National Conference in Pittsburgh with Michelle Malkin. When I mentioned Erik's name, Ben reminded me that Telford recently made No. 2 on Keith Olbermann's "Worst Person in the World" list. As usual, Olbermann gets the facts wrong -- Telford's No. 1.

That surge of registrations for RightOnline the past two days was caused by my friends signing up for a seminar Telford left off the Pittsburgh conference agenda: "I've Got T-Shirts Older Than You, Punk: Stacy McCain Explains Why He Just Beat the Crap Out of Erik Telford in the Sheraton Lobby." But I digress . . .

Among the folks attending the Richmond event was John Berlau, director of CEI's Center for Investors and Entrepreneurs and author of Eco-Freak: Environmentalism Is Hazardous to Your Health. Yesterday's blazing July sun was a health hazard, so John had slathered his face in sunscreen, but I told him, "Why bother with that stuff? If you get skin cancer, ObamaCare's got you covered!"

Gadsden Flags abounded at the event and the Second Amendment Sisters were out in force. Nothing like a woman packing heat to get a fellow's attention. And, yes, I finally got some ice water at the Protest Warrior tent, where I met the famous Concrete Bob of Free Republic.

Alas, as Pink Elephant Pundit Tabitha Hale informed me, At The Point of a Gun's Dave C. had a family emergency, so I didn't get a chance to meet him.

Glenn Reynolds has more on the Richmond "Liberty 101" event and other Tea Party events. Hey, professor, want to come up to Pittsburgh for the RightOnline conference? I noticed Telford left you off the schedule, too. If that punk's still conscious after I get through pounding on him, Jimmie Bise has called dibs on seconds, but you can have a shot if there's anything left when Jimmie gets done. Which isn't likely, but still possible.