Extremely Low Turnout for 2012 AFP Tea Party Madison Rally

Despite the beautiful spring weather, and free bus rides to the event from every major city in Wisconsin, turnout for today's American for Prosperity Tea Party rally was under a thousand, way down from previous years. The picture below shows the crowd at about peak.

The crowd was so small and thin that I was easily able walk right up the middle to within about fifty feet of the stage several times during the event. Compare the Tea Party crowd to this video of one of the anti-Walker protest last year. Gives you an idea just of how pathetic the astroturf Tea Party movement has become.

Tea Party Hires Security Guards as "Scare Tactic" at Madison Tax Day Rally

It's funny what people will tell you if you ask them politely. A private security guard at today's Americans for Prosperity Tea Party rally in Madison said that his company was hired as a "scare tactic" to intimidate counter-protesters. I guess the Capitol Police just aren't mean enough for the Koch brothers.

Attendance was way down at the event this year, although AFP seems to be setting a new record for its inflated crowd size claims. More on that later...