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“Mr. Hurt gave me a commitment on the phone just after Thanksgiving,” said Mark Lloyd of the Lynchburg Tea Party, and organizer of the VA 5th District Tea Party Debates. “We had a pleasant conversation and checked the calendar together,” Lloyd explained, adding, “Mr. Hurt told me that date should work since it was early in the legislative session, that things would get difficult for him after that. We agreed to hold the first of the three Tea Party Debates in Charlottesville so Mr. Hurt would be able to travel from Richmond easily. I really thought we had a deal. We’re very disappointed in his decision.”

Lloyd said his group had “worked really hard to create a public forum for the candidates to lay out their vision for the voters in the 5th district.” Lloyd continued, “We regret that Mr. Hurt won’t be there to explain his positions on the issues — especially his controversial tax votes in Richmond that so many of our members are concerned about. We will have an open chair for him, just in case he can work us into his schedule.”

In 2004, State Senator Hurt voted to increase taxes $1.5 billion in Virginia, and was only one of 15 Republican state senators to vote in favor of it, joining every Democrat in the legislature. Lloyd held out hope that Hurt would attend future debates. Lloyd said, “I hope that he will make himself available for the debates in Lynchburg in February and Southside in March. I guess we’ll just have to see. The campaign does know of these following debates.” Lloyd said the dates and times for the upcoming debates would be announced shortly, saying he still wanted to work with all candidates to find mutual availability.

Roger Schweikert of the Jefferson Area Tea Party of Charlottesville, said “Virginians, like people all across the country, are tired of this sort of game playing from professional politicians.” Nigel Coleman of the Danville Tea Party Patriots agreed, “Mr. Hurt is making a mistake. The Tea Party movement is growing in the 5th district and all over the country, and to not make himself available may really hurt him in the upcoming primary and election”.

READ MORE: Read Feda Morton’s response to Hurt’s debate evasion at www.fedaforcongress.com

Rally Schedule -
Date: Tuesday, December 15
Location: Upper Senate Park on Constitution Ave (between New Jersey & Delaware NE)
Rally Start time: 1:30 pm
Dispersal to Senate offices: 3:00 pm
Please wear RED!!!

Speakers at the rally -
Laura Ingraham
Sen. Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK)
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.)
Rick Scott, Conservatives for Patients’ Rights
Tim Phillips, AFP
Andrew Breitbart (invited)
Rally Co-Sponsors -
Americans for Prosperity
Let Freedom Ring
60 Plus
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
Regular Folks United
Tea Party Patriots
Freedom Works
Citizens Against Government Waste
National Taxpayers Union
Concerned Women for America
Conservatives for Patients’ Rights
Eagle Forum
Catholic Families for America
Independent Women’s Voice
Keeping Small Business Healthy (a project of the Institute for Liberty)
Smart Girl Politics
Hispanic Leadership Fund

If you have further questions or would like to join the bus ride please email Aaron through our contact page and type “Bus Trip” in the subject line. Be sure to include a return number for someone to contact you at with the details. The bus is filling up fast so RSVP if you are interested.

“We are compelled to speak out against this proposed legislation,” explained Aaron Evans, director of Spreading the Gospel Light Ministries in Martinsville, which is coordinating the multi-denominational effort across the state. “We fear that this health care plan, however well-intentioned, will be a disaster for our people, morally, spiritually and financially.”

Evans further noted that it is rare for pastors to join together publicly to comment on legislation, however the pastors feel an urgency to try to convince their congressmen, Rick Boucher, Tom Perriello and Glenn Nye, to vote against the proposed reforms.

“As spiritual leaders in a region and a state that has been decimated by the recent recession, we recognize the dramatic urgency for some real reforms in our health care system, but we cannot stand silent in light of the outrageous violations of the dignity of the human person that are contained in this proposed legislation,” Evans stated. “We are especially concerned about the inclusion of coverage for abortion and euthanasia as well as the dismantling of many of the best parts of our current system, and the horrendous financial cost to future generations.”

Here are details on the press conferences:

Wednesday, Oct. 28:

Martinsville: 11:30 a.m., Old County Courthouse, downtown.  Aaron Evans, director of Spreading the Gospel Light Ministries, will moderate.

Wytheville: 3:30 p.m., Wythe County Courthouse, Wytheville. Rev. Jack Morgan, associate pastor at Real Life Ministries in Wytheville, will moderate.

Thursday, Oct. 29:

Virginia Beach: 2:00 p.m., Conference Room at Virginia Beach Central Library. Rev. Tommy Taylor, pastor of London Bridge Baptist Church in Virginia Beach will moderate.

Aaron Evans

GALAX, Va. – “As the health care plan proposal speeds ahead, many in the faith-based community in Virginia’s 9th district are disappointed to see that Congressman Rick Boucher is waffling on his promise to oppose the public option in this ill-advised legislation,” said Aaron Evans, cable TV talk show host and director of Spreading the Gospel Light Ministries, based in Fieldale, Va.

“As I talk to pastors in the region I hear the same thing over and over. Pastors are tired of the tired old rhetoric, and the game-playing. When we learned that Congressman Boucher is saying he only `leaning’ against the public option this week, we realized he is betraying the promise made in August during the town hall in Abingdon to oppose the public option. More than 1,000 people heard that promise.”

Evans is the founder of Spreading the Gospel Light Ministries and helps, challenges, and assists pastors across Virginia to step forward as leaders outside of the four walls of their church, standing as voices for truth impacting the culture around them. Evans’ talk show is aired weekly on several TV cable networks in southern Virginia.

“We are watching Boucher very closely on this issue, to see if he follows through on the promise he made going forward in these crucial days and weeks as Congress considers the various parts of the legislation,” Evans said.

Evans added that the profound implications of the health plan — particularly the wholesale funding of abortion and the rationing of care that will no doubt lead to euthanasia — are raising concerns among pastors.

“We intend to speak out more forcefully,” Evans said. “We are speaking for our children and our children’s children.”