Bush volunteers turn away protesters

[Nambe]

MANKATO, Minn. (AP)

... Nick Burkhardt and Matt Klaber of Mankato initially were denied rally tickets after making unfavorable comments about the president while waiting in line for three hours. They later were given tickets, but when they got off the shuttle bus at the quarry they were told they couldn't go in.

They agreed to leave, but a Mankato West High School teacher who was accompanying them says he also was asked to leave when he tried to defend the boys.

Global geography teacher Jim Walz said he wanted to stay and was told by a Bush official that he would be arrested and escorted out if he made any attempt to protest during the rally.

Walz says if appearances by the President of the United States are treated as private political events, then cities are right to bill the campaign for the expenses of local law enforcement.

Ride Don’t Drive It’s Global Cool

[SheepyMcSheepster]

1. seems fair to me, bill them if not everyone is invited

[w13rd0]

2. Absolutely...

...Bush should be billed for every friggin stop.

[cthrumatrix]

3. perfect logic...AWOL is not for all americans...this proves how his

little private parties will bite him

[wtmusic]

4. welcome back Nambe

:hi:

[loftycity]

5. Fascism is here---never thought it could happen in Minnesota

[snippy]

8. It is illegal to protest in the presence of the Leader.

Hasn't it always been this way? After all, if Americans have the right to protest in the presence of the Leader then the terrorists have won.

[tlcandie]

6. That's the yell!!!

Public or pay up!!!

[Wapsie B]

7. God talk about tightly-scripted appearances.

His bussed-in and handpicked audiences aren't enough? When did this become acceptable?

[snippy]

9. People have been arrested at Bush rallies for wearing Kerry teeshirts. n/t

[Ignis]

15. What?!

I knew that people with Kerry shirts were being hassled and refused entry to Shrub/Cheney/GOP events, but I didn't know they were actually being arrested for it.

Do you have a link to an article on the subject? I'd love to spread it around to a few fence-sitters I know.

[struggle4progress]

16. Trespass charges dropped against Bush protesters

Thursday, July 15, 2004
By JENNIFER BUNDY - The Associated Press
CHARLESTON, W.Va.
<snip>

Nicole and Jeff Rank of Corpus Christi, Texas, were removed from the (president’s July 4 rally at the West Virginia Capitol) in restraints after taking off an outer layer of clothes to reveal homemade T-shirts that had President Bush’s name with a slash through it and the words "Love America, Hate Bush" on the back.
<snip>

"We certainly did not expect to be arrested for expressing our freedom of expression," Jeff Rank said. He said they were not protesting in any other way than simply wearing the shirts and did not said anything.
<snip>

Jones said the city officers who filed the trespassing charges were acting under the direction of the Secret Service.
<snip>

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/2004/July/15/update.htm


It seems to have been federal policy to insist that local law enforcement target protestors.

[Ignis]

17. Well, there goes my jaw off the floor again.

Just when one thinks that 'protest zones' would be about as low as one could possibly go, BushCo strikes again.

Presumably, Shrub went on to speak on the subject of 'defending America's freedoms' after the Ranks were hauled away in restraints.

Thanks much for the link.

[struggle4progress]

23. You betcha that's what * did ...

Remarks by the President at 4th of July Celebration
West Virginia State Capitol Grounds
Charleston, West Virginia

... On this 4th of July, we confirm our love of freedom, the freedom for people to speak their minds, the freedom for people to worship as they so choose. (Applause.) Free thought, free expression, that's what we believe ...

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/07/20040704.html

[Ignis]

24. Right, that's it.

My irony metre just hit 'TILT'. You just can't make up sadder/funnier jokes than the reality of BushCo.

[merh]

10. 3 More Months! 3 MORE MONTHS, 3 More Months !!!!!

Someone needs to sue the campaign. It is a separate legal entity, and if it is violating civil rights, then it should be sued.

[donkeyotay]

11. how about a two-way street here

Sooo... republicans can show up at Kerry events and disrupt and shout over our candidate, but no one can protest at one of their events...

Sounds about as fair and balanced as the media coverage.

[stevedeshazer]

12. Then Bush and Cheney

owe MY city at least $2 million in police overtime, not to mention lost business to small business owners who were forced to shut down to accommodate these "private", NOT PUBLIC, events. :grr:

[Ilsa]

13. This is great! The undecideds also can't get in if they have to sign

loyalty oaths. They are preaching to the choir! What kind of campaign is that, if not a losing campaign? It should go down in the history books as one of the stupidest ploys in presidential campaign history.

[Avalon Sparks]

20. Excellent point Ilsa!

I hadn't thought of that.

What's the point of just preaching to the choir?

Stupid, stupid when campaigning.

[Piperay]

21. Apparently it is geared for nothing but

the TV media. I guess bushco hopes it will look to the TV viewers as though they have a large supportive crowd and they hope the undecided viewer is too stupid to realize it is a handpicked crowd. Seems like a stupid tactic to me where they aren't going to gain anything except deepening support of the hardcore they already have. :eyes:

[Bernardo de La Paz]

14. Bill the Bush private political events

"Walz says if appearances by the President of the United States are treated as private political events, then cities are right to bill the campaign for the expenses of local law enforcement."

Right on.

[TheWraith]

18. Right on yourself, Gospodin Professor. ;-) NT

[lostnfound]

19. So will this story be picked up by the national press?

Not.

[Robbien]

22. What a contrast

Only the staunch party supporters get in and only half listen to the canned speech. We know this to be true because no one at the rally heard when Bush declared himself to be an enemy of America.

Then read the reports in GD where DUers go to the Kerry/Edwards rallys. The excitment drips from each word they write when hours later they are telling us the stories.