ACLU obtains Presidential Advance Manual which calls for 'rally squads' to drown out demonstrators

[sabra]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2007/06/29/BL2007062901157_5.html

"The Presidential Advance Manual calls for Bush volunteers to distribute tickets in a manner to deter protesters and to stop demonstrators from entering. It also calls for 'rally squads' to drown out demonstrators and get between them and news cameras. The manual was obtained through a deposition in a West Virginia case."

The ACLU has Web-published a heavily redacted but nevertheless fascinating copy of that official White House Presidential Advance Manual.

http://www.aclu.org/pdfs/freespeech/presidential_advance_manual.pdf

[Solly Mack]

1. k/r

[liberaldemocrat7]

22. Why does the name Ferdinand Marcos appear appropriate here.

Why does the name Ferdinand Marcos come into view with the Bush crowd?

Stealing elections, crony capitalism. Yes I see why.

[greenbriar]

2. that is awesome

I love it

[blogslut]

3. The hive must have it's orders from the queen

n/t

[greenbriar]

4. rec'd number 5

sweet

[mainegreen]

5. I hope the rally squad doesn't involve Cheny in a two tone cheerleading skirt.

[babylonsister]

6. Is there anyone left to rally for him?

:shrug:

[gratuitous]

7. The manual is from October 2002

But it seems to confirm what DU has suspected for a long time. These so-called First Amendment Zones and the systematic exclusion of citizens from public events featuring elected officials were all part of a White House plan.

This is prima facie evidence of an intent to abridge citizens' constitutional rights. Too bad impeaching someone over that would be a meaningless gesture that would only hurt the country by holding wrongdoers accountable.*

*Reasoning not applicable if you're not a well-connected white guy, so don't even try it.

[originalpckelly]

10. Makes me just so sick to see a President go to such lengths to hide dissent.

It's like we're living in the Soviet Union.

[nolabels]

36. How can you hide when so many have found it not worth watching?

Going down as the worst president EVER is not an accomplishment :shrug:

[PurpleChez]

56. It's because he and his followers know that he has no legitimacy

or real ability whatsoever.

[BrainGlutton]

14. From 2002 . . . So is there any info about what "Advance Manual" they're using NOW?

[cui bono]

12. Undocumented workers. That's why he wanted the immigration bill passed.

So he could have cheap labor for rallies.

[Joanne98]

44. Oh isn't that interesting.

[Tekla West]

15. Like anything else

I'm guessing they will contract Haliburton for them

[momster]

17. Paid Rally-ers?

In the last MD election, the pubbies bused in homeless people from up north to rally for Steele. They paid them (a pittance) and lied about it until the men started talking to the press. The men didn't know what they'd been hired to do until they got here. Some of them said they wouldn't have come if they'd known they'd be working for the Republican candidate!

[bigtree]

8. fascinating

confirming

[originalpckelly]

9. Holy shit! This is basically saying the President doesn't want to hear anything...

that doesn't agree with his point of view.

I think it's fairly clear this President isn't interested in democracy, but this just adds more evidence to that claim.

[cui bono]

11. I took it more that he doesn't want anyone to know there's people who

disagree with him. That would explain having his rally squad between protesters and the news cameras.

[malaise]

43. Duh?

:D

[glitch]

13. God they are weak. They can't stand anything. nt

[Laelth]

16. Not surprising, but well worthy of dissemination.

k&r

-Laelth

[Uncle Joe]

18. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread sabra.

[Diane R]

19. Gonzales came to our town on Wed. Massive police and undercover presence and intimidation.

This confirms what I saw on Wednesday, and at all other times when bush or cheney came to town.

On Wednesday, there were TWO people given free access to the sidewalk in front of the building Gonzales would be in. All protesters were kept far away. The next day, the newspaper identified the two people as 'supporters'.

Why are supporters always allowed access to areas protesters are arrested for trespassing on? If they want to keep the two groups separate, the areas should be equal.

Police were very intimidating, and two protesters were arrested. Amazing since the average protester age was 50, and there were less than 60 of us. We were treated like huge threats to the country.

Of course, they snuck the little weasel in a back door. They always have to sneak them in.

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. Is this legal?

[file83]

21. It's an organized effort by the Executive Branch to DISRUPT the freedom of speech of citizens.

Their "loop hole" is that the "rally squads" are volunteers/citizens. I'm not a lawyer, but it shouldn't matter whether the disruptors are volunteers or paid - their orders come from the Executive Branch.

It seems completely unconstitutional to me.

[proud2BlibKansan]

23. My friend's 17 year old daughter was removed from a rally in 2004

by two of those (thug) volunteers. Her mistake? Sitting next to a girl wearing an anti-bush t-shirt!

[file83]

26. I would probably end up arrested if someone tried to do that to me.

Don't get me started!

[liberaldemocrat7]

24. Ferdinand Marcos hired thugs to suppress the vote during his fixed elections.

I imagine Marcos also had thugs break up demonstrations.

He surely had someone kill Benigno Aquino, an opposition leader.

[file83]

28. They probably learned that trick from the CIA or School of the Americas.

The world, they seem to think, is our social experimental laboratory.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

48. That was horrible. Aquino had barely stepped off the plane. I lived in HI at the time and Filipino

friends and acquaintances were horrified. MKJ

[Squatch]

53. Disrupt does not equal deny.

[file83]

63. Are you a lawyer?

[unkachuck]

25. Stormtroopers....

"...Hitler himself created the Ordnertruppen, a body of muscular Nazis, ex-soldiers, and beer hall brawlers in order to protect his speeches and NSDAP (Nazi) gatherings from disruptions from Social Democrat and Communist elements. It originally functioned as a group of bodyguards to enforce order at Nazi gatherings."


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmabteilung

[file83]

27. There goes that damned history again, just repeating itself!

:grr:

[SpiralHawk]

49. "Smirk" - Prescott "Nazi Banker" Bush

"Someone had to fund Adolf and his cute little Nazi goons, and I am proud that it was someone from the Bush Family Skull & Boner occult Cabal: me"

- Grandpoppy Prescott "Skull & Boner" Bush

[DKRC]

57. Everytime I hear "Skull & Bones" I think

of this

[Fearless]

29. Between this and voter fraud

Maybe we should start moving in greater numbers, wouldn't want to get picked off one by one.

[Hubert Flottz]

30. K&R

Cowards never stop running.

[Downtown Hound]

31. Hell, what do you think Protest Warrior was?

Two kids in their 20's that somehow managed to travel all over the country to harass anti-war demonstrators, maintain a website with a forum, and organize a cross-country movement, and do it all without holding jobs? I'd love to do that, only I'd protest Bushco instead. Unfortunately, I have to work. It seems that the PW leaders found a way around that. Wherever could they have gotten all that money from? Somehow I doubt all that money came from donations from a group that could never get more than 10-15 people to show up at their rallies.

Hmmm....

[RadiDem]

33. Protest Warrior AKA 'Pretend Warrior' bit the dust, folded like a cheap suit! RIP PW LOSERS!

[go west young man]

58. Their site was comical as they were all young kids eligible for

military service but when questioned on that subject they folded like paper bags. Funnily enough their avatars were pictures of themselves with no shirts on showing their "muscles". Weird shit. They definently had a closet gay vibe to em. I'm sure Bush used their dumb asses just as he uses everyone else.

[barbtries]

32. this thing is something else

i haven't read it all, but considering what is not redacted...wow
they've no use for free speech. i wonder really how can anybody be part of this and not feel the stench of the taint. not know on some level that these people are not good americans or even good people. i dunno. i'm just kinda blown away

[RadiDem]

34. K&R Official manual of the brownshirts!

[HuffleClaw]

35. so? that is hardly newsworthy

and is standard practice in politics.

[SpiralHawk]

37. More republicon shame - Our tax dollars at work

Would the republicons use our money to feed even one hungry person? No. They only spend to fatten up their corrupt cronies, and to catapult propaganda at the honest citizens of the USA.

Bush and the republicons have NO HONOR>

[oldgrowth]

38. k&r

[ck4829]

39. We all know what these "rally squads" were for AND why this manual is heavily redacted

It's about the lead-up to the Iraq War, that's why.

[spanone]

40. ...and i thought i was just paranoid.

[trof]

41. Words fail.

OK, not entirely.
First reaction is outrage and second is "Are you really surprised?"
jeez

[Joanne98]

42. The rally squads can drown out protesters with chants of USA USA USA!

Now we know what to listen for. lol

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

45. I wonder if this crosses the line and violates the Hatch Act? I hope Waxman gets his

hands on this.

[cboy4]

46. Gee, I wonder how many members of the "rally squads" have enlisted

to serve in the war they support in Iraq?

I'd put the number anywhere between zero and zero.

Gutless loud mouths. :puke:

[alfredo]

47. Are we a Unitary Executive yet? Tips below.

Make sure people link the term "Unitary Executive" and dictator. (Yes, it can happen here.) Show other instances where the junta has cleaned up their unpopular actions with names like "Clear Skies Initiative", body bags are now "Transfer Tubes." I'm sure you can find other such use of language. Be sure to use the dictator quote from Dec 2000. The quote will lend weight to your argument.


The manual above really shows their hand. I'd love to know what was in the redacted part. The part about the physical confrontation is nothing more than CYA.

[lonestarnot]

50. This one peace activists have a hard time with because they don't

have it in them to be confrontational with these types of solicited downer outters. Didn't fucking work with me. Does mean I hate peace? Nope. Just choose my own battles and for the right reasons.

[tanyev]

51. GOP Paranoia.

Pg. 35: Remember - avoid physical contact with demonstrators! Most often, the demonstrators want a physical confrontation. Do not fall into their trap!

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

52. Wow! The executive directly obstructs freedom of speech!!!

:wow: Yet, ANOTHER example of how this administration is ANTI-American, ANTI-Constitution, ANTI-Democracy. IT intentionally obstructed political dissent.

[orleans]

54. surprise surprise surprise.....

:sarcasm:

grrr

[BrklynLiberal]

55. OMIGOD! What has this country become? I am truly terrified by OUR govt..NOT by the so-called

'terraists" that are "out there" trying to "get us"..
How can they hate us for our freedom when we do not have any freedom anymore?
:scared: :shrug: :cry:

[L. Coyote]

59. Isn't this document inherently illegal. Hatch Act prohibits use of USG resources politically

and this is balatantly political with regard to demonstrators. It also flys in the face of the Constitution.

These idiots built and lit their own bonfire. Are we supposed to run for water? I don't think so.

[AzDar]

60. Jeezus Christ! Why not just have them wear brown shirts, too?

:wow:

George W. Bush : the UN-American President.

[EFerrari]

61. And this, my friends, is also exactly what BushCo and the oligarchy

is doing in Venezuela.

It always comes home.

[helderheid]

62. USA! USA! USA!