Sunday, August 01, 2004
Fearmongers Bush & Cheney fear the people
Do you want to see Bush or Cheney in person for some inexplicable reason? Well, if you're a Democrat, it will cost you—not money, but your soul.
The price of a ticket to one of their campaign speeches is signing a pledge that you endorse Misleader Bush, after you supply your name, address, phone number, email address and driver's license, as a group of Democrats in El Paso, Texas, found out when they wanted to attend a Cheney speech.
A Vietnam veteran said he also was asked if he belonged to a veterans', pro-life, gun rights' or teachers' groups. What no proof of church affiliation or oaths stating you are not and never have been a terrorist or that you repent your evil liberalism?
And the reason given for this extortion and unwarranted invasion of privacy? “Secret Service stuff.”
Might Democrats be subjected to strip searches, too, to make sure they haven't secreted an anti-Bush sign in their underwear; a sign that will later be pulled out and displayed to the TV cameras?
In Tucson, an organizer for a Cheney lie-fest there, demanded to know the race of Arizona Daily Star journalist Mamta Popat, who was assigned to photograph Vice Misleader Potty Mouth.
Calling the request “outrageous,” managing editor Teri Hayt refused to provide the information, as did two other editors GOP organizer Christine Walton had spoken to before she called Hayt.
Equally outrageous, Bush and Cheney require all reporters covering them to undergo a background check, which means their dates of birth and Social Security numbers must be disclosed, in addition to their names. The Star had complied with that “requirement” prior to Walton asking about the race of Ms. Popat, who happens to be of Indian ancestry.
The kicker was that Walton claimed it was necessary for the Secret Service to know Ms. Popat's race in case someone else had the same name.
First it was herding protesters in protest pens, erroneously called First Amendment or Free Speech Zones, where Bush could neither see nor hear them. Then it was arresting protesters with valid tickets to his rallies, who dared display anti-Bush signs. Now it's forcing people to sign oaths of loyalty to Bush in order to be allowed in the same arena with him or Cheney, and racial profiling.
Yet, people who get their “news” from the television trivia mills don't have a clue how carefully vetted those Bush and Cheney rallies are; how afraid this dastardly duo are of the people. That big tent the GOP talks about is only for Republicans and Bush loyalists. The rest of America, keep out!
The price of a ticket to one of their campaign speeches is signing a pledge that you endorse Misleader Bush, after you supply your name, address, phone number, email address and driver's license, as a group of Democrats in El Paso, Texas, found out when they wanted to attend a Cheney speech.
A Vietnam veteran said he also was asked if he belonged to a veterans', pro-life, gun rights' or teachers' groups. What no proof of church affiliation or oaths stating you are not and never have been a terrorist or that you repent your evil liberalism?
And the reason given for this extortion and unwarranted invasion of privacy? “Secret Service stuff.”
Might Democrats be subjected to strip searches, too, to make sure they haven't secreted an anti-Bush sign in their underwear; a sign that will later be pulled out and displayed to the TV cameras?
In Tucson, an organizer for a Cheney lie-fest there, demanded to know the race of Arizona Daily Star journalist Mamta Popat, who was assigned to photograph Vice Misleader Potty Mouth.
Calling the request “outrageous,” managing editor Teri Hayt refused to provide the information, as did two other editors GOP organizer Christine Walton had spoken to before she called Hayt.
Equally outrageous, Bush and Cheney require all reporters covering them to undergo a background check, which means their dates of birth and Social Security numbers must be disclosed, in addition to their names. The Star had complied with that “requirement” prior to Walton asking about the race of Ms. Popat, who happens to be of Indian ancestry.
The kicker was that Walton claimed it was necessary for the Secret Service to know Ms. Popat's race in case someone else had the same name.
First it was herding protesters in protest pens, erroneously called First Amendment or Free Speech Zones, where Bush could neither see nor hear them. Then it was arresting protesters with valid tickets to his rallies, who dared display anti-Bush signs. Now it's forcing people to sign oaths of loyalty to Bush in order to be allowed in the same arena with him or Cheney, and racial profiling.
Yet, people who get their “news” from the television trivia mills don't have a clue how carefully vetted those Bush and Cheney rallies are; how afraid this dastardly duo are of the people. That big tent the GOP talks about is only for Republicans and Bush loyalists. The rest of America, keep out!
