Friday, October 08, 2004

Bush Hates Democracy; Campaign Spokesman Lies

In the ongoing coverage of the Bush campaign, one particular feature has stood out to me. Bush campaign events do not allow dissenters to enter. This has been documented many times, by The Boston Globe; The Washington Post; and even far across the pond in The Guardian.

Apparently, John Kerry puts no restrictions (other than tickets required) on who "gets" to see him on his campaign stops.

Nina Totenberg reported on this story on Morning Edition today. I have paraphrased some of her reporting, but the quotes from the individuals are correct.

I begin in media res with the set-up quote from Bush's campaign spokesman:
Bush campaign chairman Ken Mehlman denies any filtering of crowds: “The crowds aren’t screened. We love the fact that these events are usually huge. We certainly welcome very much folks that want to listen to what the President has to say, regardless of their affiliation regardless of who they intend to support.“

The campaign provided one name of someone who had been kept out of Kerry campaign event, but she did not return calls.

However, there are many reports of people kept out of Bush events. Even high school students.

At Lee Summit H.S. in Missouri, school officials let students out early so they could attend a rally. The campaign ordered the removal of some students because they had buttons or Kerry stickers. The school district did not return calls, but there were reports of youngsters in tears.
Now it’s official. Dubya makes kids cry. Moving along...
Kathy Meade, of Traverse City, MI, Identifies herself as a registered Republican, but is leaning toward On the way into the event, she bought a small Kerry sticker and put it on her lapel. When she went through the second level of security she was told she had to take it off.

“I said, ‘Really? In a democratic society shouldn’t I be able to wear this sticker?’ And at that point, someone else came over and immediately started ripping up my ticket and ripping up my sticker and told me I had to leave immediately.” She was appalled. ...

Barbara Miller of Midland MI calls herself a swing voter who has voted for both republicans and democrats for president. In
August she got tickets to go to bush rally with her husband and daughter. But Miller had on her arm a pro-choice shirt.

“They said, ‘No, we don’t let in any pro-choice non-republican paraphernalia in this event .’” Miller put the shirt on a table and went in without it. But close to the time the president was supposed to arrive, the same man who had stopped her at the door, came over to them and ordered the family to leave. “We said, ‘No, we’re here to see our president.’ We were just dumbfounded. They said, 'If you don’t leave, we’re going to have to call the secret service and you’ll be put in jail.'"
OK, I’m skipping a couple incidents…
Jason Nelson is an iron worker and a first-term county supervisor in Appleton WI. He had been to a small Kerry rally earlier in the day, and had on a Kerry shirt under his long-sleeve denim shirt. When a security search revealed the t-shirt, he like the others was turned away and threatened with arrest when he protested.

“You would have thought that I was like one of the biggest terrorists that was.”

He was directed to a secret service agent.

“He showed me his ID, and I showed him my drivers’ license, and at that point I was telling him, ‘What’s going on? Was this illegal to have this t-shirt on or what?’ And they were e like, “No, we do this for everybody. You just can’t be here.”
And then Totenberg goes to the experts: what's annoying in her wrap-up is that neither seems to point out that only BUSH practices this unprecendented limitation of access and first-amendent rights.

Totenberg interviews the Post’s EJ Dionne, and some guy who works for, get this, the George Bush School of Government. Sure, he’s objective. They point out that campaigns are more scripted and that campaign events play more to committed supporters rather than the general public. OK. That’s probably true. But which campaign requires loyalty oaths? Stops people from attending? Makes high school students cry? That’s right. And it’s not John Kerry.

Yeah, John Kerry lets anyone come in and listen to him – even hecklers. Bush keeps out anyone who even glances to the left.

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