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bittergirl

bittergirl

Cleveland, OH
November 2002

AUG 01, 2004 11:02 AM

VP Dick Cheney's campaign stop in New Mexico this weekend required potential attendees to sign a "loyalty oath" in order to witness the wonder that is Dick.

The oath reads, in part, as follows:

"I, (full name) ... do herby (sic) endorse George W. Bush for reelection of the United States." It later adds that, "In signing the above endorsement you are consenting to use and release of your name by Bush-Cheney as an endorser of President Bush."

So much for freedom of assembly, and of the press. Local RNC organizers selectively enforced the pledge requirement - a reporter for the Albuquerque Journal who is a registered Republican was not required to comply.

Lawyers who attempted to obtain a last-minute court order to open the event to the public were shot down.

swingkitten

swingkitten

Portland, OR
OLD SKOOL

AUG 01, 2004 11:20 AM

Woah.

FrankMask

FrankMask

Saint Paul, MN
June 2003

AUG 01, 2004 11:44 AM

As far as I know, they're not stepping on anybodies rights by doing this. If you want to have a private club you can have a private club.

stockula

stockula

Anchorage, AK
May 2003

AUG 01, 2004 12:03 PM

I think the idea is to avoid situations like this:

HOLDING THEIR GROUND [PAUL WOLFOWITZ's PROFILE]
As Critics Zero In, Paul Wolfowitz Is Unflinching On Iraq Policy
by Thomas E. Ricks
Washington Post
December 23, 2003

In late September, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul D. Wolfowitz appeared in Manhattan at an event sponsored by the New Yorker magazine. As he began to speak, he was interrupted by shouts of "War criminal!" and "Murderer!"
"I can't resist," he said evenly, surveying the audience. "This is what is wonderful about this country. It is -- "

Another shout: "Shame on you."

Wolfowitz drove on: " -- and what is finally wonderful is 50 million, roughly 50 million Afghans and Iraqis, are finally able to speak this way without having their tongues cut out."

A few minutes later, a young man ran to the base of the stage, jabbed a finger at Wolfowitz and shouted: "You should be tried for treason, you Nazi!"

If Wolfowitz was jarred by the attack, he showed no sign of it. Rather, he looked a bit distant as he coolly responded: "Frankly, my own reading of history is that exactly this kind of tactic is what the Nazis did and what the totalitarians did in trying to stop people from listening and talking."

Saddam Hussein, he went on to say, was a malevolent dictator who clearly needed to be removed for the good of both the American and the Iraqi peoples. "I think anyone with the slightest bit of moral sense understood what an evil man Saddam was and how much better off the world would be with him gone." Later in the same session, he added, "To me, it's almost beyond argument."


http://www.benadorassociates.com/article/827

celluloid

celluloid

HOPEFUL

Chicago, IL

AUG 01, 2004 12:09 PM

Impeach Cheney

[Edited on Aug 01, 2004 12:11PM]

Southuhn

Southuhn

San Diego, CA
February 2004

AUG 01, 2004 12:37 PM

It does sound like kind of a dumb tactic. Isn't this the definition of "preaching to the choir?"

MajorTomias

MajorTomias

Richmond, VA
December 2003

AUG 01, 2004 01:17 PM

celluloid said:
Impeach Cheney

[Edited on Aug 01, 2004 12:11PM]



Hey! this is a link to the larouche website. That guy is a nutcase
whatever

aegies

aegies

Oakland, CA
June 2004

AUG 01, 2004 01:36 PM

I realize that they aren't breaking any laws in doing this, and that it is their full right to want to stock this appearance with hard core bush-cheney supporters. However, seeing the administration do this and using other tactics to subvert free speech, association, and the opinion of ALL of the electorate is really starting to make me feel a little sick to my stomach. I'm not even referring to disgust, although I suppose I do feel that from time to time. This is more a feeling of worry and grief at the state politics in this country are in right now. I won't pretend that this is only a republican movement, as I'm sure there are instances of democratic groups acting along the same lines, but this as a small example of the conservative attempts to consolidate power where they have it, and to polarize and divide the american people to suit their own ends makes me sad, and afraid for our country. I want an administration that won't willfully use fear in the manner that this presidency has as a political tool, and who won't use the spectre of terrorism and violence to frighten people into reelecting the incumbent. Is that terribly much to ask?

AceTracer

acetracer

Hollywood, FL
January 2004

AUG 01, 2004 01:46 PM

Everyday I'm more confused at stockula's habit of posting totally irrevalent articles as responses; it's like he's not even trying anymore whatever

DeceptiviewFilm

DeceptiviewFilm

Parlin, NJ
February 2004

AUG 01, 2004 01:46 PM

whoa. I mean its just....whoa. Talk bout the New World Order. I'm waiting for Shock Troopers to Come and break my door down....

Southuhn

Southuhn

San Diego, CA
February 2004

AUG 01, 2004 01:58 PM

AceTracer said:
Everyday I'm more confused at stockula's habit of posting totally irrevalent articles as responses; it's like he's not even trying anymore whatever


I think he meant, "They've learned that they have a lot more enemies than supporters, so they have to be kind of picky or it'll turn into an anti-campaign rally."

pb

pb

USA
December 2003

AUG 01, 2004 02:28 PM

puke mad puke

not_quite

not_quite

Vancouver, WA
December 2003

AUG 01, 2004 02:32 PM

Loalty oaths? like in <i>Catch-22</i>?

emmy_mayhem

emmy_mayhem

Albuquerque, NM
January 2004

AUG 01, 2004 02:34 PM

Im just wondering how many people I know signed it. A bunch of guys I work with were on the lighting and sound calls for the Cheney event. Did the crew have to sign on?? Eeep. What a thought.

Isadore

Isadore

HOPEFUL

Mesa, AZ

AUG 01, 2004 02:37 PM

Well, that's one sure way to make sure you have a captive audience!!! Sheez! This is just weird. Like he's afraid to take criticism in an open forum. He should be able to stand up in front of an audience comprised of all U.S. citizens, irregardless of party affiliation, to speak. And face the fucking music!!! mad

Evolkix

Evolkix

Van Nuys, CA
March 2004

AUG 01, 2004 02:46 PM

so much for democracy.....

deegee

deegee

I'm lost
July 2004

AUG 01, 2004 02:51 PM

If someone attends the event, signs the form and then yells out that he's a war criminal what are they going to do? Will they sue someone because they said they were a supporter and it turned out they weren't?

What if someone went along and part way through thought "hang on... I thought I supported this guy but now that I've heard some of what he's saying I realise he's an immoral asshole and a war criminal. That piece of paper I signed no longer adequately represents my opinion so I'd better make sure they understand how I feel now with a little shouting out". Or something.

DoctorSkinny

DoctorSkinny

Toronto, ON
October 2003

AUG 01, 2004 03:18 PM

There's no problem with signing it then voting for Kerry. It's not a legally binding document. It's like high school kids signing the "I promise not to fuck" pledges -- it doesn't mean anything. They're going to use the list for an ad campaign where they'll say X amount of people promised to vote for Bush, trying to make the undecided "VOTE FOR TEH WINNAR!@#$" since everybody else seems to be doing it.

EDITED to add:
I wonder how much spam the people who pledged their allegiance are going to receive.

[Edited on Aug 01, 2004 5:27PM]

Helter

Helter

Chester, PA
OLD SKOOL

AUG 01, 2004 04:58 PM

BrokenGavelBlues said:
Sure, they CAN do it. I don't particularly think it's violating any sort of civil liberties or anything like that, it's just really kind of an asshole-ish move, isn't it?



No, an asshole-ish move is going to a political rally/meeting of the opposing party and attempting to drown them out with catcalls and shouts, thus forcing them to do stuff like this.

Helter

Helter

Chester, PA
OLD SKOOL

AUG 01, 2004 05:00 PM

AceTracer said:
Everyday I'm more confused at stockula's habit of posting totally irrevalent articles as responses; it's like he's not even trying anymore whatever


You mean you *really* can't see the relevance?
Gee, one article describes a bunch of people interrupting a political speech, another describes a subsequent meeting attempting to prevent such actions. Yeah, totally irrevalent [sic].

[Edited on Aug 01, 2004 by Helter]

s5

s5

STAFF

San Francisco, CA

AUG 01, 2004 06:25 PM

the way some of you are talking is as if coke is banning pepsi billboards at the coke rally, instead of an elected holder of public office shutting off access to the people who he supposedly represents.

and conservatives wonder why no one gives dick and bush any respect.

tretiak

tretiak

San Francisco, CA
March 2003

AUG 01, 2004 06:37 PM



State Rep. Dan Foley, R-Roswell, speaking on behalf of the Republican Party, said Thursday that a "known Democrat operative group" was intending to try to crash Saturday's campaign rally at Rio Rancho Mid-High School.



Well, last year they tried to crash homecoming so it was kind of a no brainer in my book.

I object to the sinester conspiricy overtones.
Does anyone know who the mystery group is?

Helter

Helter

Chester, PA
OLD SKOOL

AUG 01, 2004 06:51 PM

s5 said:
the way some of you are talking is as if coke is banning pepsi billboards at the coke rally, instead of an elected holder of public office shutting off access to the people who he supposedly represents.

and conservatives wonder why no one gives dick and bush any respect.



This is exactly the same as coke bannin pepsi billboards at their coke rally.
It's a campaign rally, not a public forum.

You know, they lock their front doors too s5, isn't that "shutting off access to the people who he supposedly represents?"

celluloid

celluloid

HOPEFUL

Chicago, IL

AUG 01, 2004 08:19 PM

NeonAngels said:

celluloid said:
Impeach Cheney

[Edited on Aug 01, 2004 12:11PM]



Hey! this is a link to the larouche website. That guy is a nutcase
whatever



Nutcase, perhaps... But this man wants what I want so maybe I'm a nutcase too!

fenris23

fenris23

Vancouver, BC
February 2003

AUG 01, 2004 08:55 PM

celluloid said:
Nutcase, perhaps... But this man wants what I want so maybe I'm a nutcase too!



The enemy of my enemy is my friend?
Dangerous thinking.

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