Trio Kicked Out of Bush Social Security Event May Sue Republican Party

According to 9News.com, the three people kicked out of President Bush's Social Security "town hall" session last week are considering a lawsuit.

"We were there to take part in this dialogue on social security," says (Alex) Young. He says, "The gentleman came up to us and asked me to come with him. He refused to say who he was, where we were going, anything to that extent and he began shoving and pushing me to the door."

Special Agent, Lon Garner, who is in charge of the Secret Service office in Denver says, "The Secret Service had nothing to do with that. We are very sensitive to the First Amendment and general assembly rights."

"The Secret Service does know who this is, but they're not sharing it with us," says Dan Recht, the attorney representing Bauer, Weise and Young. Recht says the group met with the Secret Service on Monday and were told a Republican staffer had removed them from the event because of a bumper sticker on Weise's car. One bumper sticker says, "Save the environment, plant a bush back in Texas." A second sticker says, "No more blood for oil." It was apparently this sticker that caused the staffer to act.

It will be interesting to see if the three really do try a lawsuit, because a successful claim could force candidates to rethink the organization of their campaign stops in the future. This doesn't help Congressman Bob Beauprez, either, because his office was in charge of distributing many of the tickets.

Comments

[Essaywhuman?!!]

Did anyone see this happen? Has the story been picked up at all nationaly or outside of 9News? One question is, who would these people sue? Presumably, the Secret Service will have to say they aware of this eventually, even if they weren't . . . I'm guessing 9News taped the event? Good stuff, maybe they'll go back to the Loyalty Oaths.

[learnedhand]

>Has the story been picked up at all nationaly >or outside of 9News?

the first story I saw on this was from a Kansas City station

[Strider]

They are going to sue eh? Good.

[Dewy-Cheatum and Howe]

These people removed from the event are the local chapter of Moveon.org. I don’t think the elites at Moveon.org would have been happy if the three actually got into the event and didn’t cause trouble. Don’t pity these three yuppies for what happened to them, pity Colorado if they are successful in implementing their warped agenda. I have a suggested new slogan for you Denver Progressives/Moveon.org “Can’t legislate so we’ll litigate”

[John Routt]

Every Bush event I want to in 2004, official and political had Democrat protesters that tried to disrupt the event. I guess the Dems want to protect the protesters right to free speech at the cost of the Democrats right of free speech.

[learnedhand]

So none of you are bothered by the fact that Bush refuses to engage the American public in any sort of discourse until the questions are cleared ahead of time and any political opponents are removed from the room? That doesn't strike you as a bit antithetical to a demoractic-republic that we supposedly live in?

Antonin Scalia recently gave an open and public speech at the University of Denver College of Law and took questions from the audience without any pre-screening. Interesting that a lifetime appointed Supreme Court Justice will engage the American public and the President of the United States must surrouind himself with sycophants.

[Colorado_Underdog]

Clearly, they were there to cause a disturbance. This wouldn't have its day in court. Didn't they all have anti-Bush t-shirts under their regular shirts???

Give me a break. I would have kicked them out too!

[learnedhand]

>Clearly, they were there to cause a >disturbance.

One of the very first things I learned in law school was to be highly suspect of any sentence that begins with the word "clearly". Generally what follows is an assertion or assumption that is not so clear. You have no idea what their motivations were.

The point is they didn't cause a disturbance, they were removed prior to the beginning of the event. A pretty classic example of prior restraint if there ever was one.

>Didn't they all have anti-Bush t-shirts >under their regular shirts???

So what? Perhaps you've heard of the 1st Amendment.

[snitch]

The story is on Drudge Report, they have a link to the story in the Washington Post, I couldn't get the link to work or I would have posted it. Just go to DrudgeReport.com to see it.

[Dewy-Cheatum and Howe]

So these three privileged yuppies are victims? I glad that they are helping society by trying to disrupt a presidential event. Did they take time off from work or is this their work? I am sure the puppet masters in San Francisco love the media attention. Now tell us about your agenda for social security.

[Phoenix Rising]

Let's see... This is a Presidential visit, not a campaign stop. It was paid for by taxpayers; an open invitation was sent, and the three in question followed the proper procedures when acquiring their tickets and when checking in to the event. They had caused no disturbance when the events in question happened.

Then, a GOP staffer IMPERSONATING A FEDERAL OFFICER comes up to them, physically (aka with bodily contact, aka ASSAULT) removes them from a public event (while claiming it's private). There's nothing wrong with this to you? No wonder our country's falling towards fascism.

If it's a restricted, staged event, then either the GOP should be footing the bill or at the very least the government should put up a big huge sign saying "this event is not spontaneous, but is staged to gain approval for the President's Social Security proposal".

The questions we need to ask:
* Is the Secret Service persuing impersonation charges against the GOP staffer?
* Where did the GOP staffer get an earpiece and lapel pin to impersonate an agent? And how many staffers got this equipment?
* At what level was the GOP involved in this effort? Beauprez's office? The State Party? The RNC? Presidential staff? (choose one or more than one...)

And yes, it's national. In addition to the above sources, Air America's national news broadcast was playing it this morning. The AP has picked it up. Wired has its own article. The NY Times has an entry, too. It's not a major pickup yet, but it's getting there...

[Jason]

What is the difference if they are three privileged yuppies? That is irrelevant. What is relevant is that they were never given a chance to disrupt the "town hall meeting". They certainly don't appear to have had designs on doing so in the first place, so to accuse them of that is ridiculous. It is disgraceful and the Republicans should be called to the mat for it.

It would appear that the Republicans have fired the staffer, which is a start. They will need to explain this with full disclosure (probably asking too much there), and take their well-deserved lumps. I wouldn't consider this some sort of Republican conspiracy of creeping fascism, but it certainly isn't acceptable behavior.

[Dewy-Cheatum and Howe]

They are victims! Sue the bastards!! Oh no yuppies that can’t even successfully disrupt an event have been hurt.

Most presidential events, including Clintons, are operated like this. It is not a big deal for most. It is a big deal if your party is bankrupt of ideas and you need turn attention away from the real issues. So what your plan for social security smarty pants?

[Jason]

Yes, they are victims. They should have been allowed to join the "town hall meeting".

How Clinton ran presidential events is irrelevant to this situation.

What is my plan for social security? That is also not relevant to the three people being removed from the "town hall meeting". But since you asked: I think Bush's plan doesn’t go far enough. I'd like to opt out completely. My personal investments in private equities have netted average of 8% per year. My "investment" into social security will net me 0%, and by the time I retire it will likely be a negative number.

[Strider]

Dewy-Cheatum and Howe,

What is your thing with "yuppies"? What is a "yuppie"? Are you a class warfare type? Should a person who fits your definition of "yuppie" be barred from political events? Do your "yuppies" belong to both the Democratic and Republican party?

[Phoenix Rising]

As the President likes to try to quote: fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

The exclusion of of certain people at these Presidential "town hall" meetings is not limited to Denver. It's happened in North Dakota, Arizona, and several other locations. It happened during public events during the campaign season. These cases all have a surprising similarity.

I applaud your honor on this one, Jason, but I have to disagree with this one point; there's too much of a pattern to waive off the un-democratic principles that the Republican Party is showing at these events. Sometime when you have a spare moment, read Henry Wallace's 1944 NY Times piece on American Fascism: http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/082103F.shtml It's enlightening to say the least...

[pacified]

They should sue George W. Bush himself, and the entire White House, and the GOP people who plan it for denying their first amendment rights.

These "town hall meetings" are the biggest sham our country has ever known. We wouldn't what to bother the GOP Leader Bush with anything pesky like the truth.

He is spending my tax payer money to fly around the country for his progpaganda events, and won't even let American citizens in?

More disgusting about all of this is GOP operatives are PRETENDING to be FEDERAL AGENTS. That's got to be against the law too.

What is Bush and the GOP soooo afraid of? Maybe the problem the 3 people had getting in is they didn't have a feeding tube.

[pacified]

They should sue George W. Bush himself, and the entire White House, and the GOP people who plan it for denying their first amendment rights.

These "town hall meetings" are the biggest sham our country has ever known. We wouldn't what to bother the GOP Leader Bush with anything pesky like the truth.

He is spending my tax payer money to fly around the country for his progpaganda events, and won't even let American citizens in?

More disgusting about all of this is GOP operatives are PRETENDING to be FEDERAL AGENTS. That's got to be against the law too.

What is Bush and the GOP soooo afraid of? Maybe the problem the 3 people had getting in is they didn't have a feeding tube.

[pacified]

The GOoPers on this board have no defense of this policy. How can you tell? Because they try to play the victim and revert to name calling.

That's because they have no plan. Just see Iraq.

It's gonna be fun taking the Governor's mansion and tw house districts from you in 2006. Oh, and don't think you're getting back the CO state house.

Colorado cares a hell of a lot more about good schools, great health care, and the like than Terri Schiavo and Ward Churchill.

And just to the SS haters out there. Guess what? SS is an INSURNACE POLICY. Do you moan and complaining that you don't get all the money you pay on your Car Insurance back? No! Car Insurance is also mandated by law.

[DonkeyKong]

Pacified --
You're nuts. There's nothing wrong with Bush's people exercising crowd control. Both parties have done it and will continue to do so. We need to focus on issues that will elect Democrats--health care, the environment, etc., not this cheap political crap!

[gg]

All you have to do is watch Midnight Run to know: It's a federal crime to impersonate a federal agent.

[Phoenix Rising]

Crowd Control? This wasn't crowd control... It was illegal in so many ways it wasn't funny. Both parties don't "do it" like this; Dems tend towards removal of actual offenders, not pre-emptive censorship.

"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty nor security." -- Benjamin Franklin

[Hotpants]

Let me get this straight their car is decked out with anti bush slogans they all were wearing anti bush shirts they gave false reasons for wanting the tickets they admit to being part of the Bush/GOP bashing Colorado Progressives (Polis front group)they sit right in front of the press platform and they wonder why thy were ejected? Using this train of thought they should don a ski mask, park their car running outside a bank, walk in with a note and a buldge under thier trench coat and expect the Bank would offer them a toaster! Get real!!!

[RightOn]

Right on hotpants!

[Phoenix Rising]

*I* have bumper stickers that aren't pro-Bush. *I* have shirts with Progressive slogans. *I* am a member of a Progressive group. Are you saying I'm not allowed to hear the President of my own country just because I happen to disagree with him on a great number of things? Are you saying that sitting in front of the Press platform with a shirt that doesn't implicitly support Glorious Leader is grounds for removal from an event that I paid for?

Are you saying that putting political slogans on my car and wearing clothing (that no-one even knew about until after the event...) critical of this Administration is a crime?

I stand by my original lament.