Whew.

I feel so much better.

It's not the Secret Service that has no respect for the First Amendment. It's John McCain's organization that doesn't.

Even Obama endorser Hulk Hogan knows what's coming next - "B-b-b-but Muslims being removed from stage!"

The Secret Service doesn't give a shiat about protestors unless they present a threat.

Unfortunately, the DCPA is a private venue and the renters have a right to control who enters their event. The first amendment doesn't apply to private events in private venues. She should have stood outside in a public area with her sign.

CruiserTwelve:The Secret Service doesn't give a shiat about protestors unless they present a threat.

Unfortunately, the DCPA is a private venue and the renters have a right to control who enters their event. The first amendment doesn't apply to private events in private venues. She should have stood outside in a public area with her sign.

That doesn't neccesarily mean that John McCain doesn't hate free speach. Technically.

/hat-tip to IndyGemini for the pic

CruiserTwelve:Unfortunately, the DCPA is a private venue and the renters have a right to control who enters their event

This may be a bit of FAIL right here but wasn't the protester outside of the event in the lobby area (or an area near the lobby) that is controlled by public funds and thus a public space.

I'm not from Denver, so I don't know the area

free speech zone II

CruiserTwelve:The Secret Service doesn't give a shiat about protestors unless they present a threat.

Unfortunately, the DCPA is a private venue and the renters have a right to control who enters their event. The first amendment doesn't apply to private events in private venues. She should have stood outside in a public area with her sign.

It was a public event.

It's ONLY "public" for those people that McCain's staff WANT there.

What, is this a difficult concept or something? Is there some part of "post 9/11 America" that you are unable to comprehend?!?

robsul82:Even Obama endorser Hulk Hogan knows what's coming next - "B-b-b-but Muslims being removed from stage!"

Woot! The thread's first concern troll.

From the Rocky Mountain News:

Kreck was in line to attend the rally, but says she never intended to enter the building. Whether she's telling the truth or not, she hadn't entered when police decided to ticket her for trespassing. Kreck argued she was on city property, refused to abandon the sign, and was escorted from the premises after receiving the citation.

It's one thing to ban all signs at the actual town hall meeting. We have no problem with that. But the Galleria - the glass-covered pedestrian walkway surrounded by several theaters and the complex's parking garage - should have been considered a public forum in this instance. Kreck should have been allowed to remain within it, sign in hand.

And I can't believe you even tried to play that weak 9/11 shiat. It was a 60 year old woman with a sign for fark's sake.

skunkmasher:robsul82:Even Obama endorser Hulk Hogan knows what's coming next - "B-b-b-but Muslims being removed from stage!"

Woot! The thread's first concern troll.

What concern? I'm personally shocked we're over 10 comments and HAVEN'T had anyone equate this to the Muslims not being allowed on stage with Obama.

Can we get our news about Democrats from Little Green Footballs now?

xbattlewax:Can we get our news about Democrats from Little Green Footballs now?

What in the wide-wide world of sports does the source of this story have to do with it?

Tor_Eckman: When I saw the picture, the fact that it was an old lady with a sign that irked me, it was that there were people in the background with similar signs (including one portraying Bush and McSame as peas in a pod) being cheerfully ignored.

Sounds like the farking "Denver Three" (new window) all over again, right down to campaign staffers impersonating secret service agents


nice to see McCain is surrounding himself with the same sort of douchebags

Beachcomber:It was a public event.

Just because the public was invited doesn't make it a public event. It was a private event open to the public. The sponsors still have a right to bar protestors. And Aar1012, the entire complex is a private venue funded by donations and revenue generated by functions like this.

I'm as big a proponent of free speech as anyone else, but the 4th amendment doesn't apply to private functions on private property. She simply didn't have a right to be there with that sign.

She should have stood outside in a public area with her sign.

As long as we're playing "should have" let me try one. The McCain campaign "should have" told the truth about who asked the Denver Police Department to remove her.

Wow, loooonnngg election cycle this season...what do you know, there's overzealous staffers on both campaigns: take for example Muslim Obama supporters being shooed away from a photo-op with the Senator.

skunkmasher:Woot! The thread's first concern troll.

"Command, this is 32 Actual. We have a friendly fire incident going on."

Bush came here and any anti Bush protesters were told to go to a special area 3 blocks away.

Welcome to Amerika!

typical republican bush derangement syndrome. they hate bush so much they freak out at a sign that merely says bush = mccain.

Tor_Eckman:xbattlewax:Can we get our news about Democrats from Little Green Footballs now?

What in the wide-wide world of sports does the source of this story have to do with it?

I have issues getting news from blatantly partisan sites

Looks like ol' J. Sidney McCain III can't handle the riff raff in his townhall meetings.

So much for that right to peacefully assemble.

Damn sure glad we didn't need that one anyways.

Well you're right Robsul82 and I certianly can understand someone being removed because thier sign is a huge "negative", after all, why give your opponent free advertising on your dollar. I can't understand removing people because of thier religion.

How do you defend attacking McCain for this if you didn't attack Obama for removing the Muslims for a better balanced picture?

/be an asshat at my rally and I'd want you removed too; be a Muslim, not so quick to remove.
//Just me.

There's still four more months of this crap.

The system would be twice as good if it only happened every 8 years.

CanisNoir:Well you're right Robsul82 and I certianly can understand someone being removed because thier sign is a huge "negative", after all, why give your opponent free advertising on your dollar. I can't understand removing people because of thier religion.

How do you defend attacking McCain for this if you didn't attack Obama for removing the Muslims for a better balanced picture?

/be an asshat at my rally and I'd want you removed too; be a Muslim, not so quick to remove.
//Just me.

Seeing as how I didn't attack McCain, just predicted where the thread would be heading...

robsul82:CanisNoir:Well you're right Robsul82 and I certianly can understand someone being removed because thier sign is a huge "negative", after all, why give your opponent free advertising on your dollar. I can't understand removing people because of thier religion.

How do you defend attacking McCain for this if you didn't attack Obama for removing the Muslims for a better balanced picture?

/be an asshat at my rally and I'd want you removed too; be a Muslim, not so quick to remove.
//Just me.

Seeing as how I didn't attack McCain, just predicted where the thread would be heading...

P.S. Obama didn't kick people out for being a Muslim. That is a rather large misrepresentation of the facts. Campaign workers moved them off the stage so pictures of the rally wouldn't show up in Grandma's chain letter or on Fox News, which you know they would have.

CanisNoir:Well you're right Robsul82 and I certianly can understand someone being removed because thier sign is a huge "negative", after all, why give your opponent free advertising on your dollar. I can't understand removing people because of thier religion.

How do you defend attacking McCain for this if you didn't attack Obama for removing the Muslims for a better balanced picture?

/be an asshat at my rally and I'd want you removed too; be a Muslim, not so quick to remove.
//Just me.


Why does the McCain campaign see the sign as a negative to begin with? Is the Republican candidate for president ashamed of being associated with the Republican sitting President?

Etchy333:It's not the Secret Service that has no respect for the First Amendment. It's John McCain's organization that doesn't.

Another example of how McCain+Bush=McBush

Ironic how this further proves the old woman's comment.

Party Boy:farm3.static.flickr.com

Wow, that picture saddens me. It must've been set up by the irony police.

This whole week has been like McCain's been dropping little hints of how nefarious his plans really are...almost like he's hiding something...

CruiserTwelve:And Aar1012, the entire complex is a private venue funded by donations and revenue generated by functions like this.

No it's not. From the DCPA web site:

The City & County of Denver's Theatres and Arenas Division owns and operates the three largest theatres in DPAC, the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Boettcher Concert Hall and the Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre.

Part of it is owned by the city and part of it is owned privately. If the city owned it and leased it to the DCPA like they do with Invesco Field or Coors Field, I might see an argument, but they also operate it. I know court rulings have said that it is not necessarily considered public space, but the fact is our tax dollars go to operate it. Hell, even the Rockies were denied the right to control the sidewalks outside Coors Field. That's why you see vendors out there selling stuff.

What a shock. The conservatives kicked out someone who doesnt like them. Whats really disgusting is that its just business as usual and it no one will stop it.

Kevin5280:The City & County of Denver's Theatres and Arenas Division owns and operates the three largest theatres in DPAC, the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Boettcher Concert Hall and the Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre.

Part of it is owned by the city and part of it is owned privately. If the city owned it and leased it to the DCPA like they do with Invesco Field or Coors Field, I might see an argument, but they also operate it. I know court rulings have said that it is not necessarily considered public space, but the fact is our tax dollars go to operate it. Hell, even the Rockies were denied the right to control the sidewalks outside Coors Field. That's why you see vendors out there selling stuff.

I stand corrected. It doesn't say exactly where she was, but from the video it looks like she was in the common area outside the Buell. If that is, in fact, government owned and controlled she had every right to be there with her sign.

The Bestest:Why does the McCain campaign see the sign as a negative to begin with? Is the Republican candidate for president ashamed of being associated with the Republican sitting President?

I would say it's the same reason Obama's not running on the "Obama, Four Years of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Ried" slogan.

You're not really simple are you? Bush has low approval rating so Democrats attempt to paint McCain with the "Bush" brush -it's a good slogan but a disengenous attack. He's NOT Bush and won't govern like Bush. So yea, I can see him wanting to get rid of that sign.

CanisNoir:

The Bestest:Why does the McCain campaign see the sign as a negative to begin with? Is the Republican candidate for president ashamed of being associated with the Republican sitting President?

I would say it's the same reason Obama's not running on the "Obama, Four Years of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Ried" slogan.

You're not really simple are you? Bush has low approval rating so Democrats attempt to paint McCain with the "Bush" brush -it's a good slogan but a disengenous attack. He's NOT Bush and won't govern like Bush. So yea, I can see him wanting to get rid of that sign.

lmao. well put.

Pernicus:What a shock. The conservatives kicked out someone who doesnt like them. Whats really disgusting is that its just business as usual and it no one will stop it.



lmao. what makes you think it's only conservatives

Have you ever seen spin by Brian Springer? Jump to 52 minutes into the video and say that again.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7344181953466797353 (pops)


Of course it isn't only trying to limit exposure to people who don't like you.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/19/obama-calls-muslim-women-barred- fr om-stage/ (pops)
Obama Calls Muslim Women Barred From Stage

kerpal32:Pernicus:What a shock. The conservatives kicked out someone who doesnt like them. Whats really disgusting is that its just business as usual and it no one will stop it.



lmao. what makes you think it's only conservatives

Have you ever seen spin by Brian Springer? Jump to 52 minutes into the video and say that again.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7344181953466797353 (pops)


Of course it isn't only trying to limit exposure to people who don't like you.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/19/obama-calls-muslim-women-barred-fr om-stage/ (pops)
Obama Calls Muslim Women Barred From Stage

Told ya.

CruiserTwelve:The Secret Service doesn't give a shiat about protestors unless they present a threat.

This. I've seen pictures over the years of signs that say far worse at various things, and the Secret Service never has done a thing.

So, man runs for the job of protecting our freedoms by sending goons to take a sign away from an old woman because it's mildly critical of him.

Yeah. Awesome. Should be great.


Who else is running?

pancakes anyone?