Cindy’s Story

Ken AshfordBush & Co., SheehanLeave a Comment

As you probably know, Cindy Sheehan was arrested lat night just before Bush’s State of the Union speech.  She blogged the full account here, but this is how it begins:

This afternoon at the People’s State of the Union Address in DC where I was joined by Congresspersons Lynn Woolsey and John Conyers, Ann Wright, Malik Rahim and John Cavanagh, Lynn brought me a ticket to the State of the Union Address. At that time, I was wearing the shirt that said: 2245 Dead. How many more?

After the PSOTU press conference, I was having second thoughts about going to the SOTU at the Capitol. I didn’t feel comfortable going. I knew George Bush would say things that would hurt me and anger me and I knew that I couldn’t disrupt the address because Lynn had given me the ticket and I didn’t want to be disruptive out of respect for her. I, in fact, had given the ticket to John Bruhns who is in Iraq Veterans Against the War. However, Lynn’s office had already called the media and everyone knew I was going to be there so I sucked it up and went.

I got the ticket back from John, and I met one of Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s staffers in the Longworth Congressional Office building and we went to the Capitol via the undergroud tunnel. I went through security once, then had to use the rest room and went through security again.

My ticket was in the 5th gallery, front row, fourth seat in. The person who in a few minutes was to arrest me, helped me to my seat.

I had just sat down and I was warm from climbing 3 flights of stairs back up from the bathroom so I unzipped my jacket. I turned to the right to take my left arm out, when the same officer saw my shirt and yelled; "Protester." He then ran over to me, hauled me out of my seat and roughly (with my hands behind my back) shoved me up the stairs. I said something like "I’m going, do you have to be so rough?" By the way, his name is Mike Weight.

The officer ran with me to the elevators yelling at everyone to move out of the way. When we got to the elevators, he cuffed me and took me outside to await a squad car. On the way out, someone behind me said, "That’s Cindy Sheehan." At which point the officer who arrested me said: "Take these steps slowly." I said, "You didn’t care about being careful when you were dragging me up the other steps." He said, "That’s because you were protesting."  Wow, I get hauled out of the People’s House because I was, "Protesting."

I was never told that I couldn’t wear that shirt into the Congress. I was never asked to take it off or zip my jacket back up. If I had been asked to do any of those things…I would have, and written about the suppression of my freedom of speech later. I was immediately, and roughly (I have the bruises and muscle spasms to prove it) hauled off and arrested for "unlawful conduct."

Wearing a T-shirt is "unlawful conduct"?  Of course not.

Glenn Greenwald does the legal research (even though — let’s be honest — common sense and a rudimentary knowledge of the First Amendment answers all questions):

The law is clear that Sheehan did nothing illegal and there was no legal basis whatsoever for removing and arresting her for wearing that t-shirt.

In Bynum v. U.S. Capitol Police Bd. (Dist. D.C. 1997) (.pdf), the District Court found the regulations applying 140 U.S.C. § 193 — the section of the U.S. code restricting activities inside the Capitol — to be unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds. Bynum involved a Reverend who was threatened with arrest by Capitol Police while leading a small group in prayer inside the Capitol. The Capitol Police issued that threat on the ground that the praying constituted a "demonstration."

That action was taken pursuant to the U.S. Code, in which Congress decreed as follows: "It shall be unlawful for any person or group of persons wilfully and knowingly . . . to parade, demonstrate or picket within any Capitol Building." 140 U.S.C. § 193(f)(b)(7).

As the Bynum court explained: "Believing that the Capitol Police needed guidance in determining what behavior constitutes a ‘demonstration,’ the United States Capitol Police Board issued a regulation that interprets ‘demonstration activity,’" and that regulation specifically provides that it "does not include merely wearing Tee shirts, buttons or other similar articles of apparel that convey a message. Traffic Regulations for the Capitol Grounds, § 158" (emphasis added).

UPDATE:  The Capitol Police apologize with this lame statement:

"The officers made a good faith, but mistaken, effort to enforce an old unwritten interpretation of the prohibitions about demonstrating in the Capitol. The policy and procedures were too vague," Gainer said. "The failure to adequately prepare the officers is mine."

Too vague?  What part of "does not include merely wearing Tee Shirts" is so ambiguous?

Bush State Of The Union

Ken AshfordBush & Co.Leave a Comment

I caught most of it, and these are my few sporadic impressions.

(1)  When he was listing all the democracies now in the Middle East . . . was it just me, or was there a big huge elephant in the room?  An elephant by the name of "Palestine"?  C’mon.  Everybody was thinking about it.

(2)  He wants a line-item veto?!?  Why?  This President hasn’t vetoed a single bill.

Atb8u28jxbj(3)  Did he really say this?

"Tonight I ask you to pass legislation to prohibit the most egregious abuses of medical research – human cloning in all its forms … creating or implanting embryos for experiments … creating human-animal hybrids … and buying, selling, or patenting human embryos."

Human-animal hybrids?  You mean . . . like Jeff Goldblum in "The Fly"?  Is this, like, a problem?

(4)  Pusher Tells Us We’re Addicted:

"America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world," Bush said. "The best way to break this addiction is through technology."

That’s just strange.

(5)  Other strange line:

"Second-guessing is not a strategy."

That itself is not strange (or even wrong), but it is when you take it with this line:

"Our coalition has learned from experience in Iraq. We have adjusted our military tactics and changed our approach to reconstruction."

Apparently second-guessing your own initial strategy is okay.

(6)  And then there’s this:

"Americans should not fear our economic future…"

Geez, it’s always about fear with these guys.  Even when it’s NOT about fear.

(7)  And the message on Iraq is still schizophrenic:

In less than three years, that nation has gone from dictatorship, to liberation, to sovereignty, to a constitution, to national elections. At the same time, our coalition has been relentless in shutting off terrorist infiltration, clearing out insurgent strongholds, and turning over territory to Iraqi security forces. I am confident in our plan for victory…

So we’ve gone from dictatorship to national elections, and we still haven’t achieved victory???

(8)  Another Iraq message:

Their aim is to seize power in Iraq, and use it as a safe haven to launch attacks against America and the world.

"Use" Iraq to launch attacks?  What the fuck does that mean?

Terrorists will "use" Iraq to attack us as much as Tim McVeigh "used" America to launch his attack — i.e. not at all.

The Only Interesting Thing About The Alito Nomination

Ken AshfordRepublicansLeave a Comment

I haven’t been blogging about the Alito nomination, because any hope of victory went away in the 2004 Presidential election.  We lost, so we’re getting Alito.  End of story.

But there’s a lot of buzz about this online blog post from yesterday:

Mister Senator…

This post will be read by thousands and thousands of people… It’s directed at ONE person.

Mr. Senator:

Tomorrow you will be faced with a vote that may have the longest aftereffects of any other you have cast in your Senate career.

Tomorrow you will decide if your political position is worth more than doing what is right for others like you. For others like you, Mr. Senator, who engage in oral sex with other men. (Although, Mr. Senator, most of us don’t do in the bathrooms of Union Station!) Your fake marriage, by the way, will NOT protect you from the truth being told on this blog.

How does this blog decide who to report on? It’s simple. We report on hypocrites. In this case, hypocrites who vote against the gay and lesbian community while engaging in gay sex themselves*.

When you cast that vote, Mr. Senator, represent your own…it’s the least you could do.

Michael Rogers
blogACTIVE.com

*While votes on many matters are considered, votes "FOR" either the Alito nomination and the Federal Marriage Amendment are enough to qualify legislators for reporting on this site.

Ladies and Gentlemen…. if they want a cultural war, I’ll give them a fucking cultural war. Fasten your seatbelts, it’s gonna be a bumpy 2006.
UPDATE:  Some of you have asked if he will be outed tomorrow. No. The blog will report on this closeted Republican Senator between tomorrow and a time when it may most impact
Cool.

Going Postal

Ken AshfordCrimeLeave a Comment

Okay.  So another postal worker goes ballistic and goes on a killing rampage, with a death toll of six (not including the postal worker herself).

"Going postal" isn’t a mere stereotype or coincidence.  It can’t be.  There has to be an explanation.  What is it?  Anyone know?  Seriously?  Is it something about the glue on the stamps?

Where I Come From, We Call It “Perjury”

Ken AshfordWiretapping & SurveillanceLeave a Comment

January, 2000 — Alberto Gonzales Confirmation Hearing:

SEN. SPECTER: Judge Gonzales, would you now stand for the administration of the oath? Raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you will give before the Senate Judiciary Committee will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

MR. GONZALES: I do.

Later, that same hearing, Feingold asks:

SEN. FEINGOLD: I — Judge Gonzales, let me ask a broader question. I’m asking you whether in general the president has the constitutional authority, does he at least in theory have the authority to authorize violations of the criminal law under duly enacted statutes simply because he’s commander in chief? Does he — does he have that power?

And Gonzales eventually responds:

MR. GONZALES: Senator, this president is not — I — it is not the policy or the agenda of this president to authorize actions that would be in contravention of our criminal statutes.

What I find particularly egregious is that this is perjury from someone seeking to become the number one law enforcement officer in the country.

Bush’s State Of The Union

Ken AshfordBush & Co.Leave a Comment

I won’t be watching (rehearsal) and I might not even TIVO it.  Besides the State of the Union on the right hand column (which I’ll take down in a few days) is better.

But by all accounts, including those of the Wall Street Journal (sumamrized here), Bush’s best bet — if he wants to be accountable to the American people — is to do as little as possible.  Says the WSJ:

Asked who should take the lead in settling national policy, just 25% say Mr. Bush, while 49% prefer Congress to take charge.

And perhaps in view of these polls, Bush is proposing a very meek agenda.

That’s probably good politics, but it has to embarrassing when you are forced to acknowledge that everytime you do something (war, Katrina, etc.), you bollux it up, and that the less you do for the people, the better off the people are.

UPDATE:  The always on-point Professor Juan Cole reminds us the "Top Ten things Bush won’t Tell you About the State of the Nation":

1. US economic growth during the last quarter was an anemic 1.1%, the worst in 3 years.

2. The US inflation rate has jumped to 3.4 percent, the highest rate in 5 years.

3. The number of daily attacks in Iraq rose from 52 in December, 2004 to 77 in December, 2005.

4. A third of US veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, some 40,000 persons, exhibit at least some signs of mental health disorders. Some 14,000 were treated for drug dependencies, and 11,000 for depression.

5. Increases in American consumer spending come from borrowing.

6. The $320 – $400 bilion deficits run by the Bush administration may push up the cost of mortgages and loans.

7. 58% of Americans think Bush is painting Iraq as rosier than it is. A majority thinks we should never have invaded the country.

8. The US military is at a breaking point.

9. In fact, The US and Iran are tacit allies in Iraq.

10. More money would be needed to finish the US reconstruction projects begun in Iraq.

What Earwax And Body Odor Tell Us About American History

Ken AshfordRight Wing Punditry/Idiocy1 Comment

Conservative columnist Debbie Schlussel is serious:

Today’s New York Times details a Japanese scientific on earwax and body odor in Asians vs. Europeans and Africans. There is actually an "earwax gene" in DNA that determines this.

But the paper glosses over the most important finding. The study found that Europeans and Africans tend to have wet ear wax, sweat more, and have more under arm body odor than Asians, who have dry ear wax and don’t sweat much. But the study also found that "Native" Americans have dry ear wax and body odor similar to Asians, proving they migrated here from Asia.

So whom did THEY steal the land from? Somebody else, obviously. Yet, no "Dances With Wolves" and "Into the West" from Hollywood about that.

That’s right.  This is not satire.  Debbie Schlussel is making the argument, based on earwax and body odor studies, that Native Americans originally came over from Asia.  Which is true.  In fact, it’s so true that they teach that in high school.  You don’t need an earwax and body odor study to deduce this.

But her implied point, which is hysterical, is that this shows that the Native Americans were not indeed "native", and therefore the Europeans had the right to steal America from the Indians (since the Indians stole it from someone else).

Only Debbie could take an earwax study, and turn into a screed of support for American expansionism.

GOP Lynch Mob

Ken AshfordRepublicansLeave a Comment

You know, I think I am pretty tolerant of Michelle Malkin, the conservative blogger-whiner who has cornered the market in "outrage".  With almost every post, as well as her book "Unhinged", Michelle is a cottage industry unto herself, pointing out every supposed rude behavior of Democrats and liberals, most of whom you have never heard of.

Of course, she rarely if ever mentions Republicans and conservatives, even the famous one.  Ann Coulter advocates the murder of a Supreme Court justice; Michelle says nothing.

And like I said, I’ve become tolerant of Malkin’s ability to overlook indiscretions from the right, and I have successfully resisted temptations to write "I wonder if Michelle will write about [Ann Coulter’s comments, etc.]".

No more.

I wonder if Michelle will write about this.

Yup.  In an advertisement paid for by the Republican National Committee, and promoting a GOP event in Bloomington Indiana, they’re going to have all kinds of fun:

We will have a Jesse Jackson piñata, a dunk tank where you’ll get the chance to sink my wife who will be dressed as Hilary Clinton, and a special guest appearance by my uncle – Rep. Timothy V. Johnson who will be giving away “Proud to be G.O.P.” American Flag windbreakers. Bring a side dish if you like. We will have burgers, hot dogs, chili, and pizza, but nothing vegetarian! This party is family friendly, so feel free to bring children. It’s never too early to get them involved!

Yup, they’re going to hand a facsimile of a black man so that kids can hit it with a stick.

So much for civil political discourse.

Michelle?

RIP Wendy Wasserstein

Ken AshfordPopular CultureLeave a Comment

AP:

Playwright Wendy Wasserstein, who celebrated women confronting feminism, careers, love and motherhood in such works as "The Heidi Chronicles" and "The Sisters Rosensweig," died Monday. She was 55.

She was a phenomenal playwright, and will be missed.

The Insularity Problem

Ken AshfordBush & Co.Leave a Comment

This is what happens when you send a bunch of people to Washington, who act on their belief about how things are, rather than – you know – reality.  They come off as "surprised" all the time.  From The Left Coaster:

"I’ve asked why nobody saw it coming. It does say something about us not having a good enough pulse."
–Condi Rice, commenting on how Hamas’ victory caught the administration by surprise

"Steve, I don’t think anybody could have predicted that these people would take an airplane and slam it into the World Trade Center, take another one and slam it into the Pentagon; that they would try to use an airplane as a missile, a hijacked airplane as a missile."
–Condi Rice, May 16, 2002

And let’s not forget that nobody could have foreseen the levees breaking and causing a flood.

Take off the blinders — that’s my advice.

Our Mayor Freaked Out Over Bird Flu

Ken AshfordAvian/Swine FluLeave a Comment

From today’s Winston-Salem Journal:

Mayor Allen Joines said that mayors from cities nationwide who attended a conference in Washington are getting sobering information about the threat of a bird-flu pandemic in the United States.

"It’s not a question of if it’s going to come, it’s a question of when it will hit," he said.

And when it does, it could affect 15 percent to 35 percent the U.S. population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Winston-Salem, that would mean that 28,544 to 66,604 people would be affected, according to the latest Census figures, which show the city with a population of 190,299.

That’s it.  I’m moving to Kernersville.