The Political Chase

Freedom of Speech - George Bush Style

(Update below)

John F. Kennedy said, ?We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.?

In the words of Lloyd Bentsen, George Bush is no Jack Kennedy.

The White House has a formal policy manual that details precisely how to mitigate people who are not “extremely supportive of the Administration” publicly. (Their emphasis, not mine)

Whenever the president makes a public appearance, it has long since been White House policy to forbid the public from displaying or expressing dissent in any form against the president or his views. That includes the area, within one-half mile from where the president may speak and anywhere along the route which he may travel to appear in public. If you’re not a good Bushie, cheering him on and waving pro-Bush banners, you will likely find yourself thrown in prison.

People were thrown in jail in 2004 (and many before and since I’m sure) for wearing anti-Bush T-shirts to a public event Bush attended. Those arrested at the event subsequently filed a lawsuit and were recently able to obtain an official White House policy and procedure manual for “‘deterring potential protestors’ [sic] from President Bush’s public appearances around the country.”

The “Presidential Advance Manual” specifies, according to the Washington Post:

Any event must be open only to those with tickets tightly controlled by organizers. Those entering must be screened in case they are hiding secret signs. Any anti-Bush demonstrators who manage to get in anyway should be shouted down by “rally squads” stationed in strategic locations. And if that does not work, they should be thrown out. (Emphasis added.)

…Designate a protest area where demonstrators can be placed, preferably not in the view of the event site or motorcade route. (Ed. Note: I have read in other press accounts, the ‘protest area’ must be no less than one-half mile from the location of the president.)

To counter any demonstrators…teams are told to create “rally squads” of volunteers with large hand-held signs, placards or banners with “favorable messages.” Squads should be placed in strategic locations and “at least one squad should be ‘roaming’ throughout the perimeter of the event to look for potential problems,” the manual says.

“These squads should be instructed always to look for demonstrators,” it says. “The rally squad’s task is to use their signs and banners as shields between the demonstrators and the main press platform. If the demonstrators are yelling, rally squads can begin and lead supportive chants to drown out the protestors (USA!, USA!, USA!). As a last resort, security should remove the demonstrators from the event site.”

In a recent post I said, “Upon taking office in 2001, George Bush and unitary executive Dick Cheney, began the systematic corruption and dismantling, wherever possible, of the United States Constitution and the principles of democracy that have defined our country for more than 220 years.” Few could argue that is an inaccurate statement.

Late Update: Download a copy of the Presidential Advance Manual