The breakdown of simple common decency in political debate is appalling. Regardless of your ideologies, terrorizing public officials families is WAY beyond the line. Of course to the asshats at National People's Action (NPA) committing a few crimes in order to make your point is par for the course.
From the Washington Post:
Several hundred people stormed the small yard of President Bush's chief political strategist, Karl Rove, yesterday afternoon, pounding on his windows, shoving signs at others and challenging Rove to talk to them about a bill that deals with educational opportunities for immigrants.It will be interesting to see whether the "get Bush at all costs" crew of frothing liberals like Atrios will condem these tactics, but I think we all know that they're will be nothing but plaudits for it. Last week they were praising Kerry union backers for attacking Bush supporters, so this type of terrorist tactic against public officials dovetails nicely with the ends justifies the means mentality.
Protesters poured out of one school bus after another, piercing an otherwise quiet, peaceful Sunday in Rove's Palisades neighborhood in Northwest, chanting, "Karl, Karl, come on out! See what the DREAM Act is all about!"Rove obliged their first request and opened his door long enough to say, "Get off my property."
The crowd then grew more aggressive, fanning around the three accessible sides of Rove's house, tracking him through the many windows, waving signs that read "Say Yes to DREAM" and pounding on the glass. At one point, Rove rushed to a window, pointed a finger and yelled something inaudible.
Shortly thereafter, sirens shot through the neighborhood and Secret Service agents and D.C. police joined the crowd on the lawn. Rove opened his door long enough to talk to an officer, and the crowd serenaded them with a stanza of "America the Beautiful."
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Comments (7)
Heh- I blogged the same sto... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Paul | March 29, 2004 9:00 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Heh- I blogged the same story about 2 minutes before you but I deleted it because I wanted to reword it.
Now, I'm glad I did.
The 2 points I made is that they used 10-14 year old kids to do their dirty work and that Rove is not responsible for policy anyway so it was nothing but intimidation.
1. Posted by Paul | March 29, 2004 9:00 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on March 29, 2004 09:00
2. Posted by Kevin | March 29, 2004 9:39 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I saw it in my newsreader right after I posted, and I went the the posting screen to look for it, and it was gone :-).
2. Posted by Kevin | March 29, 2004 9:39 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on March 29, 2004 09:39
3. Posted by Aaron | March 29, 2004 10:23 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Ooops. I have linked to this post but had to make a couple typos and addendum, every time I repost the corrected it seems that it sends a new ping... sorry, anyone know how to not do this?
3. Posted by Aaron | March 29, 2004 10:23 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on March 29, 2004 10:23
4. Posted by Paul | March 29, 2004 10:24 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Yeah, I was a tad warm when I posted it. Lesson learned. (Hey, I'm new here! ;-)
4. Posted by Paul | March 29, 2004 10:24 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on March 29, 2004 10:24
5. Posted by Kevin | March 29, 2004 10:34 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Paul I delayed posting mine as I debated the merits of including this line:
Rove should have got out a shotgun and fired off a warning shot at the crowd.
Of course it was an ill reasoned line that would have shifted the debate in another direction. That said, if he had popped a cap or two off at the throng the story would be on page A1 instead of B1.
5. Posted by Kevin | March 29, 2004 10:34 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on March 29, 2004 10:34
6. Posted by homebru | March 29, 2004 12:06 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
[flame=on]
You DO NOT EVER fire "warning shots".
You do not squeeze the trigger unless you intend to destroy.
Jeez.
[flame=off]
The mob may have been trying to provoke him to gunfire. And in WashDC, guess what would have happened? Karl goes to jail. Unlicensed self-defense of home, life, and limb. Wouldn't that have a happy effect on the Bush campaign?
Expect more "gun-fodder" attacks. If the dims are this desperate this early in the race, there will be blood before election day.
6. Posted by homebru | March 29, 2004 12:06 PM |
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Posted on March 29, 2004 12:06
7. Posted by Rob | March 29, 2004 12:28 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
If I were Rove, I would have had the police round up the trespassers and cart them off to jail.
Where I'm from, trespassing is still a crime even if you're protesting. I wonder why Rove didn't do this, though I suspect he knew the media would spin it to make it appear as though he were some sort of ogre who threw a bunch of defensless, good-willed protestors off his front lawn.
7. Posted by Rob | March 29, 2004 12:28 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on March 29, 2004 12:28