Posted on 03/29/2005 11:36:57 AM PST by denver larry
DENVER (AP) -- The Secret Service says it is investigating the claims of three people who claim they were removed from President Bush's town hall meeting on Social Security last week after being singled out because of a bumper sticker on their car.
The three said they had obtained tickets through the office of Rep. Bob Beauprez, R-Colo., had passed through security and were preparing to take their seats when they were approached by what they thought was a Secret Service agent who asked them to leave.
One woman, Karen Bauer, 38, a marketing coordinator from Denver, said Monday the agent put his hand on her elbow and steered her away from her seat and toward an exit.
"The Secret Service had nothing to do with that," said Lon Garner, special agent in charge of the Secret Service office in Denver. "We are very sensitive to the First Amendment and general assembly rights as protected by the Constitution."
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The three who were removed, along with their attorney, Dan Recht, met with Garner on Monday. Recht said he may file a lawsuit based on the group's alleged violation of their First Amendment rights.
Garner said the group appeared confused as to who asked them to leave and declined to release further details, citing an ongoing investigation.
Alex Young, 25, an Internet technology worker from Denver who was among the three removed from the event March 17 at Wings over the Rockies, said officials told them the next day they were identified as belonging to the "No Blood for Oil" group.
Young said they belong to no such group, but the car they drove to the event had a bumper sticker that read: "No More Blood for Oil."
"I don't think a bumper sticker on a friend's car should disqualify me from seeing the president," Young said.
Beauprez distributed tickets to the event, which was part of President Bush's effort to gain support for his plan to overhaul Social Security. Messages left after-hours at Beauprez's office were not immediately returned Monday. A call to Bush's advance team in Denver went unanswered.
Lawrence Pacheco, a spokesman for Rep. Mark Udall, D-Colo., said the congressman has asked the Secret Service about the group's allegations.
Young, like Bauer and lawyer Leslie Weise, 39, is a member of the Denver Progressives, a political activist group. He said the three had T-shirts underneath their business attire that read, "Stop the Lies" and they had talked about exposing them during Bush's visit. He said they had scrapped the plan by the time they arrived at the museum.
Recht said the T-shirts did not play a role in the group's removal.
"They hadn't done anything wrong. They weren't dressed inappropriately, they didn't say anything inappropriate," Recht said. "They were kicked out of this venue and not allowed to hear what the president had to say based solely on this political bumper sticker.
"The very essence of the First Amendment is that you can't be punished for the speech you make, the statements you make," Recht said.
President Bush has visited at least 17 states to gain support for his plan to change Social Security, meeting with people who are generally supportive.
Some people who have stood up to disrupt Bush while he was talking have been removed. But a group called Americans United to Protect Social Security said there have been at least two instances where people have been removed or barred from a Bush event beforehand.
In February, a "black list" of people banned from getting tickets was obtained and published by the Forum newspaper. The White House and the Republican Party denied such a list existed and Gov. John Hoeven's staff said no one was denied tickets.
Brad Woodhouse, a spokesman for Americans United, called the Denver example the most egregious violation.
"They're screening the people who are allowed to come and then they're profiling them in the parking lot," he said. "It's quite extraordinary, and disappointing."
Spock???
Is that you?
:0)
Were they arrested? Beaten? Put to death? Why do they have the "right" to attend this meeting. Did they pay for the tickets? Were they anything but a little inconvenienced?
I believe the First Amendment to the Constitution reads "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech"
bump!
mark for later
So somebody caught them before they could annoy all the people who were there to listen to the president. They were still free to stand outside and speak freely if anybody wanted to listen to them, right ?
So Clinton is now the dandard for behavior? We don't complain about a later president as long as he's not doing worse than Clinton? A statement such as this pops up every time Bush or his people do something wrong, and it's getting old.
Bush has had over four years to get the government up to his supposed high moral standards and respect for rights. At some point you have to start blaming him rather than someone who left office over long ago.
Haven't you figured it out by now?
It's only wrong when the Democrats do it.
'Garner said the group appeared confused as to who asked them to leave and declined to release further details, citing an ongoing investigation'
maybe Blather can do an expose on this. Sounds like it is right up his alley.
Translation: Throw out anybody who might ask the President tough questions and embarrass him on TV.
Apologies for bad spelling and grammar there. Time for a cup of tea.
In fact, they should've been flogged in the public square, but that's just my own opinion.
Well it is always wrong in my eyes
Works with taxing and spending, too.
Republicans: Government bloat that's 0.5% cheaper! That's Brand Differentiation!
Suuuuure they did.
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Dustin Barnes, 25, left, is escorted from a town hall meeting while trying to shout questions at U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) at California State University, Monday, March 21, 2005, in Bakersfield, Calif. V.P. Cheney and Republican Congressman Bill Thomas, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, used the meeting to discuss Social Security (news - web sites) reform.. (AP Photo/Ric Francis) |
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I agree, but there are many here who believe that the Bush administration can do no wrong.
You're right....there were many regular Americans actually jailed 'cause of their stand against the 'toon.
I read that they were given tickets by a Republican Congressman from CO (Bob Beauprez), and the event was taxpayer funded.
I couldn't figure out if they did anthing to disrupt the event. Does anyone have more info?
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