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Posted on 06/12/2002 6:02:12 PM PDT by sauropod
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (KKT) Up Close and Personal
G'day,
It was a fairly cool late afternoon considering the 93+ degrees that Baltimore experienced today. I arrived at the Baltimore Brewing Company at about 4:40 pm. After looking around for other FReepers, I made my protest sign, which said:
Queen Kathleen
for Governess...
Because Maryland
Needs Royalty
The flip side was:
Ruxton
Proud
with a picture of a snowplow plowing a street (referring to the time her husband had the State of Maryland snowplow crews clear their Ruxton home's driveway.). I then started to walk over toward the old Power Plant (with the ESPN Zone and Hard Rock Cafe in it). I asked around for Market Street and was given directions. About 20 minutes later I located the Maryland Art Place at 8 Market Street. I set up position in front of the flowerpots that lined the walkway in front of the door.
I got several smiles and comments from people going to attend the "Conversation with Kathleen" such as "Cute Sign," etc. One fairly well dressed homeless woman (green shirt tweed blazer and skirt) said that she was going in there also. I noticed a line toward the gallery which I believe is in the back of the MAP.
Staytrue showed up about that time. He had two signs that stated, "War Emblem Not Warmonger" and "'made a football' KKT is an idiot." A rather chunky finely dressed woman came outside in the plaza where we were standing and asked us to move "over there" pointing across the plazaway to the other side. Staytrue started to move over there, but I stayed put. I asked her why we needed to move. She stated, "because you are impeding the doorway." I replied that I was not "impeding the " doorway, but rather standing in front of the flowerpots. She then said something to the effect of "always a problem."
Almost immediately after that, a private security guard (from the building owners) came out and insisted that we be moved to the street. I asked why that was, and he replied that because all the plaza was "private property." Another gentleman came out in an orange shirt, kakhi pants and represented himself as the property manager. He stated that the owners of the "Power Point Live" building and the buildings surrounding the plaza also had purchased the plaza itself, and hence, we had to be moved down to the street. We were walked out there, and told to go stand across the street.
Immediately across the street is located the Baltimore City Community College (BCCC). There was a corner directly across from the plaza where we chose to stand.
A man about 35 or so with a big SUV parked on the sidewalk expanse there asked us "What was wrong with Kathy Townsend?" I replied, "Because she's a buffoon and Maryland can do much better for Governor." He snorted and then sat in his car for awhile. When I saw his daylights on, I made sure that we were not impeding his ability to leave.
Staytrue called the Baltimore Police Department and asked if it was indeed true that the plaza area at the end of Market street (where we were) was private property. He was told that, yes it was but that they would send someone around about it.
So there we stood on our corner, with the property manager rent-a-cop and the property manager across the street, arms folded.
One of Baltimore's Finest pulled up and the property manager immediately went up to the car window and started pleading his case. We asked the policeman if that it was indeed true that the plaza was private property, and he indicated that it was. We asked if we could continue to protest on our corner, and he indicated that it was ok. I told the policeman that I had contacted the permits department a day earlier about a permit, but that i had been unable to get in touch with the right person. Staytrue also told the policeman that he had talked with the permits department after I had, and that the department would not grant a permit because the department did not want the City of Baltimore seen as endorsing our protest (This was news to me. I would have appreciated a return phone call from them.).
A short while later, another police car pulls up and a policewoman asks us if the security people for BCCC had talked to us. We told her that, yes, one had, but he merely said hello. She told us that now, BCCC security did not want us on their corner. We looked around and saw a cobblestone median area lined with cars and parking meters. We asked if it would be ok if we protested there, and she told us to go ahead.
This was about 5:45 pm. Staytrue and I stood there for a while and a attendees of the "Conversation with Kathleen" started trickling out. A few of them asked us what "made a football" was about. Staytrue started filling them in on KKT's gaffe when, on describing the Baltimore Ravens Superbowl win last year, that she called touchdowns "making a football."
A man came by and told us that KKT had said that she had taken pottery in college and that was what led her into government service. I kid you not.
At one point a very well dressed man, fairly thin, wireframe glasses, silver hair parted in the middle, maybe about 45, came over and started getting nasty with Staytrue over his use of the word "idiot" when describing KKT. He didn't think we "had any business tearing down our society with that kind of language, that we needed to be a civil society." I kept trying to engage him in issues, which he said he would prefer to see, but he evaded them. I told him thai I was absolutely sick of the fascist governor we had for the last 8 years. I asked if he knew what free speech meant and he replied that we had a right to our opinion, but not to name call. When he strode away, I yelled after him, It's the first amendment you come to when reading the Constitution."
The "Conversation" attendees soon became more than a trickle. One woman walked by, gazed up and down at our signs, and said: "You are entitled to your opinion." I responded to her that "Yes I am, especially when it's right!"
A ruffle of dress and a "stomp stomp" were the only response.
Then to my wondering eyes did appear but KKT herself , flanked by her campaign manager and some other hangers-on.
She came up to us and shook both our hands. She looked at Staytrue's "idiot" sign and he explained it to her. She and some of her entourage put up the feeble defense that "Bush does not know the state capitals, gets them wrong all the time."
I was talking to the campaign manager and he asked if I supported Bush. I stated no, not really, and he said, "I do. At least on 9-11." I agreed with him that Bush's conduct of the war was good up to this point but he signed CFR.
The manager then told me that I was a smart guy, and that he really liked my sign. He gave me a business card and asked me to join the campaign.
I then told Staytrue to cool it, and asked KKT a couple of questions. I asked where she was going to get the money to fund this Prescription Drugs for Maryland Seniors plan she unveiled the other day. I told her that I believed that it had to come from new taxes, that it is my money taken at the point of a gun, and that i had no choice to pay this tax or not. Her campaign manager said, "Priorities, priorities."
I then asked her this question. "Will you repeal some of the draconian environmental regulations that Governor Glendening put into place over the last 8 years?" She then replied that "We need to protect the Chesapeake Bay." I guess that was a no.
They then strode off into the sunset.
Pave the Bay! 'Pod
Maybe calling someone an idiot is over the line. But we have had to endure endless sermons about Bush's lack of "gravitas" Bush's stupidity, Bush's DUI, Bush's cocaine use (which was completely unfounded). Also, during the 1998 campaign for governor in Maryland, Chris Mathews of Hardball said , I'm voting democrat, but the commercials being run against Saurbrey make me queasy, She has been called almost everything but a Nazi (by the Glendenning/Townsend campaign).
The fact is that Townsend probably has no idea the dirty tricks that have been and will be done in her name. But the Maryland budget, and the many patronage jobs, bribery by lobbyists, and state contracts are worth billions. The democrats will do almost anything to get her elected and calling her an idiot is mild compared to what is to come in this campaign.
With billions at stake, politics is perhaps one of the dirtiest games ever. I remember standing next to a lady that had a sign that said "Mothers against drunk presidents" I was carrying a sign that said "gore sighs and lies" Is calling KKT an idiot over the line ? Yes, except in the game of politics.
Making a football
Townsend
is an
idiot
The interesting thing was that her handlers and I were arguing about the fairness of the word "idiot". She had nothing to say but simply asked me where I was from. I said "Columbia". She said no that's not what I meant. I said "I'm Chinese". I would have thought she might have had more to say than that to someone who had a sign that said she was an idiot.
HRP
She struck me as someone who did not want to do something but did it anyway because their parents wanted them to. If she were not a Kennedy, she would probably be a happy housewife somewhere. Instead, she probably has the Glendenning corruption team behind her, making her say and do things she'd rather not do. Unfortuneately, if elected governor, she will still have the democrat/glendenning corruption team behind her, insisting on things she has no clue about.
Don't forget to wash your hands.
Well Done!
Hopefully the first of many. It's a long hot summer. I can play weekends but during the week I have to help out around DC. Thanks
Were her handlers doing a significant amount of the talking to you? If she can't adequately speak for herself on a street corner, how can she possibly govern an entire state???
However, I've not seen Kathleen Townsend disavow a single low life thing that the ethically challenged current gov. glendenning has done. Nor have I seen any evidence of remorse about the slanderous ad campaign that glendenning/townsend ran agains saurbrey the last time around. If you talk to the Saurbrey people about low life campaign tactics that the glendenning/townsend goons used at many of the saurbrey events, you would know that in spite of the fact that townsend seems like an innocent airhead, the gloves will come off in this campaign.
You know the old saying... "One or Two FReepers is all it takes!"
I loved your report! You guys are the greatest! And thanks for the ping!
I was on call last night, had less than two hours sleep and had to work a full day today. I know, not much of an excuse. ;-) I promise to put in some hours calling Maryland Democrat machine mean and intolerant names this summer/fall. Until then, you guys deserve a hearty thank you from the rest of us...
THANK YOU!!
She had nothing to say but simply asked me where I was from. I said "Columbia". She said no that's not what I meant. I said "I'm Chinese".
Staytrue, when you said that you were from Columbia she was probably thinking, "Gee, he doesn't look hispanic??" and then she was worried that she had offended a member of the hispanic community by asking what country you were from and tried to cover by saying, "That's not what I meant."
Your "I'm Chinese" answer most likely discombobulated the twelve sequentially firing neurons in her head and she didn't want to ask why a hispanic guy lived in China!
I would have thought she might have had more to say than that to someone who had a sign that said she was an idiot.
She's probably only now figuring out that you were dissing her.
My Columbian friend, I salute you!
;-)
Now I've got to get some more sleep. (I did get a few hour nap after work tonight)
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