Is that woman present in this lineup, sir?
Posted on 07/31/2004 4:33:00 PM PDT by wagglebee
RIO RANCHO, N.M. (AP) -- Some Democrats who signed up to hear Vice President Dick Cheney speak here Saturday were refused tickets unless they signed a pledge to endorse President Bush.
The measure was a security step designed to avoid a disruption, which Bush campaign spokesman Dan Foley alleged Democrats were planning. Democratic Party officials denied it.
Several Democrats, at least, encountered the screening measures Thursday after calling from a line that self-identified as ACT, America Coming Together, an activist group that supports Kerry, Foley said. Others attempted to give false names and were denied tickets, he said.
Two men who had sought tickets reported they were required to give name, address, phone number, e-mail address and driver's license number, then were presented the pledge of endorsement when they arrived to pick up the tickets Thursday.
One of them, John Wade of Albuquerque, said he signed the pledge because he wanted the tickets but then changed his mind.
"I got to thinking this is not right," Wade said. "They're excluding people -- that's what has me so upset."
He returned the tickets and campaign workers returned his pledge.
Vietnam veteran Michael Ortiz y Pino said he refused to sign the pledge and was refused tickets.
Ortiz y Pino said he was asked if he associated with veterans, pro-life, gun rights or teacher groups.
Neither man wanted to give driver's license numbers but did so.
"I said why do you need that?" Ortiz y Pino said.
A campaign worker, he said, replied: "Secret Service stuff."
Kerry campaign spokesman Ruben Pulido Jr. said there had been no plan by the campaign to disrupt Cheney's event.
"I think that every American should have the right to see their vice president and hear from him firsthand what he plans to do for our country," Pulido said.
He also said the Kerry campaign had not attempted to screen Bush supporters out of Kerry's appearance at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque on July 9.
On that occasion, about a dozen Bush supporters wearing flip-flop beach sandals began chanting "Viva Bush" and waved their flip-flops over their heads. They contend Kerry has flip-flopped on the war.
The incident ended peacefully.
For Saturday's event, Foley, a New Mexico legislator, said the Cheney campaign didn't want supporters denied places that might be taken by detractors.
Some Democrats who are Bush supporters were welcomed without signing anything, he said.
The endorsement pledges, he said, were for screening purposes, not for any advertisement listing names of Democrats who support Bush.
Foley asked of the Kerry-Edwards campaign: "How many tickets did you give to Bush-Cheney supporters from New Mexico to hear Senator Kerry's speech tonight at the Democratic National Convention?"
Asked if Cheney might discuss a terrorism warning issued Thursday for New Mexico, Foley said he did not know.
Richard Fox, a political science instructor at a local community college, said attempts to screen political events is commonplace.
But he said: "This pledge or this 'loyalty oath' -- quote-unquote -- to me is unheard of."
So what....at least they weren't caged behind barbed wire!
Silly thing to require. When did the Dims start caring about oaths?
Could you imagine Bush supports complaining about this sort of thing at a Kerry rally? Of course not.
I've been to big political speeches before, you wait there for about 8 hours for a 20 minute speech. I can't imagine going through that to hear somebody I didn't like.
When VP Cheney came to support Cong Cole, every person entering the room with screened with driver's license, SSN, etc. That is the way it is in the Country after 9-11. Everyone is screened before getting access to an event like this.
When I picked up tickets earlier in the day, the Republicans did not screen anyone. It kinda backfired on them.
During Bush's speech, a small handful of grunge-rock libs disrupted him. They shouted "Now war for oil in Iraq!". Bush stepped back from the mike. A beautiful blond woman went right up to one of the smelly libs and shoved her fist in the lib's face, but she didn't hit the lib.
Then all of a sudden, the rest of the crowd chanted "USA! USA!", while pumping their fists at the smelly libs.
Dallas showed the world how to disrupt the disruptors.
Thats fine and how it should be. Let the crowd disrupt the disruptors. I can see how its important to take lisc info ssn etc for security--but a loyalty pledge? Come on. How do they expect to enforce it. The VP is the VP of everyone and seeing him in person rather than on tv just might entice a lame brained undecided ( i call them clueless) person to go out and vote repub. Think about it..we dont need this 100 days out from nov 2nd IMHO. Flame on..
Hehehheheee, that's my TEXAS for you! DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS!
You won't get any flames from me. The loyalty pledge is a dumb idea. If I feel like going to hear Edwards or Kerry (why I would I can't imagine)I'll go and not expect to sign any steenking pledges there either.
That one went over my head. Can you 'splain to me? :)
In their warped minds, they think they have the "right" to disrupt a speech.
Just like illegals have the "right" to invade, terrorists the "right" to bomb, etc.
Gee, at a Cheney rally, you have to sign a pledge. No pledge, no tickets.
At a Kerry rally, there's no pledge; you just get trampled by union thugs.
Is that woman present in this lineup, sir?
bttt
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