Posted on 10/20/2002 9:59:15 PM PDT by kattracks
A Democratic Party political operative who worked for eight years as an advance man for Hillary Clinton has revealed that he routinely employed "goon squads" to intimidate protesters and quash anti-Clinton demonstrations.
"Less genteel souls sometimes referred to them as goon squads," writes Patrick Halley in his new book "On the Road with Hillary." "But I objected to that term. I was proud of the fact that not one of them had ever been arrested," he boasts.
Halley said he prefers the term "etiquette squad" to describe the Clinton goon squads, but he admitted "they could certainly be intimidating if the occasion called for it."
"The make-up of the etiquette squad differed from event to event, and I always found it best to use folks who were indigenous," he explained. "After all, you wouldn't want to send a team of broad-shouldered teamsters into an event at a women's college."
Halley revealed that whenever an anti-Hillary protest looked likely, he'd "sprinkle" the Clinton goons throughout the crowd "so there was always someone able to respond quickly."
The Clinton campaign "never advocated physical confrontation and always insisted that the etiquette squad stay within the boundaries of the law," he claimed.
But in the next breath Halley confessed, "Sadly, but inevitably, things sometimes got a little frisky, but my recruits knew how to handle themselves."
The Clinton operative recalled that one etiquette squad "had come from the longshoreman's union, and I had heard rumors that they had been very adamant about defending themselves when set upon by protesters."
Rumors of Clinton operatives roughing up both reporters and protesters during Hillary's 2000 Senate campaign were legion, but the mainstream press declined to cover the assaults.
One such altercation took place as Mrs. Clinton marched in New York's St. Patrick's Day parade during the campaign. The scene was described moments later by Metro Network News reporter Glenn Schuck, who assumed that rogue Secret Service agents had been responsible for the thug-like tactics:
"Secret Service agents literally are pushing press to the ground. They just lost their minds, in my opinion," Schuck told WABC Radio's Sean Hannity.
"I mean they just started pushing and shoving; female camera people five feet tall were getting thrown to the ground, cameras flying. Myself, I was grabbed by the shoulder, I was thrown back over. I think somebody from Channel 11 landed on my back. From that point it really didn't get any better."
A few days after Schuck's report, a caller to WOR Radio's Bob Grant Show reported that she and her family were also accosted by the Clinton goons along the parade route.
Caller "Maureen" reported that her family had been booing Mrs. Clinton as she marched along when "they were surrounded by men in trench coats with radios." She quoted the men as saying that they "did not have the right" to heckle, before ordering, "We think you should stop this now."
The goon squad tactics described by Mr. Halley were apparently also practiced by Mr. Clinton's advance team. During an October 1998 protest of the then-president's visit to Philadelphia, demonstrators were set upon by goons wearing T-shirts bearing the message "Teamsters for Clinton."
Philadelphia-native Don Adams was beaten severely during the confrontation and later filed suit against city officials.
Before the revelation in Halley's book, no one previously associated with the Clinton White House had ever admitted using goon squads to stifle free speech.
Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
This sentence pretty well says it all: The mainstream media shills COVER UP genuine Democrat and/or environmentalist activist abuses, but OBSESS over alleged Republican and/or Christian activist wrongs.
And the average, Oprah-watching, Rosie-loving, American is kept in the dark as to what is really going on.
They will very possibly wake up someday (when all freedoms are lost), and ask, "Hey, why didn't anyone tell us what was going on?"
Answer: Should have been reading the Bible and FreeRepublic.
You've got to just have Vision like she does, to imagine 100% turnout, 100% in-favor, of the privilege of her governance.
I have seen video of Bill Clinton shouting obscenities at a reporter and sending his goons to discourage the guy. This was not the famous picnic video incident.
Slick & the Witch came to Marietta College here in Ohio back when they were campaigning in '92 and the Goons were out confiscating any sign that was anti-Klinton and intimidating the voices of opposition so to let the Klinton loving media report the visit as an Ohio love-fest with their candidate.
NOW IS THE TIME TO GIVE THEM A TASTE OF THEIR OWN MEDICINE!!!
We need to amass an army of FReepers and FReedom lovers to meet Hitlery's goons NOSE TO NOSE EVERYWHERE SHE SHOWS in 2004! For every one of them that comes out trying to intimidate, we need to have TWO tapping them on the shoulder and knocking their teeth out when they turn around. Don't just put her thugs in the hospital for their trouble, PUT THEM IN AN OXYGEN TENT FOR A LONG, LONG STAY!!!
When she sees what her goons are getting and when THEY turn on her because "This wasn't supposed to happen", imagine the heat from the spotlight her campaign feels THEN!
I think you've got a winning slogan, or keynote, here for any anti-Hillary FReep!
This ever happens to me & Mr Goon is going to be introduced to Mr Pepper Spray or his Testicles will meet Mr Stun-Gun!!!
This ever happens to me & Mr Goon is going to be introduced to Mr Pepper Spray or his Testicles will meet Mr Stun-Gun!!!
If I ever saw that happen, I wouldn't care if I thought it WAS SS, I would do everything I could to badly injure the goon. I have no tolerance for these s****! It's a shame to NY that they weren't all put in the hospital by the crowd.
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