Columnist's comments on Bush met with cheers, jeers (Reeves predicts Bush assassination)

Sarasota Herald Tribune ^ | 3/20/03 | Robert Eckhart

[FastNBulbous]

Columnist's comments on Bush met with cheers, jeers

Richard Reeves predicts President Bush will be assassinated over the war.

By ROBERT ECKHART robert.eckhart@heraldtribune.com

SARASOTA -- The jeers started at about the time syndicated columnist Richard Reeves predicted that President Bush will be assassinated over the war with Iraq.

Reeves, addressing a crowd of 1,700 at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on Wednesday, also called Secretary of State Colin Powell "incompetent" and -- this one got the most boos -- said that starting a war with Iraq will be the beginning of the end of the American Empire.

A few hundred people clapped. Several hundred booed, and about 50 walked out, making it the the most controversial Town Hall Today lecture in a decade.

"I wasn't surprised," said Susan Barcomb, chairwoman of the volunteer group that organizes the annual lecture series as a fund-raiser for the Ringling School Library Association. "He's very liberal and very outspoken."

The last person who got booed was Robert Kennedy Jr., early in the Clinton administration.

The audience at the Town Hall lectures is largely retired, well-to-do, well-educated and tough.

But the catcalls are usually saved for people who get out of their seats early to get a good seat for lunch.

Reeves, who has written critically-acclaimed books about Presidents John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, had talked for an hour about the two presidents without any trouble.

Iraq came up during the question-and-answer portion of his presentation. He didn't say anything out of line with what he has written lately. On Saturday, for example, he wrote, "It is hard not to conclude that the president is ignorant, the secretary of defense nuts and the secretary of state incompetent."

And he had plenty of supporters at Wednesday's lectures. But some of them thought it best to keep quiet, unlike the 200 or 300 people who booed him.

An 80-year-old woman who agreed with Reeves called the Herald-Tribune to talk about it, but wouldn't give her name. She didn't want her neighbors to know she doesn't agree with them about the war.

"I just felt very strongly that he said many of the things that should be said, and there were a lot of people who just didn't want to hear it," she said. "Many of the things he said were a little bit much, and I think some people were offended because of what's going on now in the world."

Reeves left Sarasota in the afternoon and did not respond to e-mails requesting an interview.

But he wasn't fazed at all by the booing as he sat with Barcomb and ate lunch at Van Wezel -- grilled fish with salsa, rice and lemon meringue pie.

"He had so many people come up to him who were praising him and asking questions," Barcomb said. "I had to drag him out of the lunchroom. They wouldn't let him go."

[bvw]

Is he light in the loafers?

[davisfh]

Yep. You've got it right. A lot of wishful thinking going
on here. If he gets interviewed by the FBI or Secret Service
they'll soon discover that he is, in reality, a harmless
idiot.

[TommyDale]

Isn't Richard Reeves dead? You know, the guy who played Superman on TV that committed suicide?

[Steve_Seattle]

"An 80 year-old woman who agreed with Reeves."

Don't ask me to subsidize your prescription drug habit, granny, ok?

[Fifth Business]

it's turtles all the way down. ;)

What was the original context for this quote, if you please? I've forgotten.

[CFC__VRWC]

If he gets interviewed by the FBI or Secret Service they'll soon discover that he is, in reality, a harmless idiot.

Then, of course, we'll have to read his hysterical screed about how "Ashcroft's jackbooted thugs" tried to stifle his First Amendment rights.

[KSCITYBOY]

The raw hated the left have for those who don't tow their line in scary. These people are the real enemy!

[walden]

Heck, come to think of it, I've forgotten too! The mind is the first thing to go . . .

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

This columnist should be watched CLOSELY.

[BobP]

As conserning this guy Reeves, I smell 'Clymer'

[Carolinamom]

Beyond the pale. Arrogant and evil to even think of such a thing, much less voice it. I sincerely hope that the FBI pays him a visit.

[KSCITYBOY]

Old drag queen?

[r9etb]

Another idiotarian.

Actually, he's probably correct that there are some who might try to assassinate Bush over this war. I can imagine terrorists working hard to do just that. It's a defensible claim in and of itself.

As for Reeves himself, however, his predictions tend to be hit-or-miss -- mostly miss.

[dirtboy]

When I read vile crap like this from Reeves, when I see the signs of the peaceniks promoting violence against our troops, when I hear the latest anti-American utterance from a left-wing celebrity, I am prone to consider the notion that this country is at war with itself as well as against the terrorists, between left and right, red zone versus blue zone - except for the fact that the left is doing such a spectacular job destroying itself that we only need to witness the downfall and throw in an occasional truth, like a hand grenade, whenever the process slows.

[mabelkitty]

I agree.

If he said this prior to JFKs murder, he'd be looking at hard time.

Is he connected to the Clintons?

[Steel Eye]

Is it this Richard Reeves?

http://www.richardreeves.com/

[mabelkitty]

Then I won't be responsible for my actions when I beat the living crap out of a couple of them.

[the Deejay]

Especially during this time, at war, the Secret Service should nab this idiot.....Pronto!

[NewMexLurker]

Superman was George, and he did commit suicide back in 1959. Funny thing, you will see his last name as both Reeve and Reeves. I don't know which one is right.

[Wavyhill]

I wouldn't be surprised if he's right. The Left is deliberately trying to stoke their "people" (I use the term very, very loosely) into hating our beloved President enough to kill him. Although almost all the lefties I've ever seen were homosexual sissies, out of about 20% of the American population there has to be someone with enough guts to do it. However, by predicting Bush's assassination and attacking him personally, Reeves is making a coded call for his listeners to do just that. He should be imprisoned for this. Incidentally, if Bush does get assassinated, the Left had better watch out. What they're experiencing now is nothing to what they'll get then. Not to put too fine a point on it: if Reeves gets his wish, he and other leftists had better look out for their lives. Note that I'm not endorsing violence, just extrapolating events.