Woo hoo! Let's get a good ol' civil war going. I hear that liberals are ruthless on the battlefield and that they send in their children when the fighting is done to kill the enemy wounded.

Unfortunately I can't seem to find an mp3 of the world's smallest violin playing the world's saddest song for you. But maybe these will help.

HA! I didn't expect such sympathy. Thank you so much!!

Truthfully though, I'm not upset...nor was this surprising to me at all. It's just to show the double-standard in the public discourse that we as conservatives face every day. But I'll continue bearing that cross with a smile! :o)

OMG the vast liberal leftwing media bias conspiracy strikes again.

That's right! If it weren't so true it would be hilarious, and I don't know what the reason is for it is.

I don't think there is a grand conspiracy, but the slant is institutional. Have you seen the surveys? Something like 7% of the print and tv media vote Republican on a regular basis? For radio, the figures are a little higher but the fact remains that we can't get away with certain things that dems can, paricualy in the papers. That's just the way it is so we calculate it, deal with it, and move on.

Polamex...we don't need your civil war. Feeds the rich while it buries the poor...aye aye ayeayeaye...Arghh,class warfare from Guns and Roses and I STILL love 'em!

I should also again mention that I have worked in broadcast news. I actually did the weather...but often had reporters coming to me about their political stories because they had no idea what they were talking about and knew I did! Even with my advice their stories often leaned left...just because that's the culture which surrounds them in the newsroom. Assignment managers and editors cannott even imagine that there might actually be people out there who are say...pro-life. These are only 'redneck" opinions. They consider themselves to be more educated and therefore since they think they understand the issue better, the other opinion (held in many cases by most of America) is not legitimate. Most of the reporters, however, were not smart enough to even understand their stories were liberal! They just take cues from the higher-up...and so the newsroom-culture cycle continues. It still blows my mind to this day.

US News columnist John Leo wrote the best analysis I have ever seen on this topic in 2001. I posted it on the newsroom bulletin board. It was removed in short order. Shortly therafter, I was given an opportunity to interview Representative Shays via satellite when I was filling in on the morning show on his feel-good campaign finance reform bill...and I forced him to explain why it was constitutional to prohibit Americans from speaking on a candidate within 60 days of an election (ads, voter guides, etc.)..a little known provision of the bill which is now in effect. After being told by the stupid regualar morning host that I "attacked the guest"...and responded by saying that anyone who comes on pushing such a drastic thing should have to explain it and defend it. Shortly thereafter, I was told I would not be offered a new contract...they were going in a "new direction" (less intelligence on the morning show, apparently).

I'd do it all again! Ha! I report, you decide.

Completely off the topic, but I thought I would share.

We were driving from Detroit back down to Columbus on Sunday when I start noticing cops on every single overpass. After a few miles I take a look at the oncoming lanes and there is not a single car on I-75. Another mile ahead there was a convoy of about 50 state troopers in a row. Behind them, John Kerry's 8 tour buses and some more state troopers. And behind all of that, mile after mile of bumper to bumper traffic on I-75.

If I had been stuck in the traffic I saw on the other side caused by this, I would have voted for Bush this November. ; )

Damn...that's the best opportunity I'll ever have to convert you.

Now I'll just have to convince you to vote for Nader!!

Hah. I won't do that again. ; )

I read the description from the Milwaukee press. These people were not merely peacefully holding signs expressing their views (like people I saw when Kerry spoke here in Michigan). They were setting off airhorns and actually trying to disrupt the speeches. Where were the police while all this was going on? I think "goons" is a pretty good description of thuggish louts who try to interfere with a candidate's right to speak and the public's right to hear him. Those are Nazi tactics, not worthy of the United States of America. I haven't heard any reports of Kerry supporters acting that way at a Bush rally, and if I knew of any Kerry supporters who were *planning* to act that way, I would do whatever I could to talk them out of it or warn the organizers.

Now, if Kerry supporters physically attacked them, I *don't* defend that; it sounds, though, like they just tried to tear up their signs, and while I don't approve of even laying a finger on someone for barbaric behavior (I really would prefer calling the cops on them), this does seem to me like fairly mild retaliation for these guys' efforts to intimidate people and ruin the event for everyone.

Finally, the actual quote of Kerry's comment sounds to me like he was very annoyed but also determined not to be intimidated or shouted down. He didn't say "make them work harder," he said "to make us work harder" -- a statement that he just wasn't going to give in to Nazi tactics. At no time did Kerry or his wife encourage his supporters to retaliate against these people or even to make them shut up; he just said that they weren't going to succeed in shutting him up.

I want to know if you can seriously defend the idea of people trying to prevent someone from being heard. I'm not talking about disagreeing or peacefully protesting, but actually trying to *forcibly* prevent someone from making themselves heard to the public. I'm astonished if these guys' behavior was legal, but in any case it's despicable.

Your version says someone was thrown in the river. If that happened, I don't defend it, and think the person who did that should be arrested. I didn't see that in the Milwaukee press coverage, however, and I don't know for a fact that it happened. For all I know, the guy slipped and fell in while they were tussling over the sign, or something like that. In any case, no, this Kerry supporter does not condone violence against Bush supporters. But neither do I support Nazi tactics used against Kerry.

To start, I really have little opinion in this matter. I have a feeling the blame falls on both parties.

"I think "goons" is a pretty good description of thuggish louts who try to interfere with a candidate's right to speak and the public's right to hear him. Those are Nazi tactics, not worthy of the United States of America."

As for the "Nazi tactics," that is going a bit too far. While I'm not a Bush fan, Bush and his supporters are far from posessing Nazi qualities. That characterization is grossly overexaggerated. Furthermore, leftist protestors use those same tactics at Bush rallies all the time. In fact, I seem to recall protestors finding their way into the Abu Gharib hearings and interrupting Rumsfeld as he tried to give his testimony. Not ony were these protestors interrupting a government official's right to speak, they were interfering with the justice system.

Don't be so quick to point the finger.

From what I understand, there was ONE guy with a horn. The protesters were a block away from the rally...NOT EVEN INSIDE THE CROWD (like they would ever be let in). While the candidate could hear the demonstrations...they were not preventing him from being heard. That said, I don't defend the one guy with the horn (I believe I said earlier the horn and even the shouting was disrespectful). The use of the phrase "Nazi tactics", however, shows a fundamental lack of understanding of history, is laughable and not really even worthy of this response.

Also, in response to Ryan's "no opinion". I would agree that it sounds like it could be just both sides getting out of control...and that may have been the case on the large scale, since several scuffles broke out. However, my friends that were there were away from the group that was yelling and blowing the horn and SOME in their group were outright assaulted. Do I blame Kerry directly for that? No...the main point was that Bush could never get away with similar comments in the press.

Media Research Center. Check it if you dont believe.

Some people hate us conservatives with an absolute unabiding passion.

Very simple reason why things like this rarely happen at B/C campaign events -
the protestors who would chant, stamp, blow airhorns, etc., never get within earshot of Dear Leader and company. Diligent Secret Service agents ensure that everyone getting in is going to 'behave'. Apparently, Kerry's events do not get the same treatment.

There are plenty of stories of Kerry supporters being kicked out of Bush rallies and handled roughly or having their tickets ripped up by event staff or security or the state police. Not by the Bush rally participants. You guys were lucky !! You got roughed up by Kerry supporters---the general public. At least you DIDN'T get arressted or fined for the signs you carried or the t-shirt you had on or the things that you shouted. Does it make a difference if the crowd bullies you or not?? Absolutely. So you had to go home with a ripped up sign and wet clothes. So what. The anger is bordering on civil war. Kerry supporters at Bush rallies not only get beat up, but have been arrested by state police, FBI, CIA, have been imprisoned at least until the speach is over and have had court appearances for bogus charges or who have had to pay fines. And the angry Kerry crowds know this is going on. They take it personally. I would too. Could you imagine say having to sell your house or car to pay a hefty fine or pay a lawyer for your defense because of the shirt you were wearing or what you were shouting at the rally?? And if "event staff" or security ever ripped up my tickets that I paid for and tried to force me off of the grounds they'd get a quick lesson in karate. These are regular Joe's at their jobs, not official police personnel. Where do they get the authority to take your tickets and rip them up after you paid for them let alone to touch your person to escort you out. They are not even local police. Security gaurds are not supposed to touch you they are supposed to tell the REAL police who then come to escort you. I would get those non-official Nazis back in some personal way if they ever messed with me.