Apparently fearful that their bitter and genuinely mean-spirited candidate might embarrass himself with his own devastating macaca moment, Dino Rossi’s campaign staffers and supporters have resorted to increasingly aggressive tactics to keep opposition cameras out of public events, and thus the real Dino Rossi out of the public eye. And as the Seattle Times reports this morning, this resulted last week in a Democratic Party cameraman being forcibly dragged out of a press conference at the Seattle Police Officers Guild, and physically restrained by off-duty cops.
“We don’t allow them in to collect attack video,” Rossi spokeswoman Jill Strait said.
But we do allow event organizers to attack the videographer, apparently.
Guild members threatened the cameraman with arrest, but no charges were filed and no fine or penalty issued… because, of course, no laws were broken (except, perhaps, by the off-duty officers). This wasn’t a private fundraiser or other such event, it was a press conference, which by its very nature is an inherently public event, and thus the cameraman had every expectation that he would have the same right to record the proceedings as the several other cameramen in attendance.
“We’re sorry that it had to end that way,” Strait said of Thursday’s incident. “But he wouldn’t have to be escorted off the premises if he had just left when he was asked to. I really think he was trying to provoke an incident by refusing to leave.”
Yeah… it “had to end that way;” he was, after all, “provoking an incident” by quietly standing in the back with all the other cameramen, so I suppose he was lucky to walk away with only a bruised sternum. As one die-hard Rossi supporter enthusiastically suggested in the threads over on Postman’s blog, his response would have been “a bullit [sic] between his eyes, no questions asked.” I guess that’s why Republicans pride themselves as the “law and order” party.
As for the Democrats? Well, I guess we’re just all a bunch of pussies…
A Republican Party worker videotapes appearances by Gregoire, so Steele said it’s hypocritical for Rossi to kick out Akers. Strait said it makes no difference to the Rossi campaign if Gregoire allows herself to be taped by the opposition.
FYI, here’s the video of the rough reception the Republican cameraman gets at Gov. Gregoire’s events:
Jesus Christ… they did everything but offer him milk and cookies. Pussies.
It is great to see this story picked up in the news section of the Times, but I can’t help but wonder if their editorial board—champions of sunshine and open government—will see fit to comment on Rossi’s stunning lack of openness when it comes to endorsement time. This is a candidate who has cameramen forcibly ejected from public events, sometimes even from public property, and who routinely brushes off questions about issues on which he is out of step with Washington voters by curtly responding that “I’m not running on that issue.”
Well, he may not be running on issues like reproductive rights, comprehensive sex education or school vouchers, and he may have carefully avoided taking a public position on gas tax repeal and other controversial initiatives, but voters have a right to know where Rossi stands on all these issues, not just those his pollsters and focus groups tell him best work to his political advantage. And our local press have an obligation to inform the public by relentlessly following up on these questions, rather than just allowing Rossi to shrug them off with a quip like they did in 2004.
Goldy,
Go over to Stephan’s blog and read “Gregoire Supporter Doesn’t Get Tased.” Stefan’s go a different view.
The contrast couldn’t be more stark:
Video1: fascism
Video2: democracy
Our losing wingnut trolls and their political fellow travellers want to live under video1.
Gotta love the defense offered by Rossi spokesmen, when asked why they were threatening cameramen with arrest for videotaping on public property:
“She said that Rossi did not try to stop a Democratic cameraman from following him down the streets of Prosser on a recent tour.”
Damn nice of him. And I appreciate the education. Apparantly Rossi and his supporters have the right to restrict other citizens from public parks, public events, and now even the public streets. But he’s such a darn nice guy, he’ll occassionaly let us walk down the street within eyesight of him. We should all be grateful for what crumbs he is willing to let fall in our direction.
If this is how he campaigns, can you imagine him as governor? I wonder what he will be ordering the state police to do to critics who become a bit too inconvenient for him?
A chilling glimpse into how things would be under Rossi…
God help us.
I urge people to go to the Seattle Times and read the story for themselves, then make up your minds. Don’t just rely on Goldy’s spin of the events. For example, this was in the Times:
“A guild member told him, “You were advised not to come into the building. This is private property. If you come back in the building you will be arrested for trespassing. Do you understand that? Do you understand?”
“Strait said Akers knows he’s not welcome at the campaign events because for months he’s been asked to leave by various event organizers. She said the campaign gives a “heads up” to organizers that a Democratic cameraman is likely to show up and should be asked to leave.”
“We’re sorry that it had to end that way,” Strait said of Thursday’s incident. “But he wouldn’t have to be escorted off the premises if he had just left when he was asked to. I really think he was trying to provoke an incident by refusing to leave.”
I wonder how many black girls were forcibly removed from the doorstep of Christine Gregoire’s sorority when they mistakenly knocked on the wrong door? How many were called “nigger?” Which reminds me, how many blacks, women, or muslims have posting privileges on HA?
6 – Why don’t you find out and report that to Rossi’s campaign? It’ll be in one of his campaign commercials that very night.
Hell, make shit up and it’ll make the TV. It’s the Republican way.
I dare you to.
Goldy lives in a high crime, rough part of town, so I’m sure sometime in the future he’ll be needing the assistance of the Seattle Police. I wonder how quick their response is going to be when they find out he thinks SPD officers are nothing more than “goons?”
Troll,
I like to think our police officers would properly respond to a call even if the person making the call is one of their critics. Scary to think that the only people who would get police protection are those that are “friendly” to the cops.
Troll @8,
I never said Seattle Police officers are goons, only these particular officers, but nevertheless, even if I had, it isn’t their job to pick and choose which citizens to protect based on what they might say or write, and the fact that you think it is tells us all we need to know about you and your peculiar brand of politics.
@5
That still doesn’t explain why Dino Rossi lacks the testicular fortitude to have open events while it’s no big deal for Governor Gregoire.
The difference is about balls. The Governor has them. Rossi does not.
@11
Seems to me like Akers was hoping this would happen, and have been baiting them for some time. You people are so naive. This is exactly what he wanted.
BTW, just googled Gregoire and private events. Gasp! It turns out she has attended them, and even held them!
@12
Seems to me like Akers was hoping this would happen, and have been baiting them for some time. You people are so naive. This is exactly what he wanted.
There’s a Republican cameraperson doing the same thing at Gregoire events who doesn’t get hassled. Are you really too dumb to understand the difference?
BTW, just googled Gregoire and private events. Gasp! It turns out she has attended them, and even held them!
Akers has been booted from events on public property, dumbass.
Dino Rossi lacks the testicular fortitude to have open events
Of course he does. Rossi is running an ugly, mean-sprited campaign designed to motivate resentment among the Republican base and swing voters. If every one of his events were taped, you’d have a field day exposing just how ugly Republican (oops, excuse me, GOPP) politics are in reality.
Now lackeys like pudge over at (un)SP say the “liberal MSM” are allowed to tape all they want but of course the MSM only plays soundbites that reflect the broad talking points. If they broadcast the ugly partisanship, you’d have screaming and shouting from the “GOPP” about “bias” and threats to pull ads.
“Obstructing a lawful order”?????
What the fuck is that?
Is that an indication of the “professionalism” of the SPD? Make up the law on the spot as it suits the circumstance? That officer seemed far too comfortable with tossing around such pure, unmitigated bullshit. That was an improper investigation, front to back. It was deliberately undertaken to intimidate a public citizen acting in a lawful manner. In a professional organization that conduct would earn the officer a one day suspension and a letter in his file.
But not under the SPOG.
NOT professional.
Troll is a fine American who has a deep understanding of all issues.
@13
Do you believe John Kerry’s Sept. 17th, 2007 town hall forum, where Andrew Meyer was tased by the police, was a public or private event?
According to SPD “wittnesses” Akers’ criminal violation consisted of “failing to back out of the room while bowing and sweeping the floor with his hat”.
You can find that in the SMC right after the chapter on “contempt of cop”.
@16
Is that that new thing they call sarcasm?
The Democratic party should be ashamed of themselves for having the theme from the Sopranos on their Rossi video. What a mischaracterization!
They need to revise their video immediately. Appropriate background music could be something from Wagner, or perhaps a catchy little ditty, I think its called “Der Fatherland.”
Victory Hail!
This would be a good time for our fascist twit “Troll” to remind everybody here that he’s an honest-to-God progressive liberal.
So here’s the story. Private property is just that. If the jack-booted Nazis in the Rossi campaign are afraid to be open and transparent to the public – that is their right. The cameraman had no legal right to be there. It was however indicative of how things will be under a Rossi regime. He will hire thugs, turn this place into a police state, follow the plan his big butt daddy Bush put in place to criminally prosecute anyone who does not agree with him. The only difference between red China and a Rossi regime would be – in China they are honest with you and tell you up front you have no right to dissent. In Washington – under republican rule, they claim it’s a free country and then bring in goons like the SPD to enforce their political will.
And yes the SPD is known for being one of the most goon-infested PD’s in the country. Which is why I don’t venture into the city limits.
Perhaps the better approach would be to consider bringing Washington State Troopers as escorts next time. Since they support the Governor, it would be harder for the SPD goons to rough people up under those circumstances.
It did make for a good illustration though. By the way if you’re new here…Troll poses as a Democrat but constantly attacks anything Democratic and constantly supports Rossi and other republicans so don’t be fooled.
@17
This has nothing to do with John Kerry, it’s about Dino Rossi.
Dino Rossi, the face of modern fascism.
There’s more video here –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti2cKBeqqJI
@21
And maybe for me to link to this.
@17
Irrelevant. The question here is why Dino Rossi has no balls.
The SUV has a dealer license plate?
Without a Y-chromosome to stimulate the cascade of masculinizing hormones during the second trimester, certain fetal developmental processes fail to occur. One of those developmental processes is the stimulation of the development of fetal gonads into testicles.
Gee Goldy, sounds like you were in fact a shitty lawyer if you cannot see the illegal activities of this little worm of a camerman. Partisianship aside, private property is just that-private, and trespassing means trespassing. The man was told repeatedly he was not invitied and to leave. He disobeyed a lawful order and ignored same. Got what he deserved thereafter. Pretty simple. I think the cops used good restraint myself.
In my mind, this post is about Andrew Meyer being tased at a John Kerry town hall forum, and how I can’t find any previous posts from HA bloggers about that assault from Kerry’s goons on that young, innocent student.
That simply isn’t true. Review the tape.
He was escorted from the private property by private individuals who, by definition, are incapable of issuing a “lawful order” under Washington State law.
Upon reaching the public sidewalk he was contacted by uniformed SPD and identified himself upon request and even volunteered his personal identification. Whereupon the uniformed SPD officer broke off contact with Mr. Akers and walked away, with his driver’s license in his hand.
Mr. Akers was within his rights and was acting reasonable to pursue the uniformed SPD officer in order to recover his WDL.
The public contact by the uniformed SPD officer was initiated properly. But the subsequent follow up investigation was conducted improperly. And the principle officer acted improperly by breaking off contact with Mr. Akers while retaining his WDL and threating him with arrest without lawful cause.
Sure, this is nitpicking. But it is also unprofessional conduct by the investigating officer. And more importantly none of it constitutes a criminal violation by Mr. Akers.
Anytime an officer doesn’t kill someone in the course of roughing them up, it is said they used “restraint”. What does that tell us of the real intentions of officers who overstep their authority?
@30
Considering some of the other things that have been coming out of that mind of yours, I’d stop using it altogether if I were you.
This post is about why Dino Rossi is so terrified of having the people of Washington hear what he says in his appearances.
It seems that Rossi doesn’t want any record of what he says. He doesn’t want to stand by his words or he doesn’t want any public records of what he promised the republicans. Doesn’t sound like a admirable person.
I’m confused. Are you – my fellow Democrats – saying that no candidate should ever be allowed to hold private events? And if your response is “But Rossi’s event was held in a public place!,” then wouldn’t you agree that John Kerry’s town hall meeting held in a public place?
Amazing. Apparently, Rossi and the SPD officers involved in this tawdry incident lack respect for little things called civil liberties. Certainly, by the time the reporter was out on the public sidewalk, the officers’ continued efforts to shut him up reflected a violation of First Amendment rights–those of free speech and press. I find it remarkable that Rossi and the guild officers (who are presumably public servants) would prevent fair coverage of the officers’ endorsement announcement. The private property issue is just a transparent dodge. Secrecy, thuggery, and tromping on civil liberties–the hallmarks of contemporary Republicans.
Just wondering, was it a public event or not? Cause if it was a public event, he did have a right be there.
@35
I’m confused. Are you – my fellow Democrats
Stop right there. I think I’ve identified the source of your confusion.
saying that no candidate should ever be allowed to hold private events?
No. Not even close. Not even in the same galaxy.
And if your response is “But Rossi’s event was held in a public place!,” then wouldn’t you agree that John Kerry’s town hall meeting held in a public place?
What happened at John Kerry’s town hall meeting was unacceptable.
Again, that has nothing to do with the fact that Rossi has been desperately trying to keep the public from hearing what he really thinks and what he’s saying to many of his supporters.
Got any more stupid to share with us?
Goldy & Gregoire Camp call Seattle Police Officers Goons!
Nice headline.
Will surely get a lot of votes for you.
Private Property.
Asked to Leave.
Refused to leave Private Property.
Escorted out.
End of story.
It’s about time we discuss what right we have to “stand our ground”.
This particular event many or may not have been a public event – it was on private property, but the allowed news media coverage and the exclusion of only a few identified people tends to negate that. But I’m disturbed by the tendency of officials, whether they be Seattle Police or Secret Service details, to obstruct or remove people from attending an otherwise public function of enjoy a public facility because their clothing, buttons, signs, or cameras might be embarrasing to a political candidate or party.
In Presidential politics, the Secret Service has been employed too many times to detain and/or remove people who’s only crime was to have a sign, button, or T-shirt which had a potential to embarass the candidate, only to have them released with no charges filed within an hour or two – after the event had concluded, and after the citizen’s rights to petition their government representative with grievences has been effectively thwarted by state action. But according to the police and Secret Service, since no charges were filed, no harm, right????
Normally, I’m very cooperative with law enforcement. Most of the time they have a difficult job to do, and I’m not about to make it any more difficult for them. But at what point should cooperation cease, and our right to “stand our ground” take precedence? I’m not talking about violent resistence – I’m just talking about telling the police officer, politely, that “I understand your instructions, but I have a constitutional right to do what I am doing, and to be where I am, and if you are being instructed to violate my rights, you will have to remove me physically. I will not resist, but I will not cooperate, either”. Basically, we need to force them to bring unjust charges, so we can fight those charges in court. It is the essence of non-violent civil disobedience.
Obviously this Gregoire-planted cameraman was trying to provoke something.
Unfortunately for him & Gregoire…he did it on PRIVATE PROPERTY.
Do you KLOWNS know what Private Property is?
Typical KLOWNS only believe in PRIVATE PROPERTY for themselves.
When other Public Safety officers see how the Gregoire Camp treated the Seattle Guild, they will join in supporting ROSSI!!
Thanks for breathing more life into this Goldy!
@39, @41
You’re still avoiding the main question. Why is Rossi so chickenshit that he refuses to be caught on camera? What is he so afraid of? What is he saying to his staunchest supporters that he doesn’t want the rest of the state to see?
I thought transparency from public officials was supposed to be a good thing.
Nice spin, Cynical. I forgot to add another hallmark of contemporary Republicans–Head in Sand Disorder.
What brought me to this point (advocating non-violent civil dissobedience) isn’t the isolated cameraman or sign-carrier at a Republican event. What brought me to this point is the events in Ohio during the 2004 election.
You might recall that in the 2004 election, the Republican Secretary of State in Ohio gained infamy by conducting caging campaigns wich deleted voter registrations based upon returned post cards submitted by the Republican Party, with no notice to the voters being dis-enfranchised. The tactic is a blatant violation of federal law, which so far has not been prosecuted by the Bush administration’s Justice Department. Many voters didn’t learn that they weren’t registered when they showed up at the polls. Servicemen who were serving overseas never found out at all – their mail-in ballots were simply tossed in the trash.
But what got me thinking about this issue in Ohio was the intentional re-arrangment of polling machines so that polling stations in Democratic precincts had only one or two machines (and waiting lines of several hours to cast a ballot), and a remarkable excess of polling booths in Republican precincts, resulting in no wait time at all for Republicans casting their ballots.
Apparantly the wait times were exacerbated by Republican poll watchers who challenged just about every voter’s qualifications, insisting that they had to use a provisional ballot, despite producing voter registration cards and other identification. The caging also caused delays, as voters insisted they were registered, but their names didn’t appear on the registration records, and there was no record of why they had been deleted. On top of this, some Democratic precincts ran out of ballots, but no Republican precincts did.
Now, standing in line to vote for an hour or so might be considered a reasonable civic sacrifice. But standing in line for up to five hours, as was reported in several precincts, is just crazy – and evidence of either gross negligence or actual malfeasance on the part of the authorities.
Under Ohio law, if you are in line when the poll closes, you are still entitled to vote. It doesn’t matter if the line is in the building or outside of it. But that’s not what happened in 2004. Under instructions from the Ohio Secty of State, the doors were closed at the appointed closing time, cutting off all those who were not actually inside the building at the time. Hundreds of voters in several precincts, after standing in line for hours waiting for their chance to get into the building to vote, suddenly found the doors closed and locked in their faces.
In the meantime, a hearing was being concluded before a federal court judge on a motion by several groups to have the closing time extended by court order, given the unusual circumstances. The judge granted the order to have the polls in specific identified precincts to remain open for an additional hour.
But shortly after the doors were closed at the precincts, police officers appeared and instructed the remaining prospective voters that the polls were closed, and they should disburse and go home. When some began to shout and call for them to open the doors, the police informed them that anyone who didn’t leave immediatly would be arrested for disturbing the peace. The crowd reluctantly disbursed.
Lawyers appeared at the precincts some half-hour to forty-five minutes later, with a copy of the court order in hand. Where poll workers were still present, the polling locations were re-opened for the remainder of the hour – some fifteen to thirty minutes. Of course, the potential voters had all gone home, under order of the police department, and the attempt to enforce Ohio election law throught court action was effectively thwarted. In some cases, the lawyers found no poll workers present, or at least nobody who would come to the door and unlock it, again effectively frustrating the court order.
So I ask you – if you are standing in line to vote this November (King county only – everybody else in Washington State has mail-in ballots only), and a police officer unlawfully prohibits you from voting, what are you going to do? Will you walk away as ordered by the police officer? Will you “stand your ground”, and insist that you will exercise your right to vote, and they will have to use physical force to prevent you from doing so?
What do you think our founding fathers would do?
Cynical @39,
Oh… so now I’m with the Gregoire campaign? Where’s my paycheck?
44
If the Rs try any crap at the polls this year in Washington, they will be met by a barrage of lawyers. We’re organized, schooled, and ready to respond to any report of the other side’s horseshit.
@46 It might not be a bad idea to occasionally post a link here and elsewhere to whatever site there is where we can all check our voter registration status now and then up to November. I’m suspecting that there might be a lot of challenges posed by Republicans in heavily Democratic districts. They seem to view election fraud as a prefered way to pursue political power.
Only if they are trolls.
No problem, when their videographer shows up at the rabbit reunion we’ll beat and claw the shit out of him!! I don’t want them taking pictures of what my relatives are really like anymore than they want voters to know what their candidate is really like! Hey, just kidding — about the rabbits, I mean. My bunny relations are all as ssweeeeeeet and ddociiiiiile as can be, and Mrs. Rabbit wwould yyouuuuu ppleeeeease sstoppppp bbbbbiting mmyy ttaaaaaail nnowwwwwww owwwwww owwww …
I can readily understand why the Police Guild doesn’t want cameras around. Five of their guys just shot up a biker bar in Sturgis, S.D. People even more violent than Hells Angels are understandably averse to publicity. Especially when they’re on a public payroll.
I don’t blame the guild for kicking that ass-hat off of THEIR PROPERTY! What don’t people get about that? PRIVATE property. PRIVATE!
If he showed up to my house, I would have sent him packing too!
Bush should send half a dozen guys from the Seattle P.D. to Georgia, to save his ally and put Putin in his place.
If this blog wasn’t political but instead was about serial killers, the Republican Troll comments would go like this:
“You say that the Green River Killer did wrong by killing people, but you didn’t mention Ted Bundy and the people he killed in the posting about the Green River Killer so the Green River Killer didn’t do wrong or kill anyone.”
What bad logic.
@51 What do you mean their property? The only money those guys have is what they get from taxpayers, so we paid for their union hall. The wingnuts on this board think my state pension is public money, even though it was taken out of my paychecks and there’s no tax subsidy whatsoever of the state pension funds. Well, that cuts both ways! If my pension is public money, the Police Guild hall is public property! Fucking two-faced wingnut hypocrites.
@48 Marvin, Marvin, Marvin! You’ve forgotten the HA ad hoc posting rules! It’s time for a refresher.
1. This is a liberal blog.
2. Anyone can post here,* except JCH.
3. There is no censorship.
4. As liberals, our mission is to verbally kick the living shit out of you ass-licking fascist trolls.
5. No mercy for wingnuts!
6. Our terms are unconditional surrender; there will be trials.
7. klake is a nazi.
* “Anyone” includes everyone, up to and including: Blacks, women, muslims; and, yes, even Republicans, KKKluxers, skinheads, and other domestic terrorists.
Comprende, knucklehead? Any questions?
Roger Rabbit Weekly Political Quiz
Which candidate for governor is running a deceptive campaign and has something to hide?
[ ] 1. The candidate who allows the opposition to videotape her public appearances without any fuss.
[ ] 2. The candidate who violently throws the opposition videographer out of his public press conference, and whose supporters threaten to kill the cameraman on public blogs.
As I recall, Hitler didn’t let the Jews videotape him back when he was making speeches from soap boxes on street corners. As we now know, he was planning something against the Jews.
What is Rossi planning against the Democrats? *
* Hey, if the BIAW can play this game, why can’t I?
Here’s what the rabbit’s talking about at #50
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/.....gis12.html
Grand jury testimony begins in biker shooting
Off-duty Seattle officers to appear
By SCOTT GUTIERREZ
P-I REPORTER
A South Dakota grand jury has begun hearing testimony in the case of an off-duty Seattle police officer who shot and wounded a Hells Angels biker over the weekend during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, authorities said Monday.
Sturgis police investigators forwarded most of their case to the Meade County State’s Attorney’s Office, Police Chief Jim Bush said. A grand jury convened Sunday to hear testimony from witnesses, including off-duty officers from Seattle, he said.
“There are probably several hours of testimony that have to be presented yet,” he said.
Wow, hats off to Mr. Akers. This is the real deal at last.
Seems to me that’s a public office Rossi is running for, and therefore he doesn’t have a right to ask anyone to leave his public campaign appearances.
It would be different if he were running for a Police Guild union office. If he withdraws from the race for governor and does that instead, then I would expect Gregoire’s campaign to stop videotaping his campaign speeches.
@53: Nice one David! Thanks for pointing out that the HA trolls are so stupid they can’t even formulate an argument worth a hill of beans.
The point is – Gregoire allows republican cameras in private events (in public or private spaces – it doesn’t matter – you can rent a public space and it bcomes private) and Rossi is too damn scared of what he might say and how it might be recorded to let anyone video him.
I guess Rossi thinks he can be governor without anyone who disagrees with him videotaping anything he says. What a total loser! He doesn’t have the confidence in his own words to stand up to videotape – pathetic. Almost as bad as his transportation proposal, that piece of work was widely ridiculed (even by republicans) because it was so obviously ginned up with numbers picked from the air – and this from the guy who claims to be fiscaly responsible. What a joke – Rossi and his BIAW campaign are incompetent idiots in the mold of Bush.
News Item: Cindy Sheehan has collected enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot.
Sheehan is running as an independent for Nancy Impeachment Is Off The Table PhewLousy’s seat in Congress.
Sheehan complains that Speaker PhewLousy has pandered to Bush and Cheney, supported war funding, and failed to hold the Bushevik regime accountable for its crimes.
Good for her!
45. Goldy spews:
Cynical @39,
“Oh… so now I’m with the Gregoire campaign? Where’s my paycheck?”
If you are maintaining this Blog out of the goodness of your heart, you are either:
1) Dumb
2) Misguided
3) Silly
4) ALL of the above
@64 Jesus Christ didn’t work for a paycheck. And he had little use for the capitalists who had taken over the temple. Are you a pagan, Cynical?
This is part and parcel of Bushism. How many times in the last eight years has GWB appeared in a completely pubic place?
This is one issue where i am disappointed with BHO. I think McC’s suggestion of nonscripted public fora is so good that we really ought to make it law.
Without some sort of even like that, how could the public tell a real candidate from, lets say, a Max Headroom?
As a REAL example, I got to look at Breshnev’s autopsy. His brain was completely “gone.” The ouv=bkuc figure was either an imposter or some sort of wired-to-speak animated alzheimer’s victim. As long as the “Breshnev,” or the “Reagan,” “Bush” … get to sit beyond the reach of public cmareas, all sorts of deception are likely!
Is this what Jeffersonb meant by democracy?
@64
Then who’s paying you, then? Why on Earth would you be spending so much of your time in the comment threads of this blog making a complete and total ass of yourself?
The fact is that Goldy (like me) blogs because he’s annoyed with how silly and stupid the political climate in this country is.
Why do you do what you do? Are you just a moron?
Huhuhuhuuhuh….pubic….huhuhuhuhuhuh…..
Speaking of which, did you see Dear Leader the other day on the teevee with the US beach volleyball duo? He was practically feeling them up on camera – once a frat boy always a frat boy!
@30 troll when you lie, deflect and just plain bullshit to try to make a point – you go beyond your normal amount of stupidity – John Kerry tried to let the student speak and asked that he be left alone. It was a dispute between he and the university police. You’ll need to do better if you want to deflect from the fact that your guy Rossi is a thug who uses thugs to enforce thug mentality because he has something to hide. Go to Google and look up the event involving the taser. Now I know you won’t because right wingers posing as Dems like you don’t want the truth. You just want to deflect. You have nothing else so I guess I can’t blame you.
@67 Lee and @64 Mr. Cynical
Poorly written question since it only obtains IF Goldstein:
a. has a heart
b. blogs because of his hearts goodnees.
As a biologist I am pretty sure that a heart does beat in the man’s chest but I am not at all sure that bhis heart has goodness in it. As laternatives, maybe we should consider:
Goldstein blogs:
a. as part of his long term campaign to replace Jim McD in congress.
b. as a love child, he is the is the secret heir Hunt ketchup fortune and does this to fulfill one of the obligation of eligibility to get all the money when Theresa dies.
c. he is being paid by the Republicans as a secret, triple agent.
d. this blog plants a worm on our computers, every time we click though to Amazon, Goldy gets 250 mils.
e. Goldy is Lee and Will’s father and does this to provide a place to keep them out of trouble.
Hmmm. This is fun! I offer a free beer at DL to whoever determines the correct answer to this quesion. Lee will be the judge.
@68 ..
Give the Prexy a break. He is getting on and here some one offers him girl meat wrapped in a few scraps of cloth. Just imagine the torment, the angst!
Bad George “Do I pat her on the tush?”
Rove’s George “No, it will make you look like an old letcher.”
Good George “I could kingda. sorta use the back of my hand to wide some girl sweat of her spin!, heh heh!:
Rove’s George Do it with a wink so everyone will know you are a real man!
***************************************
BTW, any one notice how small Bush’s codpiece is in a swim suit vs his flight suit?
This can’t be emphasized enough:
PROVISIONAL BALLOT = YOUR VOTE DOESN’T COUNT
One out of every three provisional ballots cast in 2004 weren’t counted. Filling out a provisional ballot because of some Republican created snafu just gives them another means of suppressing your vote.
Every dirty trick in the book was played in Ohio and other battleground states in 2004.
If they couldn’t suppress enough votes then mysterious “undervotes” (people not voting for a position on the ballot) happened in counties with voting machines.
The election was stolen in 2004 and 2000. 2006 was a miracle because all the dirty tricks of 2004 were played the same if not more.
A guy was recently arrested in Missouri for refusing to show a driver’s license when voting at a primary – that after the Missouri Supreme Court claimed the requirement of a driver’s license for voting to be unconstitutional.
Republicans will be at it in full force this November.
@72 I think people should check their voter registration status occasionally. Anybody got the link?
@70 Isn’t it about time somebody replaced Jim McD? He seems to be getting to be a little long in the tooth.
This situation was handled badly from a PR perspective, but totally within the law if it, in fact took place on private property.
One side claims it is public property, and the other claims it is private property. Which is it?
How would you have handled this incident if it happened at your private home? How would you have handled it if it happened in a public park?
Even if it is private property, there are better ways to resolve this. First, they never should have laid a hand on the camera man and definitely should not have touched his camera (that’s HIS private property).
If he refused to leave they should have just called the police with a trespassing complaint.
Either way you look at it, Rossi’s folks are on the losing end of this PR battle.
“Handled badly”? Yeah it was. It wouldn’t be a problem if the GOP Party wasn’t afraid of being seen as they are.
I don’t think it’s the GOP as a whole who is afraid of being seen for who they are. In this case it was just one cop (or a few cops) who are afraid of Dino being seen for who he is. Being cops, they may have felt a little more obligated to act on those feelings. The average person probably would have avoided the confrontation.
Right-wing Republicans (about the only kind left, so it seems) are a little like vampires. Exposed to the sunlight of truth, they go up in smoke.
As a media professional, I know that if you hold a press conference you can invite who you want and turn away who you don’t want there (unless it’s in a public place). The best way to do this is to issue press credentials for the event.
But it’s generally a bad PR move to turn people away like that. The second video shows a much better PR technique: take inventory of who they are and where they’re coming from, and turn out your message accordingly.
Good PR means identifying trouble spots and developing a strategy of dealing with them in the best possible way. Getting into a public on-camera fight with this guy is the opposite of that.
The cop guild needs some PR help. If they do, in fact, support Rossi they should feel awful for damaging the PR image he has worked hard to create (for better or worse).
The only people trampling civil rights here is the WA St. Dem party who want to infringe on a groups’ right to peaceably assemble.
The next private group who encounters one of these people on private property should file suit against the Dems for Civil Rights violation.
It might be the best way to burn the laundered money they give to Gregoire from the tribes.
Private press conference seems like an oxymoron to me.
Why can’t Dino’s people allow him to be seen at an event like this? Do they really think it is easy to get a video clip that makes Dino look bad, even when he’s speaking to a friendly audience, with press in attendence, accepting an endorsement?
Gee, really feel sorry for the GOP Party, and the lack of privacy they have to suffer.
@ArtFart #77:
I think the same can be said of far left wingers. They love to tout all the goodies they hand out to their constituents, but try to hide who’s money they’re taking to pay for the goodies.
Remember, the government can’t give anything to the people without first taking something (usually money or civil rights) from them.
If you think health care costs a lot now, wait ’til it’s free!
This is another reason I’ll never vote republican, even if he hides behind the gop moniker.
He’s hiding something or else he would welcome all to come listen to his spin.
Who to trust the least?
The one with the most authority.
@ Goldstein #82:
By that rationale, you should distrust the sitting governor more than Rossi. :)
The best is how this guy feigns ignorance of private property until someone touches his camera, then it’s all about private property.
81 Bad comparison, Mike. I don’t usually see the GOPers standing up in the public square and proudly proclaiming how much money they’ve been siphoning out of the economy and handing to their corporate pals.
Seems they rather prefer to do that…in private.
He was politely recording an event Rossi was apparently proud enough of to invite the press, but reticent about allowing the opposition to witness.
Chickenshits.
Dems aren’t so fearful of being caught saying what they have to say. Not so Dino “I will” Rossi.
@81 Foley
Hmmmm …..
Grand Couley Damn
Polio Vaccine
Penicillin
the Internet
Radio
University of Washing, Was. State Univ.
civil rights
cures for Hodgkin’s cancer, et al.
drugs that treat arthritis
statins
Lewis and Clark expedition
city light
Yosemite National Park
Mt. Rainier National Park
WPA … Woody Guthrie, Paradise Lodge
Alaska
cervical cancer vaccine
human genome project
I5
Space Shuttle
Monticello
jet planes
TANG
computers
Lewis Brandeis
Frankin Roosevelt
Wating ofr the Interurban
“Safeco” Field
Seattle Center
Michigan, UNC, UW, UC Berkey .. other great universities
San Diego Zoo
the Hummer
Seattle Center
Discovery Park
Grand Coulee Damn
Seattle’s Lockes and, therefore Lake Washington
US Coast Guard
Hubble
Bureau of Weights and Measures
Arlington National Cemetery
religious freedom
rights of Jews to vote
right to bear arms
Seahawks
Federal Reserve (or do you think money grows in trees?)
One thing that is particularly troubling about this is the “GOP” enlisting local cops – i.e., thugs to enforce Rossi rule. Can you imagine what this state would be like if we let this Nazi gain power? You’d be arrested on site for merely thinking anything remotely Democratic.
Over and over this piece of shit demonstrates he’s got something to hide and who better to help him than the criminals given badges at SPD?
The only difference between these cops and the people serving time in Walla Walla is the fact that the folks in the prison have been caught.
@87 And that’s only the shortlist of the “goodies” Mike whines about @81. Republicans surely hate our nation’s government. However, they’d all die and shrivel up within a week if they couldn’t suck at its teats.
@84 That’s a public office Rossi is running for, son.
Did the Rossi folks invite Joel Connelly to their little soiree?
@81 “but try to hide who’s money they’re taking to pay for the goodies”
It’s not hidden to anyone literate enough to read a tax code, which includes the lawyers and accountants of the 50% of U.S. corporations that pay no taxes, or the billion-dollar-a-year hedge fund managers who pay lower tax rates than their secretaries and janitors. On the other hand, if you’re a non-union $12-an-hour bluecollar, you’re getting fucked by the GOP-authored tax code, so I understand your frustration although if you vote Republican, you deserve no sympathy because your wounds are self-inflicted.
@87 “Federal Reserve (or do you think money grows in trees?)”
It grows on printing presses, which work overtime whenever a Republican gets hold of the taxpayers’ credit card.
Inflation is a GOP-made phenomenon.
@81 “If you think health care costs a lot now, wait ’til it’s free!”
Currently, government single-payer health care in the U.S. costs at least 24.5% less than private for-profit health care, because the latter’s overhead expenses are 50 times those of the government-run Medicare program’s.
We couldn’t possibly have a worse health care system than the one we have right now even if someone intentionally tried to make it bad. Which leads me to believe someone did.
@83 And you base that on what? Besides the smoke blowing out of your lying wingnut ass?
@93 “GOP-made phenomenon”
Like budget deficits and politicians hanging out in public toilets?
@93 “GOP-made phenomenon”
Invading the wrong country?
@93 “GOP-made phenomenon”
DOJ, Liberty University style?
There was not the slightest evidence of the videographer having committed a crime, yet the SPD officers threatened him with arrest. That’s the kind of people that support Dino the Dim. The left believes the Constitution has it right. The is, well, simply wrong.
Vote for Dino Rossi–or else!
Dino Rossi–putting the Ass in Asshole since 2004
91. ArtFart spews:
“Did the Rossi folks invite Joel Connelly to their little soiree?”
No they didn’t!
They said it wasn’t because of my politics but because I would eat to much and make everyone sick because I talk with food in my mouth…
I’m a pig!
@85:
I don’t usually see the GOPers standing up in the public square and proudly proclaiming how much money they’ve been siphoning out of the economy and handing to their corporate pals.
That’s a very good point. I’m not saying the Republicans are any better. I’m just saying Democrats’ shit stinks too.
@87:
Long list of “goodies” and some god-given rights.
You just proved my point. Tax dollars were taken from people to pay for all those things except for the rights, which were given to us by god, not government. Look it up.
@89:
Republicans surely hate our nation’s government. However, they’d all die and shrivel up within a week if they couldn’t suck at its teats.
I totally I agree with you. Republicans have become just as eager to stand in the bread line and wait for the distribution of loot. That’s why the government should have less to dole out.
@92:
You’re getting fucked by the GOP-authored tax code, so I understand your frustration although if you vote Republican, you deserve no sympathy because your wounds are self-inflicted.
How many “average” voters are going to go read the tax code. If they were as up-front as you suggest, they would spell the winners and losers in their campaign materials. Both sides pretty much suck right now. I just think that the government should stop choosing winners and losers. It’s unjust.
@93:
Inflation is a GOP-made phenomenon.
Inflation is a government-made phenomenon (not just GOP). Anytime the government spends money it doesn’t have inflation or indebtedness occurs. I just support the lesser of two evils, the side that says it’s for less spending. (Unfortunately, it seems like that side now is for plenty of spending for wars, DHS, No Child, etc.)
@94:
We couldn’t possibly have a worse health care system than the one we have right now even if someone intentionally tried to make it bad.
I agree with you. I think someone did attempt to make the health care system bad. I think it’s the insurance companies themselves, but they couldn’t have done it without a helping hand from the government that the lobby feverishly.
@95:
And you base that on what? Besides the smoke blowing out of your lying wingnut ass?
I base it on the fact that the governor has more authority than Rossi. I was responding to the statement,”Who to trust least? The one with the most authority.”
This is whole political blogging thing fun. You folks actually get whipped up fairly easily. :)
DailyKos now has this story at the top of their page.
Hey Lee above:
If the local major news orgs such as King 5 which had their camera crw there and were invited but he wasn’t; your characterization of the incident shows the biases you possess. There was nothing to hide except to get that ASShole outta there. Why couldn’t he leave the private property when asked? I’m sure you would right? So what’s this corncob up his ass about?
How so? It was a private event by invitation only. So by your reckoning, when Chris Gregoire’s daughter was married at the governor’s mansion because that’s the taxpayers bill, anyone could attend the wedding? Hey it was a private event on public property! But this was a private event on private property.
Dumb just got dumber!
@104 Good grief. Would you stop with the whining already??
Hey Steve HAs Biggest ASSHole: So telling the truth is now whining?
Only in the single celled mind of Steve, HAs Biggest ASSHole.
Amazingly Daily Kurse has nuting about Commies invading a democracy with a democratically elected government on it’s web site.
I guess the Donkey aren’t really against wars after all.
@107 Yes, you’re whining. Now knock it off before you make an even bigger ass of yourself.
You should join the other thread. We’re discussing Republican judges who use penis pumps while sitting at the bench. Fascinating stuff. You might well find this of interest.
Goon, defined
From dictionary.com:
1. Informal. a hired hoodlum or thug.
2. Slang. a stupid, foolish, or awkward person.
b. a roughneck.
[Origin: 1920–25; shortened from dial. gooney, var. of obs. gony a simpleton; influenced by the comic-strip character Alice the Goon in the series Thimble Theatre by E. C. Segar (1894–1938), American cartoonist]
@108 Where’s Bush when his friends need him? Did he leave his friends in the lurch? Looks like all of Bush’s rhetoric about defending “freedom” is twisting in the wind against the backdrop of shattered Georgian villages and dead Georgian civilians.
Rossi may not be publically running on those issues, but he sure doesn’t seem to mind running on them privatly at events for far right groups like Faith & Freedom Network. Seems to me Rossi is trying to have it both ways, run on his far right positions where it will help him, then claim to not be running on the issue with the public at large, where it will hurt him. Why aren’t our press calling him on this bullshit?
The guild member who used force to “escort” the camerman out of the public press conference should be arrested for assault. Though he probably is a police officer, he never identified himself as such. Additionally, the uniformed officer was evidently ready to secretly concoct the usual suspect story in order to develop grounds for some kind of arrest. The Seattle police may support a Republicon candidate, but they have no legal right to use their official powers in order to surpress the other candidate.
I’m voting Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.
I’m voting Democrat because freedom of speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it.
I’m voting Democrat because when we pull out of Iraq I trust that the bad guys will stop what they’re doing because they now think we’re good people.
I’m voting Democrat because I believe that people who can’t tell us if it will rain on Friday CAN tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don’t start driving a Prius.
I’m voting Democrat because I’m not concerned about the slaughter of millions of babies so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.
I’m voting Democrat because I believe that business should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as THEY see fit.
I’m voting Democrat because I believe three or four pointy headed elitist liberals need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would NEVER get their agendas past the voters.
I’m voting Democrat because I believe that when the terrorists don’t have to hide from us over there, when they come over here I don’t want to have any guns in the house to fight them off with.
I’m voting Democrat because I love the fact that I can now marry whatever I want. I’ve decided to marry my horse.
I’m voting Democrat because I believe oil companies’ profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn’t.
Makes ya wonder how anyone would EVER vote Democrat , now doesn’t it?
I’m voting Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.
I’m voting Democrat because freedom of speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it.
I’m voting Democrat because when we pull out of Iraq I trust that the bad guys will stop what they’re doing because they now think we’re good people.
I’m voting Democrat because I believe that people who can’t tell us if it will rain on Friday CAN tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don’t start driving a Prius.
I’m voting Democrat because I’m not concerned about the slaughter of millions of babies so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.
I’m voting Democrat because I believe that business should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as THEY see fit.
I’m voting Democrat because I believe three or four pointy headed elitist liberals need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would NEVER get their agendas past the voters.
I’m voting Democrat because I believe that when the terrorists don’t have to hide from us over there, when they come over here I don’t want to have any guns in the house to fight them off with.
I’m voting Democrat because I love the fact that I can now marry whatever I want. I’ve decided to marry my horse.
I’m voting Democrat because I believe oil companies’ profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn’t.
@115 Nice cut & paste without attribution, asswipe:
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2061293/posts
Puddy @ 105: the Governor’s mansion is a bad example for you to use. It retains both public and private characteristics, just as the White House does. Since it also serves as a residence, public access can be curtailed, both for reasons of privacy of the occupants and safety concerns. The Police Guild function was not held in a building which also serves as a residence.
One issue which hasn’t been discussed: Why was Rossi willing to have the press record his comments, but not a cameraman for the Gregoire campaign? Presumably the Gregoire camera didn’t have any extra access not accorded to the media. Their recordings would essentially cover the same events and comments. Why would it bother Rossi’s campaign to have just one more camera there?
The answer seems to be that Rossi feels that the news media is either friendly to him, or easily manipulated, whereas the Gregoire campaign worker is not. Does Rossi believe that if he has a “Maccacca” moment, the media will cover it up? Or maybe he’s confident that they won’t broadcast his real agenda, and only broadcast that which matches his press release for the event?
And doesn’t this completely disprove the wingnut’s theory that the news media is biased towards the Democrats? If I thought the news media was biased against me, I would WANT there to be several additional cameras there – for my own protection!
RHP,
Both you and the Purveyor of the Puddy Parade of Partial Punditry are missing the point. Only in the minds of the staunchest defenders of wingnut fantasy can the phrase “private press conference,” particularly when held by someone who is running for a high public office, be considered anything but a complete oxymoron.