Today's Buzz
The cold war ended under Bush I, and it looks like it's starting up again under Bush II. There's usually something deeply satisfying about symmetry, but not in this case.
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Republican politicians are complicit in this administration's illegal war, erosion of civil liberties, and legacy of corruption, cronyism, and incompetence. But as long as republicans have their one-trick elephant, they'll still win far more places in government in the 2008 elections than they deserve.
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It looks like you can fight city hall, and win, as this gutsy couple proved.
The federal government has agreed to pay $80,000 to a Texas couple arrested for wearing anti-President Bush T-shirts at a 2004 event with the president in Charleston.
Jeff and Nicole Rank went to Bush’s Fourth of July speech at the state Capitol wearing homemade T-shirts with a red circle with a bar through it over the word “Bush.”
On the back, hers read “Love America, Hate Bush” and his read “Regime Change Starts At Home.”
The Cheney/Bush administration may have free speech on the run, but it's not quite dead yet.
Comments
There is something special about that Bush legacy (projected of course).
I would hate to envision a future devoid of conspiracy...
Posted by: Cartledge | August 18, 2007 07:53 PM
Perpetual war is good for the economy. Didn't we discover that during that terrible, terrible economic downturn we had during the 90's? Oh, wait...there was no economic downturn...
Oh well, war is peace.
Posted by: reality-based educator | August 20, 2007 08:50 AM
I was particularly satisfied by the couple getting a judgement in that case. First, it exposed the draconian standards that Bush administration officials were using to stifle dissent. Second, that gathering was publicly funded, and there are no circumstances that I can conceive of where you get to exclude the public arbitrarily when taxpayer dollars are involved.
Posted by: Kvatch | August 21, 2007 12:31 AM
I was happy those people got a settlement too, although the government claims this wasn't an admission of guilt.
In regards to free speech, I live in a small subdivision with less than 40 homes and one of those dreaded homeowners associations. Our bylaws state that we cannot put political signs or advertising in our windows, yet they let our local politicians stick their lawn signs all over the place come election time. I'd make a stink, but I like my neighbors and don't want to start any trouble. I get my revenge though, I have several bumper stickers on the back of my car that get my point across. :-)
Posted by: Kathy | August 22, 2007 06:16 PM