War protesters interrupt John McCain's foreign policy speech in Colorado: Updated
By John Amato Monday May 26, 2008 12:31pm
As John McCain was speaking at the Cable Center at the University of Denver, giving a speech on foreign policy issues, including nukes---war protesters shouted, "endless war, endless war," and I believe, "end this war, end this war, "causing him to pause his speech a few times...His supporters then started to yell John McCain...
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McCain: Forty five years ago, President John F Kennedy asked the American people to imagine, what the world would look like if Nuclear weapons spread beyond the few powers that then held them. To the many other nations that sought them. Stop and think for a moment he said, what it would mean to have nuclear weapons in so many hands large and small...
Protester: Endless war, endless war, Endless war, endless war.... end this war, end this war...
Crowd: John McCain, John McCain.
McCain: You know ahhh, it's not too important, but I have town hall meetings all the time, I'll be having one tomorrow where people are allowed to come and state their views and we exchange them and the one thing we don't do is interfere with other people's right to free speech, but that doesn't seem to be the case with these people
Weren't these people exercising their right to free speech, Mr McCain? It happened a total of four times from what I've heard so far... They were removed peacefully. John is proud of the fact that he has town hall meetings and let's people speak---well---he better buckle up. I imagine they'll go to the Bush/Cheney loyalty oath pledges soon enough....McCain actually uses part of a John F. Kennedy speech to try and scare the nation into voting for him...
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John McCain's foreign policy speeches have been interrupting war protesters for years.
What?!?!? No "Free Speech" Zones?
mccain is doomed. people talk about polls now, which obama is leading in, but imagine the polls when obama goes head to head
with gramps.
also lets not have jim webb as vp PLEASE!
I heard there was a very grim, scowling "i will never surrender in Iraq." we shall see...
should just let him speak he's basically said countries we don't like are guilty until proven innocent, and that if you don't join up with us and our people we will beat on you until you do... he's making me physically sick... he keeps going...
Go Colorado, keep turning to the left.
My town, Colorado Springs, will stay anchored in the crazy talk right but there is hope the Rethug majority is slipping everywhere in Colorado.
Frickin' McSame has no chance this time.
more fear-mongering...
more war-mongering...
more the right position for the U.S. in the world is to be the bully...
McCentury better get used to this, plenty more where that came from aaaaaallllll summer looooooong .
You'd think McBane would get it by now. After all, he sharper than a bowling ball.
Good job, protesters. Haha, John McCain.
Look at the CNN caption in that screen capture.
"America must be a model for other countries around the world."
Yeah, well Johnny, we used to be. At one point in our history people looked to us for a moral compass, for military and humanitarian assistance and for reasonable, far-reaching diplomacy.
No longer. We have Qatar brokering the peace deal between the Lebanese factions, and Turkey mediating talks between Israel and Syria. The Basra cease-fire? Brokered by Iran.
Draw your own conclusions as to how America is viewed by others now, thanks to the regime currently in power.
They all should be heckled:
Iraq Soldier Discusses His "Kills" VIDEO:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/27/iraq-soldier-discusses-hi_n_103...
Damn.
getalife @ 14:
required viewing... it was hard to watch... I'm glad I did... thanks for sharing...
The protesters should be commended for bringing this to McCain's attention. This begs the question whether protesters will be allowed to have signs at the Democratic convention which state Bring All The Troops Home Now instead of having to rely upon Obama's phased [not immediate] withdrawal plan as well as his plan to keep close to 100,000 troops in Iraq or the region, even after after his phased withdrawal is finally complete. Pressure should be placed on both candidates to bring ALL U.S. soldiers back to this country as quickly as possible and that should include that [alleged] agent of hope and change, Barack Obama.
Lindsey Graham wants Senator Obama to agree to go to Iraq with McCain. I sure as hell hope Senator Obama's campaign nixes this idea. It would appear to the public that the elder McCain was showing the "kid" what Iraq was all about. I think maybe Graham wants Senator Obama to go and help care for McCain so he can stay home and get a rest from it.
At one time today, McCain's speech was being shown on CNN, MSNBC,FOX and both C-span stations.
This might be the first time in history where a candidate concedes and the other wins by default.
McTaintster and goopers are taking a nose into a historical oblivion.
Endless war?
republicanism?
Old white farts sending youth to their deaths over low oil prices?
The protesters are correct, IMHO.
Does this mean he wants to get the nukes out of Israel?
Is he flipping the audience off? Or is he pulling his eyes to dismiss them as "gooks"?
"Fear of the global threat of nuclear weapons" is code for Bomb Bomb Iran!
The Senator doesn't seem to grasp the concept of free speech. Pity.
"War protester" is a facile cliche. It brings to mind images of a stereotype have-protest-sign-will-travel peacenik. What we protest is our criminal president and his criminal surrogates, their criminal invasion of Iraq, their criminal occupation of Iraq, and their obvious plan for a criminal invasion of Iran. And torture. And on and on and on.
He shoulda' been pelted with rotten tomatoes , and for the coup de grâce , a whole bag of shit to fling at his empty head...........
The protestor is misrepresenting McCain's positions.
His positions are as follows:
We will be in Iraq for 100 yrs
and
We will be in Iraq until 2013
Either position you chose is not reflective of an "endless war."
You liberal hippy freaks should get it straight!!!
pissed off patricia @ 17:
the propensity to follow/heed/give-in to what "lindsey graham wants" resides somewhere between one's inclination to eat their foot, and their willingness to french kiss a humboldt squid.
John McCain promised that if he's president, our troops will come home with victory and honor.
Does this mean the ones that have already come home came home with DIS-honor?
That if Barack Obama is president, and brings the troops home, they will come home with dishonor?
What else could it mean?
That's right! Thank you Mr. protester. Let everyone know this crazy old man will have your sons and daughters fighting and killing worldwide, "to keep us safe".
Actually McCain is right. Free speech doesn't mean you can go around shouting down people and disrupting.
Since they were peacefully removed it isn't really an issue. I'd much rather see the anti-war people getting on the mic rather than chanting like barn animals though.
Mindless audience members... "John McCain! John McCain!" obviously have some sort of hard on for wars and war talk. His speech seems like a typical republican war drum chant, you know, things are getting scary so let the government go bomb other countries to keep you *safe*!!! Yes John, imagine a world where the US became everyone's greatest enemy... where the US beecame the true roadblock to peace... just imagine... you don't have to try very hard.
That was a staged event. Those "protesters" were planted to make McCain look good. If you watch carefully, you can see that McCain has a real problem reading the telepromters. (I think he's trying to avoid wearing glasses) When the protestors interrupt, he looks down to his left. What he's doing is reading a remark that is supposed to appear to be "unscripted" which he then delivers when the audience suddenly stops chanting "John McCain" (which, curiosly fits the rhythm of "endless war" or "end this war").
This is done because John McCain is probably the worst public speaker in the history of politics. His delivery is sub-community college Speech 101. It's embarrassing.
The performance is designed to create a "TV soundbite" where McCain:
1.) Is apparently speaking "off the cuff" (like humans do) in defense of the 1st ammendment.
2.) Standing up to "anti-war" protestors (take that you commies)
3.) Keeping us all safe from the TERRRRRRRRRRRORORRRRRISTS!
It's fucking pathetic. I can't wait for the debates.
(memo to McCain advance team: stock up on Depends)
Why is it that the fascists always quote Kennedy, Roosevelt, and Truman?
If McCain was quoting JFK's speech at Rice University, then the relevant sentence is:
"Whether it (space exploration) will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war.
Which, obviously has little to do with Iran, unless Ahmadinejad is hiding a space shuttle program as well.
On the other hand, Kennedy committed the United States to the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1963.
McCain gets his facts wrong - surprise! - again.
I think we already know it's only 'free speech' if it agrees with reslug talking points and mcstain lies.
Space Coyote @ 26:
Your statement is not entirely accurate. Obama, as I attempted to point out in comment #16, has said that he will leave close to 100,000 troops either in Iraq or in the nearby region even after his phased [not immediate] withdrawal finally takes place. Leaving those troops in the area, despite Obama's lofty rhetoric, will never win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people.
Bring the troops-ALL of them-Home-NOW.
Harry R. Sohl @ 21:
He was scratching the skin near his eye. (You don't flip off someone with the index finger).
The next 'door to door salesman' for the military industrial complex is doing a fine job! Be afraid! Be very afraid!! Here come McCain. Get ready for him.
America just had a national holiday to celebrate our fallen hired killers (dead soldiers). To celebrate it, Americans burned record levels of fossil fuels.
America gets the government and pollution they deserve.
craig @ 30:
After 7+ years of watching dubya I have to disagree.
marko @ 3:
Dream on! The military industrial complex will never again allow a populist president.
Excellent! We can no longer tolerate these Republican thugs. So Grampy McSame . . . get used to it.
Tom Piltoff @ 28:
actually, free speech does mean that you can shout people down. it might not be polite, but it certainly isn't illegal. (now, mind you, i am not talking about, the now-cliche, example of shouting 'fire' in a crowded venue; i am talking about 'shouting' that does nothing to endanger anyone)
and if they are not provided a mic? when the people are not invited to the table, nor given a platform to express their views, nor shut out of the process, and their views are not represented by the corporate media what should people do then?
democracy can be ugly and rude, just the way it is supposed to be. when, as a country, did we adhere to the adage that we should pipe down and show respect when we are being screwed over? that, to me, seems to run counter to the very essence of patriotism
and nothing is more efficient than authoritarianism.
when, as a nation, we are being blatantly disrespected by our "leaders" it is not only our right, but our duty to show them just as much disrespect back.
And since the protesters weren't 14 year old girls with a thoughtful question, mccain was helpless in crafting his riposte.
ujl @ 24:
McWar clearly wasn't just talking about Iraq, dumb ass. McDementia was speaking of various nations owning trying to gain nuclear weapons(The global spread of nuclear weapons?). It's clear that you can write(a little) but not read troll. If you believe what you wrote you're probably suffering with dementia too.
Listen, I'm not a right-wing republican, but I truly am saddened by what Olberman and now this website have become. I come here mainly for the videos, and I'm glad you provide them. My connection/computer is slow hence I need to download them rather than stream them off of youtube and or other sites.
But seriously, wasn't the point of MSNBC (and CNN) to stand for journalistic integrity, not just become the left-leanning pillar in the sad 24-hour cable-news arena?
I don't understand your free-speech argument at all. McCain, who I don't support (because I disagree with him on too many policy positions) is simply trying to make the point that free speech doesn't give you the right to prevent someone else from speaking. I know when you read that sentence, you'll think, oh this poster is a fucking idiot, isn't McCain guilty of the same thing, preventing their right to speak out. Well, McCain isn't doing that, they spoke up and were asked to leave (I assume) and were taken away with the suspicion that even if they stopped interrupting, they might start again, a very reasonable response. Now, to further imagine why what McCain is saying is not without merit, but simply what free speech has always meant, imagine you are giving a speech and someone who disagrees walks up to you and starts screaming so the audience can't hear. Maybe he even brings a boombox or holds a sign in front of your face so the audience can't see you or hear you. Ofcourse this example is exaggerated, but its the same legal point. If you have that space approved for your use, or lets say you don't, you and your followers simply move to a different place and are followed and harassed in the same way, the offender's action is not free speech, it is speech alright, but it is not protected as it infringes on the speaker's right to speak, be heard (included in the right) and assembly.
Don't use stupid arguments that you imagine the right would use to attack McCain, I'm talking to you too Amato, I mean, what gives? When did you have to become your enemy to be them?
McCain wasn't saying these people broke the law, he was saying, listen, i set up this time to give a speech, you came you interrupted, thats fine, thats rude, i wish you wouldn't have done that as I think you can make your protests heard in more civil ways, but if you want to be jackasses and interrupt me and the audience to get face time on tv, well good for you, you won, assholes, but obviously i'm not going to let you keep on doing it. Further, McCain, whatever you say about him, hasn't instituted the Bush screen for loyal bushies thing and goes out of his way to set up town hall meetings and say, listen, come ask me some questions and call me an asshole to my face, i promise to take at least a few of your quetions, but i beg you to disagree with me on merits, as we want to live in a society that openly debates and discusses things and doesn't have to character assasinate and be a rude bitch to one another. That doesn't have to be the spirit of american debate or american politics. That's why him and obama are the candidates because at least in theory, this appeals to a large group of voters.
Anyway, that's what I have to say about that.
I mean, Olbermann slamming the desk about Gregory being slow, what is he O'reilly now? I mean he runs a show that partisans turn in to hear him talk shit about bush for an hour. I mean, is that really newsworthy? It used to be in this sort of This is the actual news and its all done by this guy, but now its got all this personal venom over anyone who seems to be anti-whatever Keith supports at that time. I mean Hillary saying the RFK thing obviously wasn't great, but for gods sakess, does it really have to be blown up Hiroshima like that, can't we save that stuff for like, i don't know, "We don't torture., Ok, just that one time, a few people, but yknow that didn't count and whatever." moments?
Ya know, Grampa Flipflop *tried* to keep his town hall meetings open to the media (like Duhbya does) and leftists but it's clear now that because of a few terr'rists who hate our freedoms that he will be *forced* to go back to the more traditional uniforms or loyalty oath signer only audiences.
I hope you're happy liberal terr'rists.
You made him do it.
For our own good.
Underground Pirate @ 38:
If the Military industrial complex was going to do anything, the Repugs wouldn't have lost 3 seats in the special election. Besides, the Repugs have ultimately hurt the military compelex by pissing off WAY too many people. They'll throw in with the Dems and try and control them . . . which they have done well so far via Pelosi and Reed.
Actually they were saying boourns...boourns...
They wanted to boourn him at the stake.
craig @ 30:
absolutely. one of the most obviously contrived scenes ive seen thus far. by my count he had three teleprompters. i noticed the look to the crib sheet as well. getting george bush elected was easypeasey compared to this senile old vet. poor guy. stripped of the courage he went into vietnam with. thats what torture does to a man. he may have survived as a pow, but he was certainly robbed of something while there.
Wow!! Did you see the size of that crowd? There must have been a hundred of them. Packed like sardines into their underground bunker of paranoia. Nice going johnny. Your bitch mother would be proud.
I can't believe anyone would show their face EXCEPT HECKLERS at his pathetic rallies. To hear his empty words, over and over again, would make me want to scream. We ought to roll the paddy wagons up to his rallies and round them up a few hundred at a time for therapy, etc.
This is one washed up old fart, representing one cancerous, sick old party of politics that is venomous and hateful. Go repugs.
End the War End the War--how about instead- End the Empire and close all USi military outposts.
If I was at the meeting I'd tell the two old timer--go back to your first wife--you creep! (If you don't know this, 1st.Mrs.McCain ended up in a wheel chair for life due to an car accident. McAss went after a rich Bimbo)
George @ 43:
everything you saw in that clip is staged. everything.
On the point of troops coming home "with honor"... (and probably get beat-up for this, but...)
No soldier returning from this war can return with honor, even those returning in boxes draped with our nations flag carry the shame that goes with it. I take no pleasure in saying this and am feeling ill in doing so. But the fact of the matter is we all carry this shame, as well we should. We as a nation never committed ourselves to stopping this atrocity. Soldiers not refusing illegal and immoral orders... High and mighty Dem's in congress not putting their full weight against the push for war or to forcing an end... apathetic and immobile citizens not applying enough pressure to said congress... The cooperate media not only complicit, but hungry for blood ratings... Our only recourse is to remove ourselves as quickly as possible, and offer as much aid as we can while begging forgiveness... And when the War Pigs begin to bleat and grunt for their pound of flesh we must slaughter them immediately for placing on spit of decency to roast over purifying flames of redemption... This self inflicted wound on our nation's psyche will be a long time healing... rightfully so, lest the purge be insufficient...
craig @ 30:
Funny and very true. And yes McStupid is a horrific public speaker....makes my ears bleed. But Bush is worst, which is like comparing shit and vomit.
Left&Left @ 42:
I thought ujl was being facetious... or sarcastic...
Sorry, I'm anything but a McCain supporter, but I get tired of protesters drowning out speakers at scheduled events just because they don't like what they say. The same go for the right-wing college goofs who try and disrupt Obama or Clinton rallys.
Sorry to sound so old-school, but I'd just like a little civility returned to the world....
McCain supporters? WTF?
With the current mean I.Q. levels present in the “average” GOP voter at an all time low, it’s not surprising that they’ll bang the bed pans and don the white sheets in order to frighten and otherwise pathetically manipulate their less than stellar intellectual base. And they always have some inbred ditto-head “preacher” of some bent stripe playing the Satan or hellfire card, although the deck is always loaded. This stimulated dread of a hellfire is so enormous and so unsettling of common sense and normal thinking, that any scheme to elude it becomes suitable. Blind horror perverts, bends and transforms time-honored balanced ethical deliberations. A self-centered mind-set is produced resulting from hysterical longing for private escape from perdition. Defective assessments by conservative or backward individuals can and often are prejudiced by a saving-from-hell doctrine as a replacement for levelheaded analysis. The penalty of politicians making edicts or granting funding whilst beneath the hex of GOP hell-phobic-delusion are obvious.
It is not recognized how many inhabitants are ensnared within any number of antiquated and quite frankly, retarded religions because of the apprehension of a hell, as dishonesty to oneself and to others on this topic is understandable, if not pathetic. To candidly or even subconsciously own up to a dread of a hell reveals to others and an alleged god, a intense failing of faith. Far healthier to frantically pretend that the god who is to blame for this imagined place of after-life dismay, is a deity who should be loved. Explicitly professing worship for the monster god harbors the expectation that others will not distinguish your private trepidation of hell.
The remedy to hell, so the faithful are told, is kowtowing to a exacting religious modus operandi. In essence, religions are self-renewing and self-serving because of a ubiquitous teaching scheme with dependence on a routine that is nothing short of mental child abuse.
Many people thus affected, when reading this, will believe that escaping these awful feelings of hell, is not feasible. Not factual, and many Atheists and normal people will vouch for that. The first step is recognizing the dread of hell is an arousing circumstance that has been entrenched and not chosen. The anxiety can be countered by replacing it with a incessant re-evaluation of human propensity to believe the unbelievable if the right buttons are pushed in the seminal years. Following generations and planetary continued existence depend on this crucial step being lucratively achieved.
Our troops will come home with honor, eh?
It's a little too late for a friend who decided to off his ex-wife and then himself, I guess. Russ was attached as a platoon sergeant to the 3rd Armored Cav and retired in 2006 after two tours and a turn as instructor stateside.
This is what your war is buying us, Johnny.
As for the gentleman who says the protesters weren't engaging in free speech, that's baloney. You may not approve of their tactics, but I think the time for civility went out the window when the GOP brought us 'free speech zones.' If there's a valid discourse on the appropriateness of when and where someone can wave a sign or raise their voice, that's entirely separate from what may or may not have been a staged event.
Is McCain scratching the spot where he had one of his cancerous lesions removed?
GoodScout @ 53:
Bushco is murdering thousands every year in Iraq and you want civility?
Carl Gordon @ 54:
are these your own words or should you have included a citation?
Shadowgm Hussein,
Not funny. Not funny at all. Dislike, disagree, vote against McCain all you like (and I will join you), but for f__k's sakes people, do we really want to be making fun of someone's cancer? Do you really want to be like Michael Weiner Savage?
I agree with Blue at #20.
Didn't someone just get arrested for passing nuclear weapons secrets to Israel? What ever happened with finding out what they did with them?
Is McCain going to demand that Israel allow UN inspectors to examine their facilities?
EliteLemming @ 53:
You're right. Sorry ujl...I'm the one who can't read.
The protester was not standing in McBush's right of free speech. The protester-patriot is trying to stand in the way of McBush fininshing out the Bush regime's 3rd term of using our blood and treasure of more wars for Halliburton http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Cheneys_stock_options_rose_3281_last_1011.... and big oil http://www.aztlan.net/oiltanker.htm
I wonder how many of those folks chanting "John McCain" have ever fought in a war or have kids fighting in this one?
EliteLemming @ 53:
Did I see those wackjobs from the ranch in Texas leading the John McCain Chant? Sure sounded like them
Some liberals have no sense of humor. It helps kill the pain of Republican messes.
These protests give me hope that the country isn't going to go to hell in a hand basket.
Thank you, protesters!
Did the miserable old codger even notice? I mean he looks like he died two years ago. Another papier mache figurehead for the GOP crime syndicate.
Being familiar with republicans I will assume -- until proven otherwise -- that this was a set up.
War protesters interrupt John McCain’s foreign policy speech in Colorado
hmm, this needs a bit of editing...
thus, i submit a new heading:
john mccain's perpetual wargasm, and support for weakening american security, continues to interrupt our right to a sane and responsible government
The only thing we have to fear is a senile old man with a love for war and an anger management problem running the country.
I'm not a fan of stopping people from speaking by heckling. Heckling is not free speech.
Billy Shears @ 67:
One of those protesters looked a lot like Jeff Gannon no ?
AlphaLiberal @ 70:
sure it is
and big tuff mccain needed a security detail and an entire crowd to deal with one guy
ya...this man sure will be able to protect our country
and how dare he invoke kennedy
AlphaLiberal @ 70:
this is such a lame response. of course 'heckling' is free speech...
gah~
MaxMarginal @ 4:
No we won't.
Oh who cares if Grampa gets heckled? Chances are he was about to forget what he was talking about anyway.
Samson- @ 73:
LOL! Nooo..."heckling" is not free speech...uncapped donations by corporations and high net worth individuals to politicians is free speech. The SCOTUS said so!
America will collapse under the weight of her own stupidity.
"Wahh, protesters are making it hard for me to concentrate! So I'm going to pull out the 'My rights iz bein' violated' card! Waaahhh!"
Don't do any kind of public speaking if you can't handle the heat, McCrybaby, you befuddled goon. And while you are at it, don't use JFK's name to bolster your addled points about foreign policy. Gawd, you and your clapping trained seals make me sick.
AlphaLiberal @ 70:
I agree with you AlphaLiberal. In fact, heckling is very counter-productive. It turns off the very people needed for victory.
liberal traitor @ 60:
I did not intend the question to make fun of his circumstances. If he's scratching that spot, it could be indicative of more serious problems, and the time to address those problems is when the symptoms arise.
GoodScout @ 54:
Was the Boston Tea Party a civil action?
Nothing wrong with this protestor. McCain's goal is endless war no matter how many times he tries to say Al Queda or Nuclear Proliferation to obscure reality.
Bonkers @ 77:
Dontcha love when the GOP rolls out the Kennedys, or MLK. How come they don't quote Reagan? Can't they find any coherent quotes? I guess they won't be quoting Chimpy in the future either.
Janice @ 75:
Hell yeah Grampa is confused, pretty soon he will say he was bombing Al Queda bases in Hanoi in the 1960s.
Shadowgm Hussein @ 79:
The age of retirement is 63 for a reason.
Wahhh, don't negotiate with the enemy, unless your name is Nixon and the enemy is North Vietnam and they have me held prisoner, Wahhhh.
McCain speech showed that he has no trust of the world body,the United Nations and it's IAEA agency in carrying out inspections of nations who are members of the world non-proliferation treaty.
He thinks IAEA work is not good enough. McCain wants to get US itself involved by inroducing new methods such as 'interdicting' shipments of suspect nations in high seas.
McCain is looking for trouble if we start acting as world policeman.
His speech mainly was focused on two countries,Syria and Iran.
Middle Eastern countries in the past proposed many times having a 'Middle East free from Nuclear weapons'.
US refused such suggestions and the proposals at the UN,because US is not willing to pressure Israel in giving up its nuclear arsenal.
While Iran has been inspected more than any other country, still McCain wants to interdict and start a new war with Iran.
When McCain refuses to believe in the IAEA and the world body ,but he puts his trust in Neo Cons like Kagan, Lieberman and Podhoretz, who are constantly calling for a war against Iran, then we are in deep trouble.
The war in Iraq is a good example of a failed WMDS story that was sold to Americans few years ago,when Bush administration ignored UN inspectors call that Iraq has no WMDS.
Bush in fact called the UN 'irrelevant' if he had to make his decision to go to war.
Todays story is about WMDS again, but it is not Iraq's WMDS this time , it is instead about Iran's WMDS ,and that's what McCain is trying to sell us these days,another war with Iran. Pundits calling this EXPERIENCE IN FOREIGN POLICY, when in fact is nothing but madness to start at this stage a war with a country 3 times the size of Iraq,and 3 times its population which might lead to uncontrollable consequenses in energy,and stability that can lead to a world depression.
AlphaLiberal @ 70:
It is not a form of free speech that you may approve of. Certainly, it's disrespectful to the speaker and to the audience who paid to see them. In general, I also disapprove of such antics, with the exception of Code Pink infiltrating the GOP Convention in 2004 to disrupt Dick Cheney's speech, because it pointed out the rampant stupidity of their 'we're making you safer' pitch line. (They couldn't pick Medea Benjamin out of the crowd, even though pretty much the only thing she does is lead Code Pink events. And you expect me to believe you can find a terrorist?)
But bear in mind that the protester must also have paid to attend the event, unless it was an open-door affair. If I pay for a concert ticket, nothing obligates me to applaud; I can boo or remain silent if I think the performance was less than stellar.
I'd like to see substantive discussion follow in the wake of such heckling, but that's also not for me to dictate. This is one of the paradoxes of free speech - when we put limits on the how and when and where, we diminish the concept and its power. I'd like to see an environment where differing ideas receive respect, but that's the same problem - people are going to have to decide that for themselves.
McCain has no chance in hell of winning. McCain looks like the JOKER in the pack, imagine that on the world stage. Out of a population of 300 Million the best that America could come up with is an OLD boy who looks like he is suffering from SENILE DEMENTIA. A short guy who can't control himself, suffers from fits of anger. That is just the CRAZY NUTTER that will press the NUCLEAR BUTTON & KILL US ALL. After all he has one foot in the grave all he'd be doing is taking us all with him. He looks like one of the REPTILLIANS I hear all this talk about.
that lying scumbag is for anything that makes his fucking real constituency money.
EliteLemming @ 53:
Yes I was. Note how McCain has two positions regarding our troops presence in Iraq.
Liberal AND Proud @ 76:
:-)
nice L&P
AlphaLiberal @ 70:
Heckling may not be free speech per se, but neither is it a suppression of free speech. Free speech means McCain, the heckler and we commenters may not be sanctioned or silenced by the government for expressing ideas. So McCain is, as always, clueless. The heckler is impolite, and good for him. Sometimes it the only way for dissenting voices to get heard. Hold the tomatoes and pie, but keep up the heckling!
Lame... to all parties.
Pretty soon St. McLame will screen his audiences like his hero, King George the Lesser.
I agree we have to stop the cancer cracks.
I disagree that we grant these savages any civility. They might wear suits and ties and hold lofty positions but these bunch are among the filthiest set of barbarians the human species have spawned.
raker @ 92:
Maybe we should outlaw bad manners. Then we can finally be free of the right wing pundits, bigots and other members of the GOP mainstream.
Liberal AND Proud @ 96:
You'll only end up with bigots with perfect manners.
Another thing I need to mention ISRAEL MUST GET rid of the NUCLEAR BOMBS they got it illegally. So America is willing to Kill the Arabs for an assumption not sure they have Nuclear weapons. But out of hatred and jealousy, because they have oil, they want to destroy 71 Million people, on an assumption. How many did HITLER killed when it was the Jews 6 MILLION. AMERICA & ISRAEL is edging to Massacre 71 Million people on a lie. Ask your selves would you want to be a part of that kind of crime?. Well the way I know Nuclear works it would KILL JEWS AS WELL, because the Nuclear fall out would not just hang over IRAN, it could wipe out the whole of the middle east including SAUDI ARABIA. It would destroy every life on this planet we would suffer a NUCLEAR WINTER. SO AMERICA NEEDS TO BE STOPPED, and if this IAEA stands for any thing ask AMERICA to dismantle its NUCLEAR BOMBS & ISRAEL & all those who have these bombs because it's going to end up in the hands of another HITLER. BUSH was HITLER the 2nd and now America is now poised to vote in HITLER the 3rd. They call these policies NEO-CON'S its not Neo Cons it is NEO NAZISM. These men and women are old people in the Republican Party & Democratic Party these are the established elite, whose families were former CLANS MEN & WOMEN, people in America thinks because they are not hanging Black men & women on the lawns of America these people have just disappeared, or they have cleaned up their act, because they are now wearing suits, instead of white sheets. Some of these people are Judges who would lock up a Black boy as young as five, for life and worse. And let off white police officers for filling a Black mans head with bullets for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and don't even get charged. All that has happened in America, is the KKK are dressed differently. And are now Judges Lawyers Congress men & women. Who you elect as President is not running America, the ones running is the ones who decide what happens. The Democrats control the upper house & the lower house, but have no powers, because the power base is the NEO NAZIS or KKK are the ones who runs America. ISRAEL is just a pawn in the GAME AMERICA uses them to control the Arab world to secure their interest and spy on the Arab world. Because the ISRAELIS know what the Americans are doing in the Arab world, the Israelis SPY on the AMERICANS, tap every phone call out of America. The ARAB world knows this and that is why there is so much hatred between the two. ISRAEL wants to know the day the NEO NAZIS will turn on them because it happened once before, and can happen again, that is why the Jews inside AMERICA control & have so much say in what goes on, some say they are only two percent, but a powerful 2%.
EliteLemming @ 8:
and more war-mongering..
And even more war-mongering..
Okay. I'm no McCain fan by any stretch, and I'm certain I never will be, but I wouldn't exactly describe showing up at an opposition parties' speech to shout slogans as a stirring example of free speech in action. These sorts of disruptive tactics do absolutely nothing to gain public support for the anti-war side or (if this concerns anyone) the Democratic side. I'm sure it makes the shouters feel good about themselves, and maybe pumps up the choir a bit, but I've often wondered if such antics ultimately do more harm than good.
Also---it might be good to keep in mind that this sort of thing can flow both ways.
P.K. McBurroughs @ 100:
Kinda like an enema.
Chico Hussein @ 71:
Indeed, it is the season of the ratfuck.
Liberal AND Proud @ 101:
Exactly!
Although you'd think by now that someone would have invented a one-way spout.
Oh well. We can still dream of that perfect world.
"these people"
Im also in a CO republican neighborhood, but the number of Obama and Clinton signs that showed up before super tuesday was impressive.
War protesters, 1. Grandpa McCain, 0.
After seeing the video in which a soldier relates his "kills" on the Huffington Post (thanks for the link for that info), I feel we need to stop this madness overseas. What September 11th has done to America is nothing but abuse. Bush and his cronies have abused us with the nationalism, the hero worship of soldiers, the anger, the hatred and the racism. McCain is pushing for more of this madness. How many other soldiers will be back from Iraq (or Iran, if McCain gets in there and Bush has his way), telling the public about their kills?
How many other soldiers will come back wounded in spirit, body and mind with little or no help from the government?
How many more will get sick because of the toxic chemicals used to bomb, bomb bomb these places in the Middle East?
I am sick of this dog and pony show around the cult of militarism. And McCain's craptastic talk today only continues to the abuse of our nation with an extension of the lies.
Yes, you go ahead war protesters. Have the courage to shout down this fool. Maybe your actions will help make th Republicans aware that we are sick and tired of their antics.
All these arguments that McBush deserves the right to speak without disruptive dissent are fine and dandy. But remember he is the pretender to the throne of an administration and party that has been ruthless and masterful in muffling dissent and protest. For that I have no sympathy for him whatsoever. If he wants controlled forums that are uninterrupted, then embrace the bushco policy of total control of the environment and message. If you are going to be the head of the police state party, change it or embrace it maverick.
Vote for McShame...Fear-Monger n Chief!!!
How is it you're a war hero simply from the fact your captured in war. There would certainly be alot of medals given out on all sides on any given war. And those sinister Vietnamese...how dare they try to stop someone from bombing their villages and farms!!!
AlphaLiberal @ 70:
Duh! We hear these same murderers and war criminals day in...day out on our corporate pravda(s). Poor poor poor criminal mcshame....never gets a chance to talk!!! Get a clue!
Liberals not wanting to hear the voice of reason...typical.
IA
AlphaLiberal @ 70:
I’m not a fan of stopping people from speaking by heckling. Heckling is not free speech.
Obviously, you've never seen a Parliamentary debate.
They're oh so proper when running, but once on the bench they're ruthless in shouting over each other.
My favorite was one female MP saying to Churchill, if he was her husband, she'd put a bag over his head. What was his response? "Madam, if I were your husband, I would let you."
ysbaddaden @ 111:
Ah yes, the Bulldog. One of my favorites...
I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.
Winston Churchill
Why would we be concerned with putting a fence around border, when military planes are unloading deadly chemicals on us every day. I suppose the movie Adramada Strain shown on Television last nite was some kind of Omen.
the hanoi canary is an expert on surrender. what part of mccain's vietnam statements do the msn think are heroic.
Staged event? Please, if this truly is a staged event, tell me how you know, why you think that and any evidence you might have? Do you really think the protestors knew when msnbc would cut to the coverage and then started screaming? Do you really think even MSNBC is that corrput and in on everything? Are we really that kind of conspiratorial?
Let me clarify if I made it sound like their speech wasn't free speech, of course it was free and they had their right to do it, and then were escorted out. I admit everyone has the right to disrupt, but not interminably disrupt. And as for calls that civility went out with the window long ago, I just don't buy that. Civility never goes out the window. If you don't like things you don't cry in a corner and bitch and do stupid activities that just make your own side smirk and the other side sigh or cringe. You work hard to gain back power on issues and beliefs. Democracy works by discussing issues, finding consensus, winning over minds, not by bothering others. You win on our own merits, you place your case before the people, reveal the flaws in your opponents plans, and that's it. Anything else is just for p*ssi*s who can't argue or debate well.
Billy Shears @ 102:
Does anybody else think that it was kind of odd that these protesters were not arrested? This is be one way of obscurring their identity.
When mccain said "i will NEVER surrender in iraq" he looked insane it was his version of the dean scream
Ol' Grumpy doesn't want free speech. He wants pristine speech. He wants a forum in which he can expound to his heart's content while the adoring masses do nothing but cheer him on - a picture postcard made for television. Sorry, John. If you want to hear the cheers, you have to be willing to listen to the jeers. About the only positive thing I can say about all this is the DFH "protestors" don't seem to be getting arrested at these events nowadays, which this shouting, sign waving DFH protester considers to be a healthy trend. Democracy gets messy sometimes, and it never gets so messy as when the hearfelt convictions of large numbers of people can only find expression by shouting, sign-waving and disrupting events.
Hm. Were they in their Orwellian, Republican creation called a "Free Speech Zone"? I remember when we had free speech everywhere in this nation. Ahh. Now it's just another thing Bush has destroyed.
i think it was a call and response; Endless War, John Mccain, Endless War, John Mccain, Endless War, John Mccain, Endless War, John Mccain, Endless War, John Mccain, Endless War, John Mccain, Endless War, John Mccain, Endless War, John Mccain, Endless War, John Mccain, etc
rend @ 120:
Good one!
Finally. Someone understands. I can't commenters are actually as retarted as people tell me.
[Huh? "I can't commenters..." and "retarted." Right-Sitemonitor]
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/28/critic-olbermanns-special_n_103...
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