ANN IMSE, ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS - Two people ejected from a Bush speech in
Denver over a bumper sticker have filed a second lawsuit, claiming a
White House manual unlawfully bars potential critics of the president
from public events.
The Presidential Advance Manual calls for Bush volunteers to distribute
tickets in a manner to deter protesters and to stop demonstrators from
entering. It also calls for "rally squads" to drown out demonstrators
and get between them and news cameras. The manual was obtained through a
deposition in a West Virginia case. . .
The combination of the manual and the exclusion of people who had not
disrupted events "suggests there is a formal, official policy of trying
to keep hidden from the press and the president anyone who disagrees
with the president," said ACLU attorney Chris Hansen.
Hansen is arguing that people can be ejected from official presidential
events "only upon disruption," and not because of their viewpoints. He
wants a federal judge to declare unconstitutional the policy of
excluding people from presidential events due to their viewpoints or on
the assumption they will become disruptive. The Justice Department,
which is representing Jenkins in the Denver pair's original lawsuit over
their ejection, did not return a call and e-mail seeking comment. . .
White House manual excerpts:
"All presidential events must be ticketed or accessed by a name list.
This is the best method for preventing demonstrators."
"It is important to have your volunteers at a checkpoint before the
Magnetometers in order to stop a demonstrator from getting into the
event."
"The advance person must decide if the solution would cause more
negative publicity than if the demonstrators were simply left alone."
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5608456,00.html
ACLU - The ACLU filed today's lawsuit after obtaining a heavily redacted
version of the Presidential Advance Manual from the Justice Department.
This manual is the Bush administration's guide for planning presidential
events around the country, and it repeatedly instructs organizers about
"the best method for preventing demonstrators," "deterring potential
protestors from attending events," "designat[ing] a protest area . . .
preferably not in view of the event site or motorcade route," and the
like.
The ACLU said it is clear from the manual that the aim of the White
House policy is to keep people who are critical of the president away
from him and from the news media. According to the manual, "if it is
determined that the media will not see or hear" demonstrators, then
event staff can ignore them. The manual's guidelines are designed for
use at all presidential events, not just fundraisers or political
rallies. However, the ACLU noted that there are stricter constitutional
guidelines for taxpayer-funded events than for privately- or
politically-funded events.
"When the president attends a public event, the First Amendment does not
allow him to speak or listen only to those who agree with him," said
Arthur Spitzer, Legal Director of the ACLU of the National Capital Area
and co-counsel in the lawsuit. "Public places cannot be 'cleansed' of
all dissent just to make the president look popular on television."
The ACLU lawsuit cites other occasions throughout the country in which
individuals were excluded from presidential events because of their
political views. For example, in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, ticket holders in
line to hear the president speak had to unbutton their shirts before
they could get inside. One individual was wearing a t-shirt critical of
the president, and was ejected by security officials. In Fargo, North
Dakota, several dozen individuals were placed on a "do not admit list"
of those forbidden to attend a presidential event; most of the
individuals on the list belonged to a liberal organization, and some had
written letters to the editor opposing the president's policies. And in
Tucson, Arizona, a student was barred from a presidential forum on
Social Security because he was wearing a Young Democrats t-shirt.
http://www.aclu.org/silenced
KATIE MULVANEY, PROVIDENCE JOURNAL - Air Force One appeared out of clear
skies over treetops at the Air National Guard base in Quonset Point
promptly at 10:30 yesterday morning. The blue-and-white Boeing 747
touched down seconds later. Moments after that President Bush, in a navy
suit with a red tie, waved from the staircase to the 40 or so people
waiting on the tarmac. He exchanged pleasantries, handshakes and even a
hug with an array of prominent Republicans. . .
WPRI-TV, Channel 12 reporter Jarrod Holbrook had his White House press
pass snatched after he shouted "Mr. President!" twice as President Bush
greeted Air and Army National Guardsmen gathered on the tarmac at the
Air National Guard base in Quonset.
A member of the president's entourage pointed at Holbrook after he first
tried to get Mr. Bush's attention. The man then ripped the pass from
Holbrook's belt after he shouted again to the president, who was about
10 feet away.
Holbrook said afterward that he just wanted to ask Mr. Bush how he
enjoyed his visit to Rhode Island. Members of the media were not told
they could not ask the president questions.
http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/newsblog/archives/2007/06/post_939.html
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Denver over a bumper sticker have filed a second lawsuit, claiming a
White House manual unlawfully bars potential critics of the president
from public events.
The Presidential Advance Manual calls for Bush volunteers to distribute
tickets in a manner to deter protesters and to stop demonstrators from
entering. It also calls for "rally squads" to drown out demonstrators
and get between them and news cameras. The manual was obtained through a
deposition in a West Virginia case. . .
The combination of the manual and the exclusion of people who had not
disrupted events "suggests there is a formal, official policy of trying
to keep hidden from the press and the president anyone who disagrees
with the president," said ACLU attorney Chris Hansen.
Hansen is arguing that people can be ejected from official presidential
events "only upon disruption," and not because of their viewpoints. He
wants a federal judge to declare unconstitutional the policy of
excluding people from presidential events due to their viewpoints or on
the assumption they will become disruptive. The Justice Department,
which is representing Jenkins in the Denver pair's original lawsuit over
their ejection, did not return a call and e-mail seeking comment. . .
White House manual excerpts:
"All presidential events must be ticketed or accessed by a name list.
This is the best method for preventing demonstrators."
"It is important to have your volunteers at a checkpoint before the
Magnetometers in order to stop a demonstrator from getting into the
event."
"The advance person must decide if the solution would cause more
negative publicity than if the demonstrators were simply left alone."
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5608456,00.html
ACLU - The ACLU filed today's lawsuit after obtaining a heavily redacted
version of the Presidential Advance Manual from the Justice Department.
This manual is the Bush administration's guide for planning presidential
events around the country, and it repeatedly instructs organizers about
"the best method for preventing demonstrators," "deterring potential
protestors from attending events," "designat[ing] a protest area . . .
preferably not in view of the event site or motorcade route," and the
like.
The ACLU said it is clear from the manual that the aim of the White
House policy is to keep people who are critical of the president away
from him and from the news media. According to the manual, "if it is
determined that the media will not see or hear" demonstrators, then
event staff can ignore them. The manual's guidelines are designed for
use at all presidential events, not just fundraisers or political
rallies. However, the ACLU noted that there are stricter constitutional
guidelines for taxpayer-funded events than for privately- or
politically-funded events.
"When the president attends a public event, the First Amendment does not
allow him to speak or listen only to those who agree with him," said
Arthur Spitzer, Legal Director of the ACLU of the National Capital Area
and co-counsel in the lawsuit. "Public places cannot be 'cleansed' of
all dissent just to make the president look popular on television."
The ACLU lawsuit cites other occasions throughout the country in which
individuals were excluded from presidential events because of their
political views. For example, in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, ticket holders in
line to hear the president speak had to unbutton their shirts before
they could get inside. One individual was wearing a t-shirt critical of
the president, and was ejected by security officials. In Fargo, North
Dakota, several dozen individuals were placed on a "do not admit list"
of those forbidden to attend a presidential event; most of the
individuals on the list belonged to a liberal organization, and some had
written letters to the editor opposing the president's policies. And in
Tucson, Arizona, a student was barred from a presidential forum on
Social Security because he was wearing a Young Democrats t-shirt.
http://www.aclu.org/silenced
KATIE MULVANEY, PROVIDENCE JOURNAL - Air Force One appeared out of clear
skies over treetops at the Air National Guard base in Quonset Point
promptly at 10:30 yesterday morning. The blue-and-white Boeing 747
touched down seconds later. Moments after that President Bush, in a navy
suit with a red tie, waved from the staircase to the 40 or so people
waiting on the tarmac. He exchanged pleasantries, handshakes and even a
hug with an array of prominent Republicans. . .
WPRI-TV, Channel 12 reporter Jarrod Holbrook had his White House press
pass snatched after he shouted "Mr. President!" twice as President Bush
greeted Air and Army National Guardsmen gathered on the tarmac at the
Air National Guard base in Quonset.
A member of the president's entourage pointed at Holbrook after he first
tried to get Mr. Bush's attention. The man then ripped the pass from
Holbrook's belt after he shouted again to the president, who was about
10 feet away.
Holbrook said afterward that he just wanted to ask Mr. Bush how he
enjoyed his visit to Rhode Island. Members of the media were not told
they could not ask the president questions.
http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/newsblog/archives/2007/06/post_939.html
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