We weren’t doing anything wrong’
Couple in anti-Bush T-shirts were arrested at president’s speech
By Tara Tuckwiller
West Virginia Gazette
A husband and wife who wore anti-Bush T-shirts to the president’s Fourth of July appearance aren’t going down without a fight: They will be represented by lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union as they contest the trespassing charges against them Thursday morning in Charleston Municipal Court.
Police took Nicole and Jeff Rank away in handcuffs from the event, which was billed as a presidential appearance, not a campaign rally. They were wearing T-shirts that read, “Love America, Hate Bush.”
Spectators who wore pro-Bush T-shirts and Bush-Cheney campaign buttons were allowed to stay.
“We weren’t doing anything wrong,” said Jeff Rank. The couple, who said they had tickets just like everybody else, said they simply stood around the Capitol steps with the rest of the spectators.
“We sang the national anthem,” Rank said.
The Ranks hardly fit the image of rabble-rousers. Jeff Rank, 29, has a master’s degree in oceanography. Nicole Rank, 30, has degrees in biological science and marine biology. They have been married for seven years.
Nicole Rank arrived in Charleston soon after the Memorial Day floods. She was working as deputy environmental liaison officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, making sure cities and counties obeyed federal environmental laws as they repaired roads and bridges.
After police arrested the Ranks, fingerprinted them and took their mug shots, FEMA told Nicole Rank she was no longer needed in West Virginia.
“I have not been fired per se,” she said. “But I was released from this job. And when they release you from a job, you no longer get paid.”
The Ranks started to go home to Corpus Christi, Texas, but they only got as far as Roanoke, Va., when it occurred to them that they might not be able to contest their arrest if they weren’t in Charleston on their court date. A phone call confirmed their suspicions. So they turned around.
“We’ve been living in motels ever since,” said Jeff Rank, who spent Tuesday evening in his motel room with his wife, their cocker spaniel Feinman, and their marmalade cat Rowr.
“It’s extremely difficult [financially]. We can only afford to do this for so long.”
But they had to stay and fight the charges, he said, “because we didn’t think we were guilty.”
Since Bush took office in early 2001, people have been banned from displaying anti-Bush messages at dozens of Bush appearances across the country. In September, the ACLU filed a federal lawsuit against the Secret Service, seeking an injunction against the Bush administration for segregating protesters at his public appearances.
The Secret Service agreed that such censorship was wrong, said Witold Walczak, one of the lawyers that filed the lawsuit.
“They had an internal memo dated September 2002, saying they couldn’t treat protesters differently or worse” than anyone else at a presidential appearance, Walczak said. “The judge said any agent responsible for doing so could be held liable for damages.”
The Secret Service had been telling local police to sequester anyone displaying an anti-administration message, usually in areas completely out of sight and earshot of Bush. Because the Secret Service agreed with the ACLU that it shouldn’t be doing that, the judge dismissed the case.
“Prior to filing our suit in September, we’d get a couple of confirmed ‘protest zone’ complaints every month,” Walczak said. “After we filed, there were practically none. We had two documented incidents between September and March: one in Little Rock, Ark., and one in Knoxville, Tenn.”
But now, lawyers like Walczak are carefully monitoring cases like the Ranks’ — and two similar incidents recently in Pennsylvania.
“We’re trying to assess what is going on at these appearances ... whether these ‘protest zones’ are resuming,” he said.
“We are continuing to monitor all campaign events by both Republican and Democratic candidates. We’re prepared to go back into court if we see discrimination occurring.”
Because Bush’s Fourth of July stop in Charleston was billed as an official presidential visit, not a campaign rally, “That makes it an even more glaring violation of the First Amendment,” said Andrew Schneider, executive director of the ACLU of West Virginia.
“It’s an Orwellian way to keep speech out of sight of those the speech is intended to critique ... We want to nip this in the bud before it becomes a habit of future administrations.”
A Bush spokesman did not return a telephone call seeking comment on the necessity of the “free speech zone.”

WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS, A POLICE STATE? A DICTATORSHIP?
Is anyone else sick of all this fucking censorship?
Bush is getting more like a banana republic dictator every day.
Cheney can tell a US Senator to go fuck himself in the Senate chambers and a married couple can't wear anti Bush T-shirts in public?
Outrageous.

Another Wheel Flies Off?

The GOP, led by Gay Basher in Chief George W. Bush, failed in their attempt yesterday to create a Constitutional amendment that specifically discriminates against gays and lesbians.
I quote from a July 15 New York Times article:

"It's a net loss for Republicans politically," said one prominent Republican in Washington who works closely with the White House. "It does nothing for our base, because they're grumpy about not having it, and it energized a significant portion of their base. I guarantee you that the gay community will give twice as much money and work harder for Kerry now, not so much because they care about marriage per se, but because this effort plays to their fears that we're homophobic."

Gays and lesbians don't fear that most Republicans are homophobic, most ARE homophobic.
But the Repugnican quoted in this excerpt is right about one thing, the gay community is giving twice as much money and working twice as hard for John Kerry.
Now that Bush has snubbed the NAACP by refusing to speak at their convention, people of color will be doing the same.
So will environmentalists.
So will people who watched Michael Moore's movie Fahrenheit-911.
So will those who hate being lied to.
So will anyone with half a heart.
So will anyone with half a brain.

Dick Cheney told Senator Leahy to go fuck himself.
Dick said he felt better afterwards.

George W. Bush doesn't need to be told to go fuck himself. He already has.

Thank you, Senators!

The following Senators need to be thanked for putting an end to the Gay Bashing Amendment. Please select those from your state, drop them a line and say thanks for representing ALL Americans.
The system works! Now, does anyone want me to list the Senate homophobes? Comments?


VOTED AGAINST CLOTURE (I.E., VOTED TO SUPPORT A FILIBUSTER)
Akaka, Daniel - (D - HI) Class I 141 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-6361 E-mail: senator@akaka.senate.gov
Baucus, Max - (D - MT) Class II 511 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2651 Web Form: http://baucus.senate.gov/emailmax.html
Bayh, Evan - (D - IN) Class III 463 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5623 Web Form: http://bayh.senate.gov/WebMail1.htm
Biden, Joseph - (D - DE) Class II 201 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5042 E-mail: senator@biden.senate.gov
Bingaman, Jeff - (D - NM) Class I 703 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5521 E-mail: senator_bingaman@bingaman.senate.gov
Boxer, Barbara - (D - CA) Class III 112 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3553 Web Form: boxer.senate.gov/contact
Breaux, John - (D - LA) Class III 503 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4623 E-mail: senator@breaux.senate.gov
Campbell, Ben - (R - CO) Class III 380 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5852 Web Form: http://campbell.senate.gov/email.htm
Chafee, Lincoln - (R - RI) Class I 141A RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2921 Web Form: http://chafee.senate.gov/webform.htm
Cantwell, Maria - (D - WA) Class I 717 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3441 Web Form: http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.html
Carper, Thomas - (D - DE) Class I 513 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2441 Web Form: http://carper.senate.gov/email-form.html
Clinton, Hillary - (D - NY) Class I 476 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4451 Web Form: http://clinton.senate.gov/email_form.html
Collins, Susan - (R - ME) Class II 172 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2523 Web Form: http://collins.senate.gov/low/contactemail.htm
Conrad, Kent - (D - ND) Class I 530 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2043 Web Form: http://conrad.senate.gov/webform.html
Corzine, Jon - (D - NJ) Class I 502 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4744 Web Form: http://corzine.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Daschle, Thomas - (D - SD) Class III 509 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2321 Web Form: http://daschle.senate.gov/webform.html
Dayton, Mark - (D - MN) Class I 346 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3244 Web Form: http://dayton.senate.gov/webform.html
Dodd, Christopher - (D - CT) Class III 448 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2823 Web Form: http://dodd.senate.gov/webmail/
Dorgan, Byron - (D - ND) Class III 713 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2551 E-mail: senator@dorgan.senate.gov
Durbin, Richard - (D - IL) Class II 332 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2152 Web Form: http://durbin.senate.gov/sitepages/contact.htm
Feingold, Russell - (D - WI) Class III 506 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5323 E-mail: russell_feingold@feingold.senate.gov
Feinstein, Dianne - (D - CA) Class I 331 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3841 Web Form: http://feinstein.senate.gov/email.html
Graham, Bob - (D - FL) Class III 524 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3041 Web Form: http://graham.senate.gov/email.html
Harkin, Tom - (D - IA) Class II 731 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3254 Web Form: http://harkin.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm
Hollings, Ernest - (D - SC) Class III 125 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-6121 Web Form: http://hollings.senate.gov/email.html
Inouye, Daniel - (D - HI) Class III 722 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3934 Web Form: http://inouye.senate.gov/webform.html
Johnson, Tim - (D - SD) Class II 136 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5842 Web Form: http://johnson.senate.gov/ContactPage/emailform.htm
Kennedy, Edward - (D - MA) Class I 317 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4543 Web Form: http://kennedy.senate.gov/contact.html
Kohl, Herb - (D - WI) Class I 330 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5653 Web Form: http://kohl.senate.gov/gen_contact.html
Landrieu, Mary - (D - LA) Class II 724 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5824 Web Form: http://landrieu.senate.gov/webform.html
Lautenberg, Frank - (D - NJ) Class II 324 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3224 Web Form: http://lautenberg.senate.gov/webform.html
Leahy, Patrick - (D - VT) Class III 433 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4242 E-mail: senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov
Levin, Carl - (D - MI) Class II 269 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-6221 Web Form: http://levin.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
Lieberman, Joseph - (D - CT) Class I 706 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4041 Web Form: http://lieberman.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm?regarding=issue
Lincoln, Blanche - (D - AR) Class III 355 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4843 Web Form: http://lincoln.senate.gov/webform.html
McCain, John - (R - AZ) Class III 241 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2235 Web Form: http://mccain.senate.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=Contact.Home
Mikulski, Barbara - (D - MD) Class III 709 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4654 Web Form: http://mikulski.senate.gov/mailform.html
Murray, Patty - (D - WA) Class III 173 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2621 Web Form: http://murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm
Nelson, Bill - (D - FL) Class I 716 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5274 Web Form: http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm#email
Pryor, Mark - (D - AR) Class II 217 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2353 Web Form: http://pryor.senate.gov/email_webform.htm
Reed, Jack - (D - RI) Class II 728 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4642 Web Form: http://reed.senate.gov/form-opinion.htm
Reid, Harry - (D - NV) Class III 528 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3542 Web Form: http://reid.senate.gov/email_form.cfm
Rockefeller, John - (D - WV) Class II 531 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-6472 E-mail: senator@rockefeller.senate.gov
Sarbanes, Paul - (D - MD) Class I 309 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4524 Web Form: http://sarbanes.senate.gov/pages/email.html
Schumer, Charles - (D - NY) Class III 313 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-6542 Web Form: http://schumer.senate.gov/webform.html
Snowe, Olympia - (R - ME) Class I 154 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5344 E-mail: olympia@snowe.senate.gov
Stabenow, Debbie - (D - MI) Class I 702 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4822 Web Form: http://stabenow.senate.gov/email.htm
Sununu, John - (R - NH) Class II 111 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2841 Web Form: http://www.sununu.senate.gov/webform.html
Wyden, Ron - (D - OR) Class III 516 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5244 Web Form: http://wyden.senate.gov/contact.html
Jeffords, James - (I - VT) Class I 413 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5141 Web Form: http://jeffords.senate.gov/contact-form.html

Ding Dong, the FMA is Dead.

The radical right-wing didn't have the votes to pass the Gay Bashing Amendment. Even in a GOP dominated Senate, their efforts to legalize discrimination against gays and lesbians failed.
Now Bush and his evil cronies have to find another way to deflect attention from their failed administration.
I didn't like the Bush administration before this. Now that they've shown themselves to be hate mongers and discriminators, to hell with them.
Dick's lesbian daughter Mary Cheney? To hell with her.
Twins Jenna and Barbara Bush will have a hard time getting by with doing any more tequila body shots off the bare shoulders of lesbians in Austin gay bars.
So much hypocrisy, so little time left for Bush and his gang of hate mongers.

The defeat of the FMA? One more wheel coming off the careening Bush wagon.

A Divider, Not a Uniter

Bush has gone ahead with his plan to urge the legislature to create a constitutional amendment to deny gays and lesbians the right to marry.
He calls it "defense of marriage" and says it's to "protect the sanctity of heterosexual marriage."
He also called legislation designed to hamstring existing environmental protection laws "the Clear Skies Initiative," so we know "defense" and "protection" are code words for something entirely different.
Whatever he calls it, it's a plan that effectively creates an amendment that legalizes discrimination based on sexual orientation.
That's orientation, not choice. If it's a matter of choice, I suggest the male heterosexuals in the Bush administration choose to suck a few dicks, and then explain to us how easy it is to make a choice.
This discriminatory initiative has been used to attract votes and contributions from the extremist, right-wing, hate mongering core of Bush's supporters. It's another fear tactic for which the Bush administration has become famous.
If you are gay or know and care about any gay people, you must take a stand and contact your legislators TODAY and voice your objection to this initiative.
This is ridiculous, it's hateful and it's wrong.
If you allow this to go unchallenged, you have become a part of the problem, not the solution.
Contact your legislators and complain, please.
When the terrorist attacks of 9/11 occurred, Bush said, "you're either for us or against us."
Bush has proven to be against gays and lesbians, against basic human rights and against the rights of homosexual adults to enter into marriage, with all its rights and responsibilities.
He's proven he's against us.
And we must prove that stance will have consequences.
Please comment below and tell us what you've done to help scrap this blatant attempt to discriminate against millions of tax paying Americans. Inspire us.

Kenny Boy and O-Man

Gee, I wonder if Enron's newly indicted Ken Lay might be willing to spill a few beans about his buddy Bush now that the GOP has found it politically expedient to indict him?
And I hear Pakistan has started looking for Osama Bin Laden in earnest, just in time for the conventions. If Bush said Osama was considered "a non-issue" a few weeks ago, are we supposed to be wowed if he's caught just before the election?
When I read the daily headlines online, my CD port is starting to emit a vapor that smells like cow manure. Or as I like to call it, BU__SH__.
Ah, to hell with it. Tonight there's a 400-woman lesbo party here in San Antonio, and I'm blowing off politics for the rest of the weekend. Y'all fill in for me, okay?

What Bullshit!

For the GOP to be whining about John Edwards lacking experience in international relations is beyond absurd. When George W. Bush got handed the presidency, he'd never even been to Europe as a tourist. Hell, he'd never even held a job for more than a few years each.
The GOP's level of venom aimed toward Edwards is a reflection of their level of fear. Apparently they worry that Edwards shines too much when compared with Go Fuck Yourself Dick Cheney.
If the Democrats were wise, they'd ask the American public who'd make a better president, a healthy young man with an appealing personality, or a crusty old fart with a machine regulating his heartbeat.
Seems like an easy choice to me.

testing testing

The Bush Buffet™

Seems like it's getting harder each day to select which area of the Bush administration to write about. With so many fuck-ups to choose from, it's like going to a $2.99 buffet and not finding anything digestible, much less digestible.
As such, I offer the Bush Buffet™.

Lotsa Luck Optimism:
The Bush regime can skew the figures any way they want, but unemployment is still too high and job growth has been too slow. For the first time since 1932, employment in the summer of an election year is lower than it was on the resident's inauguration day.
Refried Troops:
If Bush thinks pressing 5,600 honorably discharged soldiers back into service so they can be deployed to Iraq isn't an indication of poor planning, let him call the families of these retreads and ask their opinions. With more than 5,000 trained soldiers being thrown out of the service for being gay, you think any of the 5,600 recalled former soldiers would mind the queers being reinstated in their place?
Central Park Pork:
New York's GOP Mayor Michael Bloomberg may think he's being cagey by denying protesters the use of Central Park to protest the Bush administration's policies during the Repugnican convention, but when you combine hundreds of thousands of people already fighting mad with inadequate space to vent their spleens, expect an explosion. Bush may have managed to duck protesters and ignore the first amendment for three and a half years, but he never tried to muzzle them in the Big Apple. If you liked the Chicago convention where protesters took center stage and disrupted the entire event, you'll love this one. >KABOOM<
Moore, Moore, Moore:
If Michael Moore can be accused of anything in the making of his movie Fahrenheit 911, it's his use of oversimplification, emotional rabble rousing and sentimental gibberish to incite viewers to his way of thinking. He failed to list the Bush administration in the credits for inspiring his approach to story telling, and they deserved the credit.
Karpinsky Karp:
Former head of the Abu Ghraib prison, Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinsky, has so far been the administration's highest ranking sacrificial scapegoat. Now that she's been suspended from duty pending results of the ongoing investigation, she knows her name is mud and her military career has been ruined. With nothing more to lose, she's gotten in line behind other whistle blowers like the former Secretary of the Treasury, and started to pin the tail on the higher-up jackasses who authorized the use of dogs, sexual degradation and the rest of the creepy abuse we've seen.
How much more mud must Rumsfeld get splashed on his face before people realize he's dirty?
Medicrap:
If anyone who reads this wants to make a case for Bush improving American health care, please do. We can all use a laugh. Don't forget to mention the Medicare RX card Bush palmed off on old folks, that was a classic.
Arroz con Pollo:
As if he's not busy enough, Bush has tinkered with Cuban Americans' ability to visit loved ones in Cuba. The plan cuts visits Cuban-Americans can make to their families in Cuba from one a year to one every three years. It redefines family -- aunts, uncles and cousins no longer count. New limits have no exceptions for visits to a sick or dying relative or to attendance at a funeral.
Meow Mix:
Just in case the Repugnicans think we haven't noticed the infighting and backbiting they are starting to do to one another in the legislature, think again. Just as I predicted, the smart ones are starting to distance themselves from the doomed Bush neo-cons.

Thank You, Jesus!

The New York Post, owned by the same idiots who run FUX NEWS, ran a front page story telling us John Kerry had selected Dick Gephardt as his running mate.
As usual, they were wrong.
Kerry announced today he's selected John Edwards as his running mate.
Yep, he selected sharp, popular, young, vital and articulate John Edwards as our next Vice President.
And Bush has Dick.