For eight years every cockamamie protest that had more than three people involved made the national news. A couple of dozen people set up a protest outside President Bush's ranch in Texas and the media covered it like it was the Apollo 13 mission.But now, when a majority of everyday people are urgently concerned about the president's plans for this country and the way he and his cohorts are handling the citizens complaints -- well, Katie bar the door, that's a completely different set of circumstances.
One thing that catches my eye is how over-the-top commentary from the highest levels of the legislative branch has become. I would like to think it's because they feel pressured and panicky. I would like to think that because it is more reassuring to believe than what I suspect may be the case, that they actually think that about most of the American public and their political opponents.
Essentially, they seem to be saying that the people protesting are in some way paid drones for a series of special interest groups. They have not identified any protesters who are being paid to be there, even though their supporters in the Service Employees International Union and ACORN are in many cases being paid to attend and sometimes disappointingly, more than attend these rallies.
Far from "brown shirt tactics", which are an open reference to the brown shirt clad political organizers of the Nazi regime, we are seeing a number of "purple shirt tactics" coming from purple T-shirt wearing SEIU types. I must admit that I cannot believe that they are having these union "organizers" attend these functions in similar and identifiable clothing. It is either open contempt for public opinion (or perhaps an acknowledgment that their presence will never be fully reported) or an effort to intimidate others through some show of force.
Locally as we have the president show up next Saturday there will certainly be protests, and I am sure a supporting rally with many faces in attendance not known from the Grand Valley or even Western Colorado per se.
Just remember the invaluable axiom about the far political left. They will always accuse you of the things they are doing.
