Good Morning America, Vietnam Era Returns

This is not Beijing

It's St. Paul, Minneapolis,
the Republican National Convention 2008

Although you could be easily forgiven the natural mistake.

If the Dems are channeling JFK, RFK, MLK and LBJ, the Republicons have decided to respond -- true to their Patriot Act America form -- by channeling Kent State and Ohio Governor James A. Rhodes:

During a press conference, Governor Rhodes called the protesters un-American and referred to the protesters as revolutionaries set on destroying higher education in Ohio. "They're worse than the brown shirts and the communist element and also the nightriders and the vigilantes," Rhodes said. "They're the worst type of people that we harbor in America. I think that we're up against the strongest, well-trained, militant, revolutionary group that has ever assembled in America."

Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar's unlawful arrest in violation of Free Speech and the First Amendment of the United States Constitution:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/01/democracy_now_host_and_produce.html

....

September 1, 2008 -- A report on the arrests of DN!'s Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar from Senator Obama supporter and contributing editor for the New Mexico Sun News, Stephen Fox:

UPDATE: Goodman was arrested along with Democracy Now producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar. As of 9:15 PM EST, the Ramsey County jail has charged Goodman with "conspiracy to riot" and released her, but is still detaining Kouddous and Salazar. No charges have been pressed against them.

Laurie, the phone operator at the County Jail says she "hopes charges will be presented within the hour." As of right now, Kouddous and Salazar are being held without charges.

9:50 PM EST: Kouddous and Salazar are still being held without charges. Laurie, the operator, now expects a few hours to expire before they are officially charged with a crime. She claims the slow process is due to an unusually high number of arrests coupled with many detainees using pseudonyms. More than 100 people were arrested along with Goodman and her producers.

Early reports indicate Kouddous and Salazar were originally arrested on suspicion of rioting .

11:00PM EST: The Ramsey County Jail redirected me to something called the "Joint Information Center." Under a little pressure, the operator finally revealed his name (Sgt. William Palmer,) though he asked for my name (had me spell it twice) and asked for my phone number in exchange. Friendly stuff.

Palmer informed me that Kouddous and Salazar will be held in jail overnight until they are taken to court tomorrow. No one knows what they are being charged with, but Palmer attributes their arrest to "suspicious behavior."

Kouddous and Salazar are still being held without any formal charges.

Mayor Chris Coleman can be contacted at: 651-266-8510 or e-mailed at: https://mn-stpaul.civicplus.com/forms.asp?FID=69
Governor Tim Pawlenty can be reached at: (651) 296-3391 or e-mailed at tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us
Ramsey County Jail: 651-266-9350

....

Democracy Now!, September 2, 2008:

http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2008/9/1/update_democracy_now_s_amy_goodman_sharif_abdel_kouddous_and_nicole_salazar_released_after_illegal_arrest_at_rnc

....

Your vote is urgently needed in November for Obama/Biden 08 to bring back democracy now.

The Obama/Biden campaign is not accepting public financing or contributions from special interests. It is relying on contributions from We, the people, of however much you can afford. Please, contribute regularly, contribute often, as little as you have in your pocket by clicking here for my fundraising page. All money contributed goes directly to the Obama/Biden campaign. I merely receive credit for my efforts to help make them our next president and vice president.

Please help me to sleep at night by offering any small amount. It's time now, before it's too late. Don't take it for granted that the Republicans can't win it again.

And, please consider making a profile at www.mybarackobama.com and using the phone banking tool to make phone calls from your home to swing state voters to help insure respect for our Constitution, the respect of the people around the world who have so admired our great nation and want us to elect Senator Obama our president so that they may continue to do so (they tell me all the time, young and old, mostly white Europeans, worried America might not be willing to elect a man with a black father), and help the USA fulfill its promise to her own citizens, as well as to her friends and neighbors around the globe. It's so easy. I got my numbers, and I am preparing my notes to get callin'.

We might be sure to win it, but let's win it by an historic landslide to show ourselves and the world that we are strong, and so is our president's mandate. Let's get 'em good.

Democracy is an active noun.
....