Civil Liberties Under Attack At RNC, St. Paul Police And City Council Disrespect First Amendment

Today is the last day of the RNC and hopefully the brutality shown by St. Paul's police force will end before McCain's last lying remark of the night. Ever since last week, a police state has enveloped the Twin Cities and threatened the rights of Americans to protest their government and those that wish to tear it asunder. Now it seems that local City Council wants to get involved in the process, for better or for worse.

From The Pioneer Press:

The St. Paul City Council issued a joint statement today condemning "an organized group of self-proclaimed 'anarchists' who have come to St. Paul with disruption of our city as its stated goal."

The council also said, "we regret that some peaceful demonstrators got caught in the middle of criminal actions and law enforcement activity trying to stop this activity."

Council members Pat Harris and Dan Bostrom, whose son is in charge of RNC security for the St. Paul Police Department, did not sign the statement.

The council will ask police for an explanation of recent clashes between law enforcement and protesters that have roiled the first two days of the Republican National Convention.

City Council President Kathy Lantry said she will request that St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington address the council, likely sometime this month. Lantry said the topics could include everything from intelligence that led to raids on several Twin Cities home prior to the start of the convention to crowd-control tactics used by police.

Actual anarchists are one thing, but those that wish to assemble and protest must be free to express that right. The Council is right to demand an investigation into the thuggish brutality that their police department has shown those that do not possess RNC credentials. The notable arrest of Amy Goodman made some headlines, but for the most part the media has ignored the problem of abusive police tactics.

Instead of reporting what goes on outside the hall, the traditional media has played off the "terrorism" charges that have been levied at groups that have organized protests and marches. That isn't keeping the peace, it is the use of fear and intimidation, just as the Republicans inside the hall speak out for night after night at the Xcel Center, since the campaign season started and years before that as well. If it weren't for independent reporters, bloggers and YouTube, none of this information would make it past the police barricade line.

Some In GOP Want Bush To Stay Away From Convention

Although some Republicans may say that there is no problem distinguishing John McCain from George Bush, the reality of the matter makes for a very tricky situation. Party leaders worry about being seen as supporting a third term for George Bush and the specifics of the upcoming convention in Minnesota are very, very important. It is so essential to pull it off just right, that some do not even want Bush to be seen (let alone heard) at the big event at all.

From The NY Times:

This year, of course, Mr. McCain is trying to escape from Mr. Bush’s shadow. Most Republicans say Mr. Bush should play whatever role Mr. McCain wants him to. Some, like Representative Dana Rohrabacher of California, simply wish Mr. Bush would keep out of it, though few would say so openly.

“I don’t think there are a lot of people who want to see him at the convention,” said Mr. Rohrabacher, who is especially irked with Mr. Bush for his stance on immigration. He said the president “should stay home from the Republican convention, and everybody would be better off.”

But others, like Rob Portman, a former congressman and budget director for Mr. Bush, say Mr. McCain would be unwise to put too much distance between himself and the sitting president. “The president’s approval rating among Republicans’ base voters who are needed for a successful McCain campaign is relatively high,” Mr. Portman said.

Despite intra-party differences, one thing is for sure, there will definitely not be anymore embraces of the two Republican icons. As for the divide in opinion between those like Rohrabacher and Portman, both know that George Bush is a problem for their brand, since he has been the official banner holder for the last eight years. The question is, do you try to earn the respect of a small minority or look to convince a larger minority?

Of course appearances are important and especially in St. Paul when voters really begin to pay attention, but the real worry for the GOP is if those voters look at the candidate's policy decisions and see that John McCain, despite any theatrics, is just more of the same from the last eight years.

St. Paul Will Not Be A Repeat Of NYC/Boston

Everyone remembers how the GOP convention turned out three years ago in NYC. Some even remember the free speech pens in Boston. Both were terrible displays by the local police to crush the activist spirit and their use of the First Amendment. No one knows about Denver yet, but top cop Matt Bostrom of St. Paul, MN gave encouraging signs for a respectful police presence at the next GOP convention.

From The Minn Post:

Bostrom — an assistant chief of the St. Paul police department who is charged with balancing law, order and the First Amendment during the Republican National Convention — was saying all the right things to the activists, most of whom plan to be on St. Paul streets during the convention.

There will be no police officers infiltrating protest organizations, Bostrom promised. Police will be in uniform, not war-like tactical gear, he said. There will be no contract cops, similar to the Blackwater security forces. St. Paul police, not the Secret Service, will be in charge of policing outside the convention site at Xcel Energy Center.

"The city of St. Paul is a free-speech zone," Bostrom said. "I say that proudly. I was disappointed when I saw what Boston did (in handling protesters at the 2004 Democratic Convention). I don't understand this idea of putting people in a pen someplace so they can express themselves. That's not the way we will do things."

Now why couldn't it have been that easy in 2004. Bostrom is right that St. Paul is a free speech zone, but so is every other city and rural area across the country. Boston and New York Police Departments obviously didn't get the memo on the Bill of Rights last time. Hopefully if either city gets to host another convention they'll remember it (and take Bostrom's advice) for next time.