...I'm okay with being REALITY-based.




Wednesday, August 13, 2003
      ( 12:02 PM )
 
Portland v. Bush Redux

I blogged about this the other day. The Oregonian has finally printed some news about the upcoming visit by the highly esteemed Liar. Of course the story is framed in the "Bush Hearts Forests" thing that he did last year. Does't the GOP EVER get any new ideas? Of course the "Healthy Forests Initiative" is all about cutting down old growth, but who's quibbling about facts these days anyway? The main part of his day trip to "Little Beruit" is to raise lotsa moola with one of the ever-popular $2000/plate dinners with the Prez.

It's been a non-secret the last six months that the GOP has targeted the Pacific Northwest, and more specifically Oregon for this coming election. They feel that they lost by only a squeak in 2000 and can pull out the rest of the votes they need to make Oregon a red state. However, they seem to have lost track of the fact that Nader got almost 5% of the vote, as in Minnesota and Maine - states that also went to Gore anyway. From the way Greens have been showing up at the Dean Meet-Ups all around Oregon, it's pretty clear that those votes will firmly go in the Dem camp this time around. But the GOP is trying anyway. Just a couple of months ago, they held a high-profile strategy meeting here in Portland.

I haven't seen any news (mainstream) about protests that have popped up around any of these little fundraising jaunts Bush is taking during his month-long vacation. I'm sure that there are some everywhere he goes. But Portland plans to put civil disobediance on the map again. Call us the vanguard of dissent. Call us protesting maniacs. Call us fed up with Bush and the lies and this regime. Call us rioters. But don't call us scared. We don't shy away from confrontation when it comes to the truth. I hope that the precedent will be set that wherever Bush and his touring Cabinet go until November 2004 they will be haunted by crowds and crowds of people who are willing to say out loud how much this administration stinks.

As I mentioned earlier, there is action already planned for Portland. Come on, let Bush know it will be a cold day you know where when he takes Oregon's electoral votes.

Also, in preparation for the 2004 GOP Convention, which is set to defy all norms of decency and propriety by making a mockery of NYC and 9/11, here are some places you can go to prep for that big one too: CounterConvention and RNC Not Welcome.

Come on, speak up.

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