Field notes from the RNC protests

Filed under: Republican National Convention

Since my story isn't as dramatic as Andy Mannix's -- a few shoves, some jostling, and a gentle love-tap with a club or two -- I'm just going to run down some Thursday anecdotes that have fallen through the cracks.

If you're that interested in what happened to me personally (and thank you for the concern), feel free to ask. If you want harrowing and dramatic accounts of physical and chemical clashes, read Andy's post, or kick it up about 10 notches and watch this.

Sign of the Day: My favorite sign, a reference to this comic. Trust me, it's funny. Subtler than "I kissed a grill," but just as clever.

Runner-up: "If we hadn't protested Vietnam, McCain would still be a POW."

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Posted by Jeff Shaw at September 5, 2008 1:27 PM | Comments (0)

 

RNC riot trip report: one journalist's encounter with mace

Filed under: Republican National Convention

By Andy Mannix

It was almost 6:30 p.m. on the corner of Cedar Street and 12th Street in St. Paul Thursday, and what had set out to be a symbolic march protesting the last day of the Republican National Convention was at its second standoff with police since it left the Capitol an hour and a half before -- purposely the moment their assembly permit expired.

Some noise about "an illegal assembly" and going "back where you came from" was grumbled through a megaphone by a source rendered invisible by multiple waves of riot cops, but the protesters weren't having any of it. "You go back to where you came from," one of them screamed,"back to hell!"

Protesters sit in a circle, waiting to be arrested. More photos in the slideshow. Also see the liveblog.

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Posted by Jeff Shaw at September 5, 2008 12:02 PM | Comments (3)

 

The View's Elizabeth Hasselbeck interviews Stephen Baldwin at the RNC

Filed under: Celebrity Endorsements

Before the festivities yesterday, Elizabeth Hasselbeck was on the floor of the Xcel filming footage for a segment on The View. She interviewed Stephan Baldwin, who, like her, is among the minority of Hollywood stars who are unabashed Republicans.

After the interview was over, a fan approached Hasselbeck to express her dismay at The View's increasingly liberal leanings. "I stopped watching because they're so angry," said the middle-aged woman.

"Keep watching for me," Elizabeth urged. "Or just watch Fox News."

The fan concurred that Fox News was the only way to get accurate information about what's really happening in the country.

"I watch Fox News. That always makes me feel better," Elizabeth said.

I'm guessing the folks at ABC News aren't going to be too happy about that.

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Posted by Kevin Hoffman at September 5, 2008 11:53 AM | Comments (2)

 

Weirdest RNC Conspiracy Theory: Obama murdered gay lover

Filed under: Crazy

Spotted in the audience where Chris Matthews was taping Hardball on Wednesday:

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at September 5, 2008 11:32 AM | Comments (0)

 

Liveblogging the RNC day 4: John McCain is a POW.

Filed under: Liveblogging

One final day. One final speech. The most famous POW gets to tell his tale of POWing out to the masses. Bring your chips and popcorn. Bristol, hold hands with Levi. The RNC ends with CODEPINK crashing the party. Thank god we got this live.

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Posted by Bradley Campbell at September 5, 2008 2:00 AM | Comments (5)

 

The RNC’s most obscure protester

By Ben Westhoff

From ending the war in Iraq to Israel out of Palestine to universal health care to legalized weed, the refrains of the protesters have grown predictable on day four. But the harvesting of shark fins? Who knew? As you’ll see in the below video, it turns out that really some bad people – well, Asians seeking medicine and Tennesseans seeking soup, in any case -- are killing our underwater friends for their humps, their humps, their lovely shark fin humps. (Really sorry about that one.)

Who knew this was something folks got worked up about? Actually, it turns out not many people do. In fact, this lovely young lady is the only one. That is, except for her mom, who didn’t want to be shown in the video because she could “get in trouble at work.” Yeah, it’s true, the pro-shark-fin-harvesting partisans are pervasive and powerful.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at September 5, 2008 12:54 AM | Comments (0)

 

Best T-shirts, Signs, and Outfits of the RNC, Part 1

By Ben Westhoff

With the RNC winding down, we’re already getting nostalgic. Here are a few of our favorite T-shirts, signs, outfits -- and one necklace -- we’ve seen around the RNC this week. Feel free to link to your own faves in the comment section.

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Posted by Kevin Hoffman at September 5, 2008 12:51 AM | Comments (0)

 

Politically masked

By Ben Westhoff

According to Gallup’s daily tracking poll, Obama leads McCain 49 percent to 43. But who’s leading when it comes to presidential mask sales? For the answer to this important question, we turned to a representative from Twin Cities Magic & Costume Co. Inc., planted on West 7th Street. Her answer may surprise you; it turns out a monarch with a propensity for trans fat is also in the picture.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at September 5, 2008 12:41 AM | Comments (0)

 

Protesters in standoff with riot police, gas attack may be imminent

Filed under: Republican National Convention

-by Jeff Shaw via phone

Protesters are in a standoff with riot police at Rice Street and John Ireland Boulevard in St. Paul.

When marchers tried to reach the Xcel Center, they were blocked by police. Hundreds of protesters re-routed to John Ireland Boulevard, but police on bikes and horses rode to intercept and created a line to block the way. At roughly 5:30 pm, police in full riot gear and gas masks moved in front of the horse line.

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Posted by Ward Rubrecht at September 4, 2008 5:33 PM | Comments (0)

 

On the prowl: The Republicaniest Republican of them all

Filed under: Republican National Convention

For Republicans with red blood running through their veins--blood that connects them to the murdered unborn, that boils at the thought of higher taxes for the wealthy, and that, they will concede if you ask them, binds them to the gays, though not to the gays' gayness--it promised to be the night of the year. And as Sarah Palin sat in her hotel room, nervously practicing a speech she'd written perhaps a fifth of, it seemed fitting to commemorate her impeding coronation as queen of American conservatism by locating the Republicaniest Republican in the convention hall. The field, as you might imagine, was bewilderingly vast and competitive.

Let's start with this guy:

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Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at September 4, 2008 5:32 PM | Comments (1)

 

Infiltrator hijacks RNC floor pass, charges trip to College Republicans

Filed under: Dems

Mike Connery thought he had found a golden ticket: a contest he could easily win that would pay his freight to the Republican National Convention. If all went right, he'd even gain a coveted floor pass for all four days of the RNC.

There was just one catch: Connery, a progressive activist, blogger and founder of www.futuremajority.com, is a fairly prominent figure in liberal politics. His name is all over the Internet, and a simple Google search reveals that he's neither wolf nor hawk.

But the Republicans vetted Connery with the same vigor that they had previously reserved for Sarah Palin.

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Posted by Jeff Shaw at September 4, 2008 4:55 PM | Comments (0)

 

Anarchists Unmasked

Filed under: Protest

After two years of strenuously avoiding any and all media, core members of notorious anarchist group the RNC Welcoming Committee held a press conference this morning in their “convergence center” in St. Paul— the very space that was raided by armed agents six days earlier. For the first time, the self-described anarchists disclosed their real names and showed their faces to reporters. Some were teens. Others appeared to be in their 50’s. Most were between 20 and 35.

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Posted by Matt Snyders at September 4, 2008 2:49 PM | Comments (4)

 

Wellstone Action! responds to Palin's bust on community organizing

Filed under: Republican National Convention

Elana Wolowitz of Wellstone Action, a leadership training center founded in honor of Paul and Sheila, responds to the community organizing busts made by RNC elites. While Palin's speechwriters are getting pretty good reviews from the cable news makers emanating sound bites all around Xcel, they made a big mistake: don't wake the sleeping Wellstone. (full text after the jump)

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Posted by Bradley Campbell at September 4, 2008 2:35 PM | Comments (4)

 

MinnPost: Cindy McCain dresses classy and young people love John McCain!

Filed under: John McCain

MinnPost item: Delegates dig "classy" Cindy McCain's awesome outfit!

Quick retort: That outfit cost roughly $300,000. $300,000! That's about 150 percent of what the median home price is in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

You buy a house; Cindy McCain buys earrings. The earrings cost more. It's a good thing the McCains are just plain folks, and not, say, elitists with fancy tastes.

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Posted by Jeff Shaw at September 4, 2008 12:54 PM | Comments (0)

 

Was "pitbull with lipstick" line scripted?

Filed under: Sarah Palin

The line of the night for Sarah Palin was, “You know the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick.” It seemed to be a spontaneous reaction to seeing the "hockey moms for Palin" signs in the audience, lending spontaneity to what was otherwise a scripted speech provided by the Bush administration. But now I'm wondering if that line was indeed scripted, since it turns out those hockey mom signs were planted:

Those home made looking signs...aren't really home made. McCain staffers have been handing them out to the crowd on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

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Posted by Kevin Hoffman at September 4, 2008 11:52 AM | Comments (3)