fun with the thief in chief.

[mopinko]

had a great time out protesting in aurora today. i have to get some pictures up of the new art car. but i have 6 letter size 'impeach now' stickers, along with a dozen or so more, on my old suburban. i didn't feel like getting squeezed into a 'free speech zone' today. so i drove back and forth in front of the place, honking at the protesters, and bugging the fuzz. tossed some of my freebie buttons to them, cause they wouldn't let me park a second to hand them out. hope they had a good worry about what i was tossing out the window.
big fun. got interviewed several times. talked to a couple of reporters from the paper that quoted me as saying i was going to be there even though i was going to be hung over. told them it was my birthday yesterday, and i don't have hangovers every day. had a long chat with the kendall county review (?) about stolen elections as the root of all evil.
anybody else there?

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Good work!! Sounds like you had a great day.

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[greatauntoftriplets]

2. Sounds like you made quite a splash today.

Good for you and a happy belated birthday, fellow Leo.

[mopinko]

3. when is your birthday?

i had a great day. thank you.

[greatauntoftriplets]

4. It was Sunday.

Two days before yours.

:hi:

[mopinko]

5. hope you had a good one.

[greatauntoftriplets]

7. I did.

The triplets and assorted adults came in and we headed to Moody's for dinner.

Hope you had a good one as well.

[mopinko]

10. very good

btw, the divorce has been postponed, at least. things are quieting down. getting a little better grip on middle child has helped that. we'll see.

[greatauntoftriplets]

11. That's good news...I hope.

Be safe.

[mopinko]

12. i hope too.

we will see.

[DanCa]

6. Good job brother

:thumbsup: Wish I coulda gone but oh well.

[mopinko]

13. just to note- that's sister

sorry you couldn't be there.

[DanCa]

22. My appologies on the gender slip (nt).

[mopinko]

24. no big. i get that a lot.

[riderinthestorm]

8. I saw you there!

I was one of the protesters who stayed at the intersection when everyone else went down to the Caterpillar plant entrance. I was the woman carrying the "No Blood for Oil/Impeach Bush" sign

You have a great car! I've been chuckling about it all day.

[mopinko]

9. it was great fun

sure, i saw that sign. i like the one that said, 'do something right' really, anything. did you get a button?

[riderinthestorm]

14. Nope. No button.

I left my purse in the car so I didn't have any money on me. Next time I see you though I'll be prepared. You have an impressive collection....

My favorite sign was "Take a permanent vacation, Mr. Bush". I got a lot of good ideas for future signage. I spent just a few minutes throwing my sign together since I didn't think I'd be able to slip away from work to go. When it became obvious I had some time I printed up the fastest thing I could think of, slapped it on some cardboard with tape and ran out the door.

I especially liked the woman's big peace sign American flag. I think I just may have to get one of those. She was the wife of the editor of the Aurora Beacon - I found it humorous that she was trying to stay a bit inconspicuous and then was carrying this enormous flag.

[mopinko]

15. nah. i meant the pink ones that i tossed out

it was great to see people leaving with all the pink buttons.
do you live out that way? do you get the beacon? i would love to have a copy of tuesday's paper.

[riderinthestorm]

16. I'll pick up a paper today

And bring it with me to the Cegelis picnic. If you are there, you can get it then. I own/run an organic produce/horse farm in Aurora, but I live in Wheaton which means I have Henry Hyde AND Denny Hastert as congressmen.

How lucky is that? (not)

I must have missed the pink freebies - damn.

[mopinko]

17. well, i'll bring you one

see you saturday.

[Baltimore]

18. Aurora protest

Sisters mopinko and riderinthestorm, I'm dying to find out about the protest! I've heard-read ZERO about it in the MSM!

[riderinthestorm]

19. I got there late

I didn't get there until 10:15 although I heard that many people had been there since 8:30 or so.

Enormous black military helicopters were swooping overhead as I was walking up to the group gathered at the busy intersection of Orchard Rd and Caterpillar Dr. The helicopters took a big turn over the area that the protesters were standing then headed straight to the Caterpillar plant. This must have been Bush and Co.

Many of the protesters (I would guess there were at least 100) began walking down to the Cat plant entrance at that point which was about a block away from the corner. I stayed at the corner with three other people because I wanted to reach as many passing cars as possible with my message. There was a lot of press at the event as far as I could tell but most of them were down at the plant entrance and/or inside the plant. I counted at least 6 Cindy Sheehan signs asking Bush why he won't meet with her.

By 11 am, the helicopters were lifting off and they did NOT pass overhead upon leaving.

The people who had invitations to be inside to hear Bush speak began streaming out and that was fun since they had to walk right through all of us to get to their cars. Most of the protesters walked back to the intersection alongside many of the invitees at that point and everyone was mixing it up. Not loudly or raucously, just passionately one-on-one. I was told that there were 3000 or so people who had invitations to be inside - I would say most of them had to walk right past us. I recognized many of the local Republican politicians like Joe Birkett and Pete Roskam - who didn't get the benefit of the helicopter and had to hoof it like everyone else. They looked pretty legitimately surprised to see such a big group of protesters I thought. None of them would engage when I tried (politely). I finally went and stood next to them if they were near me, as they were waiting to get across the street to the parking lot, and quietly held my sign next to them like I was "with" them.

Probably futile but fun.

I had to leave by 11:30 to get back and do chores but a lot of protesters were still there and invitees were still streaming out.

Police handled it all very well while I was there. The protest was actually in a tiny town called Montgomery which is adjacent to Aurora so this police force has probably not had a lot of experience with this kind of situation.

We had a lot of honking cars and waves of support from my perspective. I don't watch tv so I don't know if any of it made the local news last night, and I haven't gotten down to the local newsstand to pick up a paper yet today but I would be very surprised if there was any press coverage of the protest. A Gold Star woman from Military Families Speak Out had just arrived as I was leaving and was getting mobbed by reporters as I left. If anyone got press coverage it would have been her.

[dogman]

20. A little local coverage.

One report, not to interesting. Other reports were 200 protesters.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/city/AU11_PROTESTS_S1.htm
Also a connection to Cindy.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/city/AU11_PROTESTSIDE_S1.htm
I had to work but was driving through the area. Spotted Mopinko's ride, looking good. There was some local Chicago TV coverage also.

[il_lilac]

21. must upchuck now...

"Kevin Nicholson of Lockport also came to catch a glimpse, carrying his infant daughter, Jenna, up to the gate. Jenna, who was named after one of Bush's twin daughters, was clad in a "W" baby jumper with a matching "W" bib" :puke:

[riderinthestorm]

23. Two local newspapers had extensive coverage

Of the protesters!

I picked up the Kane Co. Chronicle and the Aurora Beacon - both newspapers featured the protesters with pictures prominently placed on page one (below the fold but still).

Cindy Sheehan's vigil made it into both papers as well in sidebars.

Good coverage with a lot of quotes. Anybody checked out the Chicago Tribune or Daily Herald? Those two papers were sold out by the time I got to the newsstand this evening so I haven't seen what was in them.

[mopinko]

25. glad you saw me!

really just getting started on this vehicle. it bugs my family to have to ride around with me, but well, too bad. that's me. they can take the bus. i am going to put the entire downing street memo in it, just having a little printer trouble.