GOP Volunteer Probed on Role at President's Speech

[sabra]

Got to love those open Town Hall meetings...

<<SNIP>>
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10420-2005Apr22.html

GOP Volunteer Probed on Role at President's Speech
3 Democratic Observers Were Ejected From Event

By Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 23, 2005; Page A06

The U.S. Secret Service is investigating whether a Republican volunteer committed the crime of impersonating a federal agent while forcibly removing three people from one of President Bush's public Social Security events, according to people familiar with the probe.

The Secret Service this week sent agents to Denver to probe allegations by three area Democrats that they were ousted from Bush's March 21 event. The three did not stage any protest at the rally and were later told by the Secret Service they were removed because their vehicle displayed an anti-Bush bumper sticker.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the man who removed them was a GOP volunteer, but he refused to divulge his name or whether he works in Colorado or Washington. "If someone is coming to an event to disrupt it, they are going to be asked to leave," McClellan said.

The Secret Service knows the man's name, one of the people familiar with the probe said, and has interviewed him. Secret Service spokesman Jim Mackin refused to comment for this article.

<</SNIP>>

[Frances]

1. Why do I as a taxpayer

have to pay for an event that I would not be allowed to attend simply because I am a Democrat.

If only Republicans can attend, then only Republicans should pay for the event.

[Erika]

3. Bush is the president of the extremists only

They don't believe in paying their own way or listening to anyone who disagrees with them. They talk...we pay. It's the GOP way...

[AlCzervik]

2. washington post is getting a big bang for the buck out of Jim VandeHei

this guy has done dome really good reporting on Bolton, i'm glad to see him covering this as well.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

4. Bush loves those preemptive strikes, doesn't he?

"If someone is coming to an event to disrupt it, they are going to be asked to leave," McClellan said.

Is McClellan clairvoyant? From what I understand, the three citizens were not going to stage any protest but just listen to the president at a taxpayer funded event. They went thru the appropriate channels to obtain tickets and were dressed appropriately for the event. The only reason they were ejected was a "No Blood for Oil" bumper sticker on the car. (I think I remember the slogan right.)

If the Secret Service doesn't throw the book at someone impersonating one of their officers, then what's to keep someone else from making the same claim to get close enough to do * harm?

My wife teaches preschool and said one student explained why he hit another in the same way: "He was gonna hit me..." My guess he is in training to take over McClellan's job.