Just Got Back From Bush Protest In Lees Summit, MO.

[Joe Fields]

Bush stopped in Lees Summit this morning and spoke at one of the local high schools (a mile from where I live).

First of all, I was angered that he subjected high school kids to partisan politics, and I signed a petition to get this type of campaigning to stop. Thankfully, my seventeen year old son goes to a different high school and wasn't subjected to this kind of crap.

I was heartened to see several hundred Kerry supporters protesting alongside me across the street, even though we were hidden from view by eighteen tractor trailers and thirteen buses lined up in front of our protest zone.

There were well over a hundred police officers lined up directly across from us. And I saw police pulled from at least five different communities around the Kansas City area. I hope they bill the campaign for such a show of police manpower. The Secret Service and law enforcement had at least half the city of Lees Summit closed off for this little highly orchestrated show of Mr. Bush's. I had to walk quite a ways to get to the protest zone. Which only goes to prove how insecure and paranoid the president really is. In other words it was a typical Bush "event."

We protesters did ourselves proud. We had good numbers ( I would estimate four or five hundred people) and we were loud and forceful, while respecting the overwhelming authority there.

In my opinion Bush wasted his time coming here. My county (Jackson County, MO.) is the home of Harry Truman, and is one of the largest Democratic strongholds in the entire country. I was insulted that he even came here.

I am sad to say, however that my younger brother and my sister-in law ( ardent Bush supporters, in a fifth generation family of yellow-dog Democrats) were at the Bush rally. My sister-in-law volunteered to give people "loyalty oaths" and to check under peoples shirts to make sure that there were no Kerry T-shirts or pro Kerry signs hidden underneath. Simply disgraceful.

[fudge stripe cookays]

1. God to hear this, Joe.

I was listening to NPR all day yesterday while working out in the garage, and they were all raving about his trip to Poplar Bluff, which sounds like Repug heaven.

Glad you made a good showing! Sorry about your brother and sis-in-law.

It's amazing the way this election is dividing families like never before.

Thanks for all you're doing!
FSC

[blueknight]

3. isnt it amazing

that president clinton used to go to these places and welcome everyone,hardly any protesters,a open tent to everyone! now shrub has to sneak in,sneak out,invitation only, what a disgrace

[Joe Fields]

9. Unfortunately, rural Missouri IS repug heaven.

I just saw a story on MSNBC about a Poplar Bluff businessman who managed to get 10,000 signatures in a town of17,000 people to petition the Bush/Cheney campaign to stop in their little town. That says it all. It's going to be all out war here in my little socially backwards state.

[fudge stripe cookays]

14. Yup. they talked about him....

His name was like Rainey something or other?

I found it completely repugnant. And they also mentioned that the anti-gay amendment to Missour's constitution passed in PB by 71%.

They interviewed the editor of the town paper, who was just beside himself. The headline of one of the papers this past week was "Bush Frenzy Grows."

Geez. I'm SO glad my mom left that area. She was from Belleville, Il originally.

Texas has its problems now, but Austin was an awesome place to grow up.

FSC

[DURHAM D]

50. 'Dividing families like never before." Actually, the first Vietnam

war did exactly that. After almost 40 years my family is still divided over that war and political choices made by each of us during that era.

Although I have never been one to live in the past this whole Vietnam debate makes me sick to my stomach. The old arguments, hurt feelings and realization that you have nothing in common with most of your family is impossible to suppress when that war is being revisited by the same old liars and with the same crap from the last time around.

[fudge stripe cookays]

52. My apologies, Durham.

I was born in 66, and the last few years have just begun to realize how bad things were then.

I bought a copy of "Kent state" by James Michaner awhile back, and although I didn't finish it, I read a few large chunks in places.

The parts when parents turned against their own children and told them it served them right that they'd been shot at blew my mind. I couldn't believe anyone could be that cold and callous to their own flesh and blood.

This is all new to me, but I feel awful for those of you who are experiencing it again.

FSC

[DURHAM D]

53. Thank you for your apology, it was not necesary but apprecited.

The split for many was not just from parents but from our entire tribe - siblings, family friends, community, etc. I grew up in Kansas by the way. Thomas Frank's book "What's the Matter with Kansas" has helped me understand who the people are that continue to speak and vote against their own self interest but now this new war in Iraq is being ignored while we are fighting the old war in Vietnam because amazingly it works better for AWOL Bush.

The thing that irks me so much is that once again the wrong generation is conducting this debate (in the media) while our young people are sent as political war fodder. It took a decade before John Kerry could put a young face on that war and I so hope it does not take a deacde this time around. So many young people don't vote and this President is the result. I know they are listening now and I hope it turns into actual voting in record numbers.

[Bozita]

2. Thank you for your actions and for your report

Well done!

[cthrumatrix]

4. he's continuing the loyalty oaths? I thought they stopped that stupidity?

[truthspeaker]

23. That's what they told the AP

[Joe Fields]

29. Again, more lies from Bush and his people. nt.

[yellerpup]

5. Thanks for standing up.

You make me proud to be a Democrat.
:yourock:

[annabanana]

6. They check UNDER PEOPLE'S SHIRTS?!?!

Oh that is too much....Boy I'd like to see some tape of THAT on the Daily Show. I guess you'd have to paint your anti-b*sh statement right on your skin........

oh wait.... then they'd start strip-searching people.

[MuseRider]

7. Checking under peoples shirts?

No kidding? I have never heard this one. People actually let them look under their shirts? I simply can't believe this, not saying you are not telling the truth, I just can't believe people would allow that kind of behavior. Anyone trying to peek under my shirt had better be wearing a groin cup or a helmet.

[Joe Fields]

13. I can't believe my sister-in-law agreeing to do something

like that. It is just so un-American. I love her, but her actions remind me of someone being a "good little Nazi."

[coalition_unwilling]

39. Not to mention your younger brother . . .

Maybe you can go to work on them

[Joe Fields]

41. My sister-in-law refuses to talk politics in my family, because we

are such hardline dems, and my younger brother is simply a lost cause. We are not even on speaking terms.

[coalition_unwilling]

43. That is truly a shame

It mirrors my experience at work, as I have stopped speaking entirely to several co-workers over the depredations of BushCo. I don't hate them, more like simply now view them with contempt and indifference.

And to think Bush pledged to 'bring us together' back in 2000 . . . What he's really done is create a low-grade civil war right here at home.

[The_Casual_Observer]

8. The little dictator has to have this kind of protection

since he is hated by so many people.

[Bozita]

11. Narcissism means not having to see or hear things that upset you

Narcissist-in-Chief.

[oldtime dfl_er]

10. i echo that thanks

Thank you for protesting. Thank you for your report. Honestly it sounds like an anecdote out of a German history book, circa 1939.

[still_one]

12. ask you sister-in-law and brother to read buchanan's new book

"Where the Right Went Wrong"

The case he makes against what bush did by going into Iraq is quite compelling. It is the worst blunder in forty years.

By the administration going into a country that wasn't a direct or immenient threat "hijacked U.S. foreign policy and may have ignited a "war of civilizations"... that will leave America mired down in Middle East wars for years to come"

Mind you this is coming from an extremely conservative person who I do not agree with very much on.

The recklessness that bush has done has endangered not only our standing in the world, but our very democracy.

By slashing funding for international and national birth control, he contributing to the spread of AIDs, unecessary abortion, and overpopulation.

What his administration has done to water down the clear air act passed under the Nixon administration is a disgrace.

If bush is elected Roe V Wade will be overturned, via supreme court justices. This will directly lead to the complete end of stem cell research in this country

They are working to privitize social security and medicare

They are aginst importing cheaper drugs from Canada

The opportunity to unite the world and the country after 9/11 was squandered by this president, on reckless and dangerous policies that we may never recover from

[Joe Fields]

17. You are "preaching to the choir" here, and I agree 100%.

Unfortunately, my younger brother and my sister-in-law are not rational thinkers. They have bought into the blanket jingoistic rhetoric that this administration only has to offer. They have chosen to discard and discount facts. How sad.

My brother has even accused me of hating America, and says my blog proves that I am treasonous. We don't speak to each other anymore.

[blm]

15. Your sister is a Royalist. Kings forced loyalty oaths. Democracies do not.

Don't let your sister get away with thinking she is doing the right thing. She is contributing to the end of democracy by promoting loyalty oaths.

[gauguin57]

16. The Freepers were laughing last night about Kerry being heckled

by pro-Bushies at a campaign stop yesterday.

Well, yeah, he's going to get heckled. Because he allows EVERYONE to come hear his message. He doesn't require you to sign a loyalty oath or show your undershirt to get into his rallies.

A**hole freepers!

[The_Casual_Observer]

19. They won't be laughing if chimp gets another 4 years

Four more years of endless grief and nobody to blame but themselves.

[Joe Fields]

22. NOBODY will have anything to laugh about.

I have asked a few republicans just what this administration has done for them personally, and I get the predictable responses.

1) He restored dignity back to the White House after Bill Clinton. (they just can't let go of the Clinton bashing)

2) It comes down to social issues. (gay rights and abortion.)

3) He is decisive and a strong leader in an uncertain world. (They blithely ignore the fact that he is the one who has exacerbated such uncertainty in this world.)

They get real defensive when I talk to them about how he misled us into a war against a country that was no terror threat to us and had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11. They can't effectively argue about our dismal economy and our hemmoraging of jobs overseas. And they don't place any priorities on our environment, and Bush's gutting of environmental laws.

[The_Casual_Observer]

26. Chimp won't do anything on gay rights and abortion

Since both of these policies are essentially not worth the trouble for him he has much bigger ideas.

He is decisive on a few of things: Eliminating Social Security, invading more countries to keep us in a perpetual war, drilling for oil in Alaska.

[Joe Fields]

30. I think democrats see the social issues for what they are...

tools to be used to drive a wedge among voters, and to be used to take the heat off of his miserable foreign and domestic policy failures.

[The_Casual_Observer]

31. Yes, and he is safe with these issues

Since, honestly, what are the chances of amending the constitution?
for something so ridiculous?
And the abortion deal would be worse than prohibition and everybody knows it. Like you said these are simply religious issues intended to maintain sway over the religious right evangelical nuts.

[beyurslf]

18. It's amazing the lengths they go to just to ensure Bush doesn't have to

see people who disagree. And it makes one wonder how they failed so miserably at keeping some protesters out of their convention...

[swag]

20. Big thanks, Joe Fields

Go, Missouri Democrats!

[in_cog_ni_to]

21. He's going to HIGH SCHOOLS now???

My child would NOT be subjected to his BULLSHIT lies and I would have screamed from the rooftops about it.

At any rate, nice story and it's good to hear you had HUNDREDS of other anti-chimp protesters there! How kewl!

Doesn't your sister-in-law find those "loyalty oaths" OFFENSIVE? There's no way in hell I would EVER sign something like that...no matter WHO I was voting for.

[calimary]

34. Going to high schools - to have his brownshirts check out the boys.

He'll be needing them for the DRAFT in less than a year if he gets back into OUR White House.

[Joe Fields]

42. Exactly. It's the type of bullshit marketing strategy that the

beer and tobacco companies would be proud of.

[mongo]

24. Thanks for the account

And going out and making our side heard. 400+ people? That is a great turnout!

[Joe Fields]

27. Yeah. I was real proud.

There were several news outlets covering us outside of the event. Hopefully it will make the national news.

[newportdadde]

25. GJ Joe.

Hey Joe, nice to see a local on the board I'm in Blue Springs, heard about this Bush rally on the radio while driving in this morning. What is the fascination with Lees Summit, Cheney just hit there a month or less ago. I guess Lees Summit might be the closest thing to an Overland Park in Johnson County KS but in Jackson County, might be a strong Republican base I'm not sure haven't seen any figures. Only thing I can think of.

Missouri gets a bad rap sometimes not all of us are that bad lol. Not all the rural folks are bad either my father is a lifetime farmer in rural Missouri and is a Democrat.

[Joe Fields]

28. Good point. I didn't mean to tar all rural folk with the same brush.

Still, rural Missouri is overwhelmingly republican. Must be the social issues and the jingoism that are offered up by the repubs. Blue Springs rocks!

[hatrack]

36. Lee's Summit = Olathe East

It's the same suburban conservative ooze as exemplified in Thomas Frank's description of pod-people cities like Olathe, Lenexa and Overland Park, just on the other side of the state line.

Lots and lots of nervous middle managers with their prized overpriced stick-built heaps of beige, a Church-Mart every two or three blocks and all the SUVs in the world - your basic suburban hell.

[Joe Fields]

44. You know it well. Notice he didn't pick Independence.

Lees Summit is a republican speck in an ocean of democrats. But there are still more dems, I believe in Lees Summit than Repubs.

[pstokely]

48. Lees Summit has repuke state reps

nt

[Joe Fields]

51. They slipped in under the radar.

[hlthe2b]

32. While I've not lived there in decades, I have family in and around

the entire KC and northern rural Missouri area-- all historically devout Repugs. It slays me though that such a wonderful sleepy little berg as Lees Summit (as I recall it) has become such a REPUG haven. I lived there when I was very young and remember fondly walking downtown to church with my sister, stopping to fish marbles out of mudpuddles. My Mom never had to worry about our safety then, though we were quite young. I remember the trips through Liberty, MO and the rural farmland through Cameron to St. Joe-- all hyper Repug territory, I guess now. It makes me very very sad. I have trouble talking to much of my extended family now, though they are social moderates and should be smart enough to see through this horrible administration. I'm glad to hear that Jackson County is still Democratic heartland and that they haven't forgotten old Harry Truman, though...

[pstokely]

38. most of Jackson County is still Democratic

I few years ago, Eastern Jackson County want to form a separate county called 'Truman County"

[Joe Fields]

49. It is still very Democratic.

[Darby]

33. Did this protest get any media coverage? /nt

[shraby]

35. Isn't the Missouri rally where he said

"Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their... their love with women all across this country."

[hatrack]

40. That was down in the Ozarks - Poplar Bluff, to be precise

It's about an hour west of Cape :puke: Girardeau.

[Joe Fields]

46. Yep

[Joe Fields]

45. Yes it did.

A couple of TV network affiliates covered us. Unfortunately one was Faux News. I don't think it will receive any national coverage, though, because by the time I got back home MSNBC was already covering the Sedalia MO. stop by Bush.

[pstokely]

37. were students required to be there?

did the chimp make anyone late to work because of the shutdown of I470 from the Grandview Triangle

[Joe Fields]

47. Students had to get parental permission to skip school today.

Also, I heard third hand that the students who didn't want to attend had a choice of study hall. Still, I believe it is despicable to target schools for partisan political events.

[mimitabby]

54. hey Joe

we want to hear more about smirky falling on his face
can you call your local station?