ACLU Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Denver Residents Removed from Bush Event

ACLU Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Denver Residents Removed from Bush Event

DENVER - November 21 - White House event staffers unlawfully removed two Denver residents from a town hall discussion with President Bush because of an anti-war bumper sticker on their car, charged the American Civil Liberties Union in a federal lawsuit filed today.

"The government should not be in the business of silencing Americans who are perceived to be critical of certain policy decisions," said ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Chris Hansen, who is the lead counsel in this case. "The president should be willing to be in the same room with people who might disagree with him, especially at a public, taxpayer-funded town hall."

Today's lawsuit was filed on behalf of Leslie Weise and Alex Young, who gained national attention after being removed from a March 21 event with President Bush. The presidential visit was open to the public and advertised as a town hall "conversation" on Social Security reform. But the ACLU lawsuit charges that Weise and Young, who had obtained tickets from the office of Representative Bob Beauprez and had caused no disruption at the town hall, were removed from the event solely because of their perceived political views.

After approaching the security metal detectors, Weise was asked to show her identification, while Young was allowed in. The staff at the event then told her that she had to wait for the Secret Service to arrive. Eventually, Michael Casper, who is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, arrived. He wore a dark suit, earpiece and lapel pin. He told Weise that she had been "ID'd" and that if she had any ill intentions she would be arrested. She assured him that she did not and was allowed to proceed to her seat, where Young was waiting.
(snip/...)

http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/1121-01.htm

I'm glad to see that the ACLU is pursuing this. I remember when the incident happened, being furious that Bush could get away with treating American citizens like that. Thin-skinned little shit can't stand any dissent. People like that have no business serving in public office, because dissent is part of the territory.

crap like this.

Public = private

stickers etc should contact the ACLU and maybe this b.s. will stop when it gets too expensive to continue.

Plus, remember, Chaney only bills the taxpayers for all his trips so everything is publicly funded.

Anyone out there refused entrance to a Chaney event should also file suit.

didn't mind their help when he got busted!

America is a better place because of the ACLU.

The White House has violated the First Amendment by repeatedly excluding Americans from public, presidential "town halls" when their views differ from those held by President Bush, according to a federal lawsuit filed in Colorado today by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Denver residents Leslie Weise, 40, and Alex Young, 26, allege that they were unlawfully removed by White House event staffers at a March 21 town hall discussion with the president because of a "no more blood for oil" bumper sticker on their car.

Although the two had tickets to the event discussing Social Security and had no intention of disrupting it, they were removed because the White House has "set a policy of prohibiting anyone from attending this public event if they held a viewpoint other than that held by the president," according to the suit.

.......

"We want to know how high up this goes," Young said. "We want to know if (White House political director) Karl Rove is involved in this."



http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3239205

good to see this

and that's IT..

he only goes to military bases where they cannot boo him, and republican fundraisers where the crowds are handpicked and "friendly".

He cannot venture out into the general public because at least 50% of any crowd is likely to hate him and boo him..

http://aclu.org/
$40
You could do worse

No more throwing honest people out of political rallies in '06. The truth will be heard!

These are the folks who were thrown out of a gwb "townhall" because of their bumpersticker, which read "No blood for oil". They were thrown out by a Secret Service agent impersonator.

And there are plenty of other people ready to follow "suit", pun intended.



http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3240394 MKJ

between being allowed to participate and share in the rights granted to us by the Constitution or being shut out and disenfranchised by a bunch of goons who don't have a clue about what made this country the envy of the planet (even with all its shortcomings).

they let the R's know that despite their vision of one-party control there is opposition willing to check their abuses.

inquiry began, the WH was very sloppy in its response and is now on record essentially saying that everything that was done at the event violated the 1st amendment, not to mention the Secret Service impersonator who did the "ejecting".

Thank goodness for principled individuals.

MKJ

:popcorn:

they can raise private money to pay for it and invite whoever the hell they want. But if WE are paying for it, WE get to go too.

(to quote Harriet Myers)

:hi:

MKJ

Makes me glad I give them money. EVERY American, be they conservative or liberal, should support the work those guys do. The Constitution is supposed to be the bedrock of our legal system, yet all too often it gets ignored in favor of political opinion...

Dig into your pockets, gang. The rights they defend next may be yours!




Laura