Blair lays low during Iraq anniversary

Woof! Woof!

Today's Sunday Herald also had this report:

"One Year On: Blair Told Its Time To Quit"
http://www.sundayherald.com/40721

And the BBC is providing great photographs of Peace Activities
from around the world.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/3553011.stm

That Sunday Herald is the paper that broke the PNAC story, (to me anyway) and the BBC-Photographs give a very different view than we see on US corporate TV.

for his actions.

Meanwhile Bush is so confident that public opinion will continue to poll his way that he exhorts an audience in an invasion lovefest in Orlando into chanting USA, USA, USA!

It scares me. Does our electorate have a will of its own anymore?

This was a free rally where anyone could get a ticket. My sister was on vacation in Orlando this week and had heard on the radio they were giving away free tickets to see Bush so that made me curious why everyone here keeps insisting this was an invitation only crowd.

According to the Orlando Sentinel article at:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-asecvisit17031704mar17,1,3985155.story

"The Orange County Convention Center's doors will open at 9:30 a.m. Saturday for people who want to attend President Bush's campaign rally.

<snip>

GOP organizers expect about 12,000 people. The event is free, but attendees must have a ticket.

Tickets will be available through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at:

# Republican headquarters, 148 S. Semoran Blvd., Orlando

# The parking lot of the RDV Sportsplex, 8701 Maitland Summit Blvd., Orlando

# Lanier's Historic Downtown Marketplace, 108 Broadway, Kissimmee

# Republican headquarters, 212 W. Main St., Tavares

# Mike Holley Chevrolet, 1025 Highway 98 South, Lakeland

Identification must be presented to get a ticket."

Now, I have no idea what was the process to get a ticket but if you could get them at a car dealership I doubt you had to do a blood oath of support for Bush to get one. So that's why the love fest was scary to me. That so many ordinary Americans 'love' this man and what he's done. It seems we have to stop assuming every Bush public appearance is packed with actors or paid supporters and accept the god awful truth that a lot of Americans love that misbegotten son of a bitch.

According to one article I read, there were a few protesters in the audience but they were quickly removed. That gave me an idea.

What I think we should do is go to these free rallies, not to protest, but to just sit there and not applaud or politely applaud with no enthusiasm. If we aren't obviously against the President, it's not likely security is going to remove people for not wildly cheering. Then one of 2 things would happen.

Because part of the audience isn't on it's feet wildly cheering, the part that is might think they've got it wrong and sit down. Or more likely, the Bush lovers would get in fights with people for not showing the proper respect for their great leader and chaos would ensue. Either way, it would ruin Bushies photo op, wouldn't it? How's that for an evil idea?

I was sure that must be a misquotation of the original, but now all I can do is gnash my teeth at the depressing level of English knowledge on the part of supposed journalists -- or headline writers, anyway.

Sigh.

Never mind. Carry on with the discussion. I'll just sit here gnasshing.

Their English translations are normally pretty good.