I’m Not Seeing It

There's a report today that some supporters of Tom Delay disrupted a campaign event by the Democratic challenger for the House seat, Nick Lampson. Reading the AP article, I get the distinct impression that the reporter was not there, instead relying on reports from Lampson supporters. The pictures the supporters put up to "prove" they were being repressed don't look like all that much was going on. The video they show from a local TV station does show someone pulling a Lampson supporter's hat down over her eyes, but it hardly looks violent. It also appears as if the candidate did speak, so he was hardly silenced.

I think there is less here than meets the eye.

Look, it does nobody any good to drum up inflated charges of misconduct when someone disagrees with your point of view.

UPDATE: Sorry, I hit the publish key too soon, I had another point as well.

It also does no good to cross the line from free speech to physical contact. That has no place in any protest.

Less Than Impressive

The Washington Post has an article today detailing how President Bush faced a "Rare Audience Challenge" at a public open forum event in North Carolina. You have to get to the second page to read what the challenge actually was.

A man named Harry Taylor got the microphone and was off and running: 

"You never stop talking about freedom, and I appreciate that," Taylor told him. "But while I listen to you talk about freedom, I see you assert your right to tap my telephone, to arrest me and hold me without charges, to try to preclude me from breathing clean air and drinking clean water and eating safe food."

Bush interrupted with a smile. "I'm not your favorite guy," he joked, provoking laughter.

"What I want to say to you," Taylor continued, "is that I, in my lifetime, I have never felt more ashamed of, nor more frightened by, my leadership in Washington."

Many in the audience booed.

"Let him speak," Bush said.

"I feel like, despite your rhetoric, that compassion and common sense have been left far behind during your administration," Taylor added.

Repeating vague talking points is a challenge? There is not one single fact in any of that challenge, just nebulous, hot button words. But the point wasn't to actually ask a question, or just to vent, either. Taylor is a self-proclaimed activist against Bush. So the point was to get publicity. The WaPo cooperated. The money quote for me:

Bush hardly won him over, though. "I didn't care about his response," Taylor said. "I wanted to say what I wanted to say and I wanted him to know that despite being in a room with a thousand people who love him . . . there are plenty of people out there who don't agree with him in any way, shape or form."

Fact free rhetoric is hardly a challenge. A president who hushes boos from the audience to let a rant continue is hardly trampling Mr. Taylor's rights.

Update: Gateway Pundit has the transcript of Bush's full answer to Mr. Taylor's statement (along with some things Taylor said that the WaPo left out - Mr. Taylor makes it quite clear he's there only to make a contrary statement). No wonder the WaPo left the answer out. It makes Bush look pretty good.