Protesters Greet Bush in Northwest

[trogdor]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=3&u=/nm/20030821/ts_nm/bush_dc

Outside a University of Portland arena where Bush spoke at a $1 million fundraiser for his re-election campaign, about 2,000 demonstrators waved signs that denounced the president's environmental and economic policies and the U.S. occupation of Iraq (news - web sites).

Riot police kept the crowds apart from the president and guarded intersections in the residential neighborhood Bush's motorcade passed.

At one neighborhood intersection dozens of protesters greeted the motorcade with their fingers raised in an obscene gesture, and a lawn sign along the way read, "This tree is anti-Bush."

[ronnykmarshall]

1. Sure got that Nazi salute down.

[ThorsteinVeblen]

2. Fuck that asshole

He should stay the fuck out of the Northwest. He is not wanted here.
Run that bastard outta dodge.

[West Coast Democrat]

3. A Good Line From Lieberman (for once):

"Healthy Forests should be called the No Tree Left Behind plan," Lieberman said in a statement. "If the logging industry cut down a thousand trees in the forest, George Bush would deny they made a sound."

[Skittles]

24. Lieberman

appears to care more about our trees than our soldiers.

[RobertSeattle]

4. Read the last line - very funny

Bush will also shave a fundraiser in Seattle on Friday.


...A great typo.

[0rganism]

5. The Oregonian article

http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-2/106148544146600.xml

Bush promises support for forest thinning

By BRAD CAIN
The Associated Press
8/21/2003, 2:12 p.m. PT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — President Bush promised to support more logging to thin forests and create more jobs for a state economy that has suffered the highest unemployment rate in the nation for most of the past year.

"We will do everything we can to thin out our forests ... to prevent the catastrophic forest fires that have plagued the West," Bush told Republicans who paid $2,000 a plate to help raise money for his 2004 re-election campaign.

...

Bush arrived at the private campus for the fund-raiser amid heavy security, including police dressed in black body armor. Streets in the neighborhood surrounding the campus were heavily patrolled and protesters were ordered to stay on sidewalks except for a three-block stretch that was cordoned off with temporary fencing.

Several thousand demonstrators gathered near the campus entrance, many carrying signs criticizing Bush. One man wore a Bush mask and carried a sign that said "Stop me before I lie again."

...

Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean was visiting Oregon a few days after Bush. The former Vermont governor is to hold a private fund-raiser Sunday in Portland, then attend an outdoor rally at Portland State University.

"He gets to come in and say, `You heard what the president told you. Now let me tell you what's really happening to our economy, our environment and our civil rights," said former Democratic Gov. Barbara Roberts, co-chairwoman of Dean's Oregon campaign.

...

The Healthy Forests Initiative "is simply a cover to protect the timber industry," said Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope.

...

[West Coast Democrat]

7. Didn't Roberts Support Sen. Smith (R)'s Re-Election

over Bradbury (D) in 2002? I believe she did.

[0rganism]

16. The DNC wrote Bradbury off early

Smith also had inordinate (and undeserved) gay & lesbian support. IIRC, Bradbury received 55% in Portland. In order to win a statewide race, a Democrat usually has to break 60% in the Portland area.

Here's Gordo's 2002 elections guide promo, and you can see that ex-Gov Roberts wouldn't be the only Democratic turncoat for that race:

http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections/nov52002/guide/candidates/smithg.htm

ENDORSED BY LEADING DEMOCRATS
"I am proud to join more than 50 Democrat leaders in supporting Gordon Smith because he is an independent voice for Oregon. He listens, reaches out, and brings all people together--rural and urban--to get things done."

--Democrat State Senator Avel Gordly, NE Portland

[Lydia Leftcoast]

22. Plus John Kitzhaber (outgoing Dem gov.)

dithered around so long about whether he was going to challenge Smith that by the time Kitzhaber decided not to, the Dems had to find another challenger fairly late in the game.

I would also add that the average voter doesn't think strategically (i.e. control of the Senate) when choosing a candidate. My impression is that most people just shrugged and said, "Smith's doing okay."

[disgruntella]

10. aaaah! stop saying "thinning" when you mean "selling"!

This is my pet peeve of the day!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=77348#77359

How psyched is Bush to be visiting all of these fire-ravaged states promoting this garbage? grr....

[0rganism]

18. Old Growth Doesn't Burn

(seen at today's anti-bush rally)

For some reason, many people are somehow oblivious to the idea that huge forests covered the continent for aeons prior to the "forest management" tactics of humans.

I'll say this much for thinning: the dense stands of single-species tree farms Weyerhauser planted after clearcutting vast stretches of otherwise healthy state and national forests in the '50s are a huuuge fire hazard.

[lumpy]

20. The dry branches and left behind from ' thinning' trees

makes great kindling to accelerate a hot forest fire.

[0rganism]

21. You mean "slash", right?

The lumber companies are supposed to remove and/or burn all that stuff, but seldom do a good job. No money in it.

Then the first thing that grows back on the cut is underbrush, scrub oak and wild grasses. That stuff is tinder just waiting for Joe Camel to drop his cigarette.

This is a huge, assinine mess created by centuries of stupidity, and I seriously doubt bush* has anything resembling a plan to solve it. However, the timber CEOs are next in line for a nice federal giveaway, so this will do wonders for them.

[MoonAndSun]

6. I am not supporting Lieberman for our candidate...

but I do appreciate his slamming bush* for his horrible environmental policies:

"Opponents, including Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Joseph Lieberman (news, bio, voting record), argue Bush's "Healthy Forest Initiative" will erode environmental checks and allow timber companies easier access to forests.

"Healthy Forests should be called the No Tree Left Behind plan," Lieberman said in a statement. "If the logging industry cut down a thousand trees in the forest, George Bush would deny they made a sound."


Our Dem candidates need to be slamming this bush* everyday, no mercy for the idiot!

[dArKeR]

8. Who's got the pics of our moral citizens giving the Chimp the finger?

I've got to have one of those!

http://darkerxdarker.tripod.com/

[PinkTiger]

9. I have a question about your website.

One picture shows a "Bush" character holding up a little girl to grab a balloon. Is that a woody I see?
Who is in the original picture?

[pfitz59]

23. Ahhnold......the inseminator!

Terminates hymens with a single thrust!

[VolcanoJen]

11. YOU GO Northwestern US DU'ers!

Hell yeh!

[Pastiche423]

12. Hey Seattle!

You got one of these to protect whistle ass?



Was I asleep during the last decade, or are these types of police buggies new?

And why the fuck do we need this type of vehicle on our streets in freedomland?

[raifield]

17. Those are actually, now, third-world military vehicles

I forget the exact name of them...old stuff though, originally anyway. Nowadays, you find those in 4 and 6 wheeled varients, very versatile, ambulances, anti-air, recon vehicles, and as you can see, riot control. I think a lot of South American nations have those.

[Melinda]

13. Images/Stories/Activism!

I was born in the City of Roses and have the feet to prove it. A few Portaland images from Indy media:





Not much yet on Portland Indy Media site but check out the commentary -- looks like the cops were heavy handed again and used pepper spray. Maybe not as bad as Feb, but still. From their main page:

On August 22, 2002, pResident select George Bush visited Portland, Oregon. Over 3000 people of all ages hit the streets in a beautiful, non-permitted expression of resistance. The police reacted with violence and rioted against the people, attacking people with billy clubs and pepperspray. Among the victims was an infant less than a year old. The city is currently defending itself from a lawsuit for the repression it incurred. The event lit a fire under the collective ass of the Portland activist scene, and for months afterwards the spirit of resistance remained high. The readership of portland indymedia increased immensely and kept growing. Bush did this city a favor by visiting that day, and he's about to do it again.

:toast:

[Melinda]

14. More images

[ErasureAcer]

15. wow, that bottom picture is awesome

thanks!

[0rganism]

19. Amazing how big 250 people can look, eh?

I just love the pathetic antics the corporate media whores undertake to show that vocal liberals are a teeensy minority.