NYC to RNC: Thanks for NOTHING

[Stephanie]

Thanks for so selfishly exploiting our tragedy and heartbreak for your political gain.

Thanks for bringing back the bomb-sniffing dogs, the state troopers, the National Guardsmen with their giant rifles, the throngs of police everywhere. It really makes us feel good!

Thanks for shutting down our streets and our trains and our workplaces.

Thanks for stiffing our cops and firemen on their contracts but using them for your photo-ops anyway.

Thanks for all the low-flying helicopters and the sharp-shooters on the roofs. It really brings back memories!

Thanks for making us fear riding the subway again.

Thanks for putting us back in the terrorists' bullseye. We haven't been through enough yet. Bring it on.

Thanks for choosing to make millions of New Yorkers relive the nightmares of 2001.

It's so very thoughtful of you, George.

What did I leave out?

[Richardo]

1. I'm sure the fans of the US Open are not at all inconvenienced either

Just think - the cynical, Rove-powered reschedule of the GOP convention to be closer to 9/11 is screwing up the logistics for this ANNUAL Grand Slam tennis event too. With a worldwide fan base. :eyes: You're freakin' brilliant, Karl!

Hopefully they'll alienate some MORE folks who can't find a hotel room, restaurant table or cab. ;-)

[Stephanie]

2. Open tickets are yours for the asking

I had offers in my inbox this morning. Everyone who can is splitting town. Yup, Karl's ruined the Open.

[KurtNYC]

3. Why HERE?

The city which has suffered perhaps the most due to Bush. The city that took it on the chin when he refused to read or act on those memos in August of 2001. The city that waited for jets to scramble in vain because he went on with a photo op in Florida. The city which has gotten one of the lowest per capita grants for Homeland Security in the country in spite of being considered the most threaten, will now have to pick up the tab for the RNC!

Did Bush ever acknowledge what REALLY happened here? He said "the people who knocked those buildings down...." As if the crime was one against property! Soul-less frickin' buildings were "knocked down" -- Is that all he can bare to admit that his inaction led to?

And, as if all that wasn't bad enough, there are no %$#@* Republicans in this city!!! The mayor is a democrat who ran on their ticket because they had nothing after Giuliani. Why should this tolerant, progressive, diverse city have to host (and PAY FOR) the intolerant, prejudiced and racist, Constitution-hating party for bigots who have weakened the Constitution and this great nation??

This is one of the more outrageously insensitive and ill-conceived things Bush has done and it will be viewed as such.

[Stephanie]

6. He comes here to prance on their grave

The mass grave in lower Manhattan, the dust of the dead is still there. And Bush who did nothing to prevent their murder, Bush who went on vacation when he learned of the threat, comes here?

[Cha]

16. And listened to "my pet goat" when he heard of

the second attack after going into the school having already known about the first attack AND after the goat story went on to participate in TWENTY MINUTES of Photo Ops..while New York Burned!!

[CarolynEC]

4. Excellent post! (eom)

[imax2268]

5. they

want to exploit it...watch...I bet you BushCO will say something on the line of this...

"just a few blocks away...terrorist thugs knocked down some building's...blada blada blaaaaa"...watch...he won't be able to resist the chance to exploit 9/11...

[Karenina]

8. It's better than that

*dauphin wants to be a FIREMAN NOW! Ya know, watch the convention from da station and BOND (film t 11) wit the guys he reamed up da po. Dat be before he come up outta the floor in a BIG BUBBLE. Meanwhile, back in Iraq... (This shit is Fellini and Dali on seriously bad acid.)

[Stephanie]

7. Oh! Thanks for the riot-helmet CAMS!

That's a good one! A first!

[Karenina]

9. EEEEEEEEKKKKK!!!!

[Stephanie]

13. Yes, I'll enjoy seeing them on Sunday

Thanks George! And thanks for all the fear-mongering about anarchists and riots! Thanks for driving people to flee town in fear of your pageant, err, convention.

[Stephanie]

10. Thanks for sights like THIS on our daily commutes

So reassuring!

[Stephanie]

12. And this!

Doesn't bother us! We just need to get home. We don't need no stinking helmets!

[Stephanie]

11. Thanks for letting us experience, again, life in a war zone

We were in danger of forgetting!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

14. Evil, cynical bastards.

Did they think people wouldn't be able to see they were exploiting New York City and 9/11 in the most despicable way imaginable? Are we now going to see Duhbya dressed up in his latest Village People costumes, the Heroic Fireman/Policeman outfits? They make me want to :puke: And I don't even live in New York.

[Nay]

17. Oh, they know how New Yorkers feel. And they couldn't give a shit.

NYers are all Dems, and thus worthless. But NYC is a great place to stage the Puke photo ops for the heartland idiots, who will lap it up like a puppy laps up antifreeze.

[Stephanie]

18. Thanks for remindng us of your FAILURES that brought us 9/11, George

....the Bush campaign is eager to refresh Americans' memories of the president's finest hour: his actions after the terrorist attacks, when a divided country unified behind the president. To underscore that point, Bush is planning to visit a fire station during the convention, and Giuliani is to address the assembly in prime time.

As he does in most stump speeches, Bush on Thursday recalled his response to the attacks. "None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and another began. On September the 14th, with Rudy by my side, I stood in the ruins of the twin towers," Bush said. "There were workers in hard hats yelling at me, 'Whatever it takes!' A fellow just came out of the rubble, he had bloodshot eyes -- he looked at me right in the eye and said, 'Do not let me down.' "

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36848-2004Aug26.html

It's nice that you were able to employ your only real skills, your cheerleading skills, after 9/11. But it didn't do us a bit of good, George. It would have been better if you had done something to prevent the deaths of our family, friends and neighbors in the first place.

Once the danger had passed, George, you showed up on a Friday to cheerlead after the Tuesday attacks. But you haven't been here since. Well maybe a quick trip to the UN or something. But I'm pretty sure you haven't been to the WTC site. When you went to dedicate the 9/11 memorial on Long Island, they had to provide a special platform so your feet wouldn't touch the dirt.

What is this finest hour, George? You did some cheerleading on the grave of the thousands dead? The thousands whose deaths you did nothing to stop? One ten minute perfrmance and you want to ride on that to re-election? After you had your EPA lie to those rescue workers about the toxins at the site? What's the deal, George?

Finest hour, George? Sure doesn't look that way from here.

[NightOwwl]

19. "On September the 14th"

Took you 3 f*ckn days to get there. What took you so long, coward?

[Princess Turandot]

20. I doubt he'll be showing up this year..

they've already laid the commemorative corner-stone with very little fan-fare, a few weeks ago. Parents and spouses will be the primary participants in this year's memorial. After the 9-11 report, he wouldn't have the cojones to stand up in front of them.

[Stephanie]

21. Yeah, isn't it odd how they went ahead with the cornerstone?

That was supposed to be the grand finale after the RNC. Then suddenly they just went ahead and did it in July. I guess Pataki got his orders.

[Stephanie]

15. Thanks for the extra sirens!

We're enjoying those, so far. I expect we'll get even more in a few days. They're both alarming, and annoying. Thanks George!

[Stephanie]

22. Thanks for the subtile,subliminable reminder of the WTC!

Way to capitalize on your failures while pretending not to, George!

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/politics/campaignspecial/index.html

While the text of Mr. Bush's speech has been carefully assembled, so has every element of the set like the vibrant red carpet that will blanket the floor of the convention hall, the theater in the round and the lectern, which a convention organizer said had "a sort of skyscraper design" in recognition of being in New York.

These elements are not just about theatrics, though that, too, is part of the motivation, to cultivate interest and increase television ratings for the convention, which starts Monday and ends Thursday, the day Mr. Bush speaks. Campaign aides said the party was trying to send a message about the president, trying subconsciously to build on and reinforce ideas and themes of his campaign, and especially to emphasize the theme of strength.

[Stephanie]

23. Oh great! Thanks for sending FEMA here early again!

It was so convenient that they were in town before the WTC attack. It's great to know that they will be here early once again. Not foreboding at all. What, me worry?

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apelection_story.asp?category=1131&slug=Guarding%20the%20Convention

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which usually doles out aid during natural disasters, says it will "pre-deploy" its emergency personnel to Manhattan on standby.

[Stephanie]

24. Thanks for making midtown an ARMED FORTRESS

We're really enjoying that! We understand why you're doing it, of course. You're the Coward from Crawford!

Central New York an armed fortress for Republican convention

Police say the area around the Garden will be sealed off to an 18-block radius, and only vehicles with special police permits will be allowed to enter.

That security perimeter will be patrolled around the clock by a 10,000- strong security force including New York City police, New York State police, FBI (news - web sites) agents, SWAT teams and attack dogs.

The city security force will be reinforced by the US Coast Guard, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, US Secret Service agents and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1503&ncid=696&e=1&u=/afp/20040826/ts_afp/us_vote_republicans

[Stephanie]

25. Just learned a friend's APARTMENT BUILDING has been commandeered by FBI

It's about 12 blocks from the Garden. She is renovating and she's been told the construction workers cannot enter for one week. Nobody who doesn't live there can enter. FBI has taken the empty apartments. This has gotten OUT OF HAND.

[sub.theory]

26. Who pays for all this?

NYC planning on send the bill for the Chimperor's personal army to the RNC? Why should the city or state of NY have to pay all because the Great Leader is a paranoid lunatic? Those pictures are disturbing....

[incapsulated]

27. At least the 4/5 express is an express again

That's about the only good news.

What do they care, they know we are voting for Kerry, might as well screw us while they exploit us at the same time.

:mad:

[Sugarbleus]

28. Jebus, I live in a small town, by the sea way over here on the west coast.

I can't even imagine the nightmare you are going through... You have my sympathies. :hug: