LOCAL DEMOCRATIC OFFICIALS banned

[EC]

LOCAL DEMOCRATIC OFFICIALS banned from events on Bamboozlepalooza Tour?
Just like old times, I guess.
From North Dakota's Fargo Forum ...
Fargo City Commissioner Linda Coates is among more than 40 area residents included on a list of people barred from attending President Bush's speech today in Fargo. Among the 42 area people on the do-not-admit list: two high school students, a librarian, a Democratic campaign manager and several university professors.

White House spokesman Jim Morrell and Don Larson, a spokesman for the North Dakota governor's office, say they don't know anything about such a list. "This is the first I'm hearing of it," Morrell said when contacted Wednesday.

But two sources close to Tuesday's ticket distribution confirmed the list exists and includes a handful of names of people who were not to receive tickets to today's event at North Dakota State University's Bison Sports Arena.


The list was supplied to workers at the two Fargo distribution sites, along with tickets and other forms citizens were asked to fill out upon receiving them. People who handed out tickets had copies of the list at their tables to determine if anyone should be denied access, both sources said.
The list contains a wide range of people. Several wrote opinion page letters to The Forum criticizing Bush or the war in Iraq. Others wrote letters in support of gay rights or of Democratic policies.

It's subscription only. But if you register you can see the rest here. (http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=82266)



addendum
The Conscience Caucus
(explanation of terms)

(February 03, 2005 -- 10:37 AM EST // link // print)
MORE ON THE Fargo blacklist (the Fargo Forty?), the list of more than forty locals, including city commissioner Linda Coates, who are banned from the location President Bush is speaking at in Fargo today.
We hear another fellow on list is none other than James Holm, the producer for Fargo-based progressive talk radio star Ed Schultz.
You'd figure he'll probably make some mention of this on the show today.


http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/

[tsuki]

1. Are any journalists on the list?

[EC]

4. I guess Ed Schutz could be considered a journalist in a broad

sense. Most of them are from Dean's group...

[Liberty Belle]

8. If O'Reilly and Hannity are considered journalists,

Ed Schultz would also qualify.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. should be interesting....

thanks for the heads up!

[EC]

5. We'll have to watch the rest of the tour....n/t

[Liberty Belle]

3. Where's the ACLU? They should sue.

This is not a private campaign event. The president is speaking in his capacity as a public official, so how can this be legal?

Especially if he's banning journalists, that smacks of suppressing freedom of the press--a violation of First Amendment rights.

[EC]

6. It seems this guy gets to do what he wants

I'm beginning to think people are afraid of this administration. I was just reading an article in The Pregressive that says that Ashcroft at times clashed with Gonzales, saying he was infringing to far into civil rights....So we've got a hard road to trudge against this group now assembled...

[Liberty Belle]

7. Ashcroft threatened to arrest CA's attorney general,

John Lockyer, a Democrat who filed a lawsuit against the Bush administration when the Bushies tried to force California to abandon gun control limits that were tighter than the federal standards.

They are thugs, fascists, and worse.