Jack & Jill Politics

You might get arrested for protesting. Or just being in the opposition party.  Amy Goodman of Democracy Now was.  From Glenn Greenwald:

Beginning last night, St. Paul was the most militarized I have ever seen an American city be, even more so than Manhattan in the week of 9/11 — with troops of federal, state and local law enforcement agents marching around with riot gear, machine guns, and tear gas canisters, shouting military chants and marching in military formations. Humvees and law enforcement officers with rifles were posted on various buildings and balconies. Numerous protesters and observers were tear gassed and injured.

… Perhaps most extraordinarily, Amy Goodman of Democracy Now — the radio and TV broadcaster who has been a working journalist for close to 20 years — was arrested on the street and charged with “conspiracy to riot.” Audio of her arrest, which truly shocked and angered the crowd of observers, is here. I just attended a Press Conference with St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Police Chief John M. Harrington and — after they boasted of how “restrained” their police actions were — asked about the journalists and lawyers who had been detained and/or arrested both today and over the weekend. They said they wouldn’t give any information about journalists who had been arrested today, though they said they believed that “one journalist” had been, and that she “was a participant in the riots, not simply a non-participant.”

The update is that she’s been released, as well as her producers.  But here’s part of her story:

“I was down on the convention floor interviewing delegates when I heard that two of our producers had been arrested,” said Goodman. “I ran down to Jackson and 7th Street, where the police had moved in.”

Goodman said that when she ran up to find out what was going on, she was also arrested.

“They seriously manhandled me and handcuffed my hands behind my back. The top ID [at the convention] is to get on the floor and the Secret Service ripped that off me. I had my Democracy Now! ID too. I was clearly a reporter.”

Goodman, who was released after being charged with a misdemeanor, said that Salazar had been hurt in the face, while Kouddous had been thrown up against a wall and hurt his elbow.

“Nicole told me that as they moved in on three sides, she asked them ‘How do I get away from this?’ and they jumped on her.”

Both Kouddous and Salazar could be held for up to 36 hours.

“One of the police kept shouting at me ‘Shut up, shut up,” she said. “It was extremely threatening.”

Okay, so let me get this straight.  The GOP can send moles, spies and double agents to Denver to roam freely and the po-po doesn’t even breathe in their direction, but you go to St. Paul to provide a fair and balanced perspective on the political season, by covering the Republican Convention and you get thrown in jail because there are protesters on the scene?  Last I heard, America still was a free country, and you still have freedom of speech, right?

See what I mean by Double Standards?  Just when you begin to hope that the Republican Party can get their collective hypocractic shyt  down to foot-level, they engage in so much additional BS, they raise it back to sea level.  Let’s recap:

1. McCain selects a VP candidate who has more questions about her ability to manage her family, people, places and municipalities than a contestant on Jeopardy!; but if she were Joe “Ride or Die” Biden, the MSM would be on this like a fly on stink.  However, because she’s a woman and possesses no other qualifications for the VP ticket other than she’s McCain’s choice, the rest of us independent, intelligent thinkers are supposed to drink cans of STHU. – CHECK.
2. Anyone, including double agents were freely and warmly welcomed to party in Denver – but if you so much as wear a T-Shirt protesting the policies of this Administration, you are accused of inciting a riot and are thrown in jail by either the local police or thugs impersonating Secret Service Agents. – CHECK.
3. If your city is hosting the Republican National Convention, expect to go into a temporary police state, complete with fascism and everything but a PA system chanting “Heil Hitler!” as loud as they can. – CHECK.
4. The only news organizations with freedom of movement is the propaganda station, Fox Network. – CHECK.
5. If you’re a blogger, unless you write for InstaPundit (aka “InstaCracker”) Free Republic, Michelle Malkin’s blog, Star Parker’s blog, or any other GOP cheerleading blog – you will not get into the convention. – CHECK.

One of our readers asked if there would be coverage of the Republican National Convention like there was in Denver.  Well, we’re trying, but if the RNC is going to treat their convention like a Klan meeting, what choices do we really have in covering, other than the TV, and we all well know that most of the MSM has been co-opted by the Reich Wing, and the coverage will be what they want us to see.  So, feel free to add your captions here.