March on the Pentagon: Will ANSWER have control over their people?

We all hope that the anti-war protesters use their heads and appreciate their right to protest on March 17th. Yet, as it is with many of these events, others join in with different ideas, goals and objectives. I have always been an advocate for the expression, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. With that said, check out what the anti-war protesters from ANSWER are discussion on their message boards. I would encourage you to take a look at their "List of Endorsers" link at the top of the page. Quite a potpourri of groups, beliefs and motivations. With ANSWER being more concerned with visible numbers for the MSM to report, I have to wonder if they will have control over such a diversely motivated group.

I hate to say it, but I see things getting ugly quickly with this event. It is obvious from reading their message board that many will be attending to simply follow their anarchistic tendencies. Ending the war is not their motivator. Some appear to be welcoming the opportunity to simply "Rage Against the Machine".

Even with all of this, I feel sorry for them. Not just for their twisted beliefs but for what lies in waiting for them. There will be more participants from
Gathering of Eagles than the protesters are imagining and their motivation is singular, the protection of our war memorials and those who gave their lives in each of those conflicts. I wrote about this last week and even more examples of vandalism have been discovered, here.

I have the honor of knowing many Vietnam Veterans and I know their resolve. There will be some who will have a short fuse and there is no doubt that there will be protesters well armed with a verbal barrage of taunts for our Vets.

Just remember, the blame goes squarely on the Chief of the Capitol Police who ordered officers on the scene of a January, 2007 protest there to not interfere and not arrest anyone. Here is his statement after the fact. This act of cowardice gave the anti-war crowd the shot in the arm they were looking for and on March 17th, I want to see just how well the Capitol Police handle their own mess. I shudder at what this all will hold.


UPDATE: It seems that one of the splinter groups has a plan for the 19th of March as a follow up to the 17th. See here.

Blonde Ambition

Good Morning, Folks! I'd like you to run, don’t walk, on over to Fox News and check out their video "Hillary Sit-in". The story has me hopping mad. The follow-up interview with Rae Abileah of Code Pink, one of the arrested protestors is rather entertaining as she sits there looking like Ugly Betty with her pink pin and pink scarf spouting her desire to “support the first woman candidate for President” if she only were a “strong peace candidate”. Huh? I have to take major issue with a group that votes purely on the gender of a candidate, or any other asthetic charcteristic for that matter. I take issue with those who are hoping to vote for Obama because of his skin color, those who want to vote for McCain because he was a "war hero" and etc. These chacteristics have absolutely nothing to do with their ability to govern the most powerful and influential nation on the planet. Folks, I can assure you, that is NOT what the Founding Fathers had in mind.

First, let’s look at what has me hot under the collar. The video shows US Capitol Police arresting 6 to 8 protestors who were sitting-in in front of Hillary’s Russell Senate Office Building suite chanting, “Senator Clinton we’re blocking your door until you stop funding war.” Now before you read any further, make sure you go over to Fox News and watch the footage, these ladies are all dressed in pink, with pink boas, the whole nine yards. You really need the visual imagery to grasp the scene.

Yes, isn’t that fabulous? The US Capitol Police finally arrested someone this week? Impressive, isn’t it? They can arrest a few women in the hallowed halls of the Senate Offices but can’t arrest Saturday’s anti-war protestors as they deface and vandalize The Capitol Building. Do you think these officers had to call in to the Chief to ask of they could arrest these ladies? After all the cameras were rolling! On a side note, I wonder if the Chief has found time in his schedule to meet with Colorado Sen. Allard, the only US Congressman to request an tete-a-tete with the Chief over the rationale for allowing the law to be broken and ordering the officers on site to back down and not arrest any of the protestors.

Secondly, you have to love Sean Hannity. When he had his turn with the Code Pink representative he got her so tongue tied that by the end of the segment he had her outwardly admitting what we all knew already, Hillary has waffled on the war and made decisions based on her presidential ambitions rather than her principles, values or her constituents. According to Abileah, Senator Clinton has said that if she had known then what she knows now about the war, she never would have supported it. Yet, she has recently gone to Iraq (On whose dime? “I Love NY!”), taking the guided tour, and comes home to say that things aren’t going well, we need a change, but not what the President suggests. But she was for sending more troops back when it was the “in thing”. For now though, she says she isn’t going to vote for defunding (I know this isn’t a word but that is the lingo they are using) the war. For now anyway ....

It should be interesting to see how McCain fares with this topic, as it will surely become a central presidential campaign issue in the months ahead.