Kerry Stroll May Test Convention Security

[dusty64]

Anyone else made a little nervous by this story?


May 28, 11:03 PM (ET)

By DENISE LAVOIE

(AP)

BOSTON (AP) - The toughest security test for the Democratic National Convention could come if John Kerry decides to take a stroll - from his Beacon Hill home to the convention site.

Organizers are taking unprecedented security steps at the first national political convention since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks - closing nearly 40 miles of major roads, banning parking around the FleetCenter and providing training to Boston police from experts who have responded to suicide terrorism in Israel and large crowds in Northern Ireland.

The decisions were made before federal law enforcement authorities warned on Wednesday that terrorists might target high-profile events this summer, including the political conventions. The Democratic gathering is July 26-29.

But for all the planning, the one wild card for organizers is if Kerry decides to make the mile-long walk from his townhouse in the exclusive Beacon Hill neighborhood to the FleetCenter, near the city's working-class North End.


"Obviously, we will be prepared if he does decide to do that, and we will provide a safe and secure environment for him to do that in," said Secret Service spokeswoman Ann Roman.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20040529/D82RVQTG0.html

[Bronco69]

1. He'll be fine as long as they

know where all the republicans are.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. I'm worried about Kerry and the convention

I don't want a repeat of what happened to RFK 36 years ago. And I wouldn't put it past the Bush Administration to do something.

[progdonkey]

4. what would they gain?

I don't see how the Bush people could gain politically from Kerry's assassination. Sure, Bush's lead opponent in the election will be out of the picture, but how would they manage to explain it?

They can't say that muslim terrorists did it, because that would directly imply that they (the terrorists) believed him to be better able to fight the War. If they unleash a Freeper on him, claiming he's just some "patriotic" nut, how would they explain away not coming down hard on the Religious Right? Lastly, if it really is just some random whackjob, won't the American people notice Bush taking advantage of it? (I know, I know, they didn't notice how he was exploiting 9/11, but this will be the assassination of his direct rival. I'd like to think Americans would care if he tried to do something weird....)

Basically, if Kerry were assassinated by al-Qaeda, it would prove they feared him more than they did Bush. If he were assassinated by a psycho right-winger, it would prove they're just as depraved as the terrorists. I think Kerry will be quite safe in Boston; not only is it his town, but all of that security will surely deal with any nutjobs that try to get through.

Am I just missing something?

[Philosophy]

5. Here is their plan

:tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat:

BFEE agents will stage a "terrorist" attack at the Democratic convention. Best case scenario, Kerry is taken out. If not, they will gauge the public response - ideally they would want people to rally around * because he is "strong on terror"; but alternatively the attack could generate sympathy for the Democrats. If that happens, there will be a mock attack during the Republican convention too, and * will miraculously escape in some heroic choreographed production, thus garnering him even more sympathy votes.

They can't lose.

:tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. 1968

When RFK was assassinated, it threw the Dems into a panic. The person who was the presumed nominee was dead. The left and centrist factions of the party broke apart, and you know what happened in November. I'm hoping that if something happens to Kerry the Dems could unite around another candidate and fast.

[progdonkey]

11. RFK

Kennedy was shot by the Palestinian terrorist Sirhan Sirhan because Kennedy had taken a staunchly pro-Israel stance in that election. We knew who killed him, and we were going into a non-incumbent election, so there was no suggestion that the opposition had anything to do with it (or had the power to initiate a cover-up). This time, we have two pro-Israel candidates, with one being the incumbent; any foreign terrorists would definitely plan to assassinate Bush, not Kerry. We are in a far different situation than in '68.

Also, don't forget that Bush is still in charge of the security of this country. If someone is able to take out Kerry, wouldn't that be just one more massive intelligence failure on the part of Bush? (presuming reason has any sway over the American electorate....)

I do buy the suggestion that there might be a phony assassination attempt on Bush; that makes perfect sense. It fits precisely into my earlier argument: an assassination attempt on either Kerry or Bush makes the target look good, because it would imply fear of the target in the enemy.



Another speculation: what about a plan by the Bush people to successfully assassinate Bush himself? With his low polling numbers, he is becoming increasingly useless; after all, he was just the corporate spokesman. He does have one last bit of usefullness: his assassination will enable the Neocons to fully assume dictatorial power. (After all, Cheney is the next in line: his ascension is right there in the Constitution.)

[In Sha Allah]

3. Will I be killed?

I live 20 minutes from Boston, and I've already scheduled time off from work to protest at the Fleet Center. Since I have no intention of letting myself be penned up in a "Free Speech Zone" I'm a little worried about my safety, especially since the Boston pigs are being trained by Israeli "crowd control experts."

[bigendian]

7. Good question.

You're going to die some how. Why not when you're doing something you're passionate about?

[In Sha Allah]

8. I hope it takes a lot of bullets,

and I hope I have the presence of mind to die with my middle finger raised.

That this is an issue ought to give every non-republican an excuse to sit down and think about what we've become.

[Democat]

13. Are you saying you are going to be protesting against Kerry?

Why?

[In Sha Allah]

15. I'll overlook the fact that he's a wealthy white man...

...because my mother raised me not to judge somebody based on their race, gender, or class.

It's a bit harder to overlook his stance on Iraq, though. If Iraq posed no serious threat to Syria, Iran, and Turkey, and it posed no threat to the USA, then invading it was a breach of international law, which makes Dubya a war criminal, and Kerry somebody who endorses war crimes. When either of them advocate "Staying the course," they're arguing that we should continue to violate the laws of the land.

It's hard to overlook his support for the Israeli occupation of Palestine. If you live in the US, chances are good that the land you live on belonged to indigenous residents before white people with black slaves showed up to crowd them out at the point of a gun and a bible. If whatever is left of that tribe set up mobile homes, concertina wire, and minefields on your front lawn; stole your water; and shot your angry sons...how pissed would you be? Pissed enough to strap on a dynamite vest? Forget about how Kerry's pro-occupation stance endangers our national security - what the Israelis are doing is wrong. And illegal. And stupid. And Kerry supports it.

NAFTA. Fucking NAFTA. Fucking FTAA, too.
I sell widget parts to widget manufacturers, and in case you haven't noticed, the dying American manufacturing scene has about 10 years left, if that. A few sectors are doing well, but what's left of the vast majority of it is hanging on by it's teeth, and the future looks bleak. He can photo-op at all the factories he wants, but unless he denounces NAFTA and the FTAA the future looks just as hopeless under him as it does under Bush.

Is he going to straighten out the BIA? What is his position on the Cobell Litigation? Does he even know what's going on?

Ahhh, let's see here...

Gay Marriage? "Let them eat cake," sayeth Kerry. A bit of support from him would have been nice. I marched at the very front of Boston's Pride Parade last summer with the Freedom to Marry Coalition. Dean's supporters were waiting with refreshments for the marchers. Kerry's supporters were not, which isn't surprising, because he doesn't support Gay Marraige. Well, to hell with him. We'll get it done on our own, thank you.

The Drug War. He thinks it's just fine. More prisoners per capita than ANY OTHER COUNTRY ON EARTH, and that's just fine with Kerry. 80% of the illegal drugs consumed by whites, but 80% of the prisoners are non-whites, and that's just fine with Kerry, too. Law enforcement and corrections are driving budgets into the red, and that's hunky-dorry by Kerry. Kerry is in favor of millions upon millions of felons being disenfranchised by racist laws originally passed to deny newly freed slaves a political voice...and still getting the job done after all these years.

Kerry won't get my vote because I'm one of those disenfranchised millions. I'm not allowed to vote. Neither are you, if you're black and your name vaguely resembles mine. The irony of it is that I hate Bush so much that I would vote for Kerry if I could...but Kerry doesn't want me to vote for him, period.

So I will get as close as I can to the front doors of Demfest 2004, shout, and wave my sign. Freedom to speak and assemble are just about all I have left, and even those rights are under fire with the imposition of "Free Speech Zones."

Damn right I'll be protesting in Boston. NYC too, if I can make it.

[salonghorn70]

14. Police Slur

Not all police are good folks. Not all plumbers are good folks. Not all Presidents are good folks. not all DU posters are good folks. Please don't refer to all police as "pigs."

[In Sha Allah]

16. I've met a handful of good ones,

but I have been beaten, spied upon, threatened, intimidated, framed, imprisoned, humiliated, and deprived of my civil rights by scores of bad ones. I imagine that if we could climb into Mr. Peabody's Wayback Machine and really take some time to get to know the Nazi concentration camp guards we'd learn that not all of them were bad...but it didn't make any difference to the doomed prisoners.

Excuse my bitterness, because the police state the Repuds are imposing on the middle and upper classes is something I've had to endure my whole life.

[Cocoa]

9. sounds like a great photo op

Boston is a photogenic town.

[dusty64]

10. The constant

and sudden regime proclamations of imminent "terra attack" after crowing for years how "safe" they've made us, coupled with veiled hints of danger at the Democratic convention have me VERY nervous. Didn't romney also say something re: not being able to ensure safety at the convention venue? Funny how no implied danger to the rethug convention in NY even though they would be the preferred "terrarist" target. I've got a bad feeling going on and I've learned to trust my instincts lately.

[goclark]

12. From Their House To the WH

I think that Kerry should not walk from his house in Boston. Boston already loves him. Boston already knows him and the family.

Instead, I would like to have the cameras inside of the Kerry home. Watching them sitting in their living room.Laughing at the kitchen sink. Posing for pictures and enjoying each other as a family. Hugging each other as they get in their mini vans to go to the convention hall.

Not any interviews just watching them interact and be happy.

What the American people enjoyed about the Kennedy family was actually seeing them play football on the lawn and walking on the beach together. So what if they were rich,they were happy and full of life and spirit.

In order to get to know Kerry better we need to get to know the family better! We see them on stage when he is speaking. We see them campaigning individually but not TOGETHER.

Honest togetherness is a PLUS for Kerry and a MINUS for Bush.

The

[PATRICK]

17. Thanks for telling the whole world

AP. This ranks up there with the nuclear plant layout of possible terrorist avenues of attacks in 3-D diagrams with color(Time or Newsweek did that when we were more concerned about discussing our weaknesses openly than actually getting measures of prevention in place). WHO needed to know that?

Funny choice of revealing news articles these past four years.

[dusty64]

18. Thats kinda what I was

thinking. Was this meant to give some rightwing freak ideas? I don't recall ever reading something similar about our chimp, have you?