Fox News article from 4 years ago about Bush's screening policies at his "Town Halls"

[XOKCowboy]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,153720,00.html

Friday, April 22, 2005

By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos

WASHINGTON — The unceremonious ouster of three people from a recent White House Social Security event in Colorado has critics wondering how far President Bush will go to ensure friendly, sympathetic audiences at his town hall-style forums and rallies.

“He is the president, and regardless of affiliation, everybody should have the opportunity to go and see the president,” said Aaron Johnson, spokesman for Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo. “It shouldn’t be the job of anybody to make sure the crowd is 100 percent sympathetic.”

Even without a guaranteed audience of backers, the administration does have the right to try and prevent threats and disruptions from protesters, which is why people are often barred from Bush events, according to White House officials. The removal of individuals can occur before and after a disruption.

“There is an active campaign underway to try and disrupt and disturb his events in hopes of undermining his objective of fixing Social Security,” White House spokesman Trent Duffy told FOXNews.com. “If there is evidence there are people planning to disrupt the president at an event, then they have the right to exclude those people from those events.”

Such short and selective memories people have. The hypocrisy just hurts.

[opihimoimoi]

1. 20 minute amnesia crowd.....they still think Sun goes around Earth in 7 Daze

[timeforpeace]

2. Probably same restrictions to Obama's events. The president is different.

[DCKit]

6. Yeah, right. All two million at the inaguration had to sign a loyalty pledge.

I've never heard of anyone being excluded from any Obama appearance for the reasons BushCo* used. If I had my way, half the MSM schills in the WH press room would lose their access - they've earned the punishment. But the (current) President is a much bigger man than I'll ever be.

Then again, when the disrupters are outnumbered 100-1, they tend to keep quiet. They are, after all, already living in a state of constant Terra! Terra! Terra!

[SemiCharmedQuark]

7. Someone asked if healthcare reform meant that someone would go to your house and ask you how you

wanted to die at one of Obama's latest townhalls.

If they're screening, they need to do a better job.

[earthboundmisfit]

3. K&R -

Thanks for finding this - What a bunch of hypocritical mofos! The article should be brought up by Rachel & KO, too...

[Karenina]

4. . .

[pnorman]

5. Great find! Thanks, that was precisely what I had been looking for!

n/t

pnorman

[texasleo]

8. Nice.