Keep in mind that this was another bipartisan attack on our civil rights and liberties, demanded by the Republicans and carried out by Democratic (sic) city and state governments as well as federal agencies.

The current string of attacks on civil liberties began when Democrat (sic) Diane Feinstein introduced the precursor of the Paytriot Act during the Clinton Administration to suppress antiwar agitation over Clintons murderous embargo policy that killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children.

After 9-11 both parties participated in a bipartisan attack on Constitutional rights. In the military theatres the illegal murders of civilians and POW’s grew exponentially and terror bombing, missile and artillery attacks increased with deadly results for non-combatants. In violation of international and US law Bush set up concentration camps and began kidnapping foreign nationals and paying other governments to torture and kill them.

Obama and McCain's support for FISA is not just another example of their craven sellouts to big business? Both of them are dues paying members of the world's second oldest profession so sellouts are expected. But Obama's support for FISA, like McCain's, is a little more serious. It takes a hatchet to the Bill of Rights, particularly the Fourth Amendment. Voters will have to choose which of them they’d prefer violating your civil liberties. Which is the more 'progressive' sellout?

Obama and McCain both voted to extend the anti-constitutional Paytriot Act expanding the surveillance state, setting and trampling civil liberties? Which of their votes was more 'progressive vote'?

Both McCain and Obama have promised to continue the war, and dementedly, Obama wants to extend it to Pakistan and McCain to Iran. With that as a backdrop the attacks on civil liberties and constitutional rights will continue.

Thanks for posting this, Mattilda.

I have been extremely upset over what has been happening in St Paul, the lack of media coverage, and the absolutely disturbing apathy of most Americans.

Likewise, I strongly object to portraying what happened in St Paul as "bipartisan," as Bill and other Projectors have done. What happened in St Paul is much worse than anything that happened in Denver.

Those who read my posts and comments here know I am no mindless Democratic supporter. It is no secret that I find the Democratic Party spineless and despicable in its pro-business, pro-war actions and policies. And yes, the Democratic convention in Denver saw the noxious "free-speech" zones and heavy handed intimidation of activists by police.

But according to witnesses, what happened in St Paul was far, far worse. Just take this incident: can you supply a comparable one from Denver? How about accounts of arrested journalists? Bystanders pepper-sprayed and shot with rubber bullets? Pre-emptive raids on activists’ homes?

St Paul, according to witnesses, was transformed into a militarized zone, with uniformed members of the armed services patrolling the streets, battalions of riot police marching and chanting military slogans, innocent people swept up in indiscriminate and brutal police actions, pre-emptive raids on activists' homes which saw the confiscation of computers, journals and political literature, and now, legally charging arrested activists with felonies under Minnesota’s version of the Patriot Act.

And this person here, tortured.

Yes, the Democrats are disgraceful enablers. But St Paul itself was brought to you at a Republican convention, after a trial run in NYC four years ago, by a Republican administration.

Mattilda thank you. Even though for some mysterious yet obvious reason the utube video is no longer available the meaning of your posting is clear.

Our once great republican example that was an envy of others in the world has turned in to The United States of Amerika Inc. There is corporate pressure on everyone and everything from the news purveyors to the manufacturers of Taser devices.

All we can do is consistently organize and vote in favor of human (our) rights. Have we, as a society, fallen so in love with television happy talk that we throw away the whole point of democracy? It feels like it at times, particularly when exposed to enough stupid people out there who still cling to "My country right or wrong."

Were we doing anything important with our freedom? Most won't notice that it is gone.

Hmm sorry but nothing is working from You tube not just this.And the police arrested no one at the Democratic convention im gussing?

and still the typo queen make that guessing daa.

Thats good to know but reading this youd of thought it was only at St Paul folks got arrested not Denver and yes the "protesters" at St Paul tended to be more rowdy than in Denver.Then they always are more rowdy at Republican conventions than in Democratic ones since the one in 68.

It was worse at the Republican convention, but nevertheless it remains absolutely true that it was worse because of the bipartisan effort to attack our civil liberties.

The Democrats are just as bad in that regard, historically and currently, as the Republicans. These spells of anti-constitutionalism are always an adjunct of war, and they're carried out by both parties, sometimes competitively, as in “I Hate Commies” vs. “No, I REALLY Hate Commies” and sometimes cooperatively, as in the collusion between federal and local police and Democrats and Republicans to conduct a murder campaign against leftists and nationalists like Malcolm X and the Panther leadership who terrified them.

These attacks on the constitution are always linked to the pursuit of war aims. When Wilson forced the US into war to protect American bank loans to England and France a terrible witch-hunt against 'Reds' and aliens was instituted. It led to mass arrests and deportations of ‘aliens’ and the murder of Sacco and Vanzetti. As the Cold War heated up first Truman and then Ike engaged in witch-hunting on a huge scale. That led to the murder of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg and to tens of thousands of GLBT folks being driven out of good jobs in industry, schools, the military and the civil service.

During the invasion and occupation of Vietnam it was the Democrats who conducted red hunts and it was they who unleashed rioting police on unarmed civilians in Chicago. Later Nixon followed the same path and that led to the murders of students at Kent State and Jacksons State.

In the current war, a war to get hegemony over vital resources like food and oil, the US is engaging in genocide in Iraq and mass murder in Afghanistan. Last week saw the first ‘reported’ raid of US troops on a Pakistani town with a predictably large and uncalled for list of civilian causalities.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24000236-2703,00.html
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0904/p04s01-wosc.html

The attack on civil liberties began with Clinton’s genocidal infanticide which seamlessly morphed into Bush’s genocide. The killing in the Middle East and the attacks on the Constitution will go on and intensify, as the events in St. Paul illustrate, for as long as the war goes on. Obama’s phased withdrawal is a crock and so is McCain’s century of war. The best way to defend our rights is to build a non-partisan independent, massive, militant antiwar movement. movement.

http://www.campusantiwar.net/
http://www.ivaw.org/
http://www.uslaboragainstwar.org/
http://natassembly.org/
http://www.basraoilunion.org/

Rowdy was the fools who broke windows tore up things and were stupid enough to pick fights with the police.Then I guess you didnt think they were there either and being idiots. Everyone who was arrested was an innocent bystander right?

Im not going to agure with you you see things through your own eyes and no amount of truth will ever change it.As for Bil Purdues "history" thats so full of revsionism and Bil's warped sense of what he belives is true.Im not going to touch it either then Bil wants us not to vote at all in Novemember to.

The truth is, I can't remember a RNC when police brutality wasn't the norm. Of course this goes back decades before my experience, and the Chicago DNC was worse in outcome, but the way people are treated today has no justification. None, unless you are a supporter of Bush's Guantanimo Bay tactics.

Cathy, the baiting is as obvious as my pre-SRS bulge.

The other thing I noticed was that this was covered in my local media as the police against a united national anarchist movement. All of the protesters were labelled as anarchists, "tens of thousands" of 'em. Fear, Hate, Fear, Hate... ad infinitum. Oh, the Liberal Media strikes again! Wait, um, no. Nevermind.

I can't remember a RNC when police brutality wasn't the norm.

When I protested the RNC in 92, there was massive police raid on the ACT UP protest. I ended up having to punch a police horse in the nose and make a quick getaway through the crowd to avoid arrest for watching as others burned Bush Sr. in effigy.

For a further backgrounder on the subject of protesters at both conventions, commenters can check out my recent post at http://www.bilerico.com/2008/09/we_must_end_attacks_on_the_right_to_peac.php

There are quite a few aspects to look at, as far as the history of how our rights are being taken away. The history of conspiracy charges and use of RICO prosecutions, for one. The growing use of gag orders, for another. I'm going to be covering some of these aspects in upcoming posts.

And BTW, I think everybody should vote.