also here's a ron paul kooks observations from your great convention jeffrey
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Just thought I would share with you what''s really on here at the Republican National Convention and have attached an article in yesterday''s Washington Times.
Fox reported that the Convention was packed. Not true! 1000''s of empty seats at the convention. Fox reports we, delegates were attacked by protesters. Not true! There were fifteen foot high metal fences a 1000 yards away prevented us from even seeing the protesters. There is probably a larger contingent of military and police than there are delegates and alternate. Buses each with an armed law enforcement officials take us from the hotel to the convention each day. Upon arrival you go through two level of electronic security like the airport.
Once you arrive on the convention floor, they have security guards every ten feet facing the rows of delegates. No delegate is allowed to speak throughout the convention. Periodically the security guards, will tell the delegates to rise and cheer. Prior to the convention, delegates were told no banners or signs would be allowed. At opening of the convention, the convention floor was flood with McCain banners.
At different times, there were a large contingent of men with McCain baseball caps at the entranceway out of site at the entrances to the aisles. When Joe Lieberman or one of the other McCain celebrities were introduced, the young men with red baseball caps were release and sent down the aisles to cheers and then returned to back of the convention floor to await the next cue to fill the aisle make it appear that the convention floor was filled.
Neither the platform committee nor any speaker spoke of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan or the sad state of our economy. As televised on C-Span, no more than 20 minutes was devoted to any platform item.
No platform resolution submitted by a Ron Paul delegate was approved.
No Ron Paul delegate was selected to serve on either the Platform or Rules committee.
No delegate/alternate had an opportunity to read the rules because they were not made available until the start of the convention.
Thus the opportunity to offer floor amendments was impossible. As Ron Paul delegate, I was made to feel like a turd in punch bowl.....may have something to do with the large Ron Paul button I was wearing and my refusal to stand amidst all the cheering for folks like Joe Lieberman. When asked my the Maine delegation whip if I would vote for John McCain, I told them I would be voting for Ron Paul. His reply was the Maine delegation would not announce 20 votes for John McCain and 1 for Ron Paul. Rather they would just announce 20 votes for McCain. Apparently, he felt that uttering Ron Paul''s name would be giving Ron Paul too much publicity.
More than one delegate shared by view that control over the delegates speech and movements along with the ever-present police seemed somewhat
totalitarian and intimidating.
Were it not for the wonderful hospitality of the legion of Minneapolis and St. Paul volunteers and staff who catered to our every whim, this would have been a pretty dismal experience. Additionally, we have made several new friend across the country amidst Ron Paul and the Maine delegation.
When we get back, we will need a little rest to what future contribution we might make to get our beloved country back on track.
lace w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Austin</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Texas</st1:state></st1
