Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Miles from the Mainstream
D. R. ZUKERMAN, proprietor

~ LPR Special Edition ~
Protesting People, Politicians
and Public Figures

FEBRUARY 6, 2007 --

It was a sunny, mild January day in Washington, D.C., Saturday, the 27th of January -- the kind of day when warnings
of global warming might fill the media.

Conservatives were, however, indoors, at the J.W. Marriott, for a gathering held under the auspices of National Review.

It was the political left that enjoyed the appropriately blue sky over the Capitol
building, first at a rally on the National Mall and then on a short march to the venue of the federal legislature, again
controlled by the Democrats.

LPR, next day, heard Tim Russert refer to this outdoor assemblage as an "anti-war" gathering.


 

Sitting down while standing up to the president.



LPR saw it more as an Anti-Bush Rally and March (ABRAD), confident that this
view is confirmed by the accompanying images.

The "conservative summit" -- as it was expansively called -- got underway Friday evening with a reception honoring Amb. John Bolton our former permanent representative at the United Nations whose major sin in the eyes of Democratic senators -- suggested by
National Review editor Rich Lowry in his introduction -- was that he saw himself as America's representative to the UN and
not the UN's representative to the U.S.

Amb. John Bolton


Made ambassador by presidential recess appointment, this very able diplomat was denied a floor vote in the Senate and forced to resign his UN post.

Following the reception, the group -- a few hundred by LPR's estimate -- attended a panel discussion on the state of the Republican Party.

The panel, chaired by Kathryn Lopez, was comprised of white right women writers: Kate O'Beirne, Mona Charen, Michelle Malkin and Laura Ingraham.

Ms. Ingraham warned that the GOP will keep losing elections unless it connects with ordinary Americans. This point is also being made, lately, from his vantage point, by Democratic Senator Charles E. Schumer, who calls on his party to
link up with the people at large, not with the special interests, if Democrats are to retain power.

Laura Ingraham, January 26, with an expression that she could have had on seeing Jane Fonda with the VN Vet button.


Clearly, however, the motivation of both approaches is partisan, not a quest to promote liberty and the common good.

LPR, for a number of years, has urged Republicans to get close to the people, and has argued that reliance on consultants does not narrow the distance between politicians and the ordinary citizens.

At breakfast the next morning, LPR heard Newt Gingrich decry reliance on consultants and sharply criticize
presidential aspirants who have already declared for 2008.


LPR Note: LPR put Newt Gingrich's photo after the poster about conservatives not conserving because he could be responding: "Now wait
a minute…"


Newt Gingrich


Thankfully, historian Gingrich resisted this
update on Churchill: Never in the history of free elections have so many unqualified candidates declared so early to win so high an office.

The curious comment by Senator / Candidate Joseph Biden about Senator / Candidate Barack Obama suggests that
early expressions of presidential candidacies leave a lot of time for political self-destruction by word or deed.

Senator Biden would have avoided his particular verbal misstep by following the the rule that a candidate does not mention his opponents.

LPR left the conservative summit, for the anti-Bush demonstration soon after Mr. Gingrich completed his remarks. (The former House speaker tarried to autograph copies of his books on sale outside the meeting rooms.)

Other speakers listed at the conservative conclave included former Florida governor
Jeb Bush and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. Not having heard their remarks, LPR does not know if either of the former governors -- or any speaker at this conference -- answered the plaintive cry from the floor at the Friday evening panel:: "Why don't Republicans fight [back at attacking Democrats]"?

LPR believes these photos of the ABRAD speak for themselves, and here offers just a few observations: there was no massive police presence as is evident at
demonstrations held in New York City; there were tens of thousands of demonstrators and no criticism, let
alone condemnation, of suicide bombers, or of Syria and Iran.

LPR is not aware of comment about the
"Vietnam Veterans Against The War" button worn by Jane Fonda. Ms. Fonda has gotten attention for telling the rally that -- referring to her outspoken opposition to the Vietnam War -- after 34 years she could not longer remain silent.


Jane Fonda speaking to the Marchers.


Jane Fonda


LPR, however, is not certain that Ms.
Fonda had much opportunity for a leftist anti-war protest the past three decades. Did the usual anti-warniks protest our bombing of Serbia, for example?

Congressman Kucinich, one of the speakers at this rally, did.


Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio)
Candidate for President Chair of the Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee [Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Cal. - chair]


LPR, however, can think of no anti-war rally organized by the left during the Clinton presidency.

The usual, few counter-protesters to leftist
demonstrations maintained a vigil just below the Russell Senate Office Building, with members of this small contingent occasionally engaging in spirited
exchanges with the marchers -- the two sides separated by a wire fence.

Outside the Russell Senate Office Building


The fellow on the bike was in the march and he exchanged views with on of the counter demonstrators,
shown in the previous image.


A sign put up by the counter demonstrators that has an effigy
of Jane Fonda hanging alongside.


Replying to the protest …


Perhaps in recent years, the left has marched -- the right has voted.

Apparently conservatives cut back on voting last November. But the left remains ready to march -- when a Republican occupies the White House.


Rally Photos from D.C.

FEBRUARY 6, 2007 --

The three MC's for the event - Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (left) Rep. Jerrold Nadler (second from right), Rep. Maxine Waters (right), with Rev. Jesse Jackson (second from left.)


Rep. John Conyers, Jr (D-Mich.)
Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Member of Congress since 1965; as Judiciary committee
member in 1974, voted to impeach President Nixon.


Rep. John Conyers, Jr. speaking to the crowd.


Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Cal.)
Member of the House Judiciary Committee, Co-Chair of the House Democratic Steering Committee


Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.)
Member of the House Judiciary Committee, Chair of its subcommittee on the Constitution, civil rights and civil liberties


A view of the crowd, with the Washington Monument in the background …


Close-up of the crowd …

 

Rev. Jesse Jackson


Actor Tim Robbins, with a view of the Capitol behind him.


Actor Sean Penn


Susan Sarandon with Jane Fonda.


Celebrities on the podium …


An assortment of posters …


Posters framing the Capitol …


While Tim Robbins addressed the throngs, cameras fill the back-stage area …

Photos from the March in D.C. -
"United for Peace and Justice"

FEBRUARY 6, 2007 --

After the rally but before the march …


This band was playing on the
flat area between Mall and Capitol Hill, as the march began.


Marching up Capitol Hill …







An end of the day visitor from New Zealand

Marchers displaying their signs and posters …