BREAKING Hastert staffers try to disrupt Kerry CHI rally, a wndycty report

Folks this is absolutely rich. Please e-mail this one far and wide and keep it kicked.

Last night a number of Republican brownshirts try to disrupt John Kerry's Chicago rally. The group was led by Republican DeKalb County Board Member and Hastert campaing staffer Eric J. Johnson. Johnson and friends snuck in signs on t-shirts or pillow cases.

Here is a picture of Board Member Johnson taken at the rally


Here is another picture of Johnson as well as a link to an article that confirms him as a member of Hastert's campaign staff:

http://www.star.niu.edu/campus/articles/091103-sa.asp

Here is a link to the DeKalb County Board webpage which ID's Johnson as a member:
http://www.dekalbcounty.org/CoBoard_Inter/cb_members.html

Here a photos of some of Johnson's co-horts (notice the white sheets in hand):

Love the pearls!!!






Johnson trying to take wndycty's camera!!!


For more pics: http://homepage.mac.com/wndycty/PhotoAlbum1.html

I think we need to make this kid a major celebrity. Whenever these brownshirts attempt to disrupt, take their pictures, post them. This guy is an elected Republican official and a Hastert campaign staffer, when you hear about Democrats playing dirty show them this. Was he there on official business? Does the Speaker of the House endorse this behavior? Guys we busted Mr. Johnson, how many more Johnsons are out there. KEEP THIS KICKED

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Also e-mail it to news sources!

Wndy, are you going to send any of this info to the media? Maybe the local TV stations would investigate it.

Some of you may be more up to date on the issue. It is my understanding that it was in regards to one of his votes on an intelligence bill, that it he did not support because it was loaded with a lot unnecessary pork and provisions. The signs said "Why" and the included the bill #.

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If you need the email address, let me know.

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I was like five feet away from them. A bunch of teamsters and myself just stood in front of them and asked them what the hell they were doing. They fled. Easy to run when you have half a dozen teamsters and a 6"5' college kid bearing down on you.

That is good.

I can look intimidating, but the teamsters looked downright threatening. Do not mess with the Hoffa union, no sir.

I saw those disruptors but could only read the "why" sign. I am proud of whoever was covering up their fabric with Kerry signs.

But here is an interesting thing I heard today...
a kid from SIU (age 22) that was my (best ever) intern last summer forwarded this about what he was told about the rally:

...a couple of friends said the event was "managed and fake"...what did you think?

my reply was:

Fake? More like typical, I have been to a few of these. All political
rally's are managed, they have to be. Everyone has to work to a
schedule, events have to be planned and promoted. Political campaigns
can't "book the room" 7 months in advance. You do what you can to
invite as many people as possible to fill the room. I, (because of my
work connections) was given tickets, but I also received a voice mail
message from the campaign inviting me for general admission and they
can't possibly know that much about me. People showed up because they
were told about it in enough time for them to be able to make it,
nothing more. I found out less than 24 hours before the event and I am
"connected" so to speak.

He is a brilliant youngster and his only response after that was:
interesting!

What do I tell him now?

I am old enough to be his mother if you wonder why I call him a youngster.

edited to add to first comment.

With Kerry locking it up the Mayor and Governor got on board, but Chi is a Dem city and their was top state union support. My son and I were there on three days notice through grassroots. Like you said typical. It's time for change.

how else can you pull it off? I am in the process of finishing my busiest week of the year. Candidate XXXXX has given my print shop a ton of business (37 versions of doorhangers that cover the entire state). I'm afraid my young friends don't quite get how it all works yet.

had been to other political events - particularly for the opposing party - to ask if they could compare and contrast.

Ask them to follow any stories about any Bush/Cheney events that happen in the area and note in particular what happens to folks who carry signs that are not supportive (hint: shuffled blocks away to a "first amendment zone).

The point is to turn the moment into a teachable one - not just for the moment but in terms of an eye opening moment so that the reading of news coverage about future events (either side) will include mentally attending to the single sentence statement that talks about opponents, or management of events, and the like.

I was at the Kerry rally in Green Bay, WI day before our primary. There were four College Repub khaki-wearing punks standing on the corner of the block with Bush/Cheney signs. Then the guys from the Steelworkers union decided to walk over there. I had to go in the building before the twain met but I can only imagine how good it was judging by the looks of the Steelworkers.

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Flori-duh all over Again!

when he came to the Gainesville Airport for a rally, about 10 of them showed up with Jeb signs. They were extremely abusive and pushy, physically pushing people around to get in front of the cameras and behind McBride. Of course, the police stood by and did nothing.

Went to Dem heavy Polls, caused a riot. Hence, all the voters fled.

Please tell!

. . .I made sure everyone knew Mr. Johnson's name and his affiliations. The crowd was not happy with him. He gave me the finger, I tried to get a photo of it, now that would have been too funny a Republican elected official who is a Hastert campaign staffer gets caught giving someone the finger!

about the jobs in denny boy`s district

kane-8.1
dekalb-7
lee-6.9
whiteside-7.5
kendall-7.1
henry-7.5
bureau-8.6

Doesn't Johnson look like that really annoying and pompous jerk in Hart's study group?

:evilgrin:

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sorry i missed it. hi to chicago duers.

when attempting to disrupt opposition political rallies. I have it on good authority that some ladies even go so far as to wear artificial pearls on such occasions!"

...not that anyone in the media cares about Republicans disrupting elections, but it's worth a shot.

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causing the disruption...shine the lights and cameras on them..and make a point of talking about them to the audience saying this is what the rethuglicans do to win. They win when we run....shining the light on these roaches...makes them run and hide.

We took pictures, we made sure everyone knew who he was.

hmmmmmmmmmm....

great catch, wndycty!!

that POS grinning bastard!

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just a suggestion!

Thanks

wndycty

http://www.thismodernworld.com/
tomtomorrow@ix.netcom.com

http://atrios.blogspot.com/
atrios@comcast.net

They were doing it to Dean when he was the front-runner. Now they're doing it to Kerry.

Look, I don't like Kerry. I would never vote for him. But I'll be damned if I'm going to sit idly by while his democratic rights are being attacked. If he comes to SE Michigan, and the GOP tries to pull this kind of crap, you can count on me to help organize a defense guard for his rally.

Martin

If not they should be made aware as well as the local Kerry campaign coordinator and the local Democratic Party office.

They were surrounded by people holding Kerry signs immediately.

I had one ready at my precinct caucus in case any Christian Coalition infiltrators tried to sabotage the proceedings. Hoo-ah!

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What a thug.

. . .he was really frustrated because I held his sign with one hand and he was trying to take away from me with two hands (I am bragging about my brute strength. . .LOL). Later one of is co-horts told me I assulted him. . .now that was too funny.

Got all upset when some one stood up to his ass!

You GO wndycty!

. . .calling out their names. I think he shit a brick when after he posed for a pic, I called him by name and asked him if Dennis Hastert sent him, then we I also told him I knew he was a DeKalb County board member he really got flustered. I had good sources. . .I am sure he thought he could come and go without getting called out. I am sure you saw the pic I posted of him with Dennis Hastert.

great job!

What a smug looking little wart hog.


FYI - If the little wart hog and his gal pals are reading this .... if you show up at any rally in the L.A. you are SOOOOOOOO busted.

As sharp as they come.

twerp I have ever seen. He looks like Hitler at the podium.

Itd be funny if pictures were taken of rethugs at kerry rallys then posted on here or a website proclaiming them REPUBLICANS FOR KERRY since they were there and all! we should have a thank you website!
haha.

Way to bust him. Share this with the networks...THEY HAD NO BUSINESS BEING THERE!

oh, civility is lost, ideas are lost, even now we win because the president is an idiot, not because the media is reporting how our ideas stack up.

pity, but we have to win the game to change the rules, i guess

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DuPage county resident I'm not in the least bit surprised. Great work Wndycty! We all need to follow suit. Expose them all.

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I got one of the signs from one of the other goons and gave it to our friend. I don't know if he told you he has it.

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I'm just askin' ? :shrug:

. . .blushing.

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the NERVE!!!

. . .I am sure there might be some interesting things happening in the future.

. . .we don't have to do anything to them. We just need to let them continue doing what they are doing and just call them on it. Other than protesting (in a free speech zone) outside of a Bush event, I would limit myself to being on the lookout for Repuke disruptors at Democratic events and I will have fun at their expense. Just always carry a camera.

every one of his appearances.

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Kick

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Uncle Karl's Dirty Tircks Squads are SOOOO much worse than back in the Watergate Days.

Tip of a VERY BIG ICEBERG!

:kick: Hastert took "great umbrage" with Kerry's comments. Well maybe be should tell his brownshirts to stop disrupting Kerry events.

I'm at work, and am swamped as hell.

The erst of you guys will have to make sure Corporate TV Pravda gets this so that they can contemptuously ignore it.

Seriously, give it a shot anyway, because maybe I'm wrong...

If I pummelled one of these assholes at a rally how much trouble would I be in?

Just embarrass.

;)

I wonder just how much you can embarrass this guy. Or Hastert.

I hope we can at least get it on Buzzflash. I have sent it to them as well as Talking Points Memo as well. So far no takers. Do you think Will Pitt will take an interest in it?

One problem with it is he's small potatoes. It's true that it doesn't look good that there was more than one of them. That makes it look like a coordinated event. But he's probably just a stupid kid a little too zealous for his own good. Hastert probably wouldn't get touched by this.

It would be ideal to make Hastert suffer a little because of this kid. It would be great to find a pattern, as you suggest, of these operatives from members of Congress's offices turning up at Kerry events. Then you could get someone interested I bet. Than maybe Gillespie or DeLay could be made to sweat, if they're capable of being made to feel anything but the most reptilian sensations.

We need to start an archive to record these events should it get out of hand.

this is great, calling them out by name. The fact they were embarrassed and did not want their pictures taken really says it all.

Junior brownshirts...

Someone should ask Hastert publicly if he condones this kind of behavior by his staff...

And tell him these are the crooks and liars Kerry was talking about.

they sometimes are ready to do a ready-made story...

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. . .hopefully we can create a place to document all of these acts.

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He might just have the balls to put this in his column.
:Kick:

Mr Zorns e-mail is ericzorn@aol.com

We should not just rely on just one e-mail.

on the Dem side got a look at this tonight. There should be some local follow up, maybe letters in the local media. Maybe Hastert will see what an embarrassment he is. Delay will probably pick up his option.

LOL

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They held up signs that said "S.1290 WHY?". Are they stupid or what? Stupid is as Stupid does. Bush brought this up and they blindly followed. Here is an explanation of S.1290 from the Washington Post on MSNBC.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4509529/

Good artícle cutting right through the Bush bullshit.

<snip>
"In terms of accuracy, the parry by the president is about half right. Bush is correct that Kerry on Sept. 29, 1995, proposed a five-year, $1.5 billion cut to the intelligence budget. But Bush appears to be wrong when he said the proposed Kerry cut — about 1 percent of the overall intelligence budget for those years — would have "gutted" intelligence. In fact, the Republican-led Congress that year approved legislation that resulted in $3.8 billion being cut over five years from the budget of the National Reconnaissance Office — the same program Kerry said he was targeting.

You probably didn't see that little fact from Bush, huh?

"Kerry campaign officials said yesterday that the $1.5 billion in cuts he proposed were meant to take back the $1 billion to $1.7 billion the NRO had salted away — but the legislation and Kerry's floor statement, inserted in the Congressional Record that day, did not specify the reason for the proposed cuts. The campaign has no proof that the cuts were for this purpose, but officials point to his joining Specter and others in proposing legislation that resulted in reducing the NRO's fund reserves over the next five years.

So the congress wanted to reduce a department's carryover? Happens all the time. What a crock!

We have to stand up or be Gored again. The Global Oil Project has to finish their agenda no matter the cost to this country.

. . .they don't take too kindly to that.

:-)

You still should've headbutted the cheesy little prick, though.

Kid should have been shoved in the nearest high school locker.