Three weeks ago 47% of Americans wanted Bush's plan to end social security.
He's visited 8 states to explain his plan.
This week only 30% of Americans want Bush's plan.
This week Bush has begun a "new" campaign.
[ My friend Tom in New Jersey recently went to a protest at one of Bush's tour stops. Since he didn't have a dkos account and can't post a diary yet, he asked me to post it for him. Here is his account of the protest - copied in full in this diary, after the fold. ]
Today in Westfield, NJ bush kicked off his "all new campaign" to push is plan to end Social Security. Sadly, it isn't anything new. It's more of the fake Town-hall meetings where hand-selected people ask scripted questions and he gives scripted answers. Somewhere is a think-tank figuring out exactly what image they want on the news tonight and then a group of ex-Hollywood producers and directories manufacture the image in a way that seems reminiscent of how nut-cases claim the U.S. faked the moon landing.
Today's "new" campaign began with an astroturf-roots meeting in Westfield, New Jersey... about half a mile from where I live. Therefore, it was the perfect opportunity to go to the protest.
The Democrats, no longer giving in to Bush's antics, spent all week urging the grass roots to create a counter-protest.
I arrived around 9am. On the drive in it was very impressive to listen to Air America Radio (1190AM in the NYC area) covering the protest, including phone-ins from people at the protest right as they were harassed by cops. The rally has speakers that included NJ State Assemblywoman Linda Seltzer, and federal Representatives Robert Menendez and Frank Pallone. N.O.W. and Unions were also represented, as was, of course, NJ Citizen's Action (who sponsored the entire event).
Unlike typical boring Democrat speeches I've seen in recent years, Linda got up and gave a hootin' and a hollarin' crowd-pleasing speech with a lot of, "Are we going to stand for this?" (audience replies, "nooo") and lots of "fightin' words". Then Menendez got up and repeated along the same themes, also speaking with vigor unlike I've seen him ever do. Someone at the DNC must have finally found the keys to the lockbox where they keep their spines. Or maybe Democrats have set up a "get your spine back" school and these are the first graduates. (Or maybe these people, who endorsed Howard Dean a year ago, are realizing how right they had been.)
Frank Pallone brought a bus load of senior citizens from 3 different counties and had them stand behind him as he was speaking. It brought a tear to my eye (which immediately froze) to see them holding signs that said, "Hand's off my social security" and "$152,000 less benefits... why?" as he spoke.
However my favorite speaker was the union leader who pushed away the microphone and said, "I don't need a mic, I'm a workin' man and I can yell." He talked about how the Unions support us, because when we all work together we all move faster. That's the true ideal of America.
After the rally we marched across the street and a couple blocks to the protest area. It was too far away from the building to be effective, but we shouted and the media took pictures which I'm sure will look like we were right outside the building. Then we had the brilliant idea to go over a block and try to get in that way. The police set up barricades there too. However it was there that things that got a bit rowdy.
Westfield is a sleepy town and this was the biggest thing their police department has ever seen. The crowd was now 300+ people. The cops in riot gear came out. I don't know why they feel a crowd that is 60% little old ladies were such a threat. Oh wait, I do know why... because we have a message that is dangerous to the Bush Crime Family: Social Security is proof that the government can create a successful program that helps people and makes life better.
One young highschool girl got arrested when she tried to break through the police. Things got rowdy as we yelled, "shame" as they tied her up. The media swarmed in to get pictures of how they were treating her, and so they dragged her to the back of a van where the media couldn't go (i.e. the far side positioned away from the "Free Speech Zone").
More chanting and yelling. Some really good leadership from NJCA directing the protest.
Then a shill for the Bush administration dressed in plain clothes started trying to pick a fight. We surrounded him and tried to get the cops to get rid of him but they wouldn't. He was successful in riling people up, and there was a good amount of time that I thought he was going to be successful.
Eventually that started to peter out so I went back to the main protest site. It had grown to possibly 400 people. I chatted with a woman that had just arrived (driving an hour to get there).
Finally I had to get back to work so I walked back to my car.
I look forward to seeing how the protest gets shown in the news tonight/tomorrow. I know Bush is repeating this event in one other state today and I hope they have a big protest too. It's important that we get the message out: People hate his plans for Social Security.