The rightwing echo chamber reverberates with the sound of outrage:
FreedomWorks: Obama Bars College Republicans from Speech, Labels Them Security Threat
Town Hall: College Republicans Deemed Security Threat at Obama Speech
The Blaze: College Republicans Say They Werenât Allowed Into Obamaâs Speech Because They Were Deemed a Security Threat
OK, anyone want to guess what happens next?
Yep.
The National Review rehashed the story today in the form of an interview with one of the "victims": Courtney Scott, Treasurer of the Missouri College Republicans. In the course of doing so they accidentally blundered into a bit of reporting.
Bad move.
At about 3:40 p.m., an individual, whom Scott believes to have been a police officer because of his clothing, which included a hat emblazoned with the letters âPD,â stopped the group short of the gymnasium where Obama was scheduled to speak. He told them that they would not be able to proceed further. The group showed him their tickets, but the man said the doors had already closed and that they could not be let in.
The tickets stated that the doors opened at 1:45 p.m. and did not state when the doors were scheduled to close. President Obama was scheduled to begin speaking at 4:00.
Emphasis mine.
I realize that if you are a College Republican you are hoping to matriculate into a world where the rules do not apply to you - but strolling to the vicinity of the entrance with less than 20 minutes to go and then whining because the Secret Service won't unlock the doors for you? Surely some things are simply beyond the bounds of reason, even for conservatives.
Despite what the NRO writer interjected into his piece, there was no official start time for the event. Therefore the doors-opening at 1:45 p.m. was the only concrete piece of timing that anyone had to plan by.
Here is what the student newspaper printed prior to the event (emphasis mine)
On the day of the event, doors will open at the Student Rec at 1:45 p.m. For security reasons, it is suggested that attendees do not bring bags and limit personal items. There are no signs or banners permitted. All attendees will go through airport-like security.
Here is
the official advice to students.
Doors to the Rec Center will be open at 1:45 p.m. on July 24..Those attending should be prepared to stand for a significant amount of time prior to and during the presentation.
From the local news station, a picture of people who aren't overly entitled little whiners lining up hours in advance - the caption says the line to see the president's speech started forming at 5. a.m.
Here is what the university has to say:
Official UCM Statement Regarding Admittance to President Obama Appearance
WARRENSBURG, MO (July 26, 2013) â The University of Central Missouri has thoroughly reviewed claims of individuals being inappropriately denied admission to President Barack Obama's speech on campus July 24, 2013. These reports are unfounded. No one who presented a ticket was turned away prior to all doors being locked in accordance with Secret Service procedures. We have confirmed everyone who presented a ticket prior to that time was admitted.
I don't do Twitter, but perhaps one of you who does could ask Ms. Scott why she thinks that the Secret Service should have unlocked the doors for her.
7:49 PM PT: Update:
I wonder how the University feels about its own students going out of their way to make the school look bad in order to get on "Hannity"?
Anyway, here is what UCM public relations officer Jeff Murphy said the day before the event:
Murphy says the university has been overwhelmed by the public response, noting that tickets became available at 10 a.m. Monday and a line was already stretched nearly two blocks around to get them. They were gone within an hour.
He says doors open at 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, and encourages anyone who has a ticket to be there at that time.
“There is a screening process, they may have to stand for an hour or longer waiting,” he says.
Update: I also don't do Facebook, but maybe those of you who do could ask the Missouri College Republicans why they think the rules don't apply to them and that therefore they can show up 20 minutes before the event - after the Secret Service has put it into lock-down - and the doors will be opened for them?
https://www.facebook.com/...
Sun Jul 28, 2013 at 9:22 AM PT: I also don't do Facebook, but maybe those of you who do could ask the Missouri College Republicans why they think the rules don't apply to them and that therefore they can show up 20 minutes before the event - after the Secret Service has put it into lock-down - and the doors will be opened for them?
https://www.facebook.com/...
Sun Jul 28, 2013 at 12:28 PM PT: The "victims" are whining again today. If you have a Disqus account, stop by and point and laugh.
Sun Jul 28, 2013 at 1:33 PM PT: The Missouri College Republicans are scrubbing all the comments that correctly state the facts of this case from their Facebook page.