http://www.democrats.com/view2.cfm?id=15679

16-Aug-03

From Steve in Sarasota: "I was personally told to leave the hall by two Bradenton police officers when I asked them how they could prevent people from bringing literature into the hall. They just said, 'Those are the rules.' so I asked, 'What rules?', 'Whose rules?', and 'What law is that?'. They just kept repeating, 'Those are the rules.' So I challenged them by saying, 'You can't prevent people from possessing political literature. It's in the Constitution.' At that point the two officers told me that I had to leave the building. I asked for one of their badge numbers and one of them gave me his card...."

Democracy and Election Law Asked To Leave the Building at Katherine Harris Townhall Meeting

Just a followup to this information.

I was personally told to leave the hall by two Bradenton police officers when I asked them how they could prevent people from bringing literature into the hall. They just said, "Those are the rules." so I asked, "What rules?", "Whose rules?", and "What law is that?". They just kept repeating, "Those are the rules." So I challenged them by saying, "You can't prevent people from posessing political literature. It's in the Constitution." At that point the two officers told me that I had to leave the building. I asked for one of their badge numbers and one of them gave me his card.

Prior to this, and also not in the paper, Jan Schneider, who was narrowly defeated by Harris and who is running again, entered the hall at about 4:30 pm and started distributing her literature. Harris aides first told her that she needed to put her flyers under Harris's material. Harris had a three color folded slick brochure, paid for with taxpayer dollars, on every chair. They wanted Schneider to put Harris's propaganda on top. When Jan refused, she was told that she could not put any literature out at all. She was told by a Harris staffer that,: "We paid for this hall." Schneider asked if the Harris campaign had paid for the Town Hall meeting. If they had, that would have meant that the taxpayer-funded literature was actually campaign literature and a violation of FEC regulations. If not, they had no right to restrict access. Instead of giving her an answer, they told her that she had to leave the hall. They then collected all of her literature and deposited it on a table outside.

This is a clear violation of the First Amendment rights, by a sitting member of the House of Representatives. Grounds for impeachment? [Ed. Note: actually, the process would be indictment, conviction, then expulsion]

Check out the Washington Post tomorrow. There may be more on this.

America is really becoming a police state. The group spokespeople cited in the article are from such subversive groups as AARP and the League of Women Voters.

Regards,

Steve in Sarasota

Steve, We couldn't agree with you more... Thanks for the heads-up, see the below

Literature confiscated at Katherine Harris Bradenton town hall meeting

Security guards confiscated any written material people tried to bring intothe hall. The confiscated literature included analysis of the Medicareprescription bills passed in the House and Senate in June as well as a chartshowing Harris' voting record since she began her term in January.

Katherine Harris booed at Bradenton town hall meeting

U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris, who gained the national spotlight as Florida secretary of state during the 2000 coup d'etat, was booed several times at a town hall meeting about the Medicaid prescription drug plan being considered by Congress. Hundreds of people showed up with detailed questions for Harris at the Bradenton Kiwanis Hall Thursday night. The lines at the microphones were long. The boos were loud.

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