Denver Tea Party 2010: PPC Livestreaming Coverage

You can follow the latest Colorado are Tax Day Tea Parties at People's Press Collective and Denver Tea Party, both of which will be providing gavel-to-gavel livestreaming coverage of tomorrow's Denver Tea Party.

Denver Tea Party: Tax Day Protests Gear Up For April 15 Rally

**Update (April 13): Rallies scheduled all over Colorado (in at least 16 cities); Leftist smear tactics continue



"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds"--Samuel Adams


From the folks at FreedomWorks.

Get started with a roundup of links at Gateway Pundit and Michelle Malkin. Denver's Tax Day Tea Party can be found on Facebook (also here)--with a tentative schedule (plan on arriving by 11:30am, with conclusion by 1:30pm):

10:00 Volunteers arrive, Setup
11:00 Speaker Meet & Greet
11:00 Tea Bag Sign Up Begins, Send a pink slip to your officials, Join Hear US Now! sign up!
12:00 Greeting by MC Brian T Campbell, Sr.
12:05 Pledge of Alegiance - Led by Brian T Campbell, Sr.
Castle Capella's Patriotic Singing
Guest Speaker - Gunny Bob
Guest Speaker - Tom Lucero
Guest Speaker - Jon Caldara, The Independence Institute
Guest Speaker - Mike Kopp, CO State Senator
Guest Speaker - Rob McNealy
Guest Speaker - Josh Penry, CO State Senate Minority Leader
Guest Speaker - Keith Peterson
Guest Speaker - Ken Buck, Weld County District Attorney

More speakers will be announced as April 15 approaches. If you want to bring your own signs, here are over 175 great suggestions for slogans.

There are at least 300 confirmed cities hosting a Tax Day Tea Party rally--even a low-ball, extremely conservative estimate of 1000 participants at each rally means that there could very well likely be somewhere in the neighborhood of five hundred thousand passionate Americans fighting for liberty on April 15.

The grassroots element of these loosely affiliated and locally organized actions has been clearly demonstrated--johnny-come-latelies like RNC Chair Michael Steele have been politely turned down when offering their speaking services.

The Left has also recognized the true scope of this upsurge in pro-liberty activity from libertarians, Republicans, and conservatives. Their solution?

Hijack.

Sabotage.

Infiltrate.

Smear.

Discredit.

Roger Simon offers some pointers on dealing with lefty agents provacateurs.

Instapundit Glenn Reynolds has a video update from PJTV on the Tea Parties across the country.

There are more important questions in the days that come after the fervor of April 15 has passed--what next?

Not all are convinced of the constructive nature of the rallies, but it looks like this is turning out to be a very small minority.

Upcoming Events--April Edition (Continuously Updated)

April 16--
Please Join R Block Party
--To continue our discussion about the future of the Republican Party in Colorado

State & local politics: what the state can do for us & what we must do for ourselves--the importance of local elections staying involved candidate development & support

**********************************
Join us in welcoming:

Michael Britt, Executive Director, Colorado GOP
--On state party structure: what the state can and cannot do

Cathy Noon, candidate for Mayor of Centennial
--On why her previous campaign failed & how she will adapt in her run for mayor
**********************************
Thursday, April 16, 2009
6:30 pm mingle, 7:00 pm start

Southpark Clubhouse
2850 W Long Ave
SE corner Mineral & Santa Fe
in the Southpark development
Littleton, CO 80120

Please feel free to forward this invitation to any friends or acquaintances that might be interested in joining us!

RSVP:
rblockparty@comcast.net
Nikki Mata

hosted by:
Lori Horn, Susie McKinney, Madelaine Rohan, Elise Marks, Carol Kaferle, Carol Harangody, Christine Hart & Nikki Mata

---

April 2--
DENVER COUNTY GOP FIRST THURSDAY BREAKFAST

Please join us this week for a special First Thursday Breakfast
Thursday, April 2nd from 7:00 - 8:30 am, featuring:

Senator Josh Penry, Senate Republican Minority Leader and potential candidate for Governor

JW MARRIOTT at 150 CLAYTON LANE, on block north of the Cherry Creek Mall. $10 covers the cost of your breakfast. You can park for FREE on Clayton Lane, or use the hotel's valet parking (there may be a charge). We are working on approval to also allow parking at the mall, and will send an update via e-mail when details are finalized.

RSVP HERE or send a quick note to vice.chairman@denvergop.org

Denver Anti-Stimulus Rally: Photo Essay

**Update 2: Instalanche! Thanks Glenn! Hot Air too--thanks AP!

**Update: Videos are live (more on the way)

"No More Pork!"

Can't put lipstick on a pig . . .


An unexpected guest of honor!

Approximately 500-750 people showed up to the state capitol in Denver to say: "No More Pork!"

More from Michelle Malkin, the great El Marco, and wall-to-wall coverage from Peoples Press Collective. Face the State has a recap and slideshow, and Free Colorado has even more photos and audio/transcript of the rally.

While the videos are uploaded to YouTube (video of every speaker will be available shortly), here are scenes from the raucous anti-stimulus rally:

Change we aren't too sure about.


Independence Institute President and featured speaker, Jon Caldara


The roasted pig waiting to be unveiled

Mortgaging our children's future, another popular theme.

You can say that again.

Before long, they'll want that too!

The signs were varied, but unlike lefty protests, they actually made sense.

We'll our children will just pay it later . . .


We agree.


Michael Huttner of ProgressNow Colorado (you can Google the link) couldn't pass up the free publicity.


The most popular speaker of the day--blogress extraordinaire Michelle Malkin of MichelleMalkin.com and HotAir.com


The roasted pig unveiled!


Former Rep. Tom Tancredo








Dumb and Dumber--Reid and Pelosi


Nathan the pig, about to bring the house down.


State Sen. Kevin Lundberg


State Sen. Josh Penry


Colorado GOP Chair Dick Wadhams--the long road back begins now.


Jon Caldara leads the crowd in chants of "No More Pork!"--the obvious theme of the day.


Here, here!


Fascism/Communism--same state control, same awful results


"Come and get it!"


Michelle Malkin serves the masses.


Not good change, that's for sure!


To the tune of at least $787 billion


Just say no to the Fairness Doctrine--raging against government control of the airwaves

More to come . . .

Rebuilding The GOP Bench In Denver

Begins locally, or in this case, within the party structure. If the GOP has any chance at looking to rebuild its competitiveness statewide, it had better focus first on local elections and to putting into place the personnel infrastructure that won't cede any district election or continue to allow Democrats go unchallenged in making use of the vaunted social networking apparatus of the Internet. There is no simple fix, and this is hardly a laundry list of the action items necessary to reestablish a functioning party with viable candidates, a clear and consistent message on policy borne of principles, and a system engaging the grassroots and eshewing the traditional party operative structure that may have worked in decades past, but that has been thoroughly exposed in recent elections.

The GOP isn't bereft of such individuals, and a candidate for Vice Chairmanship of the Denver County Republican Party--my friend and fellow RMA blogger Joshua Sharf--is just the type of experienced and energized person the GOP needs to put in place now, and look to recruit more of going into the future. This won't be a plan that looks at 2010 exclusively, but a vision that sees politics for the cyclical nature that it has both here in Colorado and across the country and realizes that elections aren't won within the next cycle, but over time. The Democrats realized that and, well, they have realized the results as well.

I therefore offer my full endorsement of Joshua, and encourage other Denver Republicans to do the support him as well.

PETA Vegetarians Make "Run For The Border"--Update: Video Added

**Update--video from the Denver Post:



Missed this scene earlier today--free "Tofurkeys" distributed in Larimer Square in Downtown Denver:

Holding signs that read, "Don't Gobble Us--Go Vegetarian," two PETA members wearing turkey costumes will hand out free soy-based Tofurky roasts (generously donated by Turtle Island Foods) in Denver on Thursday. The action is part of the weary birds' multicity "Turkey Drive": To avoid ending up as someone's Thanksgiving dinner, the two feathered fugitives are heading for the border in the back of a chauffeured red convertible with a sign reading, "Mexico or Bust!" Their goal? To persuade as many people as possible to give birds a break this holiday by choosing a vegetarian meal.

Most of the 300 million turkeys who are killed in the U.S. every year--an astounding 40 million at Thanksgiving alone--endure debeaking and declawing without any pain relief. They are crammed by the tens of thousands into dark, stiflingly hot warehouses, where disease, smothering, and heart attacks are common. A recent PETA investigation at a turkey farm in West Virginia revealed that workers routinely kicked and punched animals and bludgeoned birds with metal pipes, pieces of wood, and other weapons. Workers were also caught intentionally breaking turkeys' necks and other bones and stomping on their heads.

"This Thanksgiving, we can all give turkeys something to be thankful for--by serving up delicious, healthy, and humane meatless feasts," says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. "Holidays should be about a celebration of life, not a tortured dead bird in the middle of the table."

Mmmm--can't wait for my mother's dead bird turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes next Thursday. Yet another thing I am grateful for each year.

Each year, the same PETA stunts, with the same results: Americans love to eat turkey, especially on Thanksgiving. Tofurkey just doesn't cut it.

Sidenote--isn't the "run for the border" theme insensitive to the illegal immigrants "undocumented workers" that the left so treasures?

On a (somewhat) related note (Thanksgiving, not PETA nonsense)--fellow blogger Ben DeGrow has compiled a thoughtful and extensive list of blessings to be thankful for in the post-election holiday season.

Previous PETA moonbattery in Colorado.

Shock Video: Man Beaten By Undercover Denver Police, Revealed Just Ahead Of DNC

**Update 2--videos have been removed due to the "autoplay" feature and slow loading times. Check the links provided for both videos.

**Note--the embed code on the video is set to "autoplay"--scroll to pause, and then play at your convenience.

"Had I not been rolling the camera, and no one else was rolling the camera, it might have just been swept under the rug"--TV producer Greg Prinkey, on video of the beating that led to dropped charges and has prompted an internal investigation within the Denver Police Department

The video evidence is so strong that the original charges have been dropped:

The Denver District Attorney's office has dropped its case against a man who was facing three years in prison for assault, after 9Wants to Know obtained and showed prosecutors a videotape of the man's arrest.

The Denver Police Department has also started an internal investigation.

No doubt protest groups will cite this as evidence that it will be the law enforcement charged with DNC security that will foment violence, not the "non-violent" protestors:

On the video, which was shot outside Coors Field on the home opener of the Colorado Rockies game on April 4, undercover Denver Police detectives hit, kick and choke John Heaney.

"They both unloaded on me and I started seeing stars and the whole thing was just bam, bam, bam after that," said Heaney. "Someone had a chokehold and they were all on top of me and I couldn't breathe and I thought I was going to die."

The video came from an unlikely source--a film crew for local sports TV out videotaping the Colorado Rockies' home opener:

A local sports TV crew was videotaping the opening day of the Rockies when they saw and videotaped the arrest.

"The thing that kind of made everybody gasp was when the officer took the back of the guy's head and shoved it to the ground on his face," said TV producer Greg Prinkey. "He was not resisting. It was totally uncalled for."

When Prinkey saw men beating Heaney, he ran in to stop the fight. The video shows that's when the officers yelled, "Hey, we're cops! Get the (expletive) out of here!"

Prinkey gave the videotape of the arrest to 9NEWS.

"Had I not been rolling the camera, and no one else was rolling the camera, it might have just been swept under the rug," Prinkey said.

Both videos have been removed due to uncontrollable and slow autoplay. See the links above for the unedited video and 9NEWS' report.

The video appears to easily contradict the earlier reports given by the Denver detectives involved:

Before the Denver detectives knew about the videotape, they wrote reports and were deposed in court about what happened. Both officers said Heaney was throwing "wild punches" at them, hit the officers in the face and chest and continued to attack them, even when they had him on the ground.

Under oath, Cordova and Costigan also denied knowing anything about Heaney's broken teeth.

Heaney's attorney Lonn Heymann asked Cordova in court, "Was there a point at which somebody slammed his face into the ground?"

Cordova answered, "Absolutely not."

"How did Mr. Heaney's front teeth get broken," asked Heymann.

Cordova replied, "I have not a clue."

That doesn't appear to follow from the video reports.

There are other witnesses who appear to corroborate Heaney's version of the story:

"When you start seeing that the officers are making arguments that are directly contradicted by this videotape, it raises questions about how believable the police officers are," Heymann told 9NEWS.

The Denver Police Department did not interview any civilian witnesses in their investigation of Heaney's arrest. However, 9NEWS interviewed three witnesses who all say Heaney did not hit the officers.

Fallout?

Certainly. Evidence of a police beating revealed with less than two weeks until the start of the DNC is a huge blow to the city, after months of back-and-forth between local law enforcement and protestors over tactics and security plans that have done little to ease concerns that 1968 may be recreated in Denver's streets.

Protestors have already launched the "law enforcement to blame" meme for any potential DNC conflagration. This video will only add fuel to that fire, and will certainly be used, if not as evidence, then as a contextual element for any mass arrests or other actions as a result of DNC protests and activities.

Somewhere, Glenn Spagnuolo is smiling.

**Update--Cordova and Costigan have received official commendations in the past from the DPD in 2004 and 2005, respectively, as well as numerous commendatory letters.

Tent State Protestors Seek Shelter Outside City Park, Whine About Denver "Not Helping"

Awww, poor Tent Staters couldn't convince the city of Denver to toss out it's long-standing no-camping rule in city parks. Boo hoo--take your unhygienic, patchouli-laced nuttiness elsewhere:

A leader of a group that had hoped to camp thousands of protesters in City Park during the Democratic National Convention said he hopes to announce a possible alternative Wednesday.

Tent State University organizer Adam Jung said the group remained disillusioned over how city officials have handled the camping suggestions.

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and other officials have said they will stick to the city's ban against camping in the park.

Tent State has a conditional use permit to use the park during the convention, but Hickenlooper and other officials have said protesters must leave the park at 11 p.m. Tent State still must submit detailed plans to city officials on Friday for final approval of the group's plans for the park.

Jung said the group now is coming up with alternatives that could alleviate the camping controversy, but he declined to give specifics.

"We're doing this on our own," he said. "The city certainly isn't helping us."

Take note. This is a window into the mind of the moonbat.

Protest the city, decry it's ordinances, whine about treatment. Then complain that that same city "isn't helping."

That's what years of moonbat indoctrination about the dependence on others, namely the government, results in--a complete uselessness of the individual. You are nothing without the all-knowing nanny-state. You can't think for yourself. You are dependent on others for everything. Whine about "oppression," and then whine about not being helped by your "oppressors."

Pathetic.

Hickenlooper, Tent State Meet To Discuss Protestors Camping In City Park

Closed-door discussions to resolve the issue of thousands of protestors congregating in City Park with nowhere to camp, since city law prohibits overnight camping in Denver's parks:

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper suggested alternative campsites and buses Tuesday to resolve a controversy over allowing thousands of protesters to camp in City Park during the Democratic National Convention, according to those involved in the closed-door discussions.

"We're open to any resolution," said Tent State University organizer Adam Jung, who is urging the city to allow anti-war demonstrators to pitch tents in City Park. He detailed conversations he had Tuesday with the mayor and other city officials.

The city issued an assembly permit for Tent State University in the southwest corner of the park as long as the group met certain conditions, such as appeasing the concerns of neighbors and the nearby Denver Zoo and Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

As many as 20,000 protesters are expected daily at Tent State University, Jung said. And he expects about 5,000 would like to camp overnight.

There's one hitch. City laws prohibit camping in the park.

The issue has roiled city officials, with some City Council members in favor of relaxing the camping ban and others saying doing so could create a dangerous mess for the park as well as set an unwise precedent.

Thousands of campers and hundreds of tents would be quite an unwelcome, and very likely unsanitary situation. Inclement weather would turn the park into a pit, and the availability of adequate security and facilities doesn't seem likely given Tent State's shaky reputation.

The precedent, however, would be enormous, but the city has itself to blame for granting the provisional park permit in the first place. Now Hickenlooper is forced to meet in private with protestors in order to figure out a way to accommodate the crowd expected in City Park. Suggesting buses and an alternative camp site raises questions about the city's commitment to being green--one that Jung points out--and where, exactly, the protestors would be bused from. It isn't likely that many suburbs would welcome thousands of protestors into their neighborhoods for the duration of the DNC.

And why is the Mayor meeting Tent State in private? It is not clear if a public hearing or some other procedure will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.

Denver Considers Protest Tool Ban For DNC

"Diversity of tactics" meet Denver City Council's newest proposed ordinance (curiously prepared back in April):

The prospect of protesters linking themselves with devices that bolt cutters can't sever or throwing buckets of feces on police has Denver considering putting a new law on the books before the Democratic National Convention.

Demonstrators would be banned from having items such as chains, quick-setting cement, homemade locking devices that are resistant to bolt cutters and "any noxious substance," City Council members said Monday.

"Protesters are getting pretty sophisticated," said Councilman Doug Linkhart, chairman of the council's safety committee.

"In other cities, they're not just handcuffing themselves to each other," he said. "They put their handcuffs inside PVC tubes, which are inside concrete. They've figured out ways that keep the police from just using bolt cutters to cut them apart. They also use buckets of urine and feces and various noxious substances to pour on themselves or the police."

Denver's proposed ordinance would make it illegal to carry any "tool, object, instrument or other article" that can be used to obstruct streets, sidewalks and entry or exits from buildings or for hindering emergency equipment.

"We're just trying to very narrowly define an area where, if they have these kinds of tools and we can prove intent, then we can arrest them," Linkhart said.

Recreate WTO '99! Urine, feces, noxious substances, oh my!

The broad definition will most likely make the new ordinance "more restrictive" than the one passed last month by Arapahoe County. More ACLU challenges, Glenn Spagnuolo quotes, and moonbat shrieking (and hilarity) to ensue:

Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz, another safety committee member, said Denver's proposal is "more restrictive" than an ordinance approved by Arapahoe County, where some of the convention delegates will be staying.

Last month, Arapahoe County commissioners passed an ordinance that makes it unlawful for demonstrators to carry shafts, rods, projectile launchers and other potential weapons at picket lines and other public assemblies.

While the Arapahoe County ordinance deals with specific weapons, Denver's focuses on tools that could impede police.

The ban in Arapahoe County also includes gas masks.

Linkhart said Denver police wanted to include gas masks and bulletproof vests in the list of banned items, but council members saw those more as items for personal protection than something that could be used for disruptive purposes.

Linkhart has requested a public hearing on the proposed law, which would stay on the city's books after the convention Aug. 25-28.

A special safety committee meeting has been scheduled for July 23.

And will be well attended by the tinfoil/R68! alliance. The new ordinance, if passed, would also likely face testing at the annual Columbus Day Parade protestpalooza in addition to the proceedings at the DNC.

This appears to be a direct response to the indirect "diversity of tactics" mentioned repeatedly across the various sites of the protest groups planning activities at the DNC--vaguely defined, these "tactics" are intended to halt proceedings and impede the delegates, as well as bog traffic down and tie up police forces. The availability of tools making it more difficult to break up a group of determined protestors will only exacerbate the problem, lengthen delays, and create more opportunity for confrontation. Even with arms linked, protestors at the last Columbus Day caused delays of over an hour, and this action was limited to one street corner, a few hundred protestors, one parade, and a quiet Saturday morning. Anything but the type of conditions that will be presented at the DNC.

Ba-Rock Star? Obama Could Be A Mile High When He Accepts Nomination At Invesco Field

For the people:

Barack Obama's campaign is considering moving his nomination acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention from the Pepsi Center convention hall to Invesco Field at Mile High to accommodate the uncredentialed masses, sources say.

The move would mark a major departure from tradition, but would be in keeping with the candidate's desire to build a large grass-roots campaign focused on "change."

It also would leave behind the multi-million-dollar broadcast studios, media offices and high-tech podium and stage to be constructed at the Pepsi Center.

"No decision has been made in regards to this," wrote Matthew Chandler, the Colorado press secretary for the Obama campaign.

Denver's convention host committee declined to comment on the possibility, first mentioned on the blog demconwatchblog.com.

No small "change" indeed--added security and logistics costs, possible schedule conflict rearrangements, media readjustment, DNCC coordination nightmare, etc. But what a way to bring even more people to Denver in hopes of attending Obama's acceptance speech--to view the "historic" moment that it represents.

Heck, even a few bloggers (ahem) might be allowed in now!

DemConWatch has more on the speculation.

Barack Obama: "We Only Have One National Anthem"

"We only have one National Anthem. And so, if she was asked to sing the National Anthem, she should have sung that. 'Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing' is a beautiful song, but we only have one National Anthem"--Sen. Barack Obama

Developing . . .

Having spent part of the day Wednesday in Colorado Springs, Dem presumptive nominee Barack Obama waded into Denver's national anthem fiasco:

Sen. Barack Obama said today a jazz singer's decision to sing the 'Black National Anthem' at Denver's State of the City speech this week was wrong.

"Well, 'Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing' is a beautiful song that has been sung in African-American churches and other events for a very long time," Obama told the Rocky in phone interview. "We only have one National Anthem. And so, if she was asked to sing the National Anthem, she should have sung that. 'Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing' is a beautiful song, but we only have one National Anthem."

Obama's comments came as the controversy over Rene Marie's rendition entered its third day.

Looks like Obama is attempting to distance himself from any involvement or association, real or perceived (and rightly or wrongly), with Marie, the song, or the kerfuffle itself.   That he was in Colorado was a coincidence.  Better to get out ahead of a story that has legs far beyond what might be expected under normal circumstances--but with Denver hosting the DNC next month and Obama to be the focus of the showcase, this story has become enough of a concern that Obama chose to deal with it now, not in August.

More "explanations" for the choice of the song by the singer, Rene Marie, have emerged:

After Tuesday's ceremony, Hickenlooper called Marie to "understand what happened." The mayor said Marie told him that her song "was an artistic expression of her love for her country."

But in interviews with the news media, Marie provided a somewhat different explanation.

"Her interviews with the media have conveyed different content and tone," Hickenlooper said in a letter to city employees. "While I cannot speak to her intentions, it's now fair to say the city was deceived."

Marie said she started working on the song about three years ago after she toured Russia and an interviewer referred to her as an American. She said she was "startled" by that reference and felt like she wasn't an American.

"I struggled with why I felt that way when I came back to United States because I love living in this country," she said, adding that she decided to rewrite some of the patriotic songs she learned as a child, both as a creative outlet and to reflect her black heritage.

Rep. Tom Tancredo jumped in:

U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Littleton, "condemned" Marie - as well as the mayor - "for the national anthem debacle that took place during the State of the City address," according to a press release from Tancredo's office.

"I hope that this is not indicative of the 'state of the city' and the cult of multiculturalism and anti-Americanism does not hold sway over the majority of the people in Denver," Tancredo said. "It's also distressing because it appears to be another aspect of the racial politics plaguing this nation."

Marie attempts to stress love for country, while positing a questioning of that affection:

"I've been working on that song about three years. Its inception was during an interview I was having when I was touring in Russia and I was being interviewed by this Russian woman who referred to me as an American.

"I was startled by that reference; I almost corrected her. I felt, 'I'm not an American.' Then I was shocked by the fact that I felt that way, and I struggled with that because I love living in this country; I'm so attached to it. My father taught me about having love for this land, our native land.

"But as much as I love singing all the patriotic songs, I grew up in a town that was segregated.

I went to an all-black school as a kid. So I decided I wanted to rewrite these patriotic songs I learned as a kid. I wanted to sing the lyrics but change the melody.

"The entire suite expresses my personal love for this country and my hope for the country."

City Council President Michael Hancock sums up the sentiments of those in Denver and across the country--it's not the song itself, but the singer's choice and question of intent that represents the source of anger:

City Council President Michael Hancock, the master of ceremonies at Tuesday's event, said he's been the target of hateful e-mails and phone calls just because he introduced Marie. Hancock didn't know the singer and didn't know she was going to perform the black anthem, he said.

"She made a very bad decision," he said. "And unfortunately, the mayor and (myself) and other City Council people and other elected officials are bearing the brunt of her very bad and inappropriate decision."

"Black National Anthem" Performed At Denver's State Of The City Address Instead Of National Anthem

Welcome Michelle Malkin, Gateway Pundit, Five Feet of Fury, lgf readers--most recent update at top, scroll for video of "anthem" . . .

"No matter what her reasons for taking this action and deliberately withholding her plans from event organizers, she absolutely chose the wrong time and place to do it. She knew what the city's expectations were, and she was dishonest about her intentions. She imposed her personal choices and their consequences on others, depriving our 12,000 city employees and community-at-large of an opportunity to have their collective accomplishments celebrated and leaving many in our community feeling disrespected"--statement from Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper

**Update 6--Denver's Mayor John Hickenlooper responds more forcefully to the "anthem"--singer "dishonest," Denver "disrespected":

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, in a sharply worded rebuke today, said the singer at his State of the City address who replaced the words to the national anthem with another song had deceived city officials.

"We will do whatever it takes to ensure that a situation like this never occurs again, even if I have to sing the national anthem myself," the mayor said in a prepared statement.

The mayor released what he said would be his final statement over the decision by Rene Marie to sing the lyrics to what is known as the "black national anthem" instead of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

"We all respect artistic license and support freedom of expression," the mayor said. "But in a tradition-laden civic ceremony that included a law-enforcement color guard presenting our flags and the Pledge of Allegiance, making a personal substitution for the national anthem was not an option. We asked for 'The Star Spangled Banner,' and that's what we expected."
. . .
The national anthem is sung during every State of the City speech by the mayor. Marie was not paid for her performance.

"No matter what her reasons for taking this action and deliberately withholding her plans from event organizers, she absolutely chose the wrong time and place to do it," said the mayor in the statement, which he also intended to read from the steps of the City and County Building. "She knew what the city's expectations were, and she was dishonest about her intentions. She imposed her personal choices and their consequences on others, depriving our 12,000 city employees and community-at-large of an opportunity to have their collective accomplishments celebrated and leaving many in our community feeling disrespected."

**Update 5--Gov. Ritter's response:

"If you invite someone to sing the Star-Spangled Banner at an event, you invite them to do just that," Ritter said.

"The problem here is she was invited to do one thing, and she chose to do another thing," Ritter added. "And that's unfortunate for a variety of reasons. It's a fair interpretation to say it's disrespectful."

Ritter added that as governor of Colorado, he's observed how people's facial expressions change when the national anthem is sung, and the singing of the song is a tradition that has meaning for many people.

"There is something about that anthem," Ritter said. "It is substantive and symbolic. It is about our country, and it is about a level of patriotism."

**Update 4--Rene Marie: "I pulled a switcheroonie on them"; 850KOA's Mike Rosen hosted a call from Denver City Council president Michael Hancock (an African American) who was not only surprised by the substitution, but rejected it completely, and then Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, who believed it to be inappropriate as a song choice and for the venue--disrespecting Mayor John Hickenlooper and the work of the city.

**Update 3--Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper attempts (audio)--poorly--to explain that Rene Marie's intentions were "not disrespectful"; Post columnist Gloria Neal (an African-American) calls Marie's choice a "moment of artistic flatulence."

**Update 2--video is live (apologies, YouTube was being, well, YouTube) . . .



Not a "political statement":

Jazz singer Rene Marie, who was introduced to sing the "National Anthem," sang what is known as the "Black National Anthem" instead, evoking angry reactions among some of the estimated 700 people who attended the event.

"There is no substitute for the National Anthem. Period," said Councilman Charlie Brown.

"This is the State of the City address. It's not a NAACP convention," he said, referring to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Hickenlooper and his staff said they expected Marie to sing the "Star Spangled Banner" and that they were surprised when she sang something different.

Hickenlooper said he spoke to Marie after the ceremony and that she apologized profusely.

The mayor said Marie told him that she meant no disrespect.

"She blended the two songs together," Hickenlooper said. "She was trying to make an artistic expression of her love for the country. She did not intend to make a political statement or anything."

This seems to contradict earlier statements that Marie's intent was for the sake of "art" and "to make you think."

**Update--The reason for the anthem switch? "Art":

Once she finished performing, there was a moment of awkward silence and then the crowd gave her mild applause. Marie said she understood why the audience was confused, since the song sounded familiar but the lyrics were different.

"Art is supposed to make you think. I wanted to express how I felt, being a black woman living in this country," Marie told 7NEWS.

The Denver Mayor's Office said it wasn't aware that Marie was planning to sing that version of the song. A spokeswoman told 7NEWS that the office expected her to sing the traditional anthem.

The Broomfield singer said only three people at the State of the City speech knew she would sing the lyrics to the Black National Anthem -- her husband, her mentor and herself. It was not a song requested by the city, but a song she had deliberately chosen to perform.

Here's a profile of Rene Marie from the Rocky Mountain News earlier this year.

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Rene Marie sang alternate lyrics to the tune of "The Star-Spangled Banner." (Denver's Channel 8)

On a tip--developing . . .

Apparently, fried foods aren't the only "non-patriotic" things in Denver under Mayor John Hickenlooper--not with the national anthem replaced by the "black national anthem" during the Mayor's State of the City address (full transcript):

Mayor John Hickenlooper's annual State of the City address may get more attention for what wasn't included than what was.

At the start of the event Tuesday morning, City Council President Michael Hancock introduced singer Rene Marie to perform the national anthem.

Instead, she performed the song "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," which is also known as the "black national anthem."

When she finished, the audience responded with mild applause. The national anthem was never performed.

"Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" was written as a poem by James Weldon Johnson in 1899 and set to music by his brother in 1900.

City Councilman Charlie Brown took to talk radio Tuesday afternoon to criticize the absence of the national anthem at the State of the City proceedings.

"There's no replacement for the national anthem," Brown said on KOA radio. "They should have sung it."

The Mayor's office did not immediately return a phone call for comment.

"It's the new patriotism."

Here are the words to "Lift E'vry Voice and Sing".

More on the "alternate" anthem:

As Denver dignitaries gathered today for Mayor John Hickenlooper's State of the City address, City Council President Michael Hancock introduced singer Rene Marie to perform the national anthem.

But that's not what she did.
. . .
Brown said Hancock has told talk-radio stations that he only introduced the singer from prepared remarks handed to him and was unaware that she would not be performing the "Star-Spangled Banner." Hancock did not immediately return a call seeking comment, nor did Hickenlooper or his staff.

From the tipster:

Infuriating. The microphone should have been cut off. At the very least the mayor and council should have expressed chagrin. I, however, would have cut her off. I would be incensed if I were standing with my hand over my heart for the national anthem only to have this insidiously slipped in instead.

Can't say it any better than that.

Denver's Moonbats Grow Paranoid, Unknown DNC Security Measures Draw Outlandish Conspiracy Theories

**Update: Welcome Michelle Malkin readers--for all the latest moonbat-related Democratic National Convention news, bookmark our DNC countdown, updated daily and marking the march to August 25th (just 81 days away!).

"They'll bring out all the technologies they can get their hands on. I wouldn't put anything past police in terms of crowd control"--activist Ben Yager

Dude.

Denver's organizing moonbats allege that the city's counterprotestor activities will be grossly disproportionate to the situation, including use of the "brown note" of urban legend, longer-lasting tasers, and a microwave ray gun:

Beware of the Brown Note.

That's the word among some political activists as the Democratic National Convention nears.

As legend has it, the Brown Note is an infrasonic frequency believed to resonate through human body parts and cause a loss of bowel control. Some protesters are convinced that Denver police will amplify such low frequencies to subdue them in August.

"They'll bring out all the technologies they can get their hands on," says activist Ben Yager. "I wouldn't put anything past police in terms of crowd control."

Sounds paranoid?

Maybe. But Mayor John Hickenlooper's administration is only fueling conspiracy theories by refusing to disclose what equipment it's buying with $18 million in federal money. Even after being sued last week, the city insists on keeping its list a secret.

"Commenting on specific security preparations is not helpful to ensuring their effectiveness," says city spokeswoman Sue Cobb.

The "brown note" myth has been debunked, but that doesn't stop the moonbats' wild flights of fancy when it comes to police equipment and security tactics employed at the convention:

In May, council members gave their nod to major expenditures such as a new SWAT vehicle, communications equipment and an amplification system. Rather than any serious discussion about why such big-ticket items may be needed, the council's safety committee instead chose to crack jokes.

"I'm not quite sure I know what a SWAT vehicle is all about," said Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz.

"Can we use it for insects?" quipped Councilman Doug Linkhart to much guffawing.

The city flat-out refuses to say how it plans to use the $385,000 amplification system that council members approved with little public discussion. That's why activists like Yager are buzzing about the Brown Note, real or imagined, and sonic weapons that cities such as New York have mounted on SWAT trucks to control protesters.

The moonbattish nuttiness gets even more delicious when Recreate '68 bigwigs like Glenn Spagnuolo start spewing insanity positing theories about Denver's security plans:

The source of much chatter is Glenn Spagnuolo, co- founder of the Re-create 68 activist alliance and who claims to have inside information about the Police Department's cache of so-called less-lethal weapons — a term as absurd as "low-fat Oreo."

As Spagnuolo tells it, the list includes new Taser guns that stun people for 20 seconds (as if the 5 seconds in the good old days wasn't long enough).

Don't tase me, bro!

Here comes the MOALLW--"mother of all less-lethal weapons"--and the protestors who love them:

Activists also prognosticate that Denver will dispatch the mother of all less-lethal weapons — a microwave ray gun said to cause a burning sensation in the skin. The Pentagon hasn't used the system in Iraq, lest it be accused of torture. Lefty activists speculate that Raytheon is seeking to test a limited-range civilian version for domestic crowd control in Denver this summer.

"That, we think, is not a conspiracy theory," says Re-create 68 co-founder Mark Cohen, 62, who cut his teeth in activism when the highest technology that protesters feared was wooden billy clubs.

In a letter to the city Tuesday, Hickenlooper touted the convention as a "tremendous marketing opportunity" for Denver. Being the skilled marketer that he is, you would think the mayor would be the first to put an end to wild speculation about his police and their new bowel-moving sci-fi toys.

Unless, of course, it's true.

In which case I would remind the mayor that we aren't hosting a war but a convention — and a purportedly democratic one in a time of turmoil and widespread distrust of government and its all-too- heavy hand and secretive ways.

Even the most gifted humorist couldn't imagine a parody more demonstrative of the distance with which the moonbats have placed between themselves and reality.

In the blogosphere the phrase "you can't make this stuff up" comes up a great deal--and in this case, the saying assuredly fits.

Democratic National Convention Countdown, No. 82

Democratic National Convention Daily Digest and Open Thread
Wednesday June 4, 2008--No. 82

MSM:

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper--what to expect during the DNC:

* While there will be some additional screening procedures and security measures in some locations, all downtown residents will be able to access their homes and parking garages. Downtown businesses will be able to remain open with access to employees and customers.

* When people talk about a "security perimeter," what they are really talking about are areas around the Pepsi Center that may require additional screening or security measures. Those areas will be finalized and announced closer to the Convention, but please know that our intention is to minimize any impacts on roadways, businesses and residences. More updates will be provided to businesses and residents near the Pepsi Center - and the general public - over the coming weeks.

* While there will be some modest traffic impacts in the downtown area during the Convention, it will not tie up the downtown. Downtown workers should not have difficulties getting to or leaving work, particularly since the main hours of Pepsi Center activity (4 p.m. to 9 p.m.) do not correspond with standard morning or evening commute times. The bottom line is: Downtown will be accessible.

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DNCC host committee cancels state delegation parties scheduled around Denver--host comittee's ability to fundraise and bring revenue to city questioned (canceled parties means local service providers lose business)--host committee announces single event to replace individual state delegate parties, commemorating the recovery efforts of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Training company chosen for DNC volunteers.

Company providing DNC gear gets their Roosevelts mixed up--Teddy shows up, not Franklin D.

Blogs:

Drunkablog--Recreate '68 to share Civic Center park with Iranian photo exhibit, as groups agree to joint occupancy August 25 and 26.

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All previous Daily Digests can be found here.

Denver To Reveal DNC Protest Parade Route June 12

**Update--Drunkablog notes that the ACLU is already discussing their "demands" in regards to the city's announced parade route plans

Following the ACLU/protest groups' lawsuit filed earlier this month, Denver will disclose the parade route, but will not specify where the route ends (cue whining):

Denver city officials said today they would disclose, by June 12, the route parades would be allowed to follow during the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Responding to a lawsuit the American Civil Liberties Union filed on behalf of a dozen protest groups earlier this month, city officials also released some details regarding public demonstration areas.

By June 12, officials say they will provide the route street-by-street, but will not indicate exactly where the route ends. They said it would end "within walking distance of a public viewing area."

This is sure to draw the ire of the protestors, who feel that nothing less than unabated access to all areas of Downtown where delegates, the media, and anyone else within shouting distance is satisfactory for their planned rantings and theatrics.

The city will still process parade requests for the next month:

The city agreed in papers filed in federal court late Thursday to complete processing of pending requests for parades during the convention by June 19, and consider new requests thereafter. Competing requests are to be resolved through a public drawing.

The city said it won't charge a fee normally assessed to cover police overtime. The city is getting $50 million in federal dollars to cover police and emergency responders' extra effort convention week, Aug. 25-28.

The ACLU said in a press release that the city had stipulated the public demonstration zone, "is not an isolated zone by which the city will confine demonstrations. This public area is simply a designated location that will provide sight and sound access to the convention delegates, and is open to demonstrators, delegates, curious onlookers and others."

But not all the details on how the zone is to work have been released.

The ACLU and protester groups are trying to make sure Denver doesn't restrict demonstrators to a caged area, such as the one that infuriated First Amendment advocates at the 2004 Democratic convention in Boston.

Taxpayers are comping the police overtime for the parades/protests--how nice.

We're still awaiting the response of the ACLU and the protest groups involved.

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper Worries DNC Funding Will Come Up Short

Hosting a convention is expensive, and in spite of promises to Coloradans that the DNC would be fully funded, "Teflon" John Hickenlooper, Denver's Democrat Mayor, is having a hard time scrounging up the necessary convention cash:

Mayor John Hickenlooper revealed today that Denver and the host committee are struggling to raise the money they need by June 16 for the DNC.

The contract with the DNC Committee calls for them to have $40.6 million in the bank by next month.

Hickenlooper has been going around the country raising money for the DNC for the last year and a half - in fact, last week he was fund-raising in Minneapolis, the site of the Republican National Convention.

He said Denver has about $25 million in the bank. However, he added that the city has about $5.5 million in firm commitments.

"My greatest fear is if we aren't able to raise the money," he said this morning during the weekly mayor and City Council meeting.

He'll need $50 million for the convention, and another $50 million for cleanup, should the Recreate '68 moonbats end up trashing the city.

Not to mention the mess inside the Pepsi Center should Hillary Clinton hold out to the convention.

SamSphere Denver

SamSphere Denver kicks off in a few minutes--here's the schedule.

SamSphere Denver confirmed bloggers:

Anthony Surace at Rocky Mountain Right
Denise Mund at Colorado Charter Schools
Brian Schwartz at Wakalix
John Martin at The Drunkablog
Ray Thomas at The Thoma$ Report
Randy Ketner at Night Twister
Ben DeGrow at Mount Virtus
El Presidente at Slapstick Politics
Ross Kaminsky at Rossputin
Jon Caldara at The Cauldron
Brad Jones at Face the State
David Harsanyi at David Harsanyi
Jeff Goldstein at Protein Wisdom
Patrick Sperry at Conservative Libertarian Outpost
Bob Ball at The Daily Blogster
Marty Neilson at Colorado Taxpayer
Bob Agard at Bob’s Blog
Richard Combs at Combs Spouts Off
David Petteys at Backbone America

Jon Caldara Talks Glenn Spagnuolo, Recreate '68, And Civil Disobedience

In a follow-up to Caldara's show "Independent Thinking" featuring guests Glenn Spagnuolo of Recreate '68 and Denver City Councilman Charlie Brown, he dished with callers (11pm segment, 12am segment) over the intentions of Spagnuolo and his group and the threshold requirements for enacting civil disobedience--does Denver's Democratic National Convention and the Democrats' nomination process really warrant civil disobedience?

**Update: Moonbats Plan To Throw Bags Of Urine And Blood At Police At Denver's DNC; Hospital Security Threats For DNC Revealed

. . . developing . . .

**Update--Good God, these people are sick, and this information is coming from peace groups and 9/11 Truthers like We Are Change Colorado who are opposed to the potential violence planned by the moonbats under the Recreate '68 umbrella:

After speaking with RAIMD, We Are Change Colorado became aware that they intend to throw bags of urine and blood on cops at the DNC protests, all under the name of the umbrella organization ReCreate 68.
. . .
ReCreate 68 has massive organized effort and finances coming from donations across the country. Glenn Spagnuolo, the coordinator for the group, has been traveling around the United States speaking with every activist group you can think of to coordinate them under his group. Code Pink, Food Not Bombs, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Green Peace, Scholars for Peace and Justice, and many famous immigration groups, unions, and anti-globalist activist networks are all working under ReCreate 68 with the thought that this group is just a peaceful festival of celebration. This is untrue. Every activist group coming into Denver will be greeted by a person representing ReCreate 68 at hotels and so fourth and given an itinerary of demonstrations to attend.

By attending, these groups do not yet realize they will be giving up their message and name for the ReCreate 68 name which is permitted to protest. The problem with this is that ReCreate 68 has been inviting more radical groups and violent anarchist groups as well. To add to this, ReCreate 68 has not told other activist groups the extent of which these demonstrations will endanger the safety or security of any peaceful demonstration.
. . .
The rhetoric heard from the Recreate 68 people, the attraction of the young people to the charisma of Glen Spagnuolo, the focus on doing battle with the police and the confronting attitude--while losing sight of the issues, the revolutionary fervor, the attitude that groups like Code Pink, etc. just aren't radical enough, the peer pressure to be more radical, the disinclination to disavow violence with the pretext that they want to be "inclusive," --all this is deja vu. It happened in 2000 with DAN. It is happening again stroke for stroke, word for word.

Only this time, because of the scale of the DNC protests, there is the potential for massive chaos, massive arrests, detentions, serious injuries of idealistic but naive young people, and loss of legitimate messages from all groups.

It says a lot when even similarly-oriented organizations who actually have plans to organize and demonstrate in a non-violent manner feel threatened by groups like Recreate '68 who appear now to not only be completely untruthful about their commitment to non-violence, but tacitly encouraging engagement designed only to bring confrontation with the Denver Police Department. RAIMD, in the first quote, stands for the Revolutionary Anti-Imperialist Movement-Denver, a fellow traveler organization allied with Recreate '68 and populated with some of the same moonbat morons.

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"SECURITY ALERT: Hospitals in the Denver area have reported suspicious activity. Reports have included individuals posing as members of a federal agency to gain access to a facility and people watching hospital entrances and exits for several hours and taking notes"--Colorado Emergency Management memo regarding Denver hospitals and security threats during the Democratic National Convention

This memo details just a few of the emerging security concerns for local Denver hospitals ahead of August's DNC:

Full memo--


Closeups--