Just to wrap up an item from Friday, I wanted to note that the written pledges required to obtain a ticket to hear Dick Cheney speak didn’t go through without a fight. Unfortunately, however, the fight was unsuccessful.
An Albuquerque man has lost a court bid to have a rally where Vice President Dick Cheney is to speak opened to people of all political affiliations. Cheney is scheduled to speak at a Rio Rancho school Saturday afternoon.
Albuquerque attorney Susan Chappell, a Democrat, filed a petition against the Republican rally late Friday afternoon on behalf of John Wade.
Wade, a Democrat, and at least one other man were asked a number of questions Thursday and then told they must sign a pledge of support for President Bush before receiving tickets. Wade signed the petition and got the tickets, but then promptly returned them and took back the petition.
The petition for a temporary restraining order argued that requiring an endorsement as a prerequisite to attending the rally at a public school violates the constitutional protections of free speech and freedom of assembly.
Alas, it was too late.
State District Judge Ted Baca considered the case a couple of hours before Cheney’s event, but rejected Wade’s petition because the state GOP was never informed that it was being taken to court.
Nevertheless, the GOP still couldn’t figure out a way to spin this nonsense.
Democrats, independents and others are welcome as long as they like Bush and Cheney, Yier Shi, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, said.
You’re free to believe anything you want, as long as you agree that the president is right.