Man Shows Up At Obama Rally With Assault Rifle

photo swiped from Daily Kos.

Holy crap. From Talking Points Memo:

About 12 people were carrying guns, including at least one semi-automatic assault rifle, outside a building where President Obama was speaking today. No one was arrested outside the VFW National Convention in Phoenix, according to the Associated Press, where hundreds of people demonstrated both for and against health care reform. There are no reports that the 12 were part of an organized group. The man spotted carrying the assault rifle and a pistol, who gave his name only as "Chris", was asked why he was armed. "Because I can do it," he said. "In Arizona, I still have some freedoms."

So was the scary gun guy arrested by Homeland Security? Ha ha ha, of course not.

Two police officers kept close by. Carrying guns, including the AR-15 assault rifle, is legal under Arizona law. "If we need to intervene, we will intervene at that time," said Detective J. Oliver.

Full article here. (TPM)

Two points of my own.

One: what would've happened to any anti-war activist who showed up at a Bush or Cheney event with a weapon like that a year ago? Exactly. (Thanks Blaine.) Funny how America has different standards for peaceful liberal protestors than it does for armed conservatives. Where is this "liberal bias in the media" the Fox News pundits are always wailing about, again? This guy isn't even in a free speech cage.

Two: This man is clearly threatening political violence. He's intimidating health care supporters with the implicit promise of mass murder should they not back down.

Meet the face (well, the back of the head) of the anti-healthcare movement. They're fucking brownshirts, but better armed than those Nazis ever dreamed of. Next step: smashing windows, beating and killing political opponents, assassinating politicians, riots, misery etc. Welcome to real, honest to god fascism, America. At least it's not a white-only party.

The politicians always say you aren't supposed to negotiate with terrorists? Well, so be it, I say. This thug is a terrorist. He can't get his way through peaceful conversation. He can't get his way through democracy because his views (which I promise you are insane) don't have majority support.

He can only get his way if he frightens people into silence with his (legal!!!) assault rifle.

Most Americans want public health care (CBS.) The Democrats have to stop trying to build consensus with Republican saboteurs, they have to stop trying to appease the lunatics and they have to force this thing through. It's what Americans want. If the conservative lunatic fringe explodes into violence, I'm sorry but, well...they're going to anyway, sooner or later. Right? Deal with it now.

You can't stop working for a better world because the nuts have guns and are holding everyone hostage. Health care now, America.

Six In The Morning

1 RECESSION HURTS CANADIANS' HEALTH A poll by the Canadian Medical Association says Canadians are putting off doctor and dentist appointments and buying perscriptions, and are skipping meals to save money. The CMA, which is in Saskatoon for its annual meeting, also says four out of 10 Canadians are feeling "stressed or overwhelmed by financial concerns. (CMA)

2 ADDING INSULT TO INJURY Our health care system has problems. Could a private option help? Nope, says Roy Romanow, who's at the CMA convention. (CJME)

3 NDP STICKS WITH TRADITION The federal New Democratic Party wrapped up its annual convention, held in Halifax this year. The message: stick to core party values--protecting regular Canadians from big business, banks and bullies in general. One notable thing that didn't happen: a name change to Democratic Party (since they're not new anymore). Too bad. I was looking forward to Canada having some DP action in federal politics. (If you understand that joke your cable bill is probably really big.) (NDP website, Toronto Star)

4 SAVED BY KENNEY Canada's immigration minister granted a temporary permit to save a former child soldier from deportation (CBC). It's the right thing to do. We're surprised minister Jason Kenney is on the good guy's side though, after his shenanigans last March. Kenney is now batting 50-50 in his quest for favourable Dog Blog coverage.

5 PSYCHOPATH BULLIES WIN AGAIN The United States can bomb disarmed countries that didn't attack it, detain and torture people on whims and bail out Wall Street thugs but it looks like it can't make public health care work. I guess everybody believed psycho Sarah Palin when she said President Obama would bring in death panels for unfit citizens. Maybe we need a wall to keep Americans out of Canada. (New York Times)

6 AC/DC ADDS TICKETS TO SOLD-OUT WINNIPEG SHOWS It's true. Could it happen here? (Winnipeg Free Press)

This Week at City Hall

Monday, August 17
City Council (5:30 pm): Council will be considering the Interim Housing Incentives Policy which offers incentives to developers to build new, affordable rental units. Seeing as it has, after much delay, been approved by Executive Committee (which has all city councillors as members) this should breeze through council. I expect there'll be much self congratulations over this one -- and it does deserve back patting -- but I wonder if there'll be mention of how many times this had to go before Exec Committee before it was passed? (How many times, you ask? Four times.) Might've been nice to have this in force six months ago.

Also on the agenda, a request for support for some independent living suites, a bylaw amendment so that construction can begin on another Harbour Landing neighbourhood, a proposal to acquire land needed for a drainage system for the Global Transportation Hub, a request to reduce the housing density in a portion of Harbour Landing, a request to boost the housing density in a portion of the Greens on Gardiner, and a request to adjust a bylaw to accomodate parking at 1700 Elphinstone.

Councillor Flegel will be making a motion about noise attenuation in the Uplands and Argyle Park area. Councillor Clipsham will be making another motion about backyard fire pits. Councillor Murray will be asking "What's up with all this construction waste in people's garbage bins?" (Yeah. Seriously. What is up with all that construction waste in my garbage bin? And while we're on the subject, why do you construction people always pick my backyard to dispose of your rusted out hot water heaters? Why???) And Councillor Hincks will be after another extension to the bike path system. (Yay!)

Oh, and before I forget... about that drainage system (and I'm jotting this down more as a mental note for myself, so feel free to skip along down the page to a kitten video): the report says there are no environmental implications arising from the purchase of land to facilitate the construction of a drainage channel from the Global Transportation Hub into Cottonwood Creek. But wouldn't rainwater runoff from the GTH be a little on the contaminated side thanks to all the oil and the gasoline and the what-have-you? Or am I missing something?