Back in June 2002, George W. Bush spoke at the commencement ceremony at The Ohio State University. An announcement made at that time warned potential protesters in the crowd that they would be removed and arrested if they disrupted the proceedings. The Progressive was outraged citing this sort of warning as an example “of the New McCarthyism that is sweeping the country.”
So, of course, I’m certain you’ll soon see The Progressive decrying Al Franken’s violent, McCarthyite assault on an anti-Dean protester,
Wise-cracking funnyman Al Franken yesterday body-slammed a demonstrator to the ground after the man tried to shout down Gov. Howard Dean.
. . .“I got down low and took his legs out,” said Franken afterwards.
Franken said he’s not backing Dean but merely wanted to protect the right of people to speak freely. “I would have done it if he was a Dean supporter at a Kerry rally,” he said.
“I’m neutral in this race but I’m for freedom of speech, which means people should be able to assemble and speak without being shouted down.”
The trouble started when several supporters of fringe presidential candidate Lyndon Larouche began shouting accusations at Dean.
Franken emerged from the crowd and charged one male protester, grabbing him with a bear hug from behind and slamming him onto the floor.
“I was a wrestler so I used a wrestling move,” Franken said.
Yeah, I bet you’ll see a lot of angry coverage about Franken’s suppression of dissent in The Progressive, The Nation and other magazines keen on upholding freedom of speech.
Sources:
McCarthyism Watch. Matthew Rothschild, The Progressive, July 1, 2002.
Al Franken Knocks Down Dean Heckler. Vincent Morris, New York Post, January 27, 2004.