{"id":535,"date":"2007-03-06T07:25:44","date_gmt":"2007-03-06T13:25:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shotinthedark.info\/wp\/index.php\/index.php\/2007\/03\/06\/making-the-world-safe-for-bds\/"},"modified":"2007-03-06T07:25:44","modified_gmt":"2007-03-06T13:25:44","slug":"making-the-world-safe-for-bds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.shotinthedark.info\/wp\/?p=535","title":{"rendered":"Making The World Safe for BDS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Saint Paul will be getting the 2008 GOP National Convention.<\/p>\n

The good news:\u00a0 They have selected a planner:<\/p>\n

A federal Transportation Department official and former Republican Party operative will decide where delegates sit, how to keep the media happy and what events to stage at the 2008 Republican National Convention in the Twin Cities.<\/p>\n

Maria Cino, who was named deputy secretary of transportation two years ago by President Bush and was his national political director in 2000, will be the Republican National Committee’s lead planner for the convention, committee spokesperson Chris Taylor said Monday.<\/p>\n

Cino will work with the local host committee and city officials to coordinate an event that’s expected to draw more than 45,000 people — including delegates, media and visitors — to the Twin Cities…Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn, said Cino was the perfect choice to bring people together in planning the convention.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

“Throughout her exemplary career, Maria Cino has been known for her ability to roll up her sleeves and get things done,” he said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So far so good.<\/p>\n

Of course, for the 75-odd-percent of\u00a0my adopted hometown that votes DFL – and for the 5-20% of that number who could fairly be called the “lunatic fringe” – it’s\u00a0all about them:<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0At the first of three St. Paul forums on the convention Monday morning, officials heard concerns about limited access to downtown, protesters and taxpayer liabilities…Some, like West Side resident Gerry Berquist, said they want officials to ensure that protesters are treated fairly and that downtown business won’t be adversely affected.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

“There needs to be a huge community gathering so that these questions can be asked,” he said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Bergquist’s remarks are the tip of the iceberg.\u00a0 The local left – expressing their wishes on a number of local email discussion forums and blogs – want unprecedented <\/em>access to the XCel Energy Center during the convention.\u00a0 Some of them want absolutely untrammelled access to not only the facility,\u00a0and to the President himself, but even to the conventiongoers as they go about their daily business.\u00a0 Some want to “debate” convention delegates on the street – “debates” that sound in most cases more like harassment – in order to perhaps “educate” them.\u00a0 When questioned, they seem to studiously avoid references to their more deranged\u00a0cohorts<\/a>, as if they’re just no way <\/em>an anti-Republican demonstrator will cause problems.<\/p>\n

I have a couple of ideas in response:<\/p>\n