Yesterday's * protest made the local papers-600 people in PHX

[NMDemDist2]

WTG !!

Bush: Secure border, but amnesty is out
President stops off in Arizona

snip-

Bush's Phoenix visit was greeted by 500 to 600 war protesters who marched and held signs near 24th Street and Camelback Road, just a stone's throw from Kyl's fund-raiser at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa.

snip

Pederson, who hopes to unseat Kyl next year, said he was "very disappointed" in Bush's speech because it focused on "more border regulation" without recommending specifics or addressing the needs of border states and communities.

"It was just a rehash," Pederson said, faulting the president for saying nothing about federal reimbursement of state and local costs of providing law enforcement, health care and education for undocumented immigrants.

"The president lumped the McCain and Kyl bills together, but they are diametrically different," said Pederson, who supports the McCain bill co-sponsored by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.

"If we don't have leadership out of the president, there will be no immigration reform next year," he said

A few blocks from Kyl's event, war protesters lined the corners of 24th Street and Camelback Road for more than two hours.

"We need responsive government, and we don't have it," said Frank Shine, 66, a Mesa veteran who attended the protest. Shine said Bush should heed polls indicating growing public sentiment for a U.S. pullout from Iraq.

Victor Ramos, 37, of Phoenix, a first-time protester who attended at a friend's urging, said he hoped Bush would take note of the protest.

"We don't agree with the war, or how he's using our taxes and money," Ramos said.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/1129bush29.html

and check out the local opinion writer, gotta love it!

Gourmet 'crow' served with style for $1,000 a plate

Nov. 29, 2005 12:00 AM

They could not have selected a finer street corner on which to stage a political protest. Not simply because it is easily accessible and quite busy but because it's so . . . chichi. The intersection of 24th Street and Camelback Road is so ostentatious that protestors didn't need to gather there. The ritzy location proved their point for them. Still, since they showed up, so did I.

snip

Among them were Pam Russell and John Dale of Prescott. The couple stood on the northeastern corner, near the valet parking section of the shopping center, holding up a sign that read, "You can't be all you can be if you're dead."

"We have been wanting to be part of a protest for some time, and this really was our best opportunity," Russell said. "I only hope that this kind of thing catches on."

As Dale explained his reasons for opposing the manner in which President Bush has dealt with the United Nations, the driver of a car who was stopped at a red light began shouting "Go home" to the protestors. To which one responded, "We are home!"


http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/1129montini29.html

[Just Me]

1. I am still appalled at how little media attention is paid to the,...

,...widespread protests across this country before and after the war.

[sabate]

2. Let's see....600 equals 0.00002% of the U.S. population..NT

[laylah]

3. Your point?

Welcome.

Jenn

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Yes, but it's hard to fit 65% of the US population on a single street

corner.

[NMDemDist2]

5. LOL, right you are, especially on a weekday afternoon n/t