I was at the Romney & McCain Memorial Day speeches today. I heard the heckler.

[MyUncle]

I saw in the U-T San Diego a note about a Memorial Day event at our beautiful Balboa Park today. I try to do something with my family to acknowledge this event - we have visited Punchbowl on Oahu, Rosecrans on Point Loma, Mount Soledad on La Jolla. Not fanatical, but something to acknowledge that this Holiday is more than slathering on Hawaiian Tropic and grilling meat.

I did not know that this was a Republican sponsored event.

We arrived about 9:40 for an event that was supposed to start at 10, it started at 10:45 There was a line that was the longest line I have ever seen. It was not because of the volume of people but because they only had 2 metal detectors. We opted to sit "outside" the fenced in part of the event - about 20 ' behind the inside people.

I still did not know it was a Republican event.

There were singers, pledges, speeches about vets, songs and then the Republican Mayoral candidate - Carl DeMaio. He was perhaps the worst "qualified" speaker I have ever heard, a bumbling, mumbling, anxious mess. I was blown away by how bad he was. Nothing to do with message (they all kept it about The Day and The Vets in attendance) but an incompetent, weirdly amateurish, awkward mess.

Then, John McCain - shortly after he started - he got heckled. The protestor was yelling "Why are you covering up the Liberty and Israel!!! Tell the truth about the Liberty". Then he was bull rushed out and McCain said "Jerk!" and got applauded. I'm not a big fan of hecklers, but would love to know why this guy chose that line of protest when there is so much more to go off on.

Mitt Romney was brief, played to audience, talked about American exceptionalism, quoted Shimon Peres and Colin Powell and was gone.

The audience was probably 99.99% white and either 55+ or families with lots of small kids.

I entered the Twilight Zone, got to see Secret Service in action, got sun burned and lived.

I still really have not processed totally how I wound up there and what actually happened.

[gateley]

1. Wow. Twilight Zone is right -- I think I'd be nervous at a Republican event. That's

a sad statement on our country.

How nice of you and your family to do something to just acknowledge and remember our veterans.

[Kath1]

6. Me too, gateley!

I would never attend a Republican event, except to protest. I think it is great to support and thank our veterans. The best way to do so, IMHO, is to support candidates who won't get them killed and maimed in useless wars, like Bush's Iraq quagmire. I have relatives who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and they know how opposed I have always been to those wars, but they respect my opinion and know that I don't blame them. To me, supporting the troops means supporting peace.

[MyUncle]

7. San Diego is very mellow with politics.

I'd be lying if I even implied that I felt threatened or intimidated. I've not been at any event in San Diego (other than a Ministry concert) that had an angry vibe.

We are not a spittle and brimstone kind of place. On election night, the gathering at Golden Hall here is almost quaint in it's civility. Both parties, one place, lots of absurdity. I'm not sure if there is anything like it in any other mid-major city.

[bluesbassman]

2. You were in the belly of the beast and lived to tell about it my friend.

Frankly, any modicum of respect I had left for John McCain has now been officially erased. How he can pimp for Rmoney is beyond me. He must owe Bain Capital some money.

[coalition_unwilling]

4. McCrazy just pissed on the memory of every Vietnam Vet who died or was wounded in combat by

endorsing that shitstain hypocritical draft-dodger Romney.

That's what McCrazy should have been heckled about. I mean, seriously, WTF?

[sarge43]

5. That aircraft left the hanger at least eight years ago.

Sucking up to the creature that got a safe berth and then shirks even minimum duty by dodging the flight physical.



The net never forgets.

[coalition_unwilling]

8. Oh yeah, you're right. Except it's the image of McCrazy

appearing on the same stage as Fortunate Son Romney on Memorial Day, of all days, that is the thing that made my head explode.

[sarge43]

9. He's a sad old man craving attention. Should feel pity for him.

......Nah.

[stuffmatters]

3. Carl De Maio =s Koch Bros Paper Boy

DeMaio is a City Councilman from probably the most right wing district of San Diego and has been running wall of sound,
anti public worker, pension attacks for months. If he gets elected, San Diego will become the Wisconsin of
California, with DeMaio as the Koch Bros/ALEC/Norquist bankrolled mayor...privatizing everything he can get his grubbies on, attacking teachers, firefighters and police,fighting incessantly against both the Brown and Obama Administrations, creating immigration and racist streif, turning our peaceful, Democratic majority city (overwhelmingly voted Obama in 2008) into a war zone and Koch acquisition.

We've got a problem in Ca with the new "top two only" election law. DeMaio and Fletcher...a Republican running as an "Centrist/Independent" have been blanketing tv for months...apparently now are polling as the top two who could be the only ballot options in Nov.

Where are Bob Filner's ads? He's absolutely MIA and it's less than 10 days to the primary election. Filner is losing Dem votes to Fletcher,(mayoral candidates affiliation is not on the ballot) and making DeMaio's success frighteningly possible.

[MyUncle]

10. San Diego elections - Filner (D) surging.

Please help him.