(Update)Woo-Hoo, Good on Greenwald & Co.
(posted by Mona)
I’m even more excited than ever we will have Glenn in chat on Wed. [6:30-7:30 p.m., EDT.] Read how he, Jane Hamsher and others, all with press credentials, were chased off a Denver public sidewalk by the police as the intrepid bloggers tried to identify and inquire of Blue Dog Democrats — who handed AT&T telecom amnesty — why these pols and telecom lobbyists were attending a lavish, private party held by. . . AT&T. (And there is video!)
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Update: Now, this is where I disagree with Jane Hamsher: “The video [you can see at Greenwald's site]. . . which includes the Denver Police using their badges on behalf of the lobbyist cabal to keep us away from their guests, is really your government in action.”
The officer in the video was polite, reasonable, and it is a fact that private property owners (or those with a lease on it) do have the right to ask others to leave it, and if those asked to leave do not do not, that constitutes trespass. Now, that the lines demarcating the start of the pvt property kept changing is telling, but I wouldn’t expect the cop to necessarily have that demarcation info entirely at his fingertips. He was being told things by the pty owners, and possibly calling his own HQ to find out the truth. IOW, I would not automatically assume the Denver PD are all merely lackeys in The Evil Telecom Cabal — they do have a job to do.
No, the officer was not the problem. The sickening thing is that the press was disinvited once it was clear Glenn, Jane et al. had unpleasant questions to ask.
Some cops are also fed up with the political status quo. It makes no sense to gratuitously alienate them.