# Want to See Bush? Better Be a Supporter--or else!



## MTPheas (Oct 8, 2003)

Nick Coleman: Hearing Bush took some doing 
Nick Coleman, Star Tribune 
August 13, 2004 NICK0813 
T he president was visiting Mankato and Tim Walz wanted to see him. A teacher who has 23 years of service in the National Guard and who recently returned home from overseas, Walz wanted to hear his commander-in-chief.

He did.

But only after being threatened with arrest and subjected to a political interrogation. Welcome home, good and faithful soldier. You may see the president.

But keep your mouth shut.

(Intolerance is nonpartisan, so I make a standing offer to President Bush backers: If you are quashed by Democrats, I will report it.)

Walz, 40, supports John Kerry. But you don't need to know what Walz believes, and neither did the Bush campaign workers who interrogated him when he went to see the president speak in a Mankato quarry on Aug. 4.

The Bush visit was a huge event in Mankato, which had not hosted a president since Harry Truman. Walz got a ticket without trouble, but others were refused because they didn't seem rah-rah enough, including two teens rejected because they were baby Democrats.

One of the kids had his mom get tickets for the boys, in their names. The mom asked Walz to chaperone the boys. But the kids would not get to see the president.

Only supporters got into the quarry where Bush spoke to a sanitized crowd of 7,000. Not one person carried a sign in protest. But one -- one -- listened without applauding. It was Walz, and his thoughts were his own, unless someone was scanning his brain.

"It was uncomfortable," says Walz, who joined the Guard at 17 and teaches geography at Mankato West High School. "Where else in America will you find 7,000 people who agree on anything?"

Walz is a first sergeant in the 125th Field Artillery Battalion in New Ulm. He returned in April from duty providing security at a U.S. base in Italy. He has too much respect for the office of president to heckle one. But he almost got busted for escorting those baby Democrats.

After riding a Bush bus to the quarry, Walz and the kids got off to go through the metal detectors and have their IDs checked. Bush officials took the kids aside and thoroughly inspected them. When one was discovered to have a Kerry sticker on his wallet, they were ordered back onto the bus.

Walz objected, and he was asked to leave, too. "You're not welcome," a Bush guy said. "Get back on the bus."

Walz said he had a right to see the president.

So you support the president? a Bush guy asked. I didn't say that, said Walz. Then you're an opponent? I didn't say that, either, said Walz, thinking it was nobody's business.

"If you don't get on that bus," the guy said, "you'll be detained by the Secret Service for interfering with a presidential event."

"I don't want to get arrested," Walz said. "My wife will get mad because I'm supposed to pick up our daughter [Hope, 3] and make dinner. Do you really want to arrest someone who just got back from overseas, because he wants to see the president?"

The Bush guys backed down. They said they'd do him a favor if he behaved himself. He ignored the insult. They said the Secret Service was watching him. They let him in.

A week later, Walz is appalled by the freedom-loving citizens who say he shouldn't have gone to see the president.

"The attitude is that if you're not a supporter, why would you go? It's really disappointing. What happened to being able to listen to the other side?"

Walz listened. And made up his mind. On Wednesday, he was named Blue Earth County manager of the Kerry campaign. In case you have forgotten how America works, that does not make him disloyal. And no one can say he is not informed.

Unlike many people, Tim Walz has gotten to see the president.

****

Here's what I want to know. What gives some Bush campaign official the right to look through someone's wallet?!


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

> "It was uncomfortable," says Walz, who joined the Guard at 17 and teaches geography at Mankato West High School. "Where else in America will you find 7,000 people who agree on anything?"


*How about the Democrat Convention and all their rallies it works both ways, and he knows that. What a whiner.*



> He has too much respect for the office of president to heckle one.


*No doubt thats true but how do the Bush people know that*, there are a lot of these speaking engagements purposely disrupted by hecklers.
These campaigns pay a lot for these engagements and shouldn't have to put up with hecklers, same goes for Kerry he shouldn't have to put up with hecklers either. People that don't have enough respect to keep their mouths shut don't need to get in. 


> So you support the president? a Bush guy asked. I didn't say that, said Walz. Then you're an opponent? I didn't say that, either, said Walz, thinking it was nobody's business.


 *Any supporter would acknowledge it so it was obvious they needed to scrutinize this guy, becasue of the heckler issue. *


> "The attitude is that if you're not a supporter, why would you go? It's really disappointing. What happened to being able to listen to the other side?"


If its weren't for the disrespect of hecklers anyone could listen, they cause this problem and then whine about it.
And if you don't think Dems sanitize crowds also you're naive.


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## Mr. B (Mar 16, 2004)

I am a conservative and a supporter of Bush but those guys were wrong! As long and the Tim Walz and the two students (or anyone for that matter)were not causing trouble it should not matter if they had a Kerry sticker in their pocket. Bush or Kerry should be able to stand in front of people who do not support them and give a speech. (I am willing to bet both of them would rather give speeches to those who do not agree with them enstead of just talking to those who do). They should also expect common courtesy from those people while they give the speech.

But I do know that the Democrats have done the same thing in the past. When I was at UMD and Clinton came up for a visit the only people allowed to see him where Democrats. I would have liked to have seen the President. I did not agree with much of what he stood for but he was the President and I would have liked to have seen the President.


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## Militant_Tiger (Feb 23, 2004)

Unfortunately, as shown before (where speech viewers had to sign a poorly written contract that they would vote for Bush) as well as here, the republicans think that the best way to impress people is with impressed people.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

That is a confusing one, so many possible scenarios. If the guy is a Kerry supporter now, and his kid had a Kerry sticker on his wallet he more than likely was a Kerry supporter then. Kids reflect their parents. I would have let him in without a stink, but with some reservation. If this story came out while he was neutral or pro Bush it would carry more credibility. As it came out afterwards it smells a little tarnished. I guess this one we will never know the truth. There is not enough information, and the information is perhaps bias. I lend no value either way. I think it is best to let this one go in one ear and out the other. I think you have to be very strongly partisan to put any value either way here. Was this an event for supporters only, or a public event? That would make a big difference. Was it invitation only like Chaney at Grand Forks? I thought Bush was very respective of the military.


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