JOHN KERRY COMES TO STEUBENVILLE

By Fr. Wilson ( articles ) | Sep 04, 2004

I doubt he stopped for souvenirs. A friend writes --

"John Kerry came to Fort Steuben (on 3rd Street) in Steubenville Ohio today to campaign for president. Just under HALF the crowd were protestors (I can get digital photographic evidence in a few days for you if you need). It occurred from 4p.m. until about 7:30p.m. today, Saturday, Sept. 4th. Priests, nuns, American Life League, students, profs, staff, and good Catholics (including some steel workers) all came to protest and boo. The AP is falsely reporting (in the story, "Kerry Rips Bush Over Record Medicare Hike"), "Several dozen Bush supporters greeted Kerry in Steubenville with signs favoring a second Bush term and opposing the Catholic Kerry's support for abortion rights." There were several HUNDRED as Carl Cameron of FOX news stated on live TV! Now that's news. I emailed Drudge about this - not that it's terribly news worthy. Though Kerry and some of his staff were visibly shaken!”

He goes on to describe --

“Y'all should have been there - it was truly AMAZING!!! There were at least 500 of us (almost half the crowd). Our city councilman at large is a republican and he secured w/ the local police our protection and they all allowed us to take in our protest signs (sans sticks) INTO the VENUE ITSELF!!!

There were many good signs: I used "Pontius Pilate was also personally opposed" , but Laura's was most effective: a bright florescent hot pink sign saying "Kerry" with a slash through it. She worked her way to the front of the crowd and stood on a chair holding it high. She clearly saw Kerry look at the only hot pink sign in the entire crowd several times and get slightly flustered. Other signs: "Kerry is bad for steel" (he's in the pocket of the enviros - that really pisses off the steel community here), "Unfit for command" (thanks for the ideas, guys!), "Steubenville for Bush!", "Taxpayers for Bush", etc.

At one point, Kerry said "To all you Republicans in the crowd..." I couldn't hear the rest over the deafening boooos!

You should have seen the media and Kerry's campaign when they arrived - he must have had no idea what hit him: we were all lined up along the fence (a whole city block) and there were ONLY pro-Bush, anti-Kerry, pro-life signs along the entire fence. Several of his staff gave us very nasty looks - they couldn't believe that someone (the police! - most of whom are Republicans here) let us in the venue with those protest signs. (BTW, he tried to come last month and the Kerry camp was turned down by the head of the local firemen's union - another republican).

Perhaps the highlight of the night was this: John Glenn introduced Kerry. During his introduction, at a moment when the entire crowd was silent and during a pause in his intro, Regis Martin (a fellow prof here) yelled at the top of his voice to the great consternation of the Democrats: "Go back to the Moooon!" You've really got to know Regis - he sure is something.

Kerry was shocked and upset. A job well done.”