This is too much like the "protection" the Soviets used to extend visitors

You know why I post stuff like this?

It's 'cuz when things get REALLY bad, I'll never have the guilt of knowing that I didn't do anything to stop it on my conscience. And however bad things might get, I can either live a long and happy life or die a slow and painful death knowing that I didn't capitulate and that I tried my damndest to get others to say "no" just one more time than these bastitches said "yes".

More proof that we're becoming a fascist state, courtesy of the Washington Post (free website registration required to read full article):

...I had arrived early to get a head start on mingling among the roughly 6,000 people eating and dancing to celebrate the president's reelection. Unaware of the new escort policy (it wasn't in place during the official parties following the 2001 inauguration), I blithely assumed that in the world's freest nation, I was free to walk around at will and ask the happy partygoers such national security-jeopardizing questions as, "Are you having a good time?"

Big mistake. After cruising by the media pen -- a sectioned-off area apparently designed for corralling journalists -- a sharp-eyed volunteer spotted my media badge. "You're not supposed to go out there without an escort," she said.

I replied that I had been doing just fine without one, and walked over to a quiet corner of the hall to phone in some anecdotes to The Post's Style desk.

As I was dictating from my notes, something flashed across my face and neatly snatched my cell phone from of my hand. I looked up to confront a middle-aged woman, her face afire with rage. "You ignored the rules, and I'm throwing you out!" she barked, snapping my phone shut. "You told that girl you didn't need an escort. That's a lie! You're out of here!"

With the First Amendment on the line, my natural wit did not fail me. "Huh?" I answered.

Recovering quickly, I explained that I had been unaware of the escort policy. She was unbending and ordered a couple of security guards to hustle me out. I appealed to them, saying that I was more than happy to follow whatever ground rules had been laid down. They shrugged, and deposited me back in the media pen.

So if Bush and crew can't buy a journalist, they send goons to follow them around at events to make sure they aren't doing anything that they don't want them to be doing.

So now it's that "freedom of the press" thing that's getting bulldozed all over by this bunch. Some of us knew that already. Looks like they're getting more brazen about it now.

But he's "a good Christian Republican" so it doesn't matter...