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| Fifth Column |
| Moonbat SLC Mayor Deluged With Phone Calls |
| 2006-08-29 |
| Offended by Rocky Anderson's plans to protest President Bush this week, the Utah Republican Party is waging a public-relations campaign urging Utahns to call the mayor and tell him to "stop embarrassing" the state. And while Utahns have listened - flooding City Hall with almost 300 calls and overwhelming the phone system - Anderson hasn't. Salt Lake City's mayor isn't altering his protest plans. "Given the nastiness of some of these people, it actually just bolsters my resolve," said Anderson, who previously alleged that the "real embarrassment" is Utahns' unwavering support of Bush. The GOP acknowledged that its push, sending out thousands of voice-mail messages to Republicans and running ads on about 20 radio stations around the state, wouldn't change Anderson's mind. "This is all about letting the rest of Utah have a voice to counter his voice," said Utah Republican Party Executive Director Jeff Hartley. "We want to make sure the rest of Utah at least lets him know they disagree with his behavior. It may not change his behavior, but he will at least know he doesn't get a free pass when he embarrasses the state." Hartley said party headquarters and Republican elected officials have received "dozens" of calls from people upset Anderson is speaking at the protest and invited Cindy Sheehan to join him. Since Sheehan's son died in Iraq in 2004, she has become a national face of the anti-war movement. Ads started running Monday with heavy play in Utah's rural counties, where residents are "hopping mad this man is representing our state to the world," Hartley said. City Hall was inundated with calls Monday and hired three temporary workers to handle them. The city won't ask the Republican Party to pick up the $144 tab for the temps and the $1,000 extra cost to the phone system. "It's part of the democratic process," Anderson said. "It's part of being responsive." And the GOP won't offer to pay. Hartley was glad to hear about the volume of calls to tell the mayor "he's gone too far off the reservation of sanity." "He's using the people of Utah and using his position as mayor to draw national attention to himself. It's clear he wants to be a national figure. It's clear he's using his office to get there." Anderson announced last month he wouldn't seek a third term as mayor. He said the protest has "nothing" to do with his future plans. "These people are so deluded. They make this stuff up as they go along." The GOP radio ad intones that the threat to the United States by terrorists is real, "and the choice is clear. Do we do whatever it takes to win the war on terror? Or do we embolden the terrorists with a cut-and-run strategy? Mayor Rocky Anderson has made his decision. He's invited professional protester Cindy Sheehan to Utah to convince you that America should retreat." The message seems to bolster a poll commissioned by The Salt Lake Tribune that shows 45 percent of Utahns believe anti-war demonstrators such as Anderson and Sheehan "aid the enemies of the U.S." Some 27 percent say they "play an important role in the national debate over U.S. policy in Iraq." Another 28 percent weren't sure. The poll of 625 registered voters was conducted by the Washington, D.C.-based Mason-Dixon Polling & Research firm this month. "Part of what undermines our strength is our enemies thinking we have weakness within our ranks," Hartley said. "If they can pressure us to cut and run and give up the fight . . . if politicians like Rocky Anderson prevail, then we'll give up and quit." The ad also questions if Anderson shares Sheehan's "anti-American" views, alleging she called terrorists "freedom fighters" and America the "largest terrorist organization in the world." A LexisNexis search of major newspapers found references to such comments only in letters to the editor or editorial columns, save a paraphrase from a London paper. However, Sheehan has been quoted in The Seattle Times describing Bush as a "bigger terrorist than Osama bin Laden." Anderson said he believes troops should leave the "tragic, unjustified war . . . as soon as possible." As for the idea that he is abetting terrorists, he added "that characterization is despicable. I do what I do out of love for this nation and the values on which this nation was founded." There are about a half-dozen groups planning anti-Bush/anti-war/anti-US/anti-Israel and Jew protests, where many plan to scream "death to Jews" and "death to America". However, some wit has obtain a permit to counter-protest in a "death to Arabs" rally, and CAIR is positively apoplectic about anti-Arab "hate speech". |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #5 SLC is like Austin; it sees itself as an island of liberalism in a sea of benighted reaction and feels that it must constantly show its difference or be lumped in with the rest of the "reddest of red states." Most Mormons I know can't stand Anderson and wouldn't have elected him to anything. However, SLC, which is actually a fairly small part of the Salt Lake basin, doesn't have many Mormons living there now; the moonbats have taken over. If Anderson is stupid enough to try running for statewide office, he'll get his head handed to him. |
| Posted by: mac 2006-08-29 18:30 |
| #4 TW, Although I now live in Texas (not from here, but got here as fast as I could), I was born and raised in the SLC area. I can only speak to how it was back in the 60's and 70's. I've been back several times as an adult, but not long enough to really get a feel for how the politics are now. Back then it was indeed conservative, and staunchly mormon. My Dad still lives there, and he tells me it began to change in the mid to late 80's. The biggest change, according to him, was the massive influx of Californians, lured by the low cost of living, low taxes, clean air, mountains, cheap real estate and a tech sector that was taking off. Also, the coming of the Olympics brought in people from all over the political spectrum, many of which stayed there. I'd still say the area is generally conservative, but the moonbats do have a few footholds. I'm sure there are alot of other factors that have caused the shift, but I don't spend enough time there to have an educated opinion as to why. |
| Posted by: mcsegeek1 2006-08-29 11:52 |
| #3 It goes back to the only poll that counts is on election day. The mayor has already conceded the battlefield he currently holds, by not running again. It remains to be seen whether this stunt will pursuade his future constituents to elect him to represent them. I know the state of Utah is pretty conservative, but what about Salt Lake City and environs? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-08-29 11:31 |
| #2 Rocky's looking for nutroots support in his next big job - expect a run for congress and a crushing defeat in his future |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-08-29 11:16 |
| #1 As for the idea that he is abetting terrorists, he added "that characterization is despicable. I do what I do out of love for this nation and the values on which this nation was founded." Well definitions are important, Rocky. Just how do you define love for this Nation? And what exactly are the 'values' you think this nation was founded on? I guaran-frickin-tee you they aren't the same values you hold. Read a history book you flaming dumb-ass. |
| Posted by: mcsegeek1 2006-08-29 11:13 |