They Are Who We Thought They Were

"They are who we thought they were."

Yup - I know the network newscasters and political reporters for the major dailies are all addicted to hyperbole, but looking at these pictures of the protest outside the Democratic Party's Rules & Bylaws committee meeting made me wonder - how the hell you could talk about the "dangers this faction poses to likely Democratic nominee Barack Obama"?

They are who we thought they were, alright.





I don't usually have pictures, but since I'm sure the airwaves are going to be full of grave looking middle-aged men who speak about the "massive demonstration" that took place, or the "angry" mob of protestors, I'm going to head them off at the pass today and give you the straight skinny on what REALLY happened. The pictures DID NOT come from the Washington Times - theywere posted on Flickr, the public photo sharing website.


From The Washington Times:

Clinton's backers: We won't 'roll over'

[Excerpt]T-shirt vendor Charles Greer of Washington said he brought his stash of Obama shirts and hats to the Rock Creek rally because he said he thought it was going to be a Democratic rally for "recounting the vote."

"But all I've heard them talk about was Hillary, Hillary, Hillary," Mr. Greer said.

Mr. Greer said that while some protests cursed him and waved obscene hand gestures, he still sold about 30 to 40 Obama shirts and hats.

"Hillary shirts don't sell well in Washington. If they did, we'd have Hillary shirts too," he said.

I guess she was using the umbrella to shield herself from the sun. Her com padres inside needed it more than she did - the Rules & Bylaws committee was raining on their parade.




I wasn't sure whether these people were setting up for a band party or what - the body language of the people in the picture was so relaxed, I had a hard time reconciling it with comments like this:

From The Washington Times:

Clinton's backers: We won't 'roll over'

John Overton, who shouted pro-Clinton slogans outside the hotel, said he would leave the party if Mr. Obama receives the Democratic nomination for president.

"I can't stand for the Democratic Party if they don't stand for voters' rights," said Mr. Overton, who traveled from his home in Chapel Hill, N.C., to attend the rally. The party "would no longer exist to me as a party."

"I don't scream like this normally. I'm a rational guy, but I've never felt like this before," he added. "This has been a travesty of democracy."

Now this woman was probably pretty angry - I've seen that look myself - although I don't think Obama or the Rules & Bylaws committee had anything to do with the intended target of her wrath.

This picture to the left seems to sum up what the general sentiment was of most of the few hundred - emphasis on FEW - protestors who were in attendance.

From The Washington Times:

Clinton's backers: We won't 'roll over'

But Johnnie Mae Collins, who traveled from Jacksonville, Fla., to attended the protests, said that while she is upset the Democratic Party disqualified her state's primary results, she won't leave the party.

"Why would we abandon what we are? McCain is not for us," Ms. Collins said. "Some people say if Obama wins they're not going to vote for the party, but I'm not going that way. Those people who say that were never a true Democrat, that's for sure, because for me, you're going to stand with [the party]."

Now I know why I don't use photos - I could write a thousand words in the time it took me to find and upload these pictures.

But if you watch the news anytime this week with a knowing smile as you hear references made to the "angry" protestors who plan to support Hillary Clinton in a fight for the nomination that will "go all the way to the convention floor", then these photos were well worth the time it took to post them.