Vice president Dick Cheney had a Colorado man arrested for telling him that his policies on Iraq were reprehensible.Attorney David Lane said that on June 16, Steve Howards was walking his 7-year-old son to a piano practice, when he saw Cheney surrounded by a group of people in an outdoor mall. Howards and his son walked to about two-to-three feet from where Cheney was standing, and said to the vice president, "I think your policies in Iraq are reprehensible," or words to that effect, then walked on.
Ten minutes later, according to Howards' lawsuit, he and his son were walking back through the same area, when they were approached by Secret Service agent Virgil D. "Gus" Reichle Jr., who asked Howards if he had "assaulted" the vice president. Howards denied doing so, but was nonetheless placed in handcuffs and taken to the Eagle County Jail. Howards has filed suit against the secret service.
The lawsuit filed today alleges that Howards was arrested in retaliation for having exercised his First Amendment right of free speech, and that his arrest violated his Fourth Amendment protection against unlawful seizure. When did it become a crime to tell the truth? When did it become a crime to dare speak up to the powerful?
The Bush administration seems to think that they have been anointed American royalty. America doesn?t need a king, and we damn sure don?t need these two bit dictators. ... - humpin
See this article in the NY Times for more. Steven Howards of Colorado is on the right.
?It was our understanding that the vice president did not want to prosecute,? Mr. Hurlbert said in a telephone interview. ?The original indication was that he had pushed the vice president. Later it looked to be that he had just spoken to him.?
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