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By Jack Nichols
For his part, Mr. Bush was attempting his first official visit to this fabled state where election scandals once again are becoming fodder for TV and radio news talk shows. The scandals have returned because of a Sunday report in the Palm Beach Post showing that Gore's lead would have been 10 times that of Bush's had ballots been properly counted. The Oral Majority's leader said that a key to the dispute with the GOP over the butterfly ballots was provided by none other than the notorious Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris herself, in a move that has gone unnoticed by most Pundits. Broward County, he points out , saw its ballots fully welcomed with both their chads and dimples by Ms. Harris. Thus, he believes, she set a standard that later was vehemently rejected and ridiculed by the Republican Bush juggernaut after it invaded the state to prevent all recounts. Kunst didn't know, as he drove toward Panama City, whether or not he'd be standing alone protesting Bush outside the Marina Civic Center in a predominantly Republican stronghold. He was joined spontaneously by willing pickets, however, numbering at various times between 14 and 20 persons. Late yesterday afternoon, CNN showed Kunst holding a lengthy banner: “Bush Stole the Election” and, although the Oral Majority chair stood at that time with only one supporter, their banner as well as an accusatory television commercial were clearly shown on the news channel. The TV commercial, paid for by Bay County Democrats, also recalled Florida's election fiasco and critiqued Bush's disingenuous tax cut proposals Monday's NBC-TV national news programming, in the context of other worrisome questions about Bush's highly suspect plans, pictured the Panama City protesters and their “Bush Stole the Election” signs. Monday's startling decline on Wall Street seemed to throw into question any long-range economic optimism upon which Bush's 1.6 trillion ten year tax cut plan has been made, through obvious propaganda techniques, to appear prudent.
“Yeah, he sure does trust the people,” laughed Bob Kunst sarcastically, making reference to an oft repeated mantra used by the Bush election campaign last year, one which promised that Bush would be a “people truster”. Saturday's Panama City News-Herald had announced that Kunst's Oral Majority would be protesting Monday. It said: "The Miami Beach group considers Bush an invalid president, saying Al Gore should have been declared the winner of November's presidential election.” The Panama City newspaper also carried a full page ad, 'An Open Letter to President George W. Bush" that was paid for by the Bay County Democratic Party. It reminded Bush he was 'selected', and that the 'mis-called election' was due to the enormous number of absentee ballots received in his favor statewide. Kunst explained to GayToday how absentee ballots in Bay County had strangely comprised 22% of the November 7 vote, a tactic solicited by Jeb Bush whose supporters spent $500,000 to foster a kind of vote they were sure would favor Republican voters. “Absentee ballots,” Kunst said, “ are one key way to abuse the election.” The ad asked: "Do you believe that all Americans should be given the same opportunity to vote? Or do you believe that one sub-group of citizens should be allowed easier access to the process of voting." "Isn't it simply unfair to win by breaking the rules?" In the wake of such troubling questions, the ad then critiqued Bush's tax cut for the wealthy. “Not a bad opening, especially since it came from the Democratic Party in Bay County,” noted Kunst, “which is more than what we got from the rest of Florida's dead Democratic leadership and nationally, a leadership that's ignored this Grand Theft of our Country to their own political demise.” “This ad,” exulted Kunst, “started my day.” Kusnt told GayToday: “I got to the Marina Civic Center by 8:30 A.M. and had already done my first interview with the Panama City News Herald. “I stood at the entrance to the Marina and it was cold, super windy and very overcast and in fact we would be under a tornado warning till 3 P.M., yet it didn't rain. “I was there for an hour and getting lots of visible support for my statement, before the Secret Service wanted me to move to the area set aside for protesters, which was by an old Air Force Jet, and after some persuasion they moved us further towards the Civic Center where we could be seen. “At first I was by myself and then joined by a very nice guy from Rochester, N.Y. touring America and also wanted to protest 'Bushit' for his own reasons on the phoney tax issue. “Then we had a third guy show up, who left and then came back later with his dog. “All in all we had 20 protesters, but no more than 14 at any one time. “Our 'Bush Stole The Election' banner also stole the show itself, for the Bushit fans trying to get into this 2500 seat center had to wait in line and see the banner from across the street, as well as the media who then came over to talk. The Oral Majority chair compiled a list of the newspapers and television crew members who had interviewed him throughout the day. They included: . Tampa Tribune, interview and photo. NBC affiliate, Channel 13 Florida News Channel interview for eight television markets in Florida. CNN , ABC, NBC and FOX Networks. St. Petersberg Times-- Interview. Dallas Morning News--Interview. New York Times-- Interview. Washington Post-- Interview. Associated Press--Interview. United Press International --Interview. Agence Presse International (France) Houston Chronicle-- Interview done with others protesting. Washington Times--Interview. Comus T.V.-- Interview which can feed any TV station in the world. Pensacola Radio doing feed for National Public Radio-- Interview. The Walton Sun, weekly--a photo “We'll see who said what on Tuesday morning,” said a much-satisfied Kunst. The New York Times online had already quoted him, it was noted. “Then on to the Oscars!” hooted the smiling veteran activist, referring to his forthcoming trip to Los Angeles where, on March 25, he will present George W. Bush with an award for “Best performance in a coup d'etat.” |
Activist Bob Kunst leads the Oral Majority 