State of the Union

If not for the quick work of the Capitol police, freedom of speech might have been exercized in the presence of power and Bubble Boy might have been exposed to the reality of his policies.

Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a fallen soldier in Iraq who reinvigorated the anti-war movement, was arrested and removed from the House gallery Tuesday night just before President Bush's State of the Union address, a police spokeswoman said.

Sheehan, who was invited to attend the speech by Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., was charged with demonstrating in the Capitol building, said Capitol Police Sgt. Kimberly Schneider. The charge was later changed to unlawful conduct, Schneider said. Both charges are misdemeanors.

At first it wasn't clear at first what happened,

CNN said Sheehan was arrested after unveiling a banner and was being held on Capitol Hill for about an hour, which would keep her away from the address, which was set to start at 9 p.m. EST.

but it looks like the story officials are going with is straight now (keep watching CNN for that correction, by the way), though it still varies from Sheehan's own account:

(Capitol Police Sgt. Kimberly) Schneider said Sheehan had worn a T-shirt
with an antiwar slogan to the speech and covered it up until she took her seat.
Police warned her that such displays were not allowed, but she did not respond,
the spokeswoman said.

The T-shirt bore the words “2,245 Dead — How Many More??” in reference
to the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq, protesters told NBC News.

But, according to the accused,

I was never told that I couldn't wear that shirt into the Congress. I was never
asked to take it off or zip my jacket back up. If I had been asked to do any of
those things...I would have, and written about the suppression of my freedom of
speech later. I was immediately, and roughly (I have the bruises and muscle
spasms to prove it) hauled off and arrested for "unlawful conduct."

Remember when sacrificing a child in the service of this nation bought a parent some respect? Sometimes it even bought a presidential invitation to the State of the Union. It certainly used to prevent presidential advisers from calling you a "clown" in front of reporters.

I guess criticizing George Bush trumps the ultimate sacrifice.