Carroll: R68 is a bunch of babies

Rocky editorial page editor Vince Carroll is on fire! Stop, drop and roll, Vinnie!

While he's doing that, I'll quote from his latest editorial:

Speaking of activist groups with a hair trigger, could there possibly be one more tedious than the Re-create 68 Alliance with its endless complaints about access to Denver parks during this summer's Democratic National Convention?

Waaa! We didn't get a permit to protest in Civic Center on the eve of the convention. . . .

Doesn't "Waaaah!" have an "h" on the end?

It is particularly rich to see Re-create's Glenn Spagnuolo invoking constitutional rights and fair play in the group's pursuit of protest permits. After all, he doesn't actually believe in the First Amendment as most of us understand it - at least not when the issue is whether the Columbus Day parade should enjoy an undisrupted trip through Denver's downtown. Then Spagnuolo can be found in lock step with the likes of Ward Churchill, who would shut the parade down.

The likes of Ward Churchill?

Now Spagnuolo presumes to lecture Denver officials about the importance of free speech. Which is important only when he says so, apparently.

Carroll still doesn't get it: The Columbus Day parade isn't an exercise of free speech. It's a hate crime, and therefore not protected by the First Amendment.

Update: More DNC via EP at SP:

1. Glenn Spagunolo was on Peter Boyles' show several times earlier this month. Having long ago forged the habit of never listening to Boyles, I missed them. This show (May 7), also has Larry Hales, and sounds quite dated already. Boyles, of course, asks obnoxiously easy questions (How many people will be here protesting, Glenn? How many do you think, Larry?). I'll listen to the rest of them (find them here) someday, maybe.

2. Fartmobiles:

The Molson Coors Brewing Co. has been named the official ethanol provider for the 2008 Democratic National Convention, to be held in Denver Aug. 25-28.

Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP) of Denver, and its Golden-based Coors Brewing Co. subsidiary, will donate all the E85 ethanol needed to power a fleet of General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) flex-fuel vehicles to be used at the convention.

Molson Coors also is Presidential-level sponsor of the convention, and will provide beer for Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee convention and pre-convention events, meetings, media briefings and VIP events. Presidential is the highest level of convention sponsorship, with sponsors contributing $1 million or more of cash and/or services, according to the host committee.

Uh-huh. Another interesting fact or figure:

While most ethanol comes from corn, Molson Coors' ethanol is produced from waste beer. The ethanol used in DNC vehicles will come from Coors Brewing's brewery in Golden.

There's an oxymoron only fellow alkys will appreciate: waste beer. It's not waste unless there's a cigarette butt floating in it (and sometimes not then). Coors produces 3 million gallons of ethanol annually.

3. DNCC essay contest winners announced. Here's the opening graf of high school junior Maria Tanabe's essay, "Restless for Change" (pdf):

"And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do--ask what you can do for your country." The wise words of John F Kennedy are timeless and resonate loudly in the upcoming election of 2008. The future of our country is change and the power behind that change is the people. Individuals are becoming involved and are participating in government because the world is quickly shifting, and everyone wants a voice in the change.

Young people are the future of this country.