NO Bailing Out of WAR -- Busting the Candidates

The presidential candidates visited TV-land today, gracing two DC studios with their presence... and Code Pink was there to greet them!

We waited outside of the Newseum for several minutes, enjoying the muggy, cool morning air, outfitted in PINK and ready to share our message of peace: “No Bailouts for Billionaires” and “Bail Our Troops Out of Iraq!” As we waited, Hurricane Liz and I chatted pleasantly with Officer McConnell of the DC police, finding common ground with DC's finest in our criticism of the Paulson-proposed bailout for the speculators and high-rollers who have scammed and deep-sixed our financial system over the past several years.

When Senator McCain's cavalcade of sirens and SUVs came rolling in, the pink banners were unfurled and the bullhorns were blaring to greet Mr. “Bomb, bomb, bomb, Iran.” We let him know that we want a “PEACE PRESIDENT” and that we're not too happy about his 10,000-year Iraq war plan or his vigorous support for CIA torture. As if weathering a feisty Barack Obama rejoinder, big Mac grimaced a grin our way while flashing his classic thumbs-up pose through the safety glass of his ride, before disappearing into the building.

Next, we were off to harangue the silver-tongued young community organizer from Illinois. Again the pink banners were flying and the bullhorns raging: “Bail Us Out of Iraq!” Gael Murphy led the call as we shared our message with the passersby, campaign staffers, and Obama's security detail. His staffers told us that Barack is not about to attempt to educate the public about how screwed up Iraq STILL is... (way too risky in this jingoistic media environment, I guess). After a half-hour or so of Pink action, with Barack inside with the “greatest generation” of journalistic nincompoops, the security fellows began scrambling about and blocking traffic. Obama was apparently ready to leave the building. Like the Pope or Madonna (or Sara Palin), there was absolutely NO opportunity to interact with the Senator. With a smile and a wave through a tinted window, his Obama-ness was on his way.