The Bush Administration remains determined to marginalize dissent - which it views as undermining already shaky support for US war effort in Iraq - by making every effort to render such protests invisible to the broader public. This has increasingly meant restricting freedom of assembly in public spaces - from San Francisco and LA to NYC's Fifth Ave and Central Park. It's happening all over the country. The war and and the struggle to defend freedom of speech and assembly are inextricably intertwined -- like it or not.

For Chicagoans, it's important to remember that kissing White House butt is a hallowed tradition of the Daley machine .. no matter who is in office. In fact, the restrictive parade permit ordinance used to keep protesters off the Mag Mile this year was first deployed - and unsuccessfully challenged - during the 1996 Democratic National Convention. Da mare, who lobbied to have the DNC return to Chicago was particularly eager to dispel the lingering nasty reputation produced by the Chicago police riot during the 1968 DNC - during which peaceful Vietnam anti-war protesters were clubbed insensate outside of the convention at his father's direction. That meant keeping counter-convention protesters as far away as possible from the United Center, (site of the 1996 convention) and away from the delegate hotels and posh receptions on Michigan Ave.

These days, the Daley administration, ever mindful of the flow of federal funding from a White House and Congress in the hands of pro war conservatives - has added incentive to continue this tradition. And virtually no local politician has the nerve to buck the 5th Floor on this, despite the fact that a majority of Chicagoans oppose a war and occupation which has already cost city tax payers a staggering 2.1 billion dollars to date, inflicted over 1,500 US casualities, and left tens of thousands of Iraqis dead. Hence Alderman Moore's notable absence at the Oak and Michigan press conference. As always, functional spines remain in short supply within the ranks of the Chicago City Council.

That's why defending what remains of our constitutional rights is so critical at this time. Nobody else will do it for us. The bottom line here is use em, or lose them.

And mail Mayor Daley some chapstick.