St.Paul battens down the hatches !

Although it is many months away, it has come to my attention that the Republican National Convention, scheduled for September 2008, is going to be a bit of a rowdy affair.

Or at least that's what the sheriff of Ramsey County, MN, thinks, apparently.

See Minnesota Campaign Report for more on this.

And follow me over the fold....

The sheriff has introduced a budget allocating $4,432,804-- yes, down to that last 4 dollars-- for the sole purpose of dealing with the anticipated arrest of three to five thousand protesters.

Are you planning to waste time and money on protesting at their sorry-assed convention ? I sure am not, although it might provide an excuse to visit old friends in the Twin Cities.

This massive dollar figure includes $80,000 for chain link fencing to create outdoor holding pens for protesters. Somebody has one hell of a paranoid fantasy, not to mention a very high opinion of themselves, eh ?

A couple of things to note-- the late date of the convention means that they will have only a very brief period where they need to finance advertising of their official presidential candidate.  It is hard to say whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.

The Republicans are very far at this point from having even a half-way viable presidential candidate, whereas Dems could go with any one of at least 4 prospective candidates right this minute, as far as I am concerned.  

The sheriff must think that money grows on trees, or that the good folk of Ramsey County can afford to just set fire to hundred dollar bills ! At least that's my take on this nonsense.