RNC Tried to Cancel Ron Paul Rally, Rage Against the Machine Concert

Steve Perry
Minnesota Independent News
September 12, 2008

Here’s a behind-the-scenes postscript about the lengths to which the planners of the Republican National Convention went to ensure the appearance of a discord-free GOP: They tried to scuttle Ron Paul’s counter-convention across the river in Minneapolis and the next night’s Rage Against the Machine concert as well.

Speaking on background, well-placed sources at City Hall and Target Center have confirmed to MnIndy that in the days before Ron Paul’s Rally for the Republic at Target Center was publicly announced, representatives of the RNC Host Committee contacted officials at Target Center and the city of Minneapolis (which oversees the facility) to push for the cancellation of the event. They also sought the cancellation of the Rage Against the Machine concert that took place at Target Center on September 3, the third night of the RNC.

A City Haller familiar with the situation says that Mayor RT Rybak’s office was contacted by Host Committee members who wanted the mayor’s assistance in seeing to it that the events were canceled. He refused to cooperate, adds the source. I phoned Rybak’s office; he declined to be interviewed. But his communication director, Jeremy Hanson, had this to say: “We don’t dispute the characterization of events, but the mayor’s office doesn’t wish to comment further.”

I left a message this morning seeking a response from Jeff Larson, the RNC Host Committee’s CEO. He has not returned the call. If/when he does, I’ll add an update.

(Larson is perhaps better known as a founder of the Feather Larson Synhorst group, a top-drawer GOP fundraising/marketing outfit, and as Norm Coleman’s DC landlord.)

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This article was posted: Friday, September 12, 2008 at 4:13 pm

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