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Mark Holtz
03-23-03, 11:29 AM
From SF Gate (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/03/23/MN258025.DTL):

Sacramento rally backs invasion
3,000 show up to counter large-scale war protests in S.F.

"Let's show those protesters in San Francisco that we support the troops!" a woman screamed into a megaphone outside the Capitol. Moments later Saturday, a sneering mention of the city gets a low-rumble "boooooo" from the crowd.

It was characterized as a Rally for America -- more than 3,000 demonstrators gathered on the west steps chanting "USA, USA, USA," waving dozens of U.S. flags.

The rally also was a response to the large-scale demonstrations in San Francisco. Organizers -- including a local news radio station that broadcasts live from the Capitol steps -- said many probably arrived at the rally simply because of disgust at the high-profile Bay Area demonstrations.

The Capitol rally was one of several across the country supported by radio outlets owned by Clear Channel Communications, the nation's largest operator of news and talk stations. Clear Channel has described the demonstrations as "just patriotic rallies" initiated by Philadelphia host Glenn Beck and individual Clear Channel stations.

The local Sacramento station, KFBK, broadcast live from the Capitol rally, and its evening host, Mark Williams, was the master of ceremonies. His motto is: "It's not right vs. left . . . it's right vs. wrong."

But there are stark differences between the Bay Area and Central Valley, highlighted by a public opinion poll taken in February by the Public Policy Institute of California. When it comes to war and Bush, there are two states reflecting very different images of each other.

Fifty-six percent of those surveyed in the Central Valley supported an Iraq war; 55 percent in the Bay Area opposed it. The president was given a favorable rating from 60 percent of Central Valley residents, while 60 percent of Bay Area residents disapproved of the president.

Full Article Here (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/03/23/MN258025.DTL)

Mark Holtz
03-23-03, 11:43 AM
From Sacramento Bee (http://www.sacbee.com/24hour/special_reports/iraq/bee/story/6327991p-7281335c.html):

Capitol rally backs president, troops

They came on Harleys, in camouflaged trucks and SUVs, pushing baby strollers and on bikes. They waved American flags and prayed and sang, creating a sea of red, white and blue on the west steps of the state Capitol.

They came to support President Bush and the troops in Iraq. They said they were mothers and veterans and proud Americans. It wasn't a matter of being pro-war, they said, but of supporting one's country and its troops in time of war.

Saturday's "Support the Troops Rally" sponsored by state Sen. Rico Oller, R-San Andreas, and local groups was held, organizers said, to send a message starkly different from the one being broadcast by anti-war protests across the country. Some cited a recent Gallup poll that found 76 percent of respondents in favor of war in Iraq now that the conflict is under way.

Sacramento's rally at one point was to be sponsored by radio station KFBK, which is owned by Clear Channel. But the station pulled out because it felt there wasn't enough time to organize the rally, said Ken Kohl, operations manager for Clear Channel. Mark Williams, a KFBK radio host, was the event's master of ceremonies, and the rally was broadcast live on his show.

Kohl said other rallies across the country were publicized on the Clear Channel Web site but were not company events "per se."

Full article here (http://www.sacbee.com/24hour/special_reports/iraq/bee/story/6327991p-7281335c.html)