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About 200 protesters lined Bryn Mawr's Montgomery Avenue Tuesday afternoon as President Bush made an appearance
at Mitchell L. Morgan's Bryn Mawr home for a re-election fundraiser for Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum.
Flag Day on the Main Line found some protesters waving signs and chanting slogans on issues such as the
environment, Social Security, economy, gay rights and the Iraq War, while others came out because of a general dislike for
Bush and Santorum.
"This is the beginning of the dumb Santorum race," said Ann Goodman of Devon. "Any
issues that you see - energy, social security - they're all of strong concern."
"I don't feel that he (Bush) should be raising money for Santorum to be elected when there are so many other
things it could go to," said Bryn Mawr College student Carolyn Dahlgren.
Main Liners joined protesters from Philadelphia, Wilmington, Del., and other western suburbs at the corner
of Morris and Montgomery near the Baldwin School and Harcum College campuses.
Leading the environmental front were the Sierra Club's Narberth chapter, and Philadelphia-based Clean Air
Council, whose members held signs reading, "Clean energy for Pennsylvania."
"We're demanding that he (Santorum) help to vote to give America a clean energy policy," said Jason Brady,
Sierra Club conservation organizer. Brady said the Sierra Club's main issue is the vote on the House energy bill, which he
said allows polluters to dump the gasoline additive MTBE that contaminates the ground water supply.
Rosemary Frain and Jim Black, members of the Clean Air Council, said they would like to see less emphasis
on nuclear energy and more focus on renewable energy. "Pennsylvania just supported Growing Greener II," Frain said. "It's
an environmental state."
Lauren Townsend, director of Citizens for Consumer Justice, handed out "Hands off my Social Security" signs
to those concerned with Bush's reform plans. She is also a member of Pennsylvanians United to Protect Social Security.
"We want to save Social Security from privatization and benefit cuts," said Townsend. "My mother is 65.
She needs Social Security the way it is now."
Dan Lichtman of Merion said he is worried about the underprivileged who might not be able to afford to invest
in private Social Security firms. He said he sees the Bush plan as a way to release the burden of government support.
Protesters of the Iraq War were emotional when discussing issues that concerned them. Pete Brunner, a member
of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, who stood next to a large banner reading, "Honor the warrior, not the war - Let's bring
'em home now," came close to tears when he described the hundreds of coffins for soldiers who died during his Vietnam years.
He said he fears similarities between the Vietnam War and Iraq War.
"This war is an error," said Susan Cannon of Narberth. "An error in foreign policy and domestic policy."
Jim Young and Tony Giruzzi, both of Bryn Mawr, held a sign that read, "Santorum" with a swastika symbol
underneath - Santorum recently came under fire for likening Senate Democrats to Hitler - and said they came to oppose the
senator's comments regarding Lawrence v. Texas. In a statement to the Associated Press in 2003, Santorum said: "If the Supreme
Court says that you have the right to consensual sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right
to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything."
"Santorum is putting gays as second-class citizens," said Young. "We want equal rights. It's the year 2005."
Mike Bedrick of Salisbury, Pa., held a sign that read: "It's the economy again, stupid," that he made
five years ago. His main concerns centered on jobs and the shrinking middle class. "I guess money can buy you access to power
and everything else," he said in response to the Santorum fundraiser.
George Huhm of Wilmington, Del., also criticized those choosing to pay the $10,000 charge for a photo opportunity
with the president at the fundraiser. He accused Bush of putting big corporations before the will of the people. "Some of
the few that it (the Bush administration) serves are coming to this fundraiser - the wealthy"...
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