So what is that First Amendment thing all about, anyway?

Funny, it is Democrat controlled Boston being allowed to do this for the DNC with the blessing of the federal courts, while NYC is very limited by the courts from doing the same thing by the RNC. And giventhat more of the protesters in Boston are conservative, I think you are spinning this all wrong.

By the way -- where is your concern about pro-life protesters whose permits (legally obtained) for a prayer vigil outside the Kerry home were cancelled at the last minute by the Scecret Service?

Suppose you rent a hall for a birthday party (for example) and I decide to protest.

Does the First Amendment say I can crash your party?

Do I have a constitutional right to interrupt your celebration, disrupt your logistics, and harrass your guests?

Show me how any of these whiners rights have been violated, and I might just hang a chad for Kerry (instead of Nader!)

Does the rental of the hall mean you get to shut down the public streets and sidewalks for blocks around the hall? Does it mean you get to use the government to impose special limits on rights guaranteed under the Constitution?

And Bob, there is a cage over away from where anyone will see or hear you -- it is the only place you are allowed to exercise your rights under teh Constitution.

My point exactly. The First Amendment guarantees the right to gather and to speak, not the "right" to force other people to listen to you against their will. It seems pretty straight forward to me. But then, if you support a "living, breathing" constitution, anything is fair game.