September 2, 2008 9:54 PM
Just like 1968: Which convention gets compared?
Claim: Denver worried about being compared to the 1968 convention, but it was the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul that earned the distinction - on its first day.
Rocky Truth Patrol says: Rock Solid
Some 150 National Guard troops were called in Monday to help maintain order in some parts of St. Paul after self-described anarchists smashed windows, slashed tires and even attacked delegates.
The comparison came from Fred Biebel, an 83-year-old delegate from Connecticut, in an interview with the Hartford Currant. Biebel has attended every GOP convention since 1956. He made the comparison to the Republican convention of 1968, which was less violent than the Democrat's convention that year in Chicago, but still featured protesters throwing rocks at the windows of the delegates' bus.
"It compared a little bit, not as bad, to 1968," Biebel told the Hartford Currant. "That was scary."
Meanwhile, officials in Denver were still counting their blessings for a relatively smooth DNC last week. Managers of downtown skyscrapers even had glass company trucks on standby in their buildings' garages, ready to fix any broken windows. None were needed.
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