In Chicago, police in full riot gear lined the streets as the crowd carried signs that said: "bring our troops home" and "we still say no to war."

Kathy and Scott Liggett traveled to Chicago from Southbend, Ind., to participate in the march because their 20-year-old son, Wes, came home from serving in the war with horror stories from the front lines. He returned to Iraq about a month ago for his second tour of duty with the Marine Corps.

"We just had to be here," Kathy Liggett said. "We couldn't sit at home."

There were a few voices both inside and outside the convention center to counter the support Bush received. A half-dozen anti-Bush college students were escorted from the hall before the president arrived despite holding tickets for the event and three more people were forced out after chanting "No more Bush" as the president made his way across the stage. About 80 protesters demonstrated outside, many gripping red balloons pointing out the expanding national debt under Bush's watch.

- posted by Cynthia @ 5:04 PM | | | Link |