You’d think the smell would be enough when it comes to the hippies.

Not that they’re worried or anything. But the White House evidently leaves little to chance when it comes to protests within eyesight of the president. As in, it doesn’t want any.

A White House manual that came to light recently gives presidential advance staffers extensive instructions in the art of “deterring potential protestors” from President Bush’s public appearances around the country.

Among other things, any event must be open only to those with tickets tightly controlled by organizers. Those entering must be screened in case they are hiding secret signs. Any anti-Bush demonstrators who manage to get in anyway should be shouted down by “rally squads” stationed in strategic locations. And if that does not work, they should be thrown out.

But that does not mean the White House is against dissent—just so long as the president does not see it. In fact, the manual outlines a specific system for those who disagree with the president to voice their views. It directs the White House advance staff to ask local police “to designate a protest area where demonstrators can be placed, preferably not in the view of the event site or motorcade route.”

The “Presidential Advance Manual,” dated October 2002 with the stamp “Sensitive—Do Not Copy,” was released under subpoena to the American Civil Liberties Union as part of a lawsuit filed on behalf of two people arrested for refusing to cover their anti-Bush T-shirts at a Fourth of July speech at the West Virginia State Capitol in 2004.

I guess we’re all supposed to be shocked at this or something, but is the idea that the President doesn’t want to be interrupted or heckled by a bunch of screaming leftists all that surprising?  I mean, this isn’t even a free speech issue.  Interrupting someone else’s planned speaking engagement isn’t a form of protected speech or expression.  It’s called “disorderly conduct” or some other misdemeanor, and it serves people intent on disruption right for being blocked from the President’s events.

What a lot of people fail to understand is that “free speech” isn’t an absolute right.  Meaning you can’t just say whatever you want whenever you want.  There are libel laws, and the cliched “you can’t shout ‘fire’ in a crowded theater” example.  But you also can’t go to an event like a movie or a political speech and interfere with the ability of others to enjoy that event.

Which is the problem this manual for the White House’s advance teams is trying to solve.  And it’s not an unreasonable one either, though the leftists will undoubtedly be offended at the idea that someone would prevent them from screaming “chimp” at the President while he’s trying to talk foreign policy or something.