When it was reported by the corporate media (rarely) the crowd outside George Bush’s fundraising dinner at the McCaw mansion in Seattle last night was variously described as a “few hundred”, to “as many as 500 supporters and protesters” (nice way to avoid breaking down the skew). No one however seems to have picked up the story that this protest had a received a permit, and was expecting 2000 people to show up, but had their permit revoked Thursday evening, scaring away a large contingent of people who while very upset by Bush had no desire to break the law. (perhaps feeling that doing so would make them to similar to the people sitting down for the $2,000 fundraising dinner inside?)

It is becoming increasingly clear that get a permit is a tactical mistake.