RECAP from UCLA Rogue States Conference PART I:

Just in case anyone forgot, here is Part 1:
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/15014

And seeing as I was so late getting to Part 2 (insert very guilty faced emoticon) I thought you could use a recap. You can hopefully understand when you scroll down, and down, and down… why this took so long to pull together. Transcribing is a painstaking exercise in patience and rewind…

This intro is snipped from Part 1 to refresh your memory.

This first-hand account from one of the Yahoo! groups, from Dr. Barbara Yeager in West Virginia (posted by permission):

We did not provide very good weather for Senator Clinton's visit
today. After a morning in Mich. regarding their primary election, she
flew in to Charleston and traveled the short distance (about 1 mile)
to Capital High School where she was greeted by an estimated 2000
people.  Shuttle buses moved the people from a football field about 3
miles away to the school gym.  TV pictures this evening indicate that
her welcome was enthusiastic. The high school students interviewed
were especially happy to have her and it sounded as if her visit
inspired them to take a greater interest in politics.  (Always a good
thing)

We left our house about 2:30 and drove in the pounding rain the 40
miles to the venue in Huntington.  Since the streets were blocked by
police and media we parked about 3 blocks away.  When we approached
the American Legion post #16 we saw at least 200 people standing in
the rain waiting to get in the building.  It didn't bother them in
the least. 

Because Jack was to faciitate the event, we were ushered right in and
taken to a back room to await her arrival.  We had our son and
daughter with us and they were also invited to the waiting room. 
Burns had arrived from Arlington this morning and Jason had moved on
to another city.  Burns was now in charge and he and Jack reviewed
the details while the plane flew from Charleston to Huntington.  A
tarp was set up in order to get the Senator from the parking lot to
the back door.  She arrived about 4:30. 

There were eleven people in the room with us including the parents
and sister of two brothers, victims of war.  We were told that the
Senator wanted to spend private moments with the family.  About 3
minutes before her arrival eight of us stepped into a corner outside
the door. She spent time with that family and then the rest of us
were ushered back into the room.

We each introduced ourselves.  She was gracious, dynamic, energetic,
very warm and in general one of thoses people you would like to
engage in conversation for a longer period than time allowed.

She was quick to master all the names, had the program order down in
a few seconds, and after all the introductions were made said "Well,
let's start off by getting a Yeager family picture."  That shocked
me.  She helped get the five of us arranged and one of her assistants
took a photo with our camera and her photographer took some with his.

Secret service was everywhere and very much in charge of events once
she arrived.  When the party moved to the stage we took our seats and
enjoyed a very smooth hour from 5 to 6 PM.  Jack did a nice job.  She
seemed to like his introduction and he was able to move the
session along.  Her mike handlers were quite smooth, efficient, and
silent.  Her AV people are first class.  Everyone could hear
everything. 

They played the new video of the generals who support her.  She had
not seen it and wanted it shown after she was on stage so she could
review it.  It was well received.  The media coverage was, as you
would expect, thorough.  Everyone was there.  I expect to see footage
tomorrow.

After the question and answer session she posed for pictures, signed
autographs, answered individual questions and in general seemed to
enjoy visiting with the people. As she was leaving we had a few
minutes to talk again.  I thanked her for coming and she assured me
that she would be back soon and I assured her that we would be
working hard for her during her absence.  She was most gracious. 

Do you remember the way we all felt the day General Clark announced
his endorsement of Senator Clinton.  We were only comforted by his
insistence that she was more than the media made her out to be.  We
trusted his judgment and jumped into this campaign.  Well, my
friends...I think he was right.  I have not a single reservation
about her abiity to lead this nation.  She is ready.  She is able.
We did the right thing by coming here, I believe. Now, let's get this
nomination job done!

The rains came early and poured all day. They are still pouring.  The
news reported that winds in Charleton gusted to 85 miles per hour
about 6:30 this evening. That was probably the next president of the
United States passing over on her way to an 8 PM event in Washington.

Though today was a memorable day, I look forward to working harder to
help secure the nomination for this remarkable lady.    

Wes returns yet again, March 11, to UCLA Burkle Center for a Conference on Rogue States and how best to address them via our foreign policy.

___________________________________________________________________

ROGUE STATES CONFERENCE PART I-

I arrived on campus around 2:30, just as the ABC and CBS trucks were packing up their gear to pull out (I have this effect on the media….) After Bill Richardson’s address – which I could not attend. I snuck into the large conference hall just as Panel 3 had gotten underway and grabbed the nearest seat in the back of the room – trusty recorder in hand. Dr. Suphamnonghkhuo (hereafter known as “Dr. S”) was discussing the famous six party talks with N. Korea while a man two rows in front of me was busily scrolling through his Blackberry…. Waitaminute! I know the back of that head--It’s Wes! And of course- I somehow always find myself lurking just behind him, over his shoulder, making it all the more difficult to dispel that notion of me being a Zelig-ian Wes-stalker. He turned around at one point -- smiled and waved. “Hi Wes!”. I mouthed. He must be used to looking behind him in L.A. by now to find the obligatory blond with tape recorder and notebook….

So this morning I rose at 4:30 am so that I could get showered and awake and out the door before 6 am.

I was off across town to pick up another volunteer who needed a ride, and we met up on the southwest side of the city with some other Hillary supporters to "do visibility" at a major intersection for the morning commute. Eight of us held up signs, hooted and hollered, and yelled at passing motorists for a couple of hours to GO VOTE, starting TODAY.

I spent all day working here in San Antonio for our gal! We had a couple hundred volunteers show up early this morning at the campaign office, and Dolores Huerta, after a moving speech, sent us out with precinct lists to hit the streets for Hillary. Those unable to do the walking stayed behind to phone bank.

Picking up where we left off-- in the jam packed 2nd story classroom at UCLA Public Affairs Bldg- Wes had just finished telling his slipping on the icy runway story from his own Presidential campaign of 2004. He recounted how the photographer had caught him, sure enough, at just the worst moment. The whole room cracked up with his physical reenactment of the slide, then settled down for the next sobering question from a young man who asks;

Q: What’s your opinion of John McCain’s foreign policy?

It wasn’t until right before Wes was scheduled to speak that I learned I would be able to attend. The event had been booked full already for days, and I had meetings to move around even if I could go. After a series of frantic last minute calls to UCLA media relations dept and then to the public affairs offices-- I finally got my clearance at the very last minute. I dropped everything to dash off to UCLA-- in record time.

Great Day for a Hike

Senator Hillary Clinton made a campaign stop in Seattle last night, Thursday, February 7, 2008. The venue was… puzzling, to put it mildly, a warehouse on the waterfront near the Port of Seattle. Parking was insane, as, due to the Port, most of us had to scramble to find street parking, walk several blocks (if not miles) north, cross over railroad tracks and under the viaduct, and walk several more blocks south.

Just talked with John Oeffinger, live from Toledo, Iowa. ( Betcha didn’t know there was a Toledo in Iowa, huh?!)  Well, he and the inimitable Bob Gammage, drove back up to Iowa, from Southern Texas, at the crack of dawn New Year’s Day.  That’s about a 16 hr. drive, mind you – and I don’t think I’ve ever heard John so wired up and enjoying himself!  He and Bob  are having a blast it seems (and I’m missing it, damnit!). 

---posted on General Discussion also---

Just a brief account of Wes's keynote at the Alabama JJ Dinner -- I will get a more in depth one tomorrow. Got some great pictures that have to be downloaded and put on webshots.

First thing -- charcoal gray suit with my absolute FAV tie -- steel blue.