Drunk, but not forgotten

OK, it's been a whiskey bender here. But I have a picture and some video. We crashed the Dell Computer talk this morning with McCain.

After I got the hand shake, I followed him out. TOMORROW, Mike Huckabee.

Bill Clinton Rally's For Hillary at UT 2/27/08

The Bill Clinton for Hillary Rally was attacked by the Ron Paul Revolution. As Bill made his opening statements, a Ron Paul supporter behind the press riser spoke through a megaphone over Clinton's amplified voice.

“Clinton is a liar,” then something that sounded like “He gave all our money to China,” and, of course, “Ron Paul Revolution.”

That lasted a few minutes, and I could not see through the bank of cameras next me to report what happened to the one man "Ron Paul Revolution" and his megaphone, but no shots were fired. (You can hear the megaphone and the rest of the speech on this podcast.)

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Bill had a red face and looked old. I guess I have an image of him from the 1990s and the Texas sun and the Starr Report aged him as much as the last eight years under Bush, particularly if he has considered how many votes his blow job cost Al Gore in 2000.

The vote in the primary was not the only concern—Hillary wants the superdelegates, so Bill asked that supporters go to their precinct and vote a second time on the caucus. It's legal and a bit weird, but he wants back in the White House.


Personally, I do not like Bill Clinton, or Hillary, but I find Bill to be an excellent speaker and I felt like voting for him after the rally. But he isn't running and I already voted early for Obama.


Talking about Hillary's work with children, Mr. Clinton spoke of stuff she did in the 1970s and how after work, she would describe to him things she ran across, like child abuse, where children have cigarette burns on their arms.


All I could think about was Bender, from “The Breakfast Club.”
“This is what you get when you spill paint in the Garage.”

Please visit http://nvnewswire.com for video and a photo essay from this rally.

JOHN MCCAIN ON SENATOR OBAMA'S REMARKS ON IRAQ on CNN in Ohio.

U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today issued the following statement on Senator Barack Obama's remarks in last night's debate:
"In last night's Democratic debate, the American people saw two candidates arguing over how fast to retreat from Iraq at a time when military and political progress are undeniable to any objective observer. Today, thanks to the troop surge that Senators Clinton and Obama opposed, our soldiers have Al Qaeda in Iraq on the run. If Senators Clinton and Obama have their way, Al Qaeda in Iraq will be resurgent and given a new lease on life, putting U.S. forces back on the defensive.


"Last night, we also heard Senator Obama say that once he withdrew US forces from Iraq he would 'reserve the right' to act 'if Al Qaeda is forming a base in Iraq.'  Is Senator Obama unaware that Al Qaeda is still present in Iraq, that our forces are successfully fighting them every day, and that his Iraq policy of withdrawal would embolden Al Qaeda and weaken our security?


"Senator Obama talks about the costs of the war in Iraq -- despite our increasing success -- but refuses to address the catastrophic costs that would result from precipitous withdrawal and defeat in Iraq. Surrender and defeat in Iraq will ultimately cost far more in lives and treasure than will continued success and achieving victory with honor.


"Thanks to the sacrifices of the brave men and women of our armed forces, sectarian violence is down, civilian and military casualties are down, and long-delayed political compromises are being reached. Yet, the Democratic presidential contenders deny progress and see only gloom and doom. Where is the audacity of hope when it comes to backing the success of our troops all the way to victory in Iraq? What we heard last night was the timidity of despair. Our allies deserve better, our soldiers deserve better, and so do the American people."

Behind the Scenes at CNN

Here is a response from my friend Tym, a union worker at one of the CNN events, wrote after I told him I had tacos when I did the CNN debate as a journalist.

“You just got the standard catered fajitas deal for the press- I was working the crew. We got roast beef and cheesecake and other yummies. I was there until 11 pm tonight and will be back to finish tomorrows at 8 am. Its been like that all week. Other than sleep I've been pretty much living there since Sunday building the stage and stuff. Something like 50 hours total by tomorrow, about a grand of work. Yup, I'm definitely voting Democrat now.

"The secret service agent woman with the chewing tobacco was kinda cute, too. She likes the grape vita water by the way. Come to think of it, all the secret service were super mellow and polite and friendly to the crew.

"It was fun to look down on the press from the upper level where y'all weren't allowed. There were two porta potties placed at opposite ends of backstage that we had to also pipe and drape around, the CNN crew referred to them as PPSs (potential president shitters) Hillary needed one of us to put up an extra light by hers but I heard she was very graceful and polite about it. They locked us out during the debate itself but we got to stay on the clock and watch the live feed from the cnn crew room upstairs and I had another piece of that kick ass cheesecake and raided the press catering downstairs for some nachos.
It was a good week to be a union stagehand in Austin.
Second Email:

"Obama's got it. That's obvious. Hilly's great with words and one smart cookie and all that but she comes off as a politician still. She's polished - notice how she always looked straight at the camera while Obama was working the room, making eye contact so much it looked like he was watching a tennis match. God bless John McCain- the only  Republican decent and honest enough to lose to a black man with an absent Daddy from Kenya. I wonder if anyone has ever asked him what tribe his dad was from? Not a good time to live in Kenya at the moment.

"I kinda like “John boy”- he is so damn decent and all sincerely trying to take the real high ground not just the bombastic bullshit of the usual suspects on that side of the aisle. He really is the perfect opponent for a black man and a woman.

"The big question is who Obama is going to take as his running mate. Will it be young righteous Johnny Edwards or Hilly? He'd love it if it were Johnny but he'd be insane to pick anyone but Hilly. You know they'll have cut that deal to keep a united front. No way they are going to let some Republican back in. That much was clear at the debate.

"You didn't see the live individual camera feed that showed them playing footsie under the desk. The secret service confiscated that one.

"Obama's got it. Meanwhile [President] Bush is IN Africa. The SS must be going nuts this month. I think Bush was sent to Africa by the cabal of those in charge to see if he's be nice enough to get bumped off for their sins- the ultimate scapegoat."

Opinion on Bill Clinton Rallying For Hillary

Nader to Run for President

Well, it seems just like yesterday I painted Nader's portrait for the Blue Moon Presidential Fountains. And now he is saying he will run for President again in 2008.

Bill Clinton Asked me for money

It would appear that things are not going so well. Bill Clinton asked me for cash this weekend. He said Hillary needs over a million bucks to get ads that would match Obamas.

Forget about Clinton. Please donate to my meager funds so I can continue to cover the primaries.

paypal is accepted here editor (at) nvnewswire.com

Here is the full letter from Bill Clinton

Dear Friend,

Thursday night in the debate, in one remarkable moment, we saw the kind of president Hillary is going to be -- the strong, compassionate, and brilliant woman who will make us proud as president.

Everyone in the upcoming primary states of Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island, and Vermont needs to see that moment. The campaign has put together a 60-second ad with the video, but we cannot run it without your immediate financial support. We need to raise $1.3 million in the next 24 hours to put this ad on the air.

Watch the ad and make a contribution to help us get it on the air.

We're just 10 days away from a monumental day of voting, one that will decide the outcome of this remarkable contest between two history-making campaigns. The Obama campaign realizes the stakes and is putting it all on the line with a massive advertising campaign.

We have to give Hillary the resources she needs to make this a fair fight -- including running the ad based on her amazing moment from Thursday night's debate. We need to raise $1.3 million to get this ad on the air and to match the Obama campaign's ad spending in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island, and Vermont. We have to reach that goal in the next 24 hours.

Watch our new ad and contribute to help us get it on the air in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

With your extraordinary help she will win. And knowing that you are there for her now, as you have been throughout this race, means more than you can possibly imagine.

We can do this together. Let's keep working.

Bill Clinton

John McCain Visits Texas

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today announced that John McCain will campaign in Texas on Wednesday, February 27th.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

TYLER, TEXAS

WHO: John McCain

WHAT: Town Hall Meeting

WHEN: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at 8:45 a.m. CST
Press Set Up Time: 8:00 a.m. CST

WHERE: Tyler Rose Garden Center
Camellia Room
420 South Rose Park Drive
Tyler, Texas 75702

WHO: John McCain

WHAT: Media Availability

WHEN: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. CST
Press Set Up Time: 9:45 a.m. CST

WHERE: Tyler Rose Garden Center
Camellia Room
420 South Rose Park Drive
Tyler, Texas 75702

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

WHO: John McCain

WHAT: Town Hall Meeting

WHEN: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at 12:15 p.m. CST
Press Set Up Time: 11:30 a.m. CST

WHERE: USAA Campus
Courtyard D
9800 Fredericksburg Road
San Antonio, Texas 78288

WHO: John McCain

WHAT: Press Conference

WHEN: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at 3:15 p.m. CST
Press Set Up Time: 3:00 p.m. CST

WHERE: The Omni Hotel
9821 Colonnade Boulevard
San Antonio, Texas 78230

If I was President

Austin Obama Rally 2/22/08

Check out this photo essay here http://nvnewswire.com

"The world will breath a sign of relief when he is gone"

Ah, Hillary, and Obama, too, it's music to my ears hearing you slam W. TOo bad no one helped out when they tried to count the ballets back in 2000.

Health insurance seems to be a big deal here. I wonder what McCain thinks about that. Well, I guess we can here about that later in the year.

NEWS FLASH: At 2005 hours, central time, I was given a transcript of this debate. Sweet. I'll scan it and put it up.

I wonder how much Obama and Hillary are doing their jobs as Senators while they battle away on this campaign.

Half way through

OK, they really need a beer tent here. But, I guess that's probably for the VIP lounge. We are half way through the debate and I have watched a number of these before. The thought just occured to me that these things are a joke. What the fuck? We are hiring someone for a job that lasts four years and we have them talk about a subject for five minutes or less? This is absurd. Hillary and Obama say about the same thing. Obama seems a little tired, Hillary's eyes look like she is on happy pills.

So, they talked about Castro and if they will talk to Cuba now that he is fading away. It seems to me that talking to Cuba can't be much worse than talking to the current resident of the White House. Do we still fear a communist invasion? Or do they just fear loosing the Anti-Castro Cuban voter block.

Now the break is on and all the journalists are getting up to take a leak. Our screen has gone blank. We don't even get to see what goes on during the commercial break.

"We need to end George Bush's was on science," Hillary said. "We've got to go back kto being the innovation nation." When she said that, many of the journalists laughed. Our science edge came from the brain drain in other parts of the world, not to mention Operation Paperclip, where the CIA brought in NAZI scientists to work on our space program and gave them immunity for their war crimes.

And then they talked about immigration, and fences around the US. I heard the Bush family owns some fence companies. I wonder if it is true.

My sixth Taco

They are out of pop, but I got two more tacos. Everyone is getting photos in the pit. I probably should have gone down, but I have already got pictures of Hillary from her San Antonio rally and tomorrow I am covering Obama's rally here in Austin.

Pretty much now, you can see everything I see on your TV at home or on CNN.COM

You just don't get the free tacos.

T Minus 10

Spit out your gum, this lady says. And turn off your blackberries. No pictures. Now the real photographers are in the pit, getting ready for the money shot. I think I'll get another taco and fill my pockets with beverages.

T Minus 30

This band came out and played. I am still trying to finish my taco. They kicked the journalists out--CNN has exclusive on this, so we all wait in a room. My images are stolen from the monitor in front of me.

More of the band.

The UT President came out, mumbled some shit and then they had some soldiers and they sang the anthem. Some other guy in glasses came out and said some other stuff and now the UT Young Democrats are talking at the podium. This is an election that seems will be decided by the young voters. Hopefully, the democrats will put down the bong and vote the republicans out.

And here is the UT President

CNN Debate, Austin, Tex. 2/21/08

So, they denied me credentials for the LA Republican Debate, but I managed to pursued them to let me into this one in Austin. I've got a little kit they gave me (and everyone) with UT stuff, like a tot bag, ink pens, some snacks, a CNN note book and other crap.


This is where I am now, the filing room. They stuck me over with the NY Times and some international media. I thought for sure I would be stuck at the table in the other room labeled "High School" but I managed to graduate from that place.


The first thing I did after getting my spot, which actually took a while, because they didn't remember where I was, was to get some food.


After eating a couple tacos, I had a few more, pictured below.



I am filing another story on my news site, http://nvnewswire.com after this. I have some footage of outside.