Live Blogging The Jefferson Jackson Dinner In Iowa.
The crowd is going crazy. No one group can get its voice heard. It's just one big noisy scene. The candidates are being introduced. It isn't as noisy as I thought it would be for Hillary, but it's building. Obama is rocking the house! He sure can take his sweet time getting up to the stage. The first announcer just made a reference to patriotism not being a lapel pin, then led the pledge of allegiance. Obama put his hand over his heart. It looks like that issue has been put to rest.
Well, I fell asleep. Edwards woke me up. He's stronger than dirt. Did Edwards just say that the politicians that would deny other Americans health coverage, will get their coverage taken away? Now, he's turning his lawyer background into a plus. Just like he did as a lawyer, he'll give corporate America hell. He has me believing him. "Trust your heart," is his closing line. I like that. He finishes, the cheap loud speaker plays U2 - In the Name of Love ... one of my favorite songs.
That loudspeaker must die.
Bill Richardson is up. I'm looking forward to listening to the second-tier candidates. That's what makes Iowa so special. Bill Richardson is a player. He's saying that the Democratic contenders should "play nice." I focused right in on his suit .... it fits ... well ... better than usual. When I met him, his suit was too tight in the wrong places, too loose in the wrong places, too wrinkled everywhere. It still looks a half size too small. Enough said.
Joe Biden says that America needs a president, not one who they can trust, but one who has the experience to lead. I must have heard him wrong. Now, he's babbling about poetry and Hillary.
The auction. Leonard Boswell is fun. Nancy Pelosi is so cute. She looks like she is having a good time. The scarf, that belongs to her ... only she's never seen it, never even worn it before, is going for a very cool 6 grand. Our JJ dinner has a raffle instead of an auction. I once won a football signed by Dan Marino.
Chris Dodd is getting loud applause. They like him in Iowa. Me too. Fritzmas. Heh. Candidates on a stick. Heh, heh. Now, he goes straight to his message, to protect the Constitution and defend America. He is blasting Bush better than anyone. He's promising that we will get our Constitution back. He gets the audience on their feet for the veterans. He's the only candidate who has served in the military. He says that we need a leader to bring this country together, to make sound judgements. He wrote the Family Medical Leave Act. Lord, I wish he could be president.
Tom Harkin ....the Americans with Disabilies act, The Human Rights amendment.. those are tremendous accomplishments. Hillary's up now. The horn tooter is a Hillary supporter. I thought so. I didn't notice any named legislation that was associated with her, but the horn is tooting away. It looks like Hillary is playing the sex card again ... next year, she'll be sworn into office by Nancy Pelosi, indeed. Clinton is awful. Change is just a word, but you need the experience to make it happen, starting on day 1. She knows what it takes to win, and she will work every day to "make a difference." She's going defensive about health care, polls, where she stands on the issues. Yuck. Poor little Hillary. Next, a story about a dead invisible woman, and Hillary promises to wake up everyday and fight for us. She says it's going to get even hotter. And she feels comfortable in the kitchen. She doesn't feel comfortable attacking democrats, even though she plays the experience and sex card. She's comfortable attacking the Republicans. IMO, it's not working. How many times do we need to be told just how electable she is. After all Ted Strickland, right here in the audience, is endorsing her. (Remember who Harkin endorsed four years ago?) Stand for her and she will stand for you.
Obama's next. What is that beautiful read sign in the back that says OBAMA? His ethics and reform bill is a good accomplishment for Nancy to refer to in her introduction. It leads right into one of the themes of his speech. Nancy has to scream to say his name above the crowd. He sure is taking his sweet time again to work the crowds. He's hitting the lobbyists, telling us why he is in this race. Hitting the people who vote like GB republicans. He's pointing out that the Republicans won't have the ammunition on him about Iraq, Iran. He'll get the troops out in 16 months, he'll restore habeas corpus, he'll close Guantanamo. Does he write his own speeches? He has the line of the night. I don't want to be president of red/blue America, I want to be the president of the United States of America. Quoting MTK, the fear of urgency. Jobs for the jobless, hope for the hopeless. He's there because of one person who stood up for him, then more stood up then more stood up for him. He's running for the people who still dream and he's asking us to stand for him too. Edwards and Obama had the best speeches. At the end, Obama gets the most applause, hands down.