Being on the trail has left little time for blogging or even catching up on my email. Sporadic availability of the Internet and my fickle MacBook Pro hasn’t made it any easier. Here are a number of quickies.
The wheels have come off this campaign, literally. While I was returning back from my last day of appointments in Washington D.C. I received the call that the left two rear wheels had come off the motor-home while Field Coordinator Justin Daniels was driving it to Saint George for the Lions Round-Up I was going to attend on Saturday. My father arrived on the scene at “Point of the Mountain” in Salt Lake County and jacked up the motor-home and put the wheels back on. Miraculously, nobody was hurt and although the axle had dragged, the motor-home did not have major damage and was able to get back on the road again.
The reward for catching and prosecuting sign thief is now up to $1550, thanks to a friend in Holladay who woke up one morning this week to find his sign gone. I condemn all sign theft, regardless of party or candidate. I can’t speak for the other pledges, but my $500 will reward anyone who catches a prosecutable sign thief regardless of candidate or party.
My meetings in Washington D.C. were enlightening if not immediately rewarding. One of the best was a 90 minute discussion with Senator Durbin’s chief of staff, Ed Greelegs. His surprising comment was over campaign finance reform when I suggested shared donation pools, “You’ve really thought about this haven’t you?” Isn’t that what Senators are supposed to do? Ed was also crucial in getting us to our next Capitol appointment via the hilarious Senate Subway and Brazil-like steam tunnel passages in the bowels of the complex.
It would seem that 90% of D.C. is 20-something. The fact that most elected officials in congress can’t find their way to the door without a staffer pointing them to it gives way to rampant speculation as to who is actually running the country.
The Lincoln Memorial is awe inspiring. My previous visit to Washington did not afford time to visit many of the sites, so this was the first time I have seen it. I was hoping to be able to conduct the scheduled chat from that location but could not find a wireless signal. A group by the name of Open Park has been trying to establish free wireless on the mall for the last two years. Looks like an opportunity for me to help them.
Marshall Thompson is a former military journalist who served in Iraq. He is walking from the top of Utah to the bottom in October to call for peace. Check out his website here.
The Lions Round-Up in Saint George is quite an event. It is one of the numerous timeless scenes that I have had the good fortune to gaze upon throughout this campaign. Today I am going to spend some time in Zion Park. Be sure to track the progress of the Blue Eagle online at the new Campaign Trips tracker. If you live in an unvisited spot, let me know! Organize a “Meet the Candidate” and I will be there!
