Wonderful Blog article: Hanging out with John Kerry

[_dynamicdems]

I was sitting on my backpack and waiting for the number nine bus to take me downtown. I missed work the other day, and if I was late today my boss said I could kiss my seven dollars an hour plus tips goodbye. It was already one o'clock, and I worked at five. Adding in the travel time, that would leave me about two hours with Senator John Kerry. I guess that would be fine. I was trying to keep the dirt off my pants as best I could, and I thought, "this must be what they mean by grassroots Democracy." About fourty five minutes later in an opulent room surrounded the rich and powerful I was the only guy without a tie, but I was not feeling out of place one bit. I may not be powerful, and I am certainly not rich, but like the first timid mammals of the Triassic period, I know that fast little creatures like me are the future. To paraphrase Churchill; I know I will go down in history, because I intend to blog it.

snip

Two other women wanted autographs: "I was standing over at that railing and I looked over and I knew it was you. I saw you from behind but I knew it was you." "I looked down from my office and saw your hair and I said I think that's John Kerry's hair."

The Senator took time with every person who came by and he listened when they wanted to speak and he spoke when they wanted to listen. In a way I thought it might not be such a bad thing that he was not the President. If he had been, I think our country would have been a better place, but there is some compensation in seeing him being able to be present in a community in a way that George Bush will never know. I am clear that George doesn't want to, but even if he did I am not sure he could. John Kerry seemed to enjoy his entire day, but he clearly was charged by the energy of these happy friendly people who wanted nothing more than to say hello and share their stories.


snip

Kerry ran out of time, and had to run. He asked his people what was next on the agenda, "Do we have a meeting at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory?" "No Senator, we have to get going." "Are you sure? Check your schedule, I think there was some sort of event over at the Chocolate Factory." "Sorry Senator, we really don't have time."



(This is a really great read, don't miss any of it!)
http://headingleft.blogspot.com/2006/02/co-7-hanging-out-with-john-kerry.html

[karynnj]

1. How cool

Very interesting perspective. He clearly was charmed by the Senator - though he probably hadn't expected to be. I wonder what kind of meeting the Senator wanted at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate factory. His explanation of Kerry and the candidate's relationship was nice.

The blogger's disbelief that Kerry wrote the blogs though Kerry obviously told him he did is weird. His reason that Kerry's staff kept him too busy to do so is just upside down. I sort of think they do what he tells them to and they support him. (I do think he may have used his staff to get some of the links to information - but the diaries read like he talks. Because he knew what he wanted to say and was already informed on the issue, I doubt it took Kerry very long to write his diaries.) I assume he just uses his time very efficiently.

[jenndar]

8. A lot of people don't realize

how much writing Senators have to do. When you think about the speeches, the public statements, the op-eds and the letters - and yes, they have a lot of help, but still - most Senators write something or other just about every day. So with that kind of practice, a DKos diary probably only takes him a couple of minutes.

[TayTay]

9. Especially since the format lends itself to immediacy

Most Diaries are written for short-term consumption. They almost have a pre-defined 'beginning, middle and end.' That should help.

[FreedomAngel82]

11. I wonder if he does his website updating

[ginnyinWI]

14. was that the blog he meant?

I wasn't sure if he meant JK's own website, or Dkos or what.

[TayTay]

2. Wow! nice piece.

To them, I am the electronic crackle of the internet. I am information and access, and if they can figure me out, I might just be money too.

I like that part. It's really interesting.

[FreedomAngel82]

12. Yes

Maybe talking about reporting. :shrug:

[ProSense]

3. Fantastic story!

I felt like I was there: I could smell Kerry and taste the chocolate.

A lot of good information in the piece. The writer is a good storyteller, weaving in the money stuff, the policy stuff and the rest.

[MH1]

4. Very nice!

I just love the part about the Chocolate Factory. I've heard that JK is a big chocoholic. It sounds like he really wanted to stop in there. Tee hee.

[karynnj]

5. I hope an aide at least ran over and got him some chocolate

He deserves it.

[MH1]

20. I wonder if that was at least a little just teasing

because his aides surely know the deal about JK and chocolate.

:-)

[karynnj]

21. It sounded like it to me too.

They were right there - so if they planned to, they would certainly have walked over there. Also, he was out in the big plaza outside it - they certainly woudn't have had an "event" in the candy store too. I think the "event" he wanted involved buying and consuming chocolate - it was clearly a joke.

[TayTay]

22. I think so too!

And we never did get a final report to hear if Sen. kerry got the chocolates we sent during the Alito filibuster. Hmmmm, what was up with that anyway? Clearly there is a sweettooth here, clearly the need for chocolate was acute. I hope someone went over and got some.

[JI7]

18. look how close he was to it

from one of the pics in the link Carol posted. imagine the stuff we could do with chocolate to him.

[saracat]

6. I liked the article but was disturbed by the comment about the Patriot Bil

Can Kerry be seriously supporting it? That sounded way too much like his support of the IWAR, which cost him votes .THat would NOT be either a popular or right position to take. I hope that is not true.

[Mass]

7. Everybody is going to vote for it, including Boxer and Kennedy.

Feingold himself is not opposed to the bill, except to a few provisions he wants to change. Anyway, even if the Bill did not pass, the Patriot Act would still exist. These are 16 provisions that need to be extended.

Most people clearly do not care (I do and wrote to him twice to say to vote NO on cloture) and if anything, voting against the Patriot Act may be an impopular decision, in fact.

[saracat]

16. I am speechless and very very disappointed. I do not know

what or who to believe in anymore. I cannot respect this vote no matter who casts it. This is major to me. There have been a few votes that have forever colored my view of those who cast them. The Bankruptsy Bill was one. The filibuster was another, but this is even more important that those . I cannot accept this.

[TayTay]

17. The vote today was AGAINST cloture.

The vote tomorrow is for the changes to the Patriot Act, then I think there is another vote for the Patriot Act as revised by the House and Senate conference Comittee.

Don't know how that will play out.

This is what happened today. He voted with Sen. Feingold and against cloture.

[TayTay]

19. The cloture vote

Democrats Yes

Biden, Del.; Carper, Del.; Clinton, N.Y.; Conrad, N.D.; Feinstein, Calif.; Johnson, S.D.; Kohl, Wis.; Landrieu, La.; Lincoln, Ark.; Nelson, Fla.; Nelson, Neb.; Pryor, Ark.; Rockefeller, W.Va.; Schumer, N.Y.

Democrats No

Akaka, Hawaii; Baucus, Mont.; Bayh, Ind.; Bingaman, N.M.; Boxer, Calif.; Byrd, W.Va.; Cantwell, Wash.; Dayton, Minn.; Dodd, Conn.; Dorgan, N.D.; Durbin, Ill.; Feingold, Wis.; Harkin, Iowa; Kennedy, Mass.; Kerry, Mass.; Lautenberg, N.J.; Leahy, Vt.; Levin, Mich.; Lieberman, Conn.; Menendez, N.J.; Mikulski, Md.; Murray, Wash.; Obama, Ill.; Reed, R.I.; Reid, Nev.; Salazar, Colo.; Sarbanes, Md.; Stabenow, Mich.; Wyden, Ore.

[karynnj]

23. Interesting re: 2008 candidates

Yes: Biden, Clinton

No: Bayh, Kerry, Feingold

Bayh is the most surprising here - could he be trying to get to the left of Clinton. It might not be a bad move as it could put him in the center. If you want a Southern Governor, Bayh, as former Governor and Senator has more credentials than Warner. (Although if Warner really helps Miller in the primary, I'll like him better.)

[saracat]

24. Thanks Tay Tay. Makes me feel a bit better.

And I gotta say, I like Clinton even less for this.But these are the usual suspects after all.

[FreedomAngel82]

15. Maybe we can get enough people to contact him about it

He should get together with Feingold.

[FreedomAngel82]

10. What a great entry!

Love it. LOL especially about the chocolate. I told my mother about that and she even laughed.

[ginnyinWI]

13. Don't miss this:

The question began, "Is it possible that the President is so clueless that...", and Kerry didn't need to hear any more before saying, "The answer is Yes." After the room laughed, and the question was finished, Senator Kerry explained that while Bush is a hands off president, it still surprised him that so few people on any level seemed to give this any sort of inspection.

:rofl: