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Tuesday, September 2, 2008
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Area activists practice what they preach
Associate Editor ST. PAUL - Outside the chain-link fence that separated credentialed Republican National Convention delegates from those without credentials, central Minnesota peace activists marched from the state Capitol to the Excel Energy Center on Monday afternoon in a protest against the war in Iraq.
Jeff Odendahl, who organized a near-bus-load of peace proponents from the Brainerd, Little Falls and St. Cloud areas, said that from his vantage point, the demonstration went well, with no major incidents.
"I think people were in a peaceful mood," he said in a phone interview Monday. "It did not come close to escalating."
The enthusiastic demonstrators, who broke into chants and songs along the way, were stopped by security fences across the street from the Excel Energy Center, Odendahl said. Although he thought few delegates saw their demonstration, he was hopeful the protest voices would be heard. Odendahl talked to one boy who said he had been interviewed by Fox News.
"I think the message came out," he said. "I would think that (the march) would be a newsworthy story. The message got through that we want peace and that we want to get peace through peaceful means."
He said 37 people rode the bus from Little Falls to St. Paul for the demonstration.
With President George W. Bush a no-show because of duties related to Hurricane Gustav, the star power at Monday's session was provided by First Lady Laura Bush, who received a sustained ovation, and Cindy McCain, the wife of Sen. John McCain. The two women urged delegates to contribute to relief efforts for flood victims on the Gulf coast.
Fashion statements
As the delegates came into the Xcel Energy Center on Monday for the first session of the Republican National Convention, their fashions made for great people-watching.
Oklahoma delegates wore matching red polo shirts. Texans wore blue denim shirts, khaki pants and cowboy hats. Three GOP women walked side by side with white T-shirts, eaching with a word in red lettering. Together the women's T-shirts spelled out "Moms trust McCain."
One South Dakota delegate knew a bit about advertising. His hat and leather vest were covered with political pins, with "Wall S.D. - Home of Wall Drug" on the back of the vest.
Fame and food
A Wisconsin woman offered a resolution of appreciation Monday for organizers of the event. She prefaced her comments by bragging up the home of the Green Bay Packers, stating "We still love Brett Favre."
Former North Stars defenseman Tom Reid, the owner of the popular St. Paul sports bar that bears his name, was touching up the "no parking" paint designation along his establishment Sunday in preparation for the convention rush.
He said his bar was rented for private parties for portions of each of the four convention nights. On Sunday, he hosted the Michigan attorney general and hockey great Gordie Howe.
One waitress there struggled as she tried to hang red, white and blue bunting while another waitress said she hadn't seen any celebrities as of Sunday.
"I'm hoping to get Arnold Schwarzenegger," she said.
Across the street at Cosetta's, a hostess was letting Sunday passers-by know that the Italian restaurant was ready to serve them after the convention business was done.
"You guys want a copy of our menu?" she asked. "We'll be here until midnight with a bartender."
Security central
Security is everywhere. Several roads are closed near the Xcel Energy Center. Pedestrians without credentials are blocked by a chain-link fence. After delegates pass through that check point, they must go through metal detectors, and laptops and other packages are examined just as they would be at an airport. Helicopters hovered around the arena.
News that the Republicans would scale back their Monday schedule resulted in a packed news conference Sunday in Ballroom E in the RiverCentre. Not knowing the news conference was going on, I stopped at a television screen, which was broadcasting the event, to find out the latest news. It was a little disconcerting when I turned my attention from the CNN broadcast to the side door of a crowded room directly behind me, where Mike Duncan, Republican National Committee chairman, was presiding at the same news conference I was watching on TV.
Media mania
Of the 45,000 delegates, alternates, volunteers, guests and news media members at St. Paul, 15,000 are carrying news credentials. Members of the media are just about tripping over each other, and one concourse in the RiverCentre, which adjoins the Excel Energy Center, is dubbed Talk Radio Row, with table after table set up for talk radio hosts,
In just an hour or two of walking around the convention center on Sunday one observer spotted NBC's Andrea Mitchell, CNN's John Roberts and CBS' Jeff Greenfield.
MIKE O'ROURKE may be reached at mike.orourke@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5860.
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