Tomorrow, the Democratic party’s nominee-apparent comes back to my little neck of the woods to take part in a panel discussion on national security with, among others, Indiana Senator Evan Bayh (who had been rumored to be on Hillary Clinton’s VP short list).
Guess who’s got a ticket?
So, Bob, I will be taking some time off work tomorrow. The event is at Purdue University’s Memorial Union at noon; doors open at 10; maybe I can take my laptop and some work (yeahrite!). Probably no chance to ask him about the Supreme Court this time, you think? But I bet you real money he’d still remember me if I did. I promise this time I will ABSOLUTELY NOT FORGET TO MENTION THE AMERICAN BAR FOUNDATION . . .
July 16, 2008 at 7:06 pm |
And I didn’t! Keith and I were in the 2d row–right behind the VIPs, which included the former president of Purdue and all the Dem officials who had endorsed Hillary in the primary (snicker, snicker). His speech can be found here: http://jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080716/ELECTION01/80716014, and you can see the video of the event in two parts here: http://www.wlfi.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=2698620&at1=News&h1=Barack Obama Visits Purdue Part 1 and http://www.wlfi.com/ (go down to Bonus Video and select Part 2).
Actually Part 2 is worth watching because the scientific experts and Sam Nunn were all impressive. Plus, Barack moderated the discussion and the whole thing was designed to show him running a meeting at a high level of leadership (but not too high a level of content so that us folks in the audience wouldn’t get lost).
Then he came down and shook hands with the people in the front row, and I grabbed one of my ABF business cards and waited. Sure enough, he came by and this time I was not to be put into a mental fog by that dazzling smile. I said, “Hi, Senator, say hi to Austan Goolsbee for me!” He said, “Oh, so you’re friends with Goolsbee?” Me: “Yep–colleagues at the Bar Foundation!” and then I handed him my ABF card, with the pretty blue obverse side with our nice ABF logo facing up. He looked at it and then he was on to the next person and Keith and I were off to get lunch. I was so hungry by that point I could have chewed his flag pin off his lapel . . .
So that makes me 3 for 3–he’s been here 3 times, and I’ve actually gotten to interact with him all 3 times. That is just plain spooky. And you’ll all be happy to hear that I spent my time on line productively, by reading my last bits of research for this chapter I’m writing, including a great 1958 piece by John Kenneth Galbraith on Henry Ford that just sparkled with fabulous prose and coldly unsentimental analysis.
July 17, 2008 at 10:25 am |
Have fun, Vicky. I can claim that I worked for the same law firm as Barack. After my first year in law school I worked for what was then Davis, Miner, and Barnhill, mostly running statistics on employment discrimination cases. That was the firm Barack worked for after graduating Harvard Law and before he got into politics. The New Yorker article on Obama describes the role of that law firm in civil rights litigation as well as various enterprise zone community development projects. I guess that is some kind of personal link.
July 17, 2008 at 12:44 pm |
Well, I have a Barak t-shirt & bumper sticker. Does that count?
July 17, 2008 at 12:45 pm |
Absolutely! Now let’s see if I pass the spam blocker . . .
July 22, 2008 at 11:11 am |
you may pass the spam blocker but I am not sure about the “delusional” blocker! Haha. I am sure you are on the list of trouble makers.
July 22, 2008 at 11:24 am |
I’m over my Obama swoon phase now. I did my ABF duty. Now I can just canvass dutifully and work on my book and get on with my life . . .