Saturday, June 07, 2008

One-legged man wins ass-kicking contest with GOP

Lloyd Doggett, bless his broken whatever:

(Doggett) hobbled onto the convention stage, slowed by a broken leg, to rail against the Republicans and the “Bush-Chicanery administration” to a very receptive crowd.

“Thanks to Tom DeLay I’ve had the opportunity to represent much of Texas, just not all at the same time,” Doggett quipped.

The “W” in George W. Bush must stand for “worse-ever” or “whopper”, Doggett said, referring to the book by former Bush press secretary Scott McClellan.

And he quashed the notion that John McCain would bring anything other than a redux of the Bush administration.

“Been there and done that, done that for eight painful years.”

I think Kate's sitting somewhere behind me. The media room has gotten really popular in the past few minutes because you don't have to work on your laptop off your lap, and because they brought in lunch about a half-hour ago.

My personal (dis)favorite of Doggett's remarks was: "John McCain as President means Phil Gramm as Secretary of the Treasury."

And that, ladies and gentlemen who have threatened to vote for McLame because Clinton won't be available to you, is just one more reason why no one can, or should, take you seriously.

Another historic moment

... in a truly historic presidential campaign. Mrs. Clinton's concession speech is broadcast to the floor for delegates and guests to watch. But the satellite feed goes down for a few minutes, a handful of times. If you know what "Searching for Signal" means, you know what's going on.

Those of us in the press room are watching the rest of it online while the delegates get entertained with some Springsteen.

I'll have some of the more emotional parts in a text update later.

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Update:

Thank you very, very much. Well, this isn't exactly the party I'd planned, but I sure like the company.

(APPLAUSE) And I want to start today by saying how grateful I am to all of you, to everyone who poured your hearts and your hopes into this campaign, who drove for miles and lined the streets waving homemade signs, who scrimped and saved to raise money, who knocked on doors and made calls, who talked, sometimes argued with your friends and neighbors...

(APPLAUSE)

... who e-mailed and contributed online, who invested so much in our common enterprise, to the moms and dads who came to our events, who lifted their little girls and little boys on their shoulders and whispered in their ears, "See, you can be anything you want to be."

(APPLAUSE)

To the young people...

(APPLAUSE)

... like 13-year-old Anne Riddell (ph) from Mayfield, Ohio, who had been saving for two years to go to Disney World and decided to use her savings instead to travel to Pennsylvania with her mom and volunteer there, as well.

To the veterans, to the childhood friends, to New Yorkers and Arkansans...

(APPLAUSE)

... who traveled across the country, telling anyone who would listen why you supported me. And to all of those women in their 80s and their 90s...

(APPLAUSE)

... born before women could vote, who cast their votes for our campaign. I've told you before about Florence Stein (ph) of South Dakota who was 88 years old and insisted that her daughter bring an absentee ballot to her hospice bedside. Her daughter and a friend put an American flag behind her bed and helped her fill out the ballot.

She passed away soon after and, under state law, her ballot didn't count, but her daughter later told a reporter, "My dad's an ornery, old cowboy, and he didn't like it when he heard Mom's vote wouldn't be counted. I don't think he had voted in 20 years, but he voted in place of my mom."

(APPLAUSE)

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Trailblazers asks some tough questions. I don't have the same disagreement; I'm feeling the unity this afternoon.