Friday, 12:03pm - Buried in Bloggers
I'm now at the RightOnline.com booth hanging with the other bloggers. I take a certain secret pride that despite the fact that there are quite a few of us blogging about the convention, this article has been #1 on Google News for 18 hours. I may be surrounded by bloggers, but apparently I'm the alphablogger of the day. From here I can survey the whole exhibit hall, so it's about time to start writing about the lessons to be learned here. I had planned to accompany my reports with photos, but I left my mini-USB cable back at the hotel, so my first quest is to find one to borrow or some other way to upload my images.
Friday, 1:20pm - BigWigs on the Couch
RightOnline.com has a handy interview couch and bigwigs are going to be showing up to be grilled and share their issues with us. I'm going to give it a try, interspersed with some discussioon of the exhibits.
The first to stop by by Texas Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones who had some positive words on energy policy and actually drilling for some of our oil resources, an issue where Republicans have made very little progress. She wrote a nice OpEd in the Washington Post on the issue last year, but although I guess that's a good feather in her cap, she didn't have any more impact than I have with my efforts to arouse public awareness on the issue. Getting some control over where our energy comes from is an increasingly vital national security issue, yet no one seems to be paying attention.
Next up here is Senator John Cornyn. I plan to annoy him with a question about biodiesel. Specifically why we're subsidizing biodiesel with the result that it's going to Europe at below cost and there's none available on the general commercial market here in the US.
Cornyn's answer in a nutshell was to support a diverse energy policy with biofuels and expanded exploration as part of the picture, but he did give my question serious consideration and concluded by agreeing that subsidizing energy products which we then export makes very little sense and that we should have a policy which supports making alternative fuels more widely available in the US.
Cornyn also addressed other questions, including ones about the Supreme Court decision grantic GITMO detainees a day in court, and on the future of immigration policy. I had forgotten that Cornyn sponsored an immigration bill in 2005 which was similar to many aspects of the controversial 'amnesty' bill from last year, with a strong guest worker program but coupled with stronger encorcement provisions than the McCain bill. He wrapped up with a strong and genuine seeming endorsement for John McCain.
Article comments
1 - Baritone
I don't want to usurp Dave's article here, but I just thought I'd note the passing of Tim Russert of NBC News.
This came out of left field.
I know there is little love here for the mass media, but I do believe that Russert was one of the best at what he did. He was clearly a tireless and endlessly enthusiastic news man who was never caught unprepared. The reaction of his compatriots in the business is testament to his having been a good man, a good husband, a good son, and a good father.
I will definitely miss the astute energy that he brought to everything he did both on and off camera. His Sunday morning "Meet the Press" program will definitely not be the same without him, and it will be strange indeed not having his voice chiming in with excitement come the night of the November election.
B-tone
2 - Dave Nalle
I heard about Russert on the escalator here in the convention center and I can confirm that Republicans had a great deal of respect for him as a journalist and interviewer. Everyone I've talked to was surprised and saddened. Seems like he deserved to have more time.
Dave
3 - Dave Nalle
I've done another update to the blog. Half a day of the convention to go tomorrow, but I might cut out a bit early.
BTW, if you searched "texas republican convention" on google news Thursday or Friday the first listing out of about 4000 was for my original liveblog which held the number one spot for 23 hours. It was then supplanted by this second liveblog segment which held the number one spot for about 6 hours, after which it got bumped and the original article came back and is currently still number 1.
Either being really, really long and wordy earns you points with google or something makes articles at BC extra popular.
Dave
4 - Tami
I am wondering after reading your blog why you are in the republican party. It seems obvious that you do not believe the way the majority of Republicans believe. Why would you want to associate with them, when it is so obvious from your believes, values, writings, that you are a democrat.
Leaves me wondering?
5 - Dave Nalle
Tami, almost everything I believe in is a belief I share with a majority or a very large minority of the GOP. My beliefs are also those on which the party was founded and which it continued to follow until relatively recently.
In addition, my beliefs have very little in common with those of democrats in the most important areas.
I would suggest that if you call yourself a Republican and find yourself disagreeing with me on fundamental issues like limiting government and protecting individual liberty, then YOU are in the wrong party and ought to consider becoming a democrat.
Dave
6 - lyle
Where is Saturday? I must say I was a (Ron Paul) delegate at the convention and my will was completely broken by the end of it all.
7 - Dave Nalle
Saturday is actually in a separate article at The Righteous Fist Rides Into the Sunset.
Dave