Constant Readers,
Here I am at the California Democratic Convention in San Jose, where the town motto should be: "San Jose - San Francisco's Less-Attractive Little Cousin." I will say that the people at the hotel where I am staying couldn't be nicer. And, I am learning as I write this, they make a mean Bloody Mary.
I have such a juicy story to share with y'all, I actually got up before 10 am on a Saturday!
So last night I arrived and met up with fellow bloggers Bob Brigham and Luke Thomas. We headed for the conference rooms at the convention center in search of free booze and cool people. Both were hard to come by. I mean, I have met some nice folks but one gets the impression that a substantial percentage of people here have been shoved into their own locker.
Luke and I lost Bob in the throng of people in the main hallway so we went on a hunt for hospitality on our own. What we found was a collection of rooms reserved by lost causes that decided to splurge on the shiny flyers and skimp on the liquor. Honestly, with decision-making skills like these it's no wonder Democrats can't stop the war in Iraq. Five dollars for Chardonnay from Shittyandwarm Vineyards so we can talk to strangers about how everyone should have healthcare?
Please.
These broke Democrats make me want to re-think my party affiliation. I'll bet at the Republican Convention they have an ice sculpture of Reagan that pisses Veuve Clicquot into Waterford champagne glasses.
So, just when I had declared for the third time that I was going to the hotel bar where at least my money would buy decent libations and relative silence, Luke and I passed a conference room where something like a high school pep rally was going on.
We walked in and who was at the podium in front of hundreds of people? Carole Migden! And Mark Leno was standing in the back of the room! I looked around and saw lots of women holding Leno signs and gay men holding Migden signs. And the supporters were heckling each other! Hilarious!
I later learned that this was a meeting of the California Democratic Party Women's Caucus. Migden launched into her speech, which fell pretty flat until she got to the part about how "women should vote for women" and pointed to a group of women in the corner of the room (some of whom were, um...not-petite) who were holding Leno signs and said:
"Are those women? They look like heavy guys to me."
I shit you not.
Allow me to repeat that:
"Are those women? They look like heavy guys to me."
The room was silent for a second while we all thought the same thing: "Did she just effing say that?" Then the place erupted with boos and curses that did not stop.
The woman next to me scowled and said, "Can you believe this?"
"No!," I squealed, "I love it!!" (Sanity is no fun to write about.)
Then one of the women on the panel on the stage said, "You need to stop speaking, you are disrupting our caucus." So Carole had to step down.
And I immidiately began texting Beth: "OMG! OMG! OMG!"
To recap: I wasn't here two hours and I saw Migden get booed off the stage at the Women's Caucus. This is going to be good.
--Melissa
UPDATE: Here is the video! Go to 3:46.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7274865822451251784&hl=en
Holy crap!
Posted by: Jamie | March 29, 2008 at 12:13
I'm embarrassed (for my party) yet exhilarated (by your adrenaline-inducing report!). Have a Bloody Mary for me to calm me down...
Posted by: Andre Pineda | March 29, 2008 at 12:44
She really is insane, insn't she? What a great story.
Posted by: sfmike | March 29, 2008 at 12:46
the GOP conventions often don't do much better, as some folks on the other side disdain booze because it's against God's Plan.
It's always amazing to watch politicians who've never been challenged in a while who have that entitlement mentality go nuts when their coronation is delayed by the peasants and their pitchforks. Watch how many tears I cry for wealthy politicos who find themselves more concerned for their own hide instead of you know, doing the people's bizniz.
Posted by: Greg | March 29, 2008 at 13:17
That was priceless! Thanks for posting that.
Posted by: Marilyn | March 29, 2008 at 13:55
I can't imagine anyone better being on the front line to give us the unfiltered poop...Keep going! Keep going! We need to know it all...This is definitely not stuff that will ever make it through the mainstream media.
Posted by: L'Italiana | March 29, 2008 at 17:54
Are those women, or Art Garfunklel impersonators?
Posted by: DJTennessee | March 29, 2008 at 18:24
I'll have you know that San Jose is bigger than San Francisco. . .
Posted by: VenerableBede | March 29, 2008 at 23:40
Thanks for the first-hand account!
Posted by: Mad Professah | March 30, 2008 at 09:22
Awesome! (I used to work in an office near Migden's and her staff would always come rushing over whenever she arrived at work. Why? They had to reheat her espresso or else. I kid you not. If they didn't have her espresso hot and ready when she walked in ... let's just say I felt so badly for those poor workers. They probably booed the loudest during her speech ...)
Posted by: cry it out | March 30, 2008 at 14:07
OMG, LOL, WTF
I was in the room then and this post certainly will back up my story to others here in Santa Barbara who are not inclined to believe this whopper.
Note to nutjobs speaking in front of groups of 500+ politicos: expect personal, cheap, uploaded videos on The Internets within hours.
Posted by: David Delegate | March 31, 2008 at 16:55
Oh, I wish these were closed captioned so I could share in TEH CRAZY!
Posted by: Kathryn Hill | April 01, 2008 at 14:30