In The Pink: Day One

We began the day at the RNC. 

Medea Benjamin on the left; George from NYC; Desiree Ali-Fairooz; Josh (who introduced me to No War No Warming).  

Nice shades, George. 

More from a tiring, fun, sometimes frustrating day below the fold...

My buddy  Capitol Cop at the RNC. 

I failed to get this officer's name, but he asked me if we'd been harassing people and noted he could arrest us for disturbing the peace.  I said no, we're just expressing our views to our representation, to which he replied, "well, what if I got in your face and raised my voice, would that bother you?"  I said it probably would, and I would also tell him, so we clearly weren't annoying anybody because nobody told us we were bothering them.  He accepted that explanation.  But later he yelled at me for being "in the street" and said he would arrest me--I observed I wasn't really in the street (well, I guess I was, but it was right behind the truck pictured above), but complied and moved back onto the sidewalk.

Des speaks with Dave Reichart (R-8th/WA).

Some folks were brave and walked amongst us, but many took an alternate route to get into the building.

Then we moved on to the Armed Services Committee hearing.  Afterward cops followed us around for a bit while holding flex cuffs, just in case I guess. [shot with my phone]

Des speaks with Sen Nelson (D-NE).

Nelson makes a point to Liz.

Then on to Obama's office.

Josh signs in at Obama's, since he's a constituent.

Des speaks with one of the Obama staffers.

Elizabeth, Obama's foreign policy person, speaks with Josh.

We barely started our chat with Elizabeth when 11 cops descended upon us.

This officer requested that I not leave the area.

Officer GF Curtain explains to Liz why we are being detained.  His explanation was...lacking, but full of sound and fury...

Checking IDs and taking down very important information.  I was asked for my SSN, which I refused to provide.  I did, however, provide the URL for my blog--I am always a blogwhore.

Obama's staff hangs around a bit...

...but eventually they went back into the office and said they'd be happy the chat after we were released.

Staffers in offices across the atrium found entertainment in our detention.

Yeah, it was pretty funny.

Returning IDs.

Discussing what information needs to be retained--it appears there were some new cops on hand and this was training for them.  Dude on the right was the one who did my ID check.

After 45 minutes we were released, then went for lunch in the basement before hanging out in the Russell tunnel rotunda to meet and greet Senators. [shot with my phone]

Evan Bayh chatted with us quite a bit, even as he was walking up stairs. [shot with my phone]

In addition we communicated, with varying degrees of interaction, with Hutchison, Kennedy, Isakson, Stevens, Snowe, Coburn, Levin, Warner, Tester, Enzi, Murray, Cantwell, Boxer, Inouye, DeMint, Alexander.  Oh, and Dan Rather. 

I spoke with Thune and asked when we'd bring the troops home.  He told me to go talk to Sen Feingold.  Didn't see him, but we were back in the rotunda later while the Senate was shooting down Russ' amendment.

Des introduced me to Judd Gregg (R-NH) as "new blood" and I shook his hand, telling him I was from Vermont.  He looked me up and down and said, "yeah, you look like you're from Vermont," then got into the elevator.

After a couple hours, we took a load off on the nice furniture in Reid's office. [shot with my phone]

Liz starts a nap-in.  [shot with my phone] 

George enthusiastically joins in. [shot with my phone] 

Back to the rotunda. 5 blue lights on the clock = 7.5 minutes left for a yea/nay vote.  That's when another herd of Senators meandered through from their offices to the floor.  Some of the same ones we saw before, plus the likes of Lindsey Graham, Larry Craig, and some others I can't recall. 

A written account of my impressions over at the CodePink blog...

ntodd

Comments

[Pinky Pinkster]

Great pictures! And great work. I'm so jealous, but I don't think there's any way my entourage will let me go to D.C. By the way, ntodd, are you acquainted with my brother, Smitty Werbenmanjensen?

[NTodd]

I do know Smitty!

[Pinky Pinkster]

I'll be seeing Smitty in a couple of days. I hope he's checking out the great work you're doing! I'll be sure to alert him.

[Air Jordan shoes]

If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there! but, we should pick and choose what you’d like to learn more about, what you enjoy or what you are gifted in.

[Rerto Jordans]

Good luck with the site I like the way you react to my special nationalism Nice joke! Where does a one-armed man shop? At a second hand store.