Hall of Fame Liveblog

Hall of Fame Liveblog

(This was live on Iowa Independent; crosspost here.)

9:26 and wrapping up from The Press Room. After Biden, Mari Culver gave out scholarships (the governor, like Boswell, had a graduation) and Dave Loebsack gave a speech full of lots of thank yous. I share the stairs with a woman who was rather bemused; she's at the hotel for her son's baseball tournament and had no idea this was going on.

Streets outside are still lit with large signs: HILLARY horizontal and

E
D
W
A
R
D
S

vertical.

Passed the Fair Taxers reception on the way up and it looks rather lonely.

8:34 and Joe Biden walks on to John Fogerty's "Centerfield." Put Me In Coach indeed. The crowd claps along more or less in time.

All the intros were really really really short.

"I knew the day would come when the GOP would give up on putting up a credible candidate against Tom Harkin."

"I want John Edwards to know: I wish my hair was worth $400." That's a ROTFL line.

Biden says "I'm going to make it hard for you to say no to me."

"America has never been in so deep a hole." We need someone who can lead us through a difficult decade, to restore America's greatness. Talks in detail of war wounded. "This war must end. This war must end." (repeated.)

We haven't spoken enough truth about the war from the beginning. I love the platitudes I hear about "have the congress end war tomorrow." But be honest: we need 67 votes, and until we get 17 Republicans, we can't stop. "We need unrelenting pressure on Republicans "to choose troops and country over their loyalty to a president."

War has never been stopped unless a dictator is installed, you side with one sectarian side and wipe out the others, you occupy for a generation or more.. THE ONLY OTHER WAY (loud) this kind of war has ended is a political solution. So I laid out in stark detail a precise political plan.

TV crews are packing up.

Details of plan get applause as Biden oratory goes louder. "It takes responsible political leadership to end this war."

"Surge is not a solution, it is A TRAGIC MISTAKE. And YOUR FAILED POLICY is emboldening the enemy, not those of us who oppose you." When power is handed to the next Dem president, there will be no margin for error.

The American people must know the president understands their day to day lives. "They wonder whether we remember, whether we understand." The voice ebbs and flows from soft to LOUD to soft, a dynamic range that would challenge an audio pro or a radio reporter.

"I will fight to focus on those things that unite us as a country and not those things that divide us." Make America the light of the world -- that's not hype, not corny, that's real. Ends with "may God protect our troops."

Wraps at 8:50 with "Centerfield" again.

8:32. The remaining awards are being handed out without speeches from the winners. I hate to breeze by without telling their stories -- perhaps another occasion without so much hoopla.

8:17 and here's Bill Richardson. I'll catch up on the interim stuff. His music is someone's version of "Not Fade Away." I can't tell whose. He goes short on thank yous.

Two fundamental issues; the war and energy independence. "We need an American energy and climate change revolution, an Apollo program. In 10 years we can reduce dependence on foreign oil from 65% to 10%." "I will ask every American to sacrifice." Some odd Jimmy Carter, "malaise" bashing. "You do it by mandates, not goals."

From the lobby, the Edwardians yell. They were nicely lined up for the media op.

"Deauthorize the war." Big applause line. Timetables and goals not working. "Only the Congress can end this war. Bring how troops by end of calendar year with no residual forces." Need a political compromise: land, oil $. "We need to be an America that heals together -- the next president needs to bring America together" as we are divided overseas and at home.

"I'm not a rock star. I don't have all the $ in the world. But I have a love for this country." Bullet-points the resume as accomplishments "I've negotiated" etc. First choice reference of the night gets applause, as does first gay reference. "This election is about more than glamour and $. It's about our future." Frontloading makes Iowa that much more important. Pledges to be in "every home in Iowa" then backs away a bit, but I think I heard an every county pledge.

"I'm a pro-growth governor" and talks of tax cuts -- which reminds me that the Fair Tax people are here which seems a surprise. Richardson pledges to be the "greenest president in history." "I believe in my heart that I am somebody who can lead this country." Leaves stage at 8:28 to the same version of Not Fade Away.

Between Edwards and Richardson, Bruce Braley stretched it out for the bucket pass while the Edwardians lined up just right for the media op. The fixed the one upside down sign; I always like that little human flaw.

7:52 and John Edwards with U2 as stage music. The diligent staff tells of the press avail "right outside the doors." Supporters concentrated in one section of the hall. And... the "Elizabeth's doing very well." Thank yous shorter than first two candidates.

"I was born into nothing, I was blessed, I still believe in an America where you can come from nothing to a $400 haircut." He gets that out of the way... turns that around into poverty work, standing up for people as attorney, etc. Sticking to economic issues in first section of speech. "This is not academic, it's not political -- it is who I am, it runs through every fiber of my being." So when I'm speaking for the disenfranchised, it is who I am.

Dems need some backbone (applause, even squeals). "who will speak out against poverty if we don't" "Who will speak out to end this war? It's not the time for cautious, for political calculation. It's time for bold, visionary leadership and that starts with the war." Congress has responsibility to force Bush to end war (big applause). America needs to exercise moral leadership.

Mentions HIV/AIDS in Africa. "Mother's can't afford $4 for medicine." "Brothers and sisters, we are BETTER than this." Brothers and sisters - interesting. Let's educate the children of the world, fought disease, economic development, rather than the war. "Don't you want America to be a force for good again?"

Transition: "And there's so much to do at home." Health care -- he emphasizes the word UNIVERSAL. "We need to build the most fuel efficient vehicles on the planet, NOT someone else." Patriotic other than war line that he uses in all speeches (but it's a good line). "How `bout if people who work actually earn a living wage." Moves into labor issues and says brothers and sisters again. Haven't heard him do that before in about five speeches this cycle.

"If we really want to see big bold change in this country, we need YOU." (Sounds like Dean's "YOU have the power.") Leaving stage at 8:06.

7:44 and next award going to Roxanne Conlin as an Outstanding Supporter (is that $upporter?). A lot of folks seem to be taking a break. Almost everyone's signs are varying shades of red white and/or blue. This makes Chet Culver's green and gold and Bruce Braley's purple and yellow stand out.

Conlin shares tales of babysitting in Polk County in the Kennedy-Nixon race, her `82 governor's race, and of suing Bill Gates. The bucket passers are gathering in the back with the buckets.

7:32 Hillary Clinton takes stage to Jesus Jones, "Right Here Right Now." Did that win the music poll? Says she's been here often enough to caucus for herself (check with your local auditor on that).

About the same proportion of thank yous as Dodd, includes Ed Campbell (who I think is with her) and Roxanne Conlin (who's with Edwards).

"Are You Ready For Change?" Starts a call and response of "are you ready" issues. Crowd shouts their "yeah's and holds up signs on cue. "Culture of cronyism and corruption will come to an end when I'm president." War is dealt with by "bring our troops home and restore our reputation around the world." "People want to push the restart button on the 21st century." For some reason people are clinking on their glasses.

"Too many people in America today feel invisible. They're not sure anyone's noticing their problems, or if their gov't cares." This invisible theme continues through several issues, ending with The Troops. People are not invisible to the Dems or to The Next President.

We have to be clear about national objectives. Tells Madeline Albright story of Europeans treasuring 48 star flags after WW2: We need to be that nation again. Leaves stage at 7:42 to BTO "You Ain't Seen Nothing yet."

7:27. Award recipient Robert Fulton speaking; his career was capped with two weeks as governor in 1969.

Spinners mock-spinning during Dodd: "Edwards had the loudest band."

7:13 and with an extremely brief intro, Chris Dodd. Print types are in the back of press row; I see a little flash of white hair between TV tripods.

He thanks his rivals who are present. About first 1/4 of his time spent on thankyous. Troops deserve better policy than we're giving them -- lengthy applause.

Dodd hearts caucuses, because they give everyone a chance. "Don't give this president a blank check any longer" applause. Iraq policy makes us less secure, weaker not stronger. Can't even wait for next president, Stop It Now.

Drops his Peace Corps years in, goes down his I want To See That Spirit Again road, world needs America as an agent for good. Moves on to global warming/alt fuels. Carbon Tax and 50 MPG gets applause. Returns to giving us a chance theme, invites us all to White House to conclude which gets a laugh that rolls into the applause.

7:04 Harkin takes the stage to Tom Petty, "I Won't Back Down." Says Boswell's absence is due to grandson's graduation. Runs through legislative accomplishments, shoutouts to award winners.

Harkin: "Problem is not that the US has occupied Iraq for four years; problem is that Iraq has occupied us for four years." "Time to have a Department of Equal Justice, not Dept. of Political Justice." "Republican party does not have an image problem, it has a product problem." "Karl Rove wanted to create a permanent majority -- unfortunately for him it's a Democratic majority."

Harkin talks up caucus importance. "Iowa goes first because nobody does it better." We have to step up to our responsibility. Joshes about his own re-election and wraps at 7:13 with a reprise of Tom Petty.

7:01. Scott Brennan IDP chair is winding down introducing the Iowa electeds. Harkin, Braley, Loebsack get their own shoutouts, the legislature gets thanked as one. Harkin is leading off soon. Our presidential batting order is Dodd, Clinton, Edwards, Richarson, Biden.

6:47. Too many faces here for me to do the usual name dropping. State announcer is encouraging folks to sit down: "the sooner you sit down, the sooner we can go home." But it's the Schmooze Olympics here and everyone is having fun with that.

The Clinton Chanters have repositioned themselves at the entrance to the hall, with Dodd's vocal supporters next to them. At one point the noise escalated to where I thought a candidate entrance was imminent, but false alarm. However, Secret Service pins are in evidence so she must be nearby.

National Anthem and Pledge time so the ball game is starting. Scarcely an inch of space is uncovered with signs. The men's room door had Biden, Richardson and Edwards; the women's had a lone "Hillary!" sign.

Preacher giving invocation gets applause with "we must take positions because they are right." Touches on a litany of Dem issues and "seven deadly social sins."

6:32 and hi from the US Cell center in Cedar Rapids. Folks are settling in for dinner and two candidates have been sighted. Bill Richardson had some media avail in the hotel lobby but the camera scrum was so dense I couldn't get within 15 feet or hear a word he said.

Chris Dodd made a noisy entrance; I may have some pics of that later. But the noisiest contingent was the Hillary Clinton camp who lined a long hallway with vertical "READY TO LEAD" signs and alternating chants of H!R!C! and I!O!W!A! Hillary Clinton All The Way! One wag countered with "Tastes Great, Less Filling!" The badges on the HRC chanters seemed split about 2/3 staff, 1/3 volunteer.

There's a significant Obama presence despite the candidate's absence. Also present: A Kucinich table staffed by two volunteers. The official story is he's not here due to money, jet fuel and global warming, he's in New Hampshire. The new logo says Kucinich 2008 with peace signs in the zeros.