AJC.com > Talk of the town > Archives > 2008 > September
September 2008
Tuesday: The Great Atlanta Gas Hunt
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Listen to the talk of the town today, and it’s mostly about gas: where to find it, how much it costs, when we’ll get more of it and how we’re getting around without it.
Check back for the latest news and notes on the gas shortage in the Southeast, and look behind the links at the bottom for tips on hunting gas, saving gas and how to live without it. Share your woes and ideas for how to get around in the comments.
We can’t give you gas, but we can give you information in one tidy little package. The Great Atlanta Gas Hunt of ‘08 is on.
5:27 p.m. The pace of news is slowing and Twitter is quieting down Happy commuting, folks. See you in the morning!
5:05 p.m. Share a ride to an Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performance. The ASO is trying to draw an audience in whatever way they can, whether by carpool or MARTA. The link above leads to a ride-sharing site that can help ASO patrons to find other concertgoers in their neighborhood. The ASO also provides directions about how to get to performances via MARTA.
4:15 p.m. Gas shortage discussed on Talk of the Nation. Patrick Jonsson, a reporter in Atlanta for the Christian Science Monitor, explained the problem on the National Public Radio show today, along with folks in other states. It’s moments like this when I remember: Oh wait. Most of the country has the pain of high prices, but not the sucker punch of low supply.
3:23 p.m. Is the gas hunt really getting easier? We seem calmer, but it’s approaching commute time. Keep us updated about how it’s going, and if you see a particularly interesting scene, submit your photo to be published on AJC.com. Maybe on my way to work tomorrow, I’ll try to catch a photo of all the bikers along my route. Some looked a bit wobbly on two wheels, but I have to be proud of ‘em for making a go of it.
2:30 p.m. What’s the best way to fix a shortage? Tex Pitfield, president and CEO of Saraguay Petroleum in Atlanta said the governor’s office should’ve responded quicker. Chris Clark, executive director of the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority, and Carol Couch, director of the environmental protection division at the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, said motorists should do their part. The discussion continues, but what do you think? Also: North Carolina’s Gov. Mike Easley blames oil firms for the gas shortage in his state.
2:07 p.m. Atlanta’s gas pipeline is at 100 percent, but… it’ll still be a week or two before things are back to normal, WSB reports. Thirteen of the 15 refineries knocked off line are back in operation, it just takes time for that gas to get here.
1:54 p.m. Football survived the gas shortage. Will NASCAR? It was a tough trip to Athens for some UGA fans this weekend. In Alabama, Talladega Superspeedway officials say they’re watching the gas levels and expect to have an ample supply of gasoline for the 150,000 people attending the Amp Energy 500 on Sunday. Are you changing your weekend plans because of gas shortages?
1:44 p.m. Gas lines shrinking, transit lines growing? Gwinnett and Cobb county transit both saw a surge in ridership on Monday. Gwinnett had one of its busiest days in history. “Just based on what we’re hearing from every bus driver, everything was pretty much loaded,” said Phil Boyd, director of Gwinnett County Transit.
1:40 p.m. Clayton police, fire are running low on gas. County officials say they’ve got enough to last through the weekend, but the situation is “serious.” They’ve said to stop using county vehicles for off-duty jobs, except for patrols at school sporting events and other after-school activities. (Huh. Didn’t realize they could use them for off-duty jobs.) They’re also skipping the lawn mowing.
12:45 p.m. Is premium the problem? We’re hearing from drivers that gas lines are getting shorter — ahh, relief! — but that premium gasoline is nowhere to be found. Let AJC reporter Stacy Shelton know what you’re paying for gas and whether the hunt for premium is the real challenge.
12:36 p.m. Gas deliveries, sent straight to your cell phone. I noticed this site listed on the ATLgas Twitter search. (Thanks, Gurnage!) GasNotify.com claims to send you a text message and e-mail when gas is delivered within a 10 mile radius of your ZIP code. Has anybody used it? Does it work?
12:24 p.m. It’s a shortage, sure, but is it an emergency? A story in Wednesday’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution will explain that the state has an energy emergency plan that leaders chose not to implement. (Check out pages 53-57 for the goods on gas shortage.) The gas shortage steps include pushing the conservation message through local governments and media outlets, setting up an odd-even schedule for gas purchases that discourages panic-buying and setting up temporary HOV lanes to encourage ride-sharing. Would you have wanted those measures in place, or do you think this will resolve itself? Tell us in the comments, or tell reporter Stacy Shelton.
12:16 p.m. Siphoning, the cheater’s way of getting gas. Maybe it’s tempting to just snake a little hose into the neighbor’s gas tank and avoid the hours of wait, but it’s also a crime. Kennesaw Police arrested Joshua Anderson and Florencio Elacio, and charged each with theft and having tools of a crime after they say they saw the pair pull a hose from a gas tank. Have you heard of or spotted any siphoning in your area? Also: Three charged with stealing gas from towing company in Asheville, N.C.
11:50 a.m.: Would you give up gas for biodiesel? A Sunday AJC story Bo Emerson tells the story of commuters like East Cobb resident John Knop, who runs his 1985 Mercedes 300SD on waste vegetable oil from local restaurants. It has its down sides — collecting and filtering old oil, tinkering with diesel engines, keeping a grease reservoir at home — but it’s not sounding so bad right now, is it?
10:50 a.m.: Gas prices - California, 1, Georgia, 0. For once, it’s cheaper there than in 15 other states. Could you blame them for gloating a little? They’ve long had higher prices than just about every other place. Watch closely, though: oil prices fell on Monday.
Drivers report shorter lines on Tuesday. AAA says we’ve still got two weeks of shortage ahead of us, but QuikTrip told WSB-TV that all of its stations will have gas by Wednesday. Of course, higher demand means the supply goes quicker. Gov. Sonny Perdue is on a trade mission in Spain, but issued a statement on Monday calling for the Department of Energy to release a significant amount of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. That crude oil would still have to be processed by refineries and shipped to the metro Atlanta market, though.
Like water for gasoline? Cobb County Commission and a prospective 2010 gubernatorial candidate Sam Olens suggests that the state ration gasoline on an odd-even basis. The plan would discourage residents from topping off every day, he says. U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson told The Marietta Daily Journal that the idea is a good one.
Gwinnett drivers discover the bus. Commuters were already packing Xpress buses as prices rose, but with the double whammy of high prices and short supply, well, as William Mecke, communications director for the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority put it ““It was pretty normal this morning. Now, pretty normal for us is just about full.”
Elizabeth Jackson of Midtown signals ‘all is good’ while filling up her car at the BP Station at North Avenue and Spring Street. See more photos.
Resources
Gas shortage Q&A for all the basics.
Atlanta’s gas Twitter for real-time updates from drivers.
Atlanta area gas prices provided by GasBuddy.com.
Fueling tips from the AJC Smart Spending blog.
Shortage talk, public transportation information and transit planners from the AJC’s Your Money.
Rookies Guide to Riding MARTA, a guide from AJC writers and readers.
105 tips to use less gas from EcoModder.
Scenes from a shortage, a photo gallery of gas hunters.
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Brian Nichols Trial
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Brian Nichols is accused of killing four people during and after his escape from his rape trial in 2005. Three years and millions of dollars later, the trial is finally under way.
Nichols, 36, has entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity in the shooting deaths of Fulton Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes, court reporter Julie Brandau, deputy Hoyt Teasley and, later that afternoon, U.S. Customs Agent David Wilhelm in Buckhead.
How do you think the the trial is going? Are the prosecutors doing a good job? Are the defense attorneys? Will Nichols get the death penalty? Would you like to be a juror in this case? What changes would you make to the indigent defense program?
Tell us what you think and if there’s any more information you want to know. We will try to get the answers you want.
Note: Comments must be approved by a moderator. Please do not submit racist or otherwise offensive statements.
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Arggghhhh: It’s Talk Like a Pirate Day!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, which began in 1995, it’s time for a little revelry.
The holiday was founded by John Baur and Mark Summers after a racquetball game between them during which one of them (they can’t remember who) yelled out “Arrr!” in a cry of pain, according to talklikeapirate.com, the official Web site of the holiday.
So send us your best pirate jokes or a list of your favorite buccaneers. Best pirate punishments, etc. Just about anything piratical — and suitable for print.
Homeless in Atlanta: Crystal’s story
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Crystal once had a job and a place to call home.
But the former waitress and grocery store cashier lost everything four years ago. Her “home” was recently a small space she staked out under a downtown parking deck along CSX railroad tracks. See and listen to Crystal’s story.
Crystal, a drug addict, is able to make it by using the various services offered to help the homeless.
It’s unclear how many people are homeless, but a recent article by AJC reporter Craig Schneider said as many as 20,000 Georgians are homeless on any given day. Schneider wrote that a “study by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs determined that while metro Atlanta has the greatest number of homeless, significant clusters are found in smaller cities including Albany, Columbus and Savannah.”
What can be done to help people like Crystal? Is it the sole responsibility of government to help? What’s the role of churches and individuals?
Should Gwinnet superintendent step aside?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Gwinnett NAACP is calling for the resignation of Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks over offensive comments he made about the disproportionate discipline of minority students in Gwinnett County.
NAACP branch President Jorge “J.P. Portalatin also wants to remove board members up for re-election. Portalatin accused Wilbanks of having an “arrogant condescending attitude,” according to an article by AJC reporter D. Aileen Dodd.
The comments came after an administrator said minority student discipline is a problem for school district nationally, except in Idaho, according to a study. Wilbanks then asked the administrator: Do they have any blacks in Idaho? They don’t have many.”
What do you think? Should Wilbanks resign?
Let the horse race begin! Georgia delegation felt energy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
J.G. Anderson, 33, lives in Atlanta and attended the Republican National Convention. Anderson. has resided in Atlanta for 23 years, and he attended the University of Georgia Law School and graduated in 2004 as a member of the Order of the Coif. Though an attorney, J.G. currently works as an independent journalist writing from a centrist point of view.
With the descending balloons at the Xcel Center, the primary season officially ended and the tickets were firmed up for a 60-day dash to history.
Yesterday’s convention conclusion was the crescendo of the week for an event once threatened with cancellation by the power of Hurricane Gustav and truncated in respect for the Gulf states. John McCain staked a bold claim to the center Thursday night by outlining the failures of both parties in Washington and appealing to Americans to support his bipartisan approach to problem solving for the next four years.
The stage for John McCain’s acceptance of the GOP’s nomination for president of the United States was converted into a more intimate setting with the feel of a town hall meeting. His speech and promises to fight entrenched corruption in a bipartisan fashion came across as authentic to members of the Georgia delegation and the casual observer of Washington politics alike, considering the attacks against McCain over the past 20 years for pursuing reform against entrenched special interests.
From a larger perspective, the GOP ticket has clearly thrown down the gauntlet at the feet of the Democrats, no longer willing to cede “change” ground and setting up what could shape up to be one of the closest elections in American history.
McCain’s convention goals were clear, yet in tension with each other — unite and excite the base of the GOP while also putting forth a strong appeal to Democrats and Independents.
With the deft maneuvering of a maverick that has marked his entire career, McCain hit the mark with both goals by exciting the base with the historic candidacy of Sarah Palin while still reaching out to undecided voters. As McCain’s speech pressed forward, members of the Georgia delegation not only sat on the edges of their seats, but also rose to their feet numerous times during the speech to cheer on.
Overall, while lacking in the polished rhetorical flourish of Barack Obama, McCain’s speech came across as an intimate talk with every voter in America. While observing the Georgia delegation for the past week, it is apparent that McCain and Palin have delivered a strong message promising center-right governance with a maverick style. Last night, McCain underlied his record as supportive of his bipartisan pitch by tell America, “I will reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again.” He then stated, “I have that record and the scars to prove it. Sen. Obama does not.”
With this statement, the Georgia delegation rose in a wave of roars of excitement and approval.
Over the next two months, Georgians will be wooed and cajoled by Democrats and the Obama campaign from every possible input, old media and new; however, with the energy felt by the Georgia delegation at the close of the convention, Georgians aren’t going to be swayed without a fight.
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Excuse me, step aside for ‘the riot’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
[Vincent Russo and Baoky Vu, members of the Georgia Young Professionals for McCain, are blogging from the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.]
With the start of our final convention day, I want to take the opportunity to provide our readers with some day-after thoughts from the Georgia delegation on Sarah Palin, “The Speech,” and the delegation’s morning events.
However, before doing so, I want to provide our readers with one more brief, but exciting, moment from last night’s post-convention activities.
As I walked with some friends to the One Campaign’s after-party, we came upon what security guards and police officers told us was a “riot” as a result of a protest. Cops in riot gear with tear gas moved into place. Despite the concerned look on some of the faces of the conventiongoers on the street, I knew my old friend from Louisiana, Bryan Jeansonne, wasn’t going anywhere.
Accordingly, since the location of the One Campaign after-party was on the other side of the protest and was a sought-after invitation from conventiongoers, we decided to forge ahead. Upon reaching the “riot,” Jeansonne, with a hint of humor that only a Louisianian and former New Orleans resident understands, says to everyone in earshot, “These kids are lucky they aren’t in New Orleans. Our cops don’t take these minor or even intermediate measures like these cops, and they would have put this riot down before it ever started.”
Ultimately, we got through the “riot” and had a good time at the party.
Riots aside, I had the opportunity to speak with Jade Morey, chairman of the Georgia Students for McCain, and Suzy Voyles, chairman of the Georgia Women for McCain coalition, about Sarah Palin and “The Speech.” Suzy Voyles said that Sarah Palin is what “America longs to be, full of life and genuine.”
Voyles stressed, “[Palin] isn’t afraid of hard work or fierce opposition; she is principled and refuses to cave in to the status quo.”
Morey, a longtime support of John McCain because of his reform agenda, said she was “absolutely thrilled” with the pick of Sarah Palin. Morey thinks Palin has demonstrated her ability to create effective change through her work as Alaska’s governor
The Georgia delegation was honored to have T. Boone Pickens at breakfast today, along with U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson; Secretary of State Karen Handel; Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, Insurance and Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine; Cobb County Board of Commissioners Chairman Sam Olens; and Georgia House Speaker Glenn Richardson.
While Pickens stressed the need for alternative energy to the Georgia delegation, Georgia leaders, such as Karen Handel, injected another level of energy into the Georgia delegation when she spoke of John McCain, Sarah Palin and the election. Handel started out saying that Palin is “the real deal” and that the McCain-Palin ticket brings “a little less talk and a lot more action” to the table.
Finally, Handel discussed voter registration in Georgia and informed the delegation that the secretary of state’s Office has noticed that women are the largest group of new voter registrants this year. After hearing Palin last night and Handel today, I am confident that many of the “soccer moms” in Georgia will soon be “hockey moms.”
The Georgia delegation is in great spirits and ready for a big night tonight and a great John McCain speech.
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We Georgians know about pit bulls
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
[Vincent Russo and Baoky Vu, members of the Georgia Young Professionals for McCain, are blogging from the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.]
With the energy inside the convention peaking last night, Gov. Sarah Palin took the floor. She hit a home run with her speech last night. Many members of the Georgia delegation I spoke to prior to the speech said that this would be her coming-out party to America, and it was.
As a woman in politics, Palin made it known that she is not to be taken lightly and will not be pushed around by the media or politicians. As she said, “the only difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull is lipstick,” it was evident that not many people in the Georgia delegation know about “hockey moms.”
However, while we may not know about “hockey moms,” most people in Georgia have become all too familiar with pit bulls over the last few football seasons. Despite our lack of familiarity with hockey moms, it is clear that Palin will not only fight the smears from the left in this campaign, but she will also fight against wasteful government spending and for the well being of America.
My phone immediately lit up with emails and text messages when she took the floor, and those messages continued until about 1 a.m.. Everyone was very impressed with Palin’s entire speech, and I think it is clear that the Georgia delegation is very delighted with her selection on the ticket.
The Georgia women I spoke with told me that they liked her strength, fire, and ability to not back down to the attacks against her. Palin’s wit also appealed to many in the delegation, especially her reference to the lack of military experience on the other ticket.
One member commented to me that the Obama/Biden ticket “poked” at Senator McCain all last week during the Democrat’s convention and at Gov. Palin all this week. Instead of poking back, Governor Palin went “straight for the jugular.”
With the close of the Wednesday’s convention activities, I think everyone in our delegation left the Xcel Center under the belief that with Gov. Palin, the GOP has a bright future.
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We’ve got a little ‘change’ of our own
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
[Vincent Russo and Baoky Vu, members of the Georgia Young Professionals for McCain, are blogging from the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.]
The theme of Wednesday’s convention was clearly that of “change.” As an initial change, my good friend and co-writer, Baoky Vu, had to make a last minute change and return to Atlanta early because his newborn child, Anson Vu, has been unable to sleep without him at home.
While we were making changes of our own here on the ground, the Republican Party was getting a taste of its own “change” through the unbelievable and much anticipated acceptance speech of Gov. Sarah Palin, our country’s next vice president and the future of the GOP.
It was clear that the Georgia delegation was anticipating the “All Star” lineup of speakers set for Wednesday. Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, who both ran well-supported and highly successful campaigns during the Georgia primary, spoke to America about the economy and Barack Obama’s lack of experience. Two of America’s strongest businesswomen, Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman, also addressed the convention on issues relating to the economy.
Sen. Saxby Chambliss visited the Georgia delegation. It seems that every time I see Senator Chambliss and his wife, Julianne, they wait until every person, no matter how politically involved, has the chance to speak with them about issues. In a place like the GOP convention, it is rare that more than a simple “hello” is possible due to everyone’s busy schedules. I think that trait will always set Sen. Chambliss apart from his political opponents.
As the convention pressed forward, Rudy Giuliani took the stage. He demonstrated strong leadership in the past with 9/11 and has also shown an ability to make jaws drop with his other actions, most notably with his infamous “dress” during a skit for a the Mayor’s Inner Circle Press Roast in 2000. However, his speech Wednesday night demonstrated both of those characteristics, but without the dress.
Giuliani gave a passionate speech about Gov. Palin, her experience, and our country’s need for energy independence, even firing the crowd up with a “Drill Baby Drill” chant.
On the issue of energy independence, I spoke with Bjay Pak, co-chairman of the Asian American Pacific Islander Coalition, about Georgians’ beliefs on the drilling issue. Pak told me that “drilling for oil makes simple economic sense.” Pak further stated that we cannot immediately reduce demand for fossil fuels without trying to affect the supply-side to bring energy costs down. “It is baffling that the Democratically-controlled Congress refuses to drill in our own back yard to meet Americans’ needs.”
Pak’s sentiments resonated with Georgians during Giuliani’s speech.
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Fan of S.P.’s: Sonny Perdue and Sarah Palin
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
[Vincent Russo, in photo, and Baoky Vu, members of the Georgia Young Professionals for McCain, are blogging from the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.]
Convention today looks to be another exciting day with speeches tonight by Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee. However, this morning, the Georgia delegation held a delegation breakfast with Gover. Sonny Perdue. Gov. Perdue addressed the delegation and provided his thoughts on Gov. Palin’s opportunity tonight to introduce herself to the American people.
Gov. Perdue stated that he thinks all Sarah Palin needs to do was “be herself.” I jokingly said to the Ggovernor after breakfast that when Senator McCain made his decision to choose Sarah Palin as a running mate, a friend of mine sent me an email that McCain had chosen “S.P.” My initial thought was that Senator McCain chose the great governor of Georgia, Sonny Perdue, as the surprise choice.
After Perdue spoke, congressmen Phil Gingrey and Tom Price followed with passionate speeches in support of the McCain-Palin ticket. The congressmen focused on the uniqueness of McCain-Palin and also vented their frustration with the current Congress. The men stressed that this Congress has a “do-nothing mentality.”
Rep. Price and a large number of GOP lawmakers have protested the Democratic inability to tackle the issue of high energy prices for the past 5 weeks by not going home for the summer recess. Instead, they have remained in our country’s capital to highlight the message that the do-nothing Democratic-led Congress have refused to take action to help the American consumer’s burden of high energy prices.
Also on the mind of the Georgia delegation are the implications that would result from an election of the Obama-Biden ticket on health care policy, nuclear power and the economy. Rep. Gingrey stressed that as a physician himself and to all the physicians in attendance, “the last thing we want is to be doctors working for the government.”
The Georgia delegation responded with a clear show of support for such a statement and the idea that government-run health care is not the solution to our health care issues.
Finally, at the end of lunch, we congregated to have the traditional delegation group photo taken by Bill Adler, all 200 or so of us.
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Excitement comes to the convention
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
[Vincent Russo, in photo, and Baoky Vu, members of the Georgia Young Professionals for McCain, are blogging from the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.]
As we sit in the convention tonight, it is evident that the Xcel Center is full of energy and excitement. Much of the early part of the evening involved a more indepth introduction of Cindy McCain to America. Cindy McCain has devoted her life to working with international non-profit organizations and those less fortunate, and many conventiongoers had tears in their eyes during Wes Gullett’s story of Cindy bringing Bridget McCain and Nicki Gullett home from Mother Teresa’s orphanage in Bangladesh when they were babies and how they adopted their respective daughters.
President George Herbert Walker Bush walked on the floor of the convention with Barbara. Once the crowd saw George and Barbara, delegates erupted with cheers and began chanting “forty-one.” It seems like the older “Forty-One” gets, the bigger the soft spot he has in the hearts of young and old people alike.
From there, the excitement never died. Laura Bush, Fred Thompson and Joe Lieberman all spoke. Senator Lieberman gave a passionate speech, and focused on the fact that “country matters more than party.” Lieberman stated that John McCain is our best choice to bring our country together, and proceeded to say that John McCain’s record of bipartisanship far surpasses that of Senator Obama. Senator Lieberman went a step further and stated that Barack Obama’s record of bipartisanship cannot even compare to that of Bill Clinton. While I thought such a statement would be met with jeers, the crowd even cheered after Senator Lieberman’s praise of Bill Clinton.
Many people on the ground continued to talk about the attacks on Governor Palin’s family. Some in the Georgia delegation thought that the attacks on Palin have shown that the Democrats are on the defensive. For much of the past two months, the McCain campaign has run a very effective campaign, starting with ads on Senator Obama’s worldwide celebrity status and lack of substance to the selection of Governor Palin. Senator Lieberman noted that Governor Palin is a true maverick. Fred Thompson focused on McCain/Palin being the real ticket for change. I believe this resonated with the members of the Georgia delegation.
On a final note before we head to the after-parties, one of Senator Lieberman’s statements that truly resonated with the crowd was that God only made one John McCain and John McCain is his own man.
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Cindy McCain classy, Palin spin is not
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
[Vincent Russo and Baoky Vu, members of the Georgia Young Professionals for McCain, are blogging this week from the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.]
Although the convention events of last night were altered due to Gustav, here is a short recap of the night. Upon calling the convention to order, Mike Duncan, GOP Chairman, informed the Convention attendees that a fund for Gustav relief was created and convention-goers could make donations through the use of a simple text message. I witnessed many attendees, both young and old, immediately make donations through their cell phones, which prompted my thought that either text messaging is so common that people of all ages know how to “text” or that Republicans are much more technologically savvy than the media portrays.
Laura Bush, Cindy McCain and the governors of Texas, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi all gave good speeches. When Laura Bush and Cindy McCain walked on stage, the crowd erupted. While they did discuss hurricane relief, many of the conventiongoers were very excited to hear from Mrs. McCain. I later talked to a friend of mine’s wife about Cindy McCain. I asked her what she likes about Cindy McCain, and she responded that while she thought the presentation of Cindy McCain was strong, she really enjoys how “stylish” Cindy McCain dressed. While it is a rare occasion that my name (Vincent) and the word “stylish” are in the same sentence, it seems to be a perfect fit for Cindy McCain among women in the Georgia delegation.
Upon the close of the convention last night, I made my way over to the “Friends of New Orleans” event to listen to some Zydeco music. Despite the confused looks on some of the Minnesotans’ faces, people were dancing to the Cajun music and the jambalaya wasn’t too bad either, considering it was made in Minnesota.
As for today, my good friend Baoky Vu made it into town this morning and we attended the Georgia Delegation luncheon. Upon arriving at the luncheon, I ran into former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer. He and I spoke about the election in Georgia and the importance of ensuring we have a strong ground game throughout the state.
During the luncheon, Colonel Lee Ellis, a former POW during Vietnam with Senator McCain, had some very powerful words for the group. Col. Ellis stressed “the power of community and support” during his time as a POW and told the Georgia delegation that only the power of community and support allowed the POWs to survive their time at the Hanoi Hilton. While Col. Ellis was relating the power of community and support to his time as a POW, I thought the idea of “the power of community and support” seemed fitting during this time when some in the media are trying to spin Bristol Palin’s pregnancy and Gov. Palin in a negative light.
Gov. Palin and the Palin family, along with Senator McCain, have demonstrated the power of community and support during the media’s spin of Bristol Palin’s pregnancy. While speaking with members of the Georgia delegation, many people stated that, like the Palins, all families encounter difficult situations. However, as the Palins have demonstrated, the power of the family and community support network is the key to turning any potentially negative situation into a positive one that will further strengthen family and community. Ultimately, this current non-issue of Bristal Palin’s pregnancy is a perfect example for our county of why family and family values are so important.
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Concern for Gustav victims, excitement for McCain and Palin
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
[Vincent Russo and Baoky Vu, members of the Georgia Young Professionals for McCain, are blogging this week from the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.]
While I await the arrival of my co-blogger, Baoky Vu, in Minneapolis, I wanted to take a moment to give our readers an idea of my first impressions of the Republican National Convention, the convention attendees, and the city of Minneapolis, which might have less public transportation than Atlanta.
Upon arriving in Minneapolis last night, I decided to ride the light-rail public transit downtown. Although the train only has one line that does not extend through the city, the locals were quite pleasant and did not conjure up any memories of the infamous “MARTA Soulja Girl” on YouTube. In speaking with some of the locals, it was clear that they were very excited about having the convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul, but were concerned with the inevitable impact of Hurricane Gustav on the convention and the storm victims.
While on the light-rail transit, I began receiving phone calls from friends from Louisiana and the Georgia delegation, and I was informed that the convention schedule was altered as a result of Hurricane Gustav. Due to the hurricane, the convention would be called to order today at the Xcel Center in St. Paul, but the remainder of the events were canceled.
Despite the somber mood of the convention attendees due to Gustav, excitement for John McCain, Sarah Palin and the upcoming election is still in the air. Last night the Georgia delegation, along with members from all other delegations, attended the delegate reception. The reception was at the Minneapolis Convention Center and was full of talk about politics and Gustav. During the reception activities, I spoke with Bryan Jeansonne and Michael Bayham, members of the Louisiana delegation, about Gustav and the decision to cancel Monday’s plans. Both Jeansonne and Bayham expressed their personal concerns that Gustav posed to them and the people of Louisiana, and they believed that the decision of McCain, Palin and the RNC to alter the convention schedule was appropriate.
In addition to McCain’s decision to focus on the victims of the storm and not his nomination, I was informed by Jeansonne that the McCain-Palin campaign chartered a plane to Jackson, Ms., so that delegation members could fly home to be with their families. Clearly, the members of the Louisiana delegation were appreciative of McCain’s immediate response, especially in light of the response three years ago to Hurricane Katrina, and believe McCain’s actions demonstrate not only his ability to be a lead without any on the job training, but also his ability to be empathetic to the stresses experienced by people impacted by natural disasters.
Despite the concerned tone toward the victims of Gustav, previously scheduled parties not sponsored by the RNC continued well into Sunday night after the Delegate Reception. One party I was invited to and attended was the Impact Film Festival/MySpace party. A native Minneapolis band, the Alarmists, played on stage and lines of people waited to enter. I was lucky to have a VIP pass, so I didn’t have much waiting to do. Members of the Georgia delegation were in attendance, and while politics centered most conversations, everyone had a great time.
With Labor Day here and Hurricane Gustav making landfall, First Lady Laura Bush and Cindy McCain attended breakfast with the Louisiana delegation this morning. As a native of Louisiana, I was very happy to see the continued support and outreach to Louisiana and its delegation. Mrs. McCain introduced Mrs. Bush at the breakfast, and both women expressed that the people of Louisiana were in their thoughts and prayers. The statements by these unbelievable women were warm and sincere, and I believe Mrs. Bush and Mrs. McCain helped ease some of the anxiety shared by members of the Louisiana delegation.
Finally, and in addition to the outpouring of support by party leaders, many of the convention attendees have also begun to take action to support the victims of Gustav. Several groups, such as the Republican National Lawyers Association, will be holding receptions later today will collect donations for Gulf Coast charities identified by the governors of the impacted states. This outreach will surely be a continued theme throughout the convention.
Be sure to check back for more updates.
