I had the audacity (LOL!) to go out last night — first to a UT Club cocktail party, where I drank too much, ate too many (delightful) mini Napoleons, and danced around with Smooch (choreographed, of course) to a cover band. Our fun came to a screeching a halt when the singer announced that he was going to rename the band “36-year-old Cheerleaders.”

TRICKY!

After that, I went to a TM after-issue party, where I unfortunately mixed red with white, and begged them to turn on McCain’s speech. When they refused, I pulled out my rifle and threatened to blow their f*ucking heads off if they didn’t turn on CNN right fu*cking now. Then I yelled, “Somebody make me a mooseburger!”

It was difficult to hear what he was saying, although from what I could see, they had done an excellent make-up job. When I returned home, I tried to catch the clips in between the incessant bloviations of Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann. But then I passed out on the couch, overslept, and rushed to our offices in last night’s clothes just in time for our morning editorial meeting.

Once I finally had a moment to hop online, I couldn’t help but notice that the blog had been completely hijacked by the likes of DMWP, WTH, and Austinmom. However, I stopped reading after comment 12.

Here’s more video I took from the Democratic convention — this one of Bill Clinton speaking. A woman directly behind me ate it up, screaming “BREAK IT DOWN!” and “TELL ‘EM, BILL, TELL ‘EM!” OK, that was me.

Stop what you are doing. Click here. Watch. And then, take the rest of the day off. I’ll write you a note.

Addendum: A co-worker watching the part about Sarah and “her guy” said this: “He’s been drilling her for 20 years.”

Observation: Did anyone else expect her to shoot that bald eagle? “PULL!” I also thought it would’ve been a nice touch to leverage her sexy librarian looks and do a Flashdance move, dancing around scantily clad before sitting down on a chair, leaning back, and pulling on something that splashes hot oil all over her.

Addendum to the Addendum (it’s the end of issue here, the natives are drinking Bud Light): Other zingers — “I’d lay her pipeline.” “Check out these Aurorae Borealis!” “Iditarod? She could do my rod!”

OMG I totally forgot about this blog. I’m such a BAD MOTHER. Who do I think I am, trying to tackle all of these things at once, trying to have it all?! Obviously my baby is suffering, and I’ve been relying on complete strangers to take care of it. That’s it. I’m going to quit my job and give up the drink.

All the writers and editors here have been talking about Sarah Palin’s speech since this morning — they were all on deadline last night to get the new issue out (Matthew McConaughey - spoiler. Mean it. SPOILER.), so they crowded around Evan’s sad excuse for a TV to watch. And now, guess what they’re talking about. Especially the gals. Palin’s family and how she could possibly do this.

NOOOOOOOOOO. Has the Democratic party gone INSANE?! I swear to you, if she were a he, this would not be happening. No one would be talking about how a man could be VP and take care of a new baby and a pregnant teen. You know why it wouldn’t be an issue? Because the mother would be tending to the family. You know what? A FATHER can do that too!

/rant. don’t screw with me today. probably premenstrual which is why I can’t think clearly and am incapable of making a solid argument. just another reason that women shouldn’t be in office.

We’ve got another video up over on Texas Monthly, and this one actually WORKS. No hurtling through hyper speed, no lip syncing, no freeze frames. (Freeze-Frame!) I’m picking up new broadcast guerrilla tactics, such as shifting in my chair every time I feel like I’ve been unfairly cut off, and drinking Alice in Wonderland-like from an enormous cup of coffee to ensure I’m receiving the attention I so richly deserve.

Lipstick Jungle (9-4-2008)
Paul Burka talks about Sarah Palin’s speech last night, how the crowd reacted, and why she wants to drill, baby. Drill.

And, of course, don’t forget to read my other blog post.

Sarah, Smile
Her delivery was practically perfect, if a little too folksy at times. She seemed somewhat nervous at first but then the Barracuda came out swinging. And, since she’s attractive and personable and flaunts her down-home accent, she can be negative without looking like, well, Giuliani, who terrifies me. Especially when he forces a grin.

(Giving credit where credit is due, LegeBoy gave Sarah the Impaler. - Ed. Note)

I just finished watching Sarah Palin’s acceptance speech. I sat on my couch with my hand over my mouth, shaking my head in order to wake myself up in case I was dreaming. (Actually, that doesn’t really work. Typically when I want to wake up from a dream, I scream at the top of my lungs, WAKE UP BEFORE THE DREAM BECOMES REALITY.)

It was… surreal. It was also jarring at first because Palin’s hair looked exactly like my hair on my WEDDING DAY except mine, of course, resembled spun gold. But I’m not here to talk about the VP nominee’s physical appearance (check out those gams!), or my wedding day (check out those gams!); I’m here to discuss the substance of Sarah’s speech.

She started out as a PTA aw-shucks hockey mom from Wasilla introducing her extended family (including the very uncomfortable looking soon-to-be son-in-law Levi) before morphing into Ursula the Sea Witch. DAMN, girl! Her negative attacks on Obama and Biden were softened only by her Alaskan accent and her uncanny resemblance to Tina Fey.

But there was one image I couldn’t get out of my head.

Sunny. From ‘Protocol,’ 1984. The ditsy blond played by perennial ditsy blond Goldie Hawn who gets shot in the ass trying to save the president, becomes a national heroine, gets used by the government to establish a strategic military base in the Middle East (of course), figures it out before she’s married off to the Emir, and then runs for Congress. And wins.

Hmmmm. A completely inexperienced attractive woman with folksy charm who gets picked up by some old guy who wants to continue to flex his country’s military muscle, and runs for an office she’s totally unqualified for. And wins?

In all fairness, Sarah was never a cocktail waitress who dressed as an emu. That we know of.

I would like to thank those of you who are humoring me and visiting Poll Dancing. And for those of you who are not, I hate you.

Did anyone watch the Republican convention last night? I didn’t think so. I did. Joe Lieberman? Awful. I couldn’t stand listening to him so I muted CNN and just kept muttering to myself, putty-faced traitor.

But Fred Thompson? He might have been a little drunk, especially at the end when he said something like, “God bless John McCain and Jod (?) bless America.” I thought he said Jod, meaning General Zod, but Mr. PL swears he said John. As in John bless America. Either way, Fred’s speech definitely eclipsed Bush’s video address from the White House. Could he be any more of a pariah in this party? More importantly, could Laura Bush seem any more drugged? I’ll have what she’s having.

Here’s my post. CLICK ON IT DAMN YOU.

Outlaw & Disorder: Special Delegates Unit

Former presidential candidate Fred Thompson knows how to play good cop/bad cop from his days as D.A. Arthur Branch on Law & Order. That was evident from his speech last night at the Republican convention. I was watching it because I knew that you probably wouldn’t since the E! True Hollywood Story was about Sarah Palin’s family (sandwiched between Karen Carpenter and Tawny Kitaen).

And look! Another ooVoo video! We’ll also be getting Burka’s insight from the convention. But this one is just me and Jake and my enormous earphones traveling at warp speed.

Here’s one from the X-Files of PL at Invesco field after Obama’s speech. I’m in a fancy skybox (oh, did I mention the skybox?) with brisket, wine, and Karen Brooks. I’m wearing hiking shoes and babbling incoherently in the background and pretending I belong with the beautiful people. Pa-thetic.

And, just in case you missed my dead-on impression posted earlier of Hillary dancing and swaying, here’s another one for your viewing pleasure, to the tune of Michael Doobie McDonald’s “America.”

(Please welcome West Texas Hillbilly and his inaugural post. - Ed. Note)

Politico.com posted an interesting article about the reemergence of the culture wars with McCain’s pick of Sarah Palin. There are many interesting aspects of her limited experience in Mooseville. Some demonstrate her desire to clean up politics in Alaska, which might take several Palins several lifetimes to accomplish. Others involve her abuse of power in firing city police chiefs and state police chiefs for political and personal reasons.

None of this really matters. The right will exaggerate her meager resume and stretch a few truths to justify her place on the ticket, while the left will point to her ethical stumbles to paint her as unfit for VP. There is only one issue that really matters in this debate, and few are comfortable discussing it calmly: abortion rights.

Watch Fred Hockalugeyalready Thompson’s speech. Watch every speech from last night. What line got the most raucous applause? This one: “We need a president who doesn’t think that the protection of the unborn or a newly born baby is above his pay grade.” The crowd went wild.

I would love to see a survey that graphed a voter’s feelings on abortion-rights laws with respect to their approval of Palin. I’m pretty sure it would be a straight line from NARAL at negative infinity to Focus on the Family at infinity (never mind the mathematics of straight lines and infinity, I’m still trying to figure out if the Big Bang happened on the first day or the zeroth day). The “angry left” will go insane trying to argue with the right about substantive issues of experience. The religious right plays up Palin’s experience while not admitting that she is a well-trained soldier in the culture war.

At a minimum, McCain’s pick guarantees that the religious right shows up to vote. It also motivates the left, if not as fervently. McCain is gambling that the middle cares more about culture wars than real wars.

We’ve all seen the ad. “He’s the biggest celebrity in the world. But is he ready to lead?” asks the narrator. Images of Barack Obama in front of adoring European crowds, interspersed with images of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. This was the ad by John McCain taking a cheap shot at Obama.

Later, when asked about the new book by Jerome Corsi, the 2008 attempt to “swift boat” Obama, McCain responded flippantly, “Gotta keep your sense of humor.” He claims he thought he was responding to a question about an ad. Presumably he was referring to the celebrity ad. To McCain this was all a laughing matter.

Well, who’s the tabloid celebrity now?

When we talk about protecting the children of a candidate for high office, we should first look to their parents, and other responsible adults involved, to play that key role. The Palins, McCains, Obamas and Bidens need to consider these things carefully before they agree to put their children in the public eye.

The question of judgment by these adults is very much on the table. Yes, accredited journalists, politicians and their staffs (including unpaid), and responsible people everywhere should leave the children out of the debate. Personal matters should be personal.

It’s extremely wishful thinking, however, to expect the tabloids, paparazzi and the “swarm” on the internet to follow those rules. Even before the internet, it was foolish to think idle chatter and gossip didn’t play a role in politics at all levels.

McCain approved the message which attempted to compare Obama to tabloid celebrities. McCain knew there was gossip to be had on his new VP pick. He charged ahead anyway on both. Instant Karma got him. Worse, it got the children involved with his campaign.

The good news is that McCain’s impulsive decision making has now guaranteed that adequate attention will be given to some of the major issues of importance to all Americans.

(Ed. Note — This post will not mention Sarah Palin’s pregnant daughter. Shi*t!)

(Ed. Note 2 — Has anyone else noticed the fantastic media coverage on Bristol? Almost all of the cable news pundits — I’m looking at you Anderson — claim that this is off limits, beneath them, blah blah blah. And then they repeatedly cut away to close-up shots of Bristol and various stages of baby bump. Classy.)

Oh, Sarah. We hardly knew you. Will you be taken from us all too quickly? Most of the stuff I’m hearing about Palin is on HuffPost, including these gems:

Now there’s speculation that McCain could dump Palin from the ticket. But could he really do that without looking like a total moron? Could he really keep her without looking like a total moron? You would think the guy’s screwed either way, but the latest poll finds that 70 percent of Republicans support Palin.

Politico has a story up saying that Palin’s, er, idiosyncrasies could hurt McCain’s campaign or… help it.

Fishing permit violations. A blue-collar husband who racked up a DUI citation as a 22-year-old. An unmarried teenage daughter who is pregnant and a nasty child custody battle involving a family member. All of this, to one degree or another, has surfaced in recent days as a result of efforts to discredit or undermine Palin. But these revelations may have the opposite effect: In one sense, they could reinforce how remarkably unremarkable she is.

So far — and it is hard to tell what the future may hold for Palin’s unexpected national candidacy — the travails of the Palin family probably seem awfully familiar to many average Americans. It is this averageness that makes her such a politically promising running mate for John McCain — and such a dangerous opponent for Democrats. Many voters will find it easy to identify with her family’s struggles — a significant advantage in an election where the voting calculus is so unusually and intensely personal.

“Look at the nature of this: small-town mayor, marrying the high school sweetheart — these are the kinds of things you’d see in a Budweiser commercial as opposed to an Amstel Light commercial,†said SC Gov. Mark Sanford.

Blink. When did Amstel Light become the preferred drink of elitists? GIVE ME BACK MY PINOT.

“The media doesn’t understand life membership in the NRA; they don’t understand getting up at 3 a.m. to hunt a moose; they don’t understand eating a mooseburger; they don’t understand being married to a guy who likes to snowmobile for fun. I am not surprised that they don’t get it. But Americans get it,†said Florida Rep. Adam Putnam. “A mooseburger means she is like one of us. She is not some jackass who’s ‘gone Washington.’â€

I had no idea that hunting moose and snowmobiling were such popular recreational sports in Florida. But, I must admit, I have never eaten a mooseburger. I’m just one of those Amstel Light-drinking jackasses.

My latest take on Sarah Palin is here.

7:22PM. Update — I just got back from having Chilean margaritas so let me try and answer some of the points made in the comments. Go ahead. Let me have it.

1. Why do I think the rumor about Palin’s 5-month-old baby being her daughter’s is off-limits? It’s not that it’s off-limits, it’s just that there are so many other issues to slam Palin on that are actually verifiable. The woman is wrong on global warming and the environment, knows zero about foreign policy, and I’m not sure she’s heard how bad the economy is. So why continue to bring a baby with a genetic condition into it?

2. What kind of mother is Sarah Palin? I don’t even want to get into a debate about working or stay-at-home moms. It’s every woman’s (and man’s) choice whether or not to go back to work, or cut back on hours, or keep their own names. There are plenty of negatives with Palin that there’s no need to bring up a woman’s place and whose choices are best. That’s what Republicans do.

And to say that the only reason her teenage daughter got pregnant is because her Christian conservative mother is against birth control is insane. Do you know how many teens get pregnant? No, I don’t agree with abstinence-only education. Or stupid kids having irresponsible sex. But it happens. A lot.

3. Yes, Republicans live in glass houses, as is evidenced by the conservatives who are found tapping away in public restrooms. Guess who else lives in glass houses? Everybody.

4. I would rather see Palin being taken apart in the VP debate by Joe Biden because of her inexperience, not because of her maternal instincts. This is only the second time a woman has been put on the ticket. I don’t want to see her completely destroyed. I want to see her lose, fair and square, not because of what kind of mother we think she is, but because of what kind of VP she would make.

5. Yes, the story is crazy and could get even crazier. But it leaves a bad taste in my mouth either way. Or maybe that’s the booze.

***

The rumors about Sarah Palin were kind of sort of true but not really. Her 17-year-old daughter Bristol is, in fact, pregnant. But Sarah’s five-month-old baby Trig is, in fact, Sarah’s. There was no cover up like there was with, say, Nicole Kidman.

The McCain campaign released a statement in order to dispel the “despicable Internet rumors” that had circulated throughout the Kosikazi Parallel Universe, saying that McCain knew about Bristol before asking the Governor to be on the ticket.

Now, before we all start drinking (too late), toasting our good fortune, think of how this could play in battleground states like Ohio and Pennsylvania. Sarah was picked, in part, to appeal to the blue-collar Reagan Democrats who supported Hillary during the primary.

Why, they could be like any other family. Here’s the Palin statement:

“We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us. Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support.

“Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family.”

So Sarah’s daughter gets pregnant, doesn’t have an abortion, keeps the child and marries the father.

This could go one of two ways: torpedo the McCain campaign once and for all, or keep people (and the press) interested in Sarah Palin, which could help or hurt. Don’t forget that the South has the highest teen birth rates, along with swing states New Mexico, Colorado, and Indiana.

VPs! They’re just like us!

(One last thought: With all the talk about Sarah Palin being a bad mother because she chose to go back to work and run on a national ticket when she should be staying at home with her kids and soon-to-be grandkid… well, do we really want to have that debate with Republicans? Conservatives may believe that women should stay at home, but I’ll be damned if that’s where our party is going. Unless we think that fathers aren’t capable of rearing their children.)

Here’s my Saturday musings on Sarah Barracuda, Northern Overexposure. (Call. Me. Clever.) And why I think the Palin pick is more of a concern than most. If it had been Romney, I’d be like, oh whatever. When I heard it was Palin, I was like, what?! I must say one thing — definitely makes this race more interesting. Will Joe Biden kill her in the VP debate, or hit on her? Only time will tell.

(More analysis and VIDEO to come — including another Hillary impersonation — once I catch up on my sleep.)

Here’s proof that I really was in a beautiful people skybox overlooking Invesco. My enormous head is practically eclipsing the on-screen Al Gore but it was far more important to me to show people that I was there. Plus, he’s still snore.

Wait. Did I miss something?

After drinking too much wine last night in a skybox overlooking Invesco Field (coupled with delicious shrimp cocktail), waking up at an ungodly hour (8:30AM!), stealing an apple danish from the the trusty Homewood Suites before jumping on the shuttle, waiting in a security line with that chick who played the guy’s wife on “Friday Night Lights,” rushing to my gate after making a stop at Caribou Coffee, and then… seeing Sarah Palin on the news.

WHAT?! I didn’t see that one coming. Everyone thought it was either Pawlenty or Romney! Sure, I’d blogged about Palin before, confusing her with the lady from Overstock.com, but I thought Sarah Barracuda had dropped off the short list.

Palin eats moose burgers and rides snowmobiles, and has admitted to smoking pot. The cool factor. She’s a lifelong member of the NRA. The cool gun factor. Plus, although she opposes same-sex marriage, she admits to “having gay friends.†The cool gay factor. She’s married to a fisherman. The cool “I’m married to a fisherman†factor. Finally, she’s got that whole “dirty librarian†thing working for her.

As a former Hillary supporter, this changes everything. Because watching even more of my rights being stripped away for at least another four years while the entire Supreme Court is filled with crazies would be SO TOTALLY worth it if that means sticking it to that Demosexist (LOL!) party. Yes, I’m more than willing to vote for McCain-Palin even though Palin’s a total pro-life conservative who keeps a spare hunting rifle in that beehive hairdo of hers.

But for now, here’s me, imitating Hillary dancing in a Puerto Rico bar during the primary. I must say, I’m pretty proud of myself. (Yes, this is what I was doing at the convention. Don’t tell Evan.)

Here’s my post on last night’s speeches — and why is this the first time I’m seeing Beau Biden?! Incredible.

And our latest video is up.

Ready, Aim, Biden

Evan Smith, Jake Silverstein, and Eileen Smith discuss Wednesday’s speeches (featuring Bill, Biden, and Beau) as the world waits in breathless anticipation for Barack Obama’s acceptance speech at Invesco Field.

And a line-up of what’s on tap for the last day of the convention. (Michael McDonald? Of Doobie Brothers fame? What a Fool Believes? Doesn’t get much better than that…)

I’ll be at Invesco Field with like a hundred gazillion of Obama’s closest friends. Let me know if you see me in the crowd.

Oh — and, just in case you want to, go fill out your Best of Austin 2008 ballot. I’m not going to ask you to vote for me because that would be shameless. Plus, I’m not sure if there’s any conflict of interest in the Hot Blogger Calendar.

Our latest video, recorded this morning from the comfort of my hotel room while I recovered from Hillary Hangover, is up on our multimedia page. (Quality’s better on this one, promise. Oh go watch it already! Like you have anything better to do.)

I think I’m really coming into my own here, especially with the added feature of ginormous earphones and Mr. Mic. I can’t decide if I look like I’m in a cockpit (although the press tent can be mistaken for that, OMG!), if I’m channeling Princess Leia, or if I look like I’ve glued two cinnabons to the sides of my head.

Yes, I still purse my lips and laugh like Horseshack, but I have definitely improved upon my Kennedy affect.

Me and Bunk, just moments ago. Doesn’t get much better than that.

(And yes, I know. My sunglasses are a poor man’s Jackie O’s.)

“Deserve got nuthin’ to do with it.” — Snoop

She nailed it. Last night was incredible. I was on the convention floor for her speech, tears streaming down my face. I didn’t even notice that the dude who played Reese Witherspoon’s husband in “Sweet Home Alabama” was standing right next to me.

YOU ARE NOTHING NEXT TO HILLARY. NOTHING.

(Here’s my insightful commentary on Poll Dancing — video clips and more analysis forthcoming. Additional photos here.)

While on the floor, I also did some star-gazing (Madeleine Freaking Albright? Toby from West Wing? Samantha Bee?). The highlight, of course, was when Terry McAuliffe walked by me, and I stopped him to say hello and drool, and he KISSED ME on the cheek and pulled me in for a hug. I will never wash that cheek again.

I’m about to leave the comforts of Base Camp for the Pepsi Center, in a mad rush to throw myself at Mark Warner’s feet before his keynote. Here’s what’s been up today so far…

Quick! Go see my latest video conversation where I pretend to know what I’m talking about even though I’ve just been sitting in my room watching CNN! I talk about what to expect from Hillary’s speech tonight, which is to say “what I expect,” which means absolutely nothing.

Mind the Gender Gap

Jake Silverstein and Eileen Smith on what to expect from Hillary’s speech Tuesday night, barring a hostile takeover by angry Hillary delegates.

No You’re Not an Annoying Amateur Photographer
I snuck into the VIP Arianna Huffington lunch today at the Brown Palace Hotel — on (just guess) “old media versus new media†— where I got to play paparazzi to those liberal leftist celebrities.

First, Ms. Huffington, looking glamorous. I shook her hand and said that I worked with Evan at Texas Monthly, since Evan has assured me multiple times that he’s a good friend of hers. She looked at me blankly. BURNED AGAIN.

Karen Brooks on what she thinks Hillary’s speech will be about.

What Would Ann Richards Do?
“My mother, Ann Richards, gave the keynote address at the Democratic convention 20 years ago. I wish she were here with us to celebrate — everything she worked for and believed in is coming true this week in Denver.”

Fled The Asylum: So, family reunion in Denver, eh? Uncle Teddy’s looking good. How’s he feeling?

Pink Lady: They wouldn’t even let me talk to him. I spent a half-hour yelling “TEDDY!” like “CORKY!” in Wating for Guffman, and nothing.

Fled: Wow. That’s a lot of screaming. I’m surprised I didn’t hear you.

PL: Oh, I was in the press tent. Open bar — free chardonnay and Chex Mix, sucka!

Fled: In the same bowl? Breakfast of champions.

Catch up with your cousins? Maria? Patty?

PL: I can’t believe they gave those ass*holes lifetime floor passes. What have they ever done?

Fled: Well, Maria is the First Lady of California, and Patrick’s a member of Congress.

PL: I’m pretty sure Maria’s adopted… ass*holes…

Anyway, what did you think of last night? Oh, I know — why don’t you blog about it?

Fled: Because I have a job. I was just saying “hi.”

PL: Please blog!

Fled: Buy me a tee shirt. XXL.

PL: Oh, I have one! It says Hillary ‘08.

Fled: Please — campaign shirts don’t go vintage for a good 20 years — and even then the losers become rags. I won’t even wash my car with my Kerry shirt, and I don’t even like that car very much.

PL: Seriously though, what did you think?

Fled: I watched the speeches on MSNBC. I’m pretty sure Keith Olbermann was dry humping a monitor. Said something like Michelle could not have done any better, if she levitated. I actually flipped over to Fox for a second. Rove said she blew it. Needed to focus more on humanizing Barack — talk about things that no one else can. Also said she wasn’t Pro-American enough, and thought that Barack’s “community organizer” years sounded like he was signing people up for the Red Brigades or something.

PL: Yeah? Huh. Sounds like you have a lot to blog about.

Fled: Not really, but the mean-pretty-girl-on-duty last night on FNC went all Fox News. She took Michelle saying “All of us driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won’t do” and said something like “all you do is take the word ‘world’ and replace it with the word ‘country,’ and we’re right back where we started not knowing where her loyalties lie.”

PL: No freaking way.

Fled: It was an astounding display of evil dumbitchery.

PL: You should blog that.

Fled: Whatever. XXL. Expense it.

PL: You’ll get a coozie if you’re lucky.

Well, I’m officially in hell. A media tent outside of the convention center with no air conditioning or water. It’s like Gitmo. But I am here for YOU. I spent the morning at a Texas Delegation brunch featuring Charlie Wilson, and I was all, YOU’RE AN IMPOSTOR! YOU LOOK NOTHING LIKE FORREST GUMP.

I’d like to thank Matty D for posting today as I am busy with my real job. I’m almost about to pass out due to dehydration and foot cramps.

Here’s my post on Charlie Wilson.

Oh Good GOD, I’ve been trapped on a shuttle bus from downtown to the Pepsi Center for two hours even though it’s roughly four blocks away. Security is insane, and I half-expected them to blindfold us, spin us around, and then rush us into some obscure field in the middle of nowhere. Right now I’m in the Media Tent for all the other Unassigned Journalists. So it’s basically me and like a bunch of college kids. If one more person asks me for change for the vending machine, I’m going to lose it.

OMG! To read more, go to Poll Dancing! LOL!

Interested in seeing my fancy hotel room? Watch my video with Evan last night. My voice is a little raspy as it is the end of the day and I’ve recently become a chain smoker.

Keeping Up with the Clintons?
Evan Smith catches up with Eileen Smith in Denver to discuss Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and whether she can rally her die-hard supporters to embrace the new VP.