You are right on the liberal thing.
Today was one of those days when you can fry an egg on the sidewalk in Iowa.
Bush's speech today was 'in the round'. I had a seat where I would have been about 3 ft from him if I'd kept the seat.
I've been fighting a serious sinus infection along with some upper resp. complications. I had no more gotten seated when I had a severe coughing spasam. When I get too warm, it happens. Once I had settled myself down, I got up and moved to the back of the room where I could get out if it occurred while the Prez was speaking.
Security wasn't nearly as tight here as it was in Dubuque. When they looked in my purse, they told me I would have to give up my cup of ice, which I was carrying to help sooth my throat in the event of a coughing spell. The fella let me continue but warned me that someone else would be taking it before I went inside. Nobody did. Thank goodness. I used some of the ice to literally rub on my neck and throat to cool off and settle my cough down.
The 'in the round' was interesting. Once his speech was over, he opened it up for questions. Most of the questions were rather pointless. "Do you like being president?" (from a kid). Stuff like that. One person didn't get to ask a question so shouted it out, instead: "Do you think Ambassador Wilson lied?" GW's response: Ask the press what they think.
I had left a slice of cheese in a baggie in the car when I went inside. When I came back out,,, it was liquid.
I knew a 'back way' out of the parking area and headed out quickly ahead of the crowd. I wanted to go to the Amana Colonies on the way home so headed that way,,, the route takes me past the Eastern Iowa Airport. People were parked along the side of the road waiting to wave at the motorcade. I felt a twinge of guilt as I whizzed on by. I would have like to have stopped to wave, too. But I had a bunch of stuff to do before my trip to Seattle next week.
Suddenly I realized I was the only car on the road to the airport,,, except for a police car following me. I passed the entrance to the airport and the police car pulled in. I must have been the last car allowed onto that route before they closed it.
The internals polls must be showing that Iowa is winable. Cheney was here last week, now GW & the girls. I'd guess they'll be back, unless the polls show it isn't necessary.