Posted on 07/24/2004 1:00:34 PM PDT by kristinn
A few days before the 9/11 Commission released its report, I called their press office. The commission had issued a press release announcing the date, time and city of their press conference about the report, but not the location. This was Tuesday, the day after the Sandy Berger story had broken and the press officer was frazzled.
I informed who I was and told him I had noticed the location of the press conference wasn't in the release and asked him where it was. He asked me if I had registered for the event. I told him no. He said I'd learn where it was being held after I registered. I asked if they were keeping the location secret from the public. He snapped, "Why are you getting hostile with me?!" I told him I was just asking. He said, "You don't want the public to get your seat, do you." I said I understood and thanked him for his time.
I was able to learn where the location was through a source who kindly forwarded the instructions for the media. It was to be held at the Mellon Auditorium which is inside a federal building on Constitution Avenue between 12th and 14th Streets, NW. One thing that jumped out at me in the instructions was that only pool cameras would be allowed in the building--meaning that most of the cameras would be outside, with bored reporters waiting to do their next stand-up.
With short notice on a work day, only Doctor Raoul was able to join me Thursday morning. We arrived on the scene around 10:30 a.m., one hour before the scheduled start of the press conference, and set up on the far side of the row of about thirty video cameras facing the building.
Raoul held his world famous "If Osama was a piece of ass, Clinton would have nailed him" sign. I came dressed as Sandy Berger, wearing a business suit with 'top secret' documents coming out of my pockets, pants, jacket, shirt and socks (of course.) I held a sign that said "Jail Sandy Burglar" b/w "Never Trust Democrats with National Security." The documents were labeled, "Code Word Oops, Clinton Secrets, Eyes Only" and "Top Secret, Al Qaeda, Eyes Only."
Raoul and I were the only demonstrators there. A handful of tourists were hanging around, but foot traffic was pretty light otherwise.
We spoke with a cameraman who was outside the Mayflower Hotel when Monica Lewinsky arrived for her interview with House managers during President Clinton's impeachment trial. The D.C. Chapter was there that day calling for Clinton's conviction and removal from office. We both remembered the Mayflower giving out brownies to the press.
Other members of the press were mildly interested in us. A few came over and shot footage of us, some focusing on the classified documents sticking out my socks, but no reporters spoke to us.
Around 11 a.m. I spotted Democrat commission member Bob Kerrey, a former governor of Nebraska and ex-U.S. senator who earned a Congressional Medal of Honor for his service in Vietnam as a Navy Seal where he lost a leg in combat.
Kerrey was walking with a group of men about forty feet parallel with us up the steps to the entrance of the Mellon Auditorium.
I called out to him, "Senator Kerrey, do you think Sandy Berger should go to jail for stealing classified documents and possibly withholding information from the commission?" He didn't answer and kept walking.
Raoul followed up, asking, "Hey, Bob, you gonna stick around for the entire meeting today?" Kerry stopped, turned around and glared at us as he read our signs. He took a step toward us, then thought better of it and turned back for the door and disappeared.
Raoul asked him again, "Bob, you gonna stay for the whole meeting or do you have a fundraiser to go to?"
Kerrey came back out with a furious look on his face and stormed down the steps, making a beeline right for us. The media, baking in the July sun and bored out of their skulls, swung into action as they suddenly had "news" to cover!
Kerrey gets right in our faces, demanding to know our names, as the cameras circle 'round us. I extend my hand to introduce myself. Kerrey responds in kind. As we're shaking hands he asks for my name again and I repeat it for him.
He turns to Raoul and demands his name. Raoul says, "Naw, Nevermind."
Kerry said, "You know mine, right?"
Raoul said, "Yeah, and I know you walked out. You said it was very important (Kerry, "So you can..") and you walked out."
Kerrey said, "I'm not in, in politics." Raoul said, "I'm a member, a member of the public." Kerrey snarls, "So am I, a--hole."
Shocked at such a display of foul temper, I talked over Kerrey, repeating his profanity as a question to him, implying 'how could a man in your position use such language in public?'
Kerrey responded, "Yeah, a--hole. I'm not a senator, anymore."
I rejoined, "But you're a public official ."
Kerrey retreated, knowing his attempt at intimidating the two protesters had blown up in his face in full view of the media. Raoul said, while he was walking away, "Yeah, you're a public official doing the public's business. Try and stick around all day today."
As Kerrey started up the stairs, I reminded him "Senator Kerrey, you'll note that unlike Democrats we didn't kick you and throw dirt on you like Al Gore's people did in 2000."
A few reporters wanted talk to us afterward. While I spoke with someone from the BBC, Raoul told Ceci Connolly of The Washington Post that he didn't want to talk to her. Jeff Gannon, of Talon News, spoke with us about the incident before he went in to the press conference. We also spoke with a reporter from The Trentonian.
Things calmed down after that and went back to normal. A few more cameramen came over to film us, but no more reporters. It was a marked contrast to what I had witnessed at the commission's hearings when the press would gather around liberal disruptors of the hearings outside the rooms like they were going to give the Sermon on the Mount.
But that's okay, we knew the day was about the report and the families, not us. We were just there to make a few points about the Clinton administration's reckless disregard of national security--which we did.
Two Federal Protective Service officers came out to talk to me and Raoul. When they said they wanted to speak with us away from the press, we thought they were going to try to run us off. But instead they just wanted to make sure we knew the groundrules and weren't going to try to disrupt things. We told them we're peaceful and law-abiding . They said okay and that we were fine where we were.
We met a friendly tourist outside who was wearing a Kerry-Fonda t-shirt from Newsmax. We spoke with him and his friend, and their wives, for a while. He was kind enough to pick up some bottled water from a vendor so we didn't have to leave our post.
An EPA employee engaged us in a spirited discussion on his lunch break about the war on terror and the situation in Iraq. He was a Vietnam vet who believes we were lied to about Iraq just like Vietnam.
Both sides were respectful and listened to each other. Some points we agreed to, others not. As he was uninformed on the matter, Raoul and I gave him a lengthy tutorial about the leaders of the "anti-war" movement.
Overall, it was the kind of discussion I wish we could have more often with those who disagree with us on how the Bush administration is waging the war.
The press conference ended after what seemed like an eternity in the sweltering heat. Richard Ben-Veniste came out and cast his eyes our way, but we stayed silent. As we did when John Lehman walked by. We didn't want to act like we were their to harass every commissioner there. However, if we had seen Jamie Gorelick (we didn't spot her) we would have said something to her.
The first 9/11 family member to come out for an interview after the press conference looked over at our signs and broke into a broad smile. We gave the family members their space--even the Jersey Girls. We weren't there to give any of them a hard time. If they had spoken to us we would have offered our heartfelt sympathies.
Jeff Gannon came by to check up on our demonstration. While we were talking Bob Kerrey came over to us again. He started jabbing his index finger just inches from Raoul's chest. With a big smile, he said, "I'm sorry I called you an a--hole," as he continued jabbing his finger at Raoul. It was an aggressive apology, but we accepted, grateful that he didn't start throwing punches at us this time. He walked past us and got into a chauffer driven sedan.
As we were shutting down, we spoke with a few familiar faces in the media who were also fixing to leave. Chip Reid, whom we had last spoken to outside Cheney's House in 2000, said a quick hello. As did Fox News' Major Garrett.
One thing that suprised us was how receptive the public and the press was to our message. Outside of Bob Kerrey, no one cussed at us. No one gave us the finger, either. Many folks wanted to pose for pictures with us and many more expressed their agreement.
The bad news for Sandy Berger is that many in the media complimented me on the Sandy Burglar get-up.
For those concerned about the off-color nature of Raoul's sign, he did edit it for a while, especially at the beginning, substituting with the word "tail." But just about everyone wanted to see and photograph the unexpurgated version. The media filmed both versions, but the original is the one they went with. Go figure.
As others have reported, the clip of the Kerrey incident was shown at least three times on MSNBC and on the local Fox channel's 10 o'clock news in Richmond. WNBC in NYC had a clip of it on their website (scroll down, on left.) The clip was also shown on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel show which airs nationally after Nightline. The Trentonian wrote it up, with a frontpage photo of the incident.
But most importantly, it was featured on Wonkette's blog!
You guys did a great job. Nice selection of words and comebacks.
Thanks for the ping
you guys are great
I doubt I'll ever get to DC to meet ya'll so let me say...I'm glad to know I'm better "represented" by you two than by my "representatives".
Boy, you can say that again. I'm about to be represented by Cynthia McKinney, after a 2-year interregum.
Maybe FR needs an official press pass for super activist like you and Dr Raoul.
You are ON IT! I am amazed at how you are able to easily recall details from 4 or more years ago and articulate it so well!
Thanks for the ping :-)
Thanks for the ping, Kristinn
"Never Trust Democrats with National Security" is a big magnetic sign on my car.
Thanks for the ping!
Nice going guys!
Kristinn, I know Sandy Berger. Sandy Berger is not a friend of mine. You're no Sandy Berger. (Thank goodness!)
Doctor, when I'm in a fight I always thing of the right thing to say about an hour or two later. You're quicker than a NY minute and you're the best.
I 'thing' and I also think.
We're all glad to see you're back posting again. There was some speculation that DNC goons had been dispatched to take out your kneecaps.
I received an email last night from a relative who got the great news about your encounter with the brown shirted "Your Papers!", Herr Kerrey, from me.
My relative wants to know, who first came out with the phrase, "If Osama was a piece"
I don't have an answer? Do you two or any freeper?
Thanks!
Way to go, Kristinn and Doctor Raoul !! I saw the video the other day. Excellent !This sign
Clintoon/Osama/LEWINSKI!
bump!!
What a wonderful accounting of the day's events. I had no idea that leaving the White House early stung Kerrey so much. He really homed in on those comments. I'm glad you and Dr. Raoul didn't wilt in the heat. The video is priceless.
I was surprised to read he came back later and apologized for calling Doctor Raoul an a$$hole.
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