wow, now that’s a story to pass to your kids and grandkids.
A funny story how I got the coveted pass... I had went to my US Senator’s office to ask for a pass, but was turned down by his staff.
There were two kinds of passes to be had. A low level pass that anyone could get by going over to a particular office in the Capitol Bldg., which afforded the user 15 minutes inside the Chamber, and- you had to sit in the peanut gallery section, as far up in the balcony as is possible, and- where the entrance and exit was, specific to that particular section for the public to use.
The more sought after pass, was doled out by each US Senator’s office. Each sitting US Senator, got four passes to the impeachment trial. That pass permitted seating anywhere in the balcony, save for the press section. The time spent in the Chamber was only limited by the number of hours that the trial was to be in session.
After being turned down for the special pass, I left the Senator’s office. As luck would have it, as I walked down a corridor, I met the Senator head on. He said hi, and then asked me if I wanted a pass. I knew that a quorum had been called for, and that he was needed on the Senate floor for a vote of some kind, so I made nice and said that I didn’t want to bother him or hold him up from his official duties. He said come with me.
We went back into his office where his staff had just turned me down for the pass, and he told “Maggie” to give me a pass. I will never forget the look on her face! She didn’t know who the heck I was, nor what I might have said, but the whole coincidence was hilarious from my perspective.
What I was, in my relationship to my Senator, was a stalwart volunteer during his campaign, delivering campaign materials all over the state, and building the large field signs on occasion. I volunteered from Jan., to Oct., and was paid staff for the final three weeks of the campaign.
My only instruction was that I had to return the pass, as anyone and everyone would want the pass for a souvenir. I made a copy of it, but returned it, true to my word.
My US Senator, was Peter G. Fitzgerald, IL, GOP. I sent a recommendation to the Trump Team, suggesting that he be considered for Vice President, in a Trump administration.