Residual Forces

I feel completely hosebagged. It turns out I wasn’t credentialed to cover the RNC convention. I am allowed in the seciurity perimeter and can go wonder around the media areas, but it is pretty much like going way the heck out of your way to watch closed circuit TV or to hang out at a Kinkos to see where copies come from. 

Virtually credentialed. Yep, that’s me. 

In other words, we at the RNC didn’t want to say no altogether, or admit that we have never heard of your blog, nor do we think anyone else has, I mean, heck we really only wanted to let the big boys in, like Ed, Powerline, and those guys, but we just couldn’t be honest and tell you we don’t give a crap about what you would say if we dared to let you in the XCEL. I said they’d never let me in the convention as a blogger, and I guess I was right, but they didn’t bother to have the guts to say no. 

So this week seems to be turning into a week of having absolutely nothing to do with covering the RNC convention. Heck, I can’t get in there to see what is happening or how the crowd is reacting to everything. Oh wait, I can go live blog the reporters filing their stories at the press room. Oh joy. And good thing I bought some new camera equipment just for this. I figured I’d be up in the rafters so I got a telephoto lens for my camera, whoops did I waste money I guess. 

I’m such a fool to think I was actually going to cover the convention, and they handled this very poorly. Cindy from True North flew in from Utah to go sit in the basement of the building next to the XCEL center. 

Oh and I thought I’d try to salvage something and try to get into the one thing I really wanted to do this week, a Fred Thompson blogger brunch today. You see, I had volunteered to drive special people around, so I couldn’t attend today’s deal. But I got a call yesterday saying that with the schedule changes, they wouldn’t need me to drive. So I was now free now, score, the week won’t be a complete waste. Wrong! The brunch is way over booked, too bad. Just go back to liveblogging the livefeed. 

Well, the good news is that the volunteer people, who had called and told me my services were not going to be needed as planned, called back this morning to ask if I was still available. Luckily for them, my Minnesota nice wouldn’t let me take out my anger on them. 

Anyways, welcome to RF, a blog officially not allowed to cover the RNC convention. And yes, thank you for letting me find out the hard way. I figure I will go over and blog about all the places I can actually get into tonight after driving. It should be riveting to see all those hallways and basement bathrooms. And here’s a part of the Rivercenter no one even knows exists, this is where the store the back up curtain for the stage. Yeah, great access. 

But hey, who am I to complain. I never thought, with my relationship with the local state Republican party, that I’d be allowed to remain in the Twin Cities this week, let alone be given Virtual Credentials. Who am I to complain? Oh wait, a guy who spent a lot of money and time off work believing he was actually going to be at the RNC convention, but who is relegated to liveblogging from a kinkos watching CSPAN.

Hey look at that sucker in the mirror. 

Arseholes!