So here are the pictures form our Obama experience. Pete found out via Twitter that Obama was going to be in Iowa City the same weekend we were headed home. We both registered for a chance for tickets online, and we called or emailed whoever else we could think of. I ended up being the only one to get a call. We had to pick them up the next day by 7 PM, so we rushed to pack up and leave. We got there in time and the next morning we met up with Mom (who had a ticket from her friend who was volunteering) and went to the field house to wait in line.
We stood out there for an hour or so...signed some petitions, chatted with other people in line, watched a car get towed...
And then around 11AM they started letting us in. This security guy wanted me to show him that my camera was actually a camera:
After a quick bathroom stop we started to scope out our spot.
We ended up next to these fellows. We loved their shirts.
The girl in the middle was the bedazzler.
We had a couple hours of standing around, so we watched this Secret Service guy talk into his sleeve and we tried to figure out where he was stashing his weapon.
And we took photos.
Here's a shot of the crowd inside.
Around 12:30 this a cappella group came out to entertain us for a bit. The first song they did was Faith by George Michael.
Eventually this guy came out to place the presidential seal and we all got really excited.
Chet Culver was hanging out near us. Around this time Amber was texting me the updates she received via police scanners regarding the exact whereabouts of the president.
Finally, Kathleen Sebelius came out to speak a little and to introduce the president.
And then the man himself....there was much applause...
...especially when he removed his jacket. "I gotta take my jacket off when I'm in Iowa!"
It was hard for me to get a good shot, but I kind of liked this one with the flags and the cameras and the Obama shirt. He spoke about basketball (UNI had just beat Kansas) and health care and the effects the new bill will have on small businesses, with a shout out to Prairie Lights as an example of a local business which will benefit from support in providing insurance for its employees.
After the speech we walked up Burlington and wondered why Marine 1 was hanging out over the pentacrest.
Then we saw the motorcade coming down the street. The president is in that 2nd limo, the one you can see all of in the picture. I didn't see him, but he waved at Mom and Pete. I was too busy taking photos, but he doesn't show up through the tinted glass. Turns out he had made a stop at Prairie Lights to pick up a couple of books for the girls.
After all of the excitement we went to the Mill for a beer and a sandwich. The local Dems were all there and the governor came by as well.
And that about wraps it up! I was so glad we got a chance to be there. I continue to find Barack Obama to be intelligent, well-spoken, reasonable and inspiring. I especially appreciated the way he responded to the one man in the crowd who shouted out some questions about the absence of the public option in the bill. I hesitate to call him a heckler, because even though he was a little demanding, and I don't believe you should interrupt a person when they are speaking, he was just asking a question. Obama, instead of ignoring him or having him thrown out, like the previous administration would have done, responded to him in a respectful and straightforward way. The only thing that would have made the day better would have been if we had gotten to shake his hand! Maybe next time.
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