I had a zillion Amtrak miles to use, so
I decided to take the train to Providence instead of experiencing the
joys of I-95. It was a great decision. The train left Trenton on
time, had free wi-fi, and arrived in Providence on schedule. I took
the short walk from the station, past the State House, to the hotel.
Although the event doesn't officially
start until tomorrow, there was a lot going on. I went to the kickoff
of “The Real Real 2012 Romney Tour”, emceed by Boston radio talk
show host Jeff Santos. There, I had a nice (and timely) chat with a
University of Wisconsin student who was attending Netroots on a DFA
scholarship.
With guests both in person and on the
phone, Santos presented a mixture of comedy and reality in pointing
out who Mitt Romney really is. Actor and Comedian Frank Santorelli
(“Georgie the Bartender” of Sopranos fame) was his sidekick.
(They'll be in New York July 12 and Philly October 4). During the
commercial breaks, we were entertained by the band Joshua Tree – a
fairly decent, albeit very loud, group of musicians.
Some quotes and highlights from the
presentation:
“The only good thing about Romney's
tenure as governor of Massachusetts was that the Red Sox won the
World Series.” - Santos
A small-town Massachusetts former mayor
talked about how Romney was disconnected with the rural communities
and could only relate to the Boston elite.
“Teaching is the most important
profession in America.” “You cannot have a strong educational
system without a strong union.” - Lawrence Purtill, President of
the National Education Association – Rhode Island.
“My grandmother told me that if you
can't say good things about someone, keep quiet. Mitt Romney has good
hair.” - Paul Feeney, Legislative Director IBEW Local 2222
Feeney also pointed out that Romney was
the first governor of either party not to meet with the president of
the AFL-CIO.
“Ted Kennedy (in speaking to Mitt
Romney) was right. You're not pro-choice, you're multiple choice.”
“I'm not sure what planet the Romney
campaign is on if they think they can sway women voters.” -
Massachusetts State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz
“National security begins at home –
educational security, economic security, health security” - former
Congressman Joe Sestak
After the Santos show, I went over to a
reception sponsored by the Rhode Island NEA. It's amazing how many
people have heard about Marie Corfield, even if they don't know her
name. And those who haven't heard about her are impressed and
encouraged by her story.
Come back here tomorrow for my thoughts
on the first day, including the evening keynote by New York Attorney
General Eric Schneiderman.
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