The "Metrolites" are playing right now at the Davenport, Iowa rally for Dean live on C-SPAN.
It's a big crowd, mostly waiting patiently, with a stage decorated with home-made signs and crowded with IUPAT, Generation Dean, and AFSCME folks.
The big cliffhanger....will Judy Dean appear?
If you missed the rally on C-SPAN, click here for the play-by-play.
Carter on Dean
While we're waiting for Dean to arrive, C-SPAN is replaying the Carter remarks about Dean from earlier today. Here are some points:
Carter mentions that the pundits didn't think that someone from Georgia could possibly win up North, and reminds folks that he was the first Democrat elected from the south in over 100 years. He said what matters most is your message, not what state you're from.
He said he's been particularly grateful for the message Dean has taken from the beginning. Carter says he's spent a lot of time opposing the "completely unnecessary and unjust war in Iraq" and now, despite his best efforts, the war has gone ahead and has proven to be a "sustained demonstration of tragedy."
Carter mentions the 500 Americans killed and the thousands of injuries. He acknowledges Dean for his support for Carter in the 80's and for his outspoken opposition to the war.
Carter introduces Dean as a "fellow Christian".
Dean begins by thanking the Carters for their "extraordinary and warm hospitality". Says he was a fan of Carter in 1976 but was in medical school and couldn't do much, and then says in 1980 he spent time licking envelopes in support of Carter.
Dean says he is very grateful for the "moral model" Carter provided when he was President. He says he hopes to follow the moral leadership of Jimmy Carter in joining human rights with foreign policy.
He thanks the Carters again for their extraordinary hospitality. Thanks the Carters again for getting Dean into politics and thanks Jimmy Carter again for his moral leadership.
Overall, it was a very short address and incredibly classy of Dean, IMO. His address was really about Carter, not about himself. Very classy.
Waiting for Rally to Start
Back to the rally. Dean still not there yet. Metrolites playing.
Reuters has a great photo of Howard and Judy holding hands at the airport in Davenport, Iowa earlier today. They're really cute together. (Hey, I never claimed to be unbiased.)
I hope they appear in this casual gear. I really like the sweaters. ;-)
Okay, it's now 6:00 and the rally was supposed to start at 5:30. So much for Dean's legendary penchant for punctuality. That's what happens in the day before a caucus!
Louise Harrison, George Harrison's sister, has just gotten up to say that, "I'm here with you, supporting the same cause that you're supporting." That was really cool. Totally unexpected. Now everyone's being quiet waiting for something to happen. A really anemic chant of "Howard Dean" never really got off the ground. A whole lot of awkward waiting ensues. Where's the MC??? Bad organizing here -- if the headlineer is late, there should be somebody taking the lead helping to keep the crowd excited.
And as much as I love the story of the couple in the Metrolites, they're a really BIZARRE band -- I think they're kinda cool, but definitely not the kind of band to appeal to Middle America.
Cool, now we can hear Dean backstage talking to high school cheerleaders and asking them to promise that if they'll be 18 before November, they'll caucus tomorrow night. So he's definitely there. What's the hold up?
We're now seeing a photo op with Howard, Judy, and the cheerleaders. Howard just threw his arm around Judy and gave her a half hug and rubbed her back. I gotta admit, I love this stuff. It's much more interesting than the rally itself.
Surprisingly, they are having a very last minute discussion about stage management - who is introducing whom, where people are going to stand. Couldn't they have figured this out beforehand?
Cheerleaders are now in front of the crowd, but C-SPAN is wisely staying back here with Harkin and Judy getting the good stuff on tape.
Harkin's On Fire!
Harkin just arrived on stage and starts a "Dean" chant. I love this guy. I want him to be my grandfather. I want him to be in the White House, too!
"We are on a roll. All of the stormers here, thank you, thank you for coming in! All of the thousands of kids from around America!!!"
"I just want you to know that what you have all done in this last year for the Dean campaign has gained the attention of everyone. Tomorrow night, you earn their respect. [CROWD ROAR]
"Because tomorrow night we're going to show that people power overcomes Washington power! We're going to show that people power overcomes special interest money. And tomorrow night we show that people power is going to kick Bush out of the White House and put Howard Dean in!!!
"We're on fire! And I'm on fire! You know why? Because I'm sick and tired of George Bush Inc. taking overtime pay from Americans! I'm sick and tired of George Bush Inc. trying to destroy our environgent and drill for oil in ANWR. And I'm sick and tired of George Bush Inc. lying to the American people to get our troops into Iraq. "
(Harkin looks really happy. In his element.)
"Paul Wellstone and I used to say that if all we are going to do is fight Republicans over a shrinking pool of voters, we are going to lose....In my adult life time , I have never seen anyone do more to bring people back in to our party and excite people all over America [than Howard Dean has].
"Make no mistake about it, Bush Inc. and rove and that crowd [BOOS] you're polite, they deserve worse than that... make no mistake about it, that crowd are going to poison the political atmosphere, try to keep you afraid with orange and yellow alerts....and they want you to feel powerless to do anything about it. And they know that if people are cynical, afraid and powerless, people won't come out to vote. Howard Dean's mesage is coming through, a message of HOPE....
"Don't be afraid. Stand up for your convictions and people will follow you. And his message is saying you are not powerless. You ahve the power to take this government back from the special interests.
"I said when I endorsed Gov Howard Dean last week that it's time for someone plain spoken...and I called him the Harry Truman of our time.
"Howard Dean has the courage of his convictions...to go up against Cheney and Rove and Bush and kick them out of the White House and send 'em back to texas. Because what he is doing is putting his trust in you. Howard Dean has put his trust and faith in you. And now let's earn their respect. Tomorrow night...we're gonna show them what people power can do!
"We need you tomorrow, each one of you! Will each of you please make 10 phone calls tomorrow? ... Tomorrow night at 6:30, be a dragger for Dean. Don't go alone to the caucus, drag 3 or 4 people to the caucus with you! Are you ready? Are you ready to send George Bush back to Texas?"
CROWD GOES WILD as Harkin introduces the Next President and the next FIRST LADY of the US, Judy Dean!!!
Judy Appears, Beaming
"I want to thank you, the people of Iowa, for your hospitality..."
[[Sorry, this is where my transcript is not as good, since I was too fascinated by watching and listening to Judy to keep typing.]]
"Howard has called me many times from Iowa to tell me story about Iowans who have opened their homes...
"I haven't been here with Howard as much as I would like. We have a son in high school and a daughter in college and I have a medical practice in Vermont with patients that depend on me daily. [HUGE ROAR FROM CROWD.] But I wanted to come today to say thank you to Iowa and to ask you to support my husband for President, Howard Dean!"
>>>>>>BTW, I just flipped over to Fox News where they covered this live. <<<<<<
Dean's On
Dean starts by thanking Judy for coming to Iowa...
"I usually start by thanking Tom Harkin -- because Tom Harkin is exactly the kind of person we need in Washington, fighting against the special interests!"
Now he's pretty much giving his usual stump speech. About overtime pay, about the prescription drug plan, about a farm bill.
Here's a deviation. He talks about how Iowa and Vermont are very much alike. He talks about his daughter, and how he wishes she will move back to Vermont when she graduates from college and gets married.
He talks about Teddy Roosevelt breaking up the trusts. how it's happened before. He says we can do something about that. We are a country built on comunity. And the ordinary people who built this country are here in this room. "Capitalism without rules is like a hockey game without a referee."
"We are human beings first -- we are not cogs in a huge government corporate machine."
"We need your help tomorrow at 6:30 just like Tom Harkin said. We have worked for 2 years standing up to GWB..."
He said all the other washington politicans are good people but "they got on the bus a little late" and now they're talking about going up against special interests.
Ends with usual You Have the Power message.
Outkast?!?!?!?!?
Trimphant song come on.
Um. They replaced "We Can" with Outkast?
This is absolutely bizarre.
Schmoozing in Crowd
Judy's now working the crowd, but the C-SPAN cameras are sticking with Howard. Judy is staying by his side, stopping and talking to people. She stops to shake a baby's hand. She is hanging back a little, with a big smile on her face, but she is kind of waiting for the crowd to come to her rather than reaching in herself. I think she's definitely showing her shy side. I can't imagine she was ever mobbed like this in Vermont!
That's all, folks.
Hope this was helpful to someone who wasn't able to watch. Forgive the typos!