My mother attended a Democratic fundraiser last night (aka good excuse to party on SOTU eve) and just guess who was the guest of honor?
My fave, Howard Dean, the man responsible for shaking up the midterms.
Funny story.
My mom, a die hard Broward County chad counter, invited me to tag along to the 2005 Florida Dem convention, back when the governor's race was just starting to churn.
Governor Dean kicked off the convention with one heckuva speech and started to work the crowd, straining at the ropes for a microsecond of time with the Man of the Hour.
At this point, my mother had pushed me forward and I stood fairly well squashed alongside a college student. This young lady had campaigned hard for Dean and was a straight up Deaniac.
She really, really, really wanted a photo with the good Doctor.
As Dean approached at the end of the Dem parade, his handlers moved him toward the door and away from the crowd, which included myself and my new best friend, who was just crushed.
Dean was just a few arm lengths away and making tracks as fast as his posse could encourage.
I stepped past the rope and touched the governor's sleeve.
"Excuse me, Governor. This young lady would love a picture with you."
College Girl looked like a deer caught in the headlights. My mom looked a bit verklempt herself.
Howard obliged and stood beside a near quivering CG. Somehow, I wound up with the camera and snapped the photo.
My mother, recovering nicely, threw Dean and I together and somehow finagled off a quick hip shot photo.
Fast forward to Ft. Lauderdale one year later.
My mother reminisces the possibly paparazzic Dem convention episode with Howard at Wednesday's shindig.
She chats up "Smashed Frog" and indicates to HD that I have the Dean-Frog photo op of a lifetime on my blog.
He laughed and said, "She does? You just tell her I said hello."
Howard's the Man.
Dean on.