This morning, I came into the office and worked until about 10:30 when the campaign staff assembled and headed over to demonstrate at a speech Al Gore was giving in D.C. about "climate change." Our intrepid band of protesters arrived at the sight of the speech and walked right in amongst the throngs who were crowding at the door for the chance to worship at the feet of their master with signs reading "DRILL! DRILL! DRILL!", "Al Gore: You Can't Have My Car", and "Why is Al Gore's Carbon Footprint So Big?". We also walked through the crowd with a collection plate for donations to help offset Al Gore's carbon footprint. The purpose of this was to bring attention to the fact that Al Gore's home consumes more energy in one month than the average American does in a year. The funny thing was, we actually got some donations. A note to all the environmentalists who generously gave to the cause: the $7.50 that you donated was sent to the Arbor Day Foundation this afternoon and will be used to plant seven and one-half trees (seriously). I know that this won't do much to help offset Mr. Gore's massive carbon footprint, but every little bit helps.
The reaction of the crowd was mixed. Some saw the humor in what we were doing and, despite the fact that we disagreed on policy, were able to laugh about it. Others were not so friendly. Personally, I was cussed out 5 times and threatened at least 3 times. My favorite response came from a particularly lovely gentleman who told me that he wanted to drill into my skull, which I thought was a rather creative (yet incredibly disturbing) response to our call for more domestic drilling.
Overall, the demonstration went well. We got some considerable media attention and (hopefully) helped get the word out about common-sense, free market solutions to the current energy crisis.
UPDATE: Americans for Prosperity, who protested alongside us, caught video of the Lincoln Towncar and 2 SUVs that transport Gore and his entourage idling in front of the hall with the A/C blasting while he was giving his speech.
After the protest, I grabbed a quick bite to eat at my favorite little hot dog stand ($2.50 for a hot dog, chips, and a drink - can't beat it) and headed back to the office for a quick change. Shedding my protester gear like Clark Kent in a telephone booth, I put on my business suit and headed up to Capitol Hill for a meeting in the offices of Minority Leader Boehner and Republican Whip, Roy Blunt. The meeting with Rep. Blunt's staff was actually in the main capitol building, which is always an impressive experience given that the majority of Congressional offices are located in office buildings surrounding the Capitol rather than in the actual building.
So, now I'm back at the office finishing up some last minute work and looking forward to a relaxing evening. Enjoy these pictures:
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