U rbandale, Ia., Dec. 22 – Hundreds of people took home with them a message of hope after this roadside motel meeting – in the midst of a blizzard – with Barack Obama. Your wee correspondent took home just this: One down, 14 to go. We got to the Holiday Inn along Interstate 35/80 in Urbandale (motto: “Uniquely Urbandale”) expecting the snow and high winds to retard turnout and give Sen. Obama plenty of time to hold me and talk about health policy with Lauren. Instead, we found a line of well-wishers stretching almost out the door into the Iowa night. My parents dutifully got into the queue in front of a couple who just moved from York, Pa., which they described as “outside Baltimore.” We eventually got into standing-room only part of the ballroom where 600 Obama fans were already seated and waiting for the senator, high-tailing it on ice-slicked roads from Indianola. It was my mom’s idea to trespass across the rope line and through the spacious-but-empty press area and stand along the opposite wall of the ballroom. Her chutzpah won us two real seats from a pair of gentlemen who then stood along the wall we had eyed – and then got kicked out for standing in a restricted area. Oops! So we spent time watching serious young women in heels (didn’t they see the weather?) check their Blackberries and walk briskly about. We watched reporters look professionally bored. We tried to pick the Secret Service agents out of the crowd. Eventually the senator arrived and gave his stump speech, which was warmly received. It was the same speech that David Broder listens to in his underpants. Mom and dad had to throw some elbows to get to the rope line afterwards, but we made it in time to get a picture. Do you think the senator could tell I had a wet diaper? It was Obama’s last event of the day, so the press had already filed. Only the erstwhile iowapolitics.com reported on the rally. We were also going to see Fred Thompson Saturday afternoon, but the threat of four inches of snow made him cancel his events at an Ames bar (!) and at his obscure Urbandale headquarters behind the ice arena (!!) so he could fly home. Why do people think he’s lazy? We have tentative plans for Chris Dodd and Hillary Clinton on Wednesday. Check back! >> See more pictures of the Barack Obama visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/21/AR2007122101923.htmlhttp://www.iowapolitics.com/index.iml?Article=113972On_the_trail/Pages/Obama,_Dec._22.htmlshapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1shapeimage_1_link_2

Mike, William and Lauren with Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) at the Italian-American Cultural Center in Des Moines on Dec. 26.

ON THE IOWA CAMPAIGN TRAIL WITH WILLIAM JOSEPH McNARNEY

D es Moines, Ia., Dec. 26 – Answer: They all lived in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Question: What do the three adults in this picture have in common? We visited with Green Ridge native Joe Biden at the Italian-American Cultural Center on the South side of Des Moines the day after Christmas. Biden moved to Delaware from Scranton as a wee lad but was still able to rattle off his old address at 2446 N. Washington Ave. He spoke mostly about foreign policy to a crowd of about 100. The campaign was far different from Obama’s – no Secret Service, no motorcade. Just one Suburban with Delaware plates. Lots of pictures and close interaction with voters afterwards; he stayed as long as there were people to talk with him. >> See more pictures from the Joe Biden visit >> A good blog post on the Biden campaign by Matt Bai of The New York Times On_the_trail/Pages/Biden,_Dec._26.htmlOn_the_trail/Pages/Biden,_Dec._26.htmlhttp://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/joe-biden-briefly/#more-3472http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/joe-biden-briefly/#more-3472http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/joe-biden-briefly/#more-3472shapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1shapeimage_2_link_2shapeimage_2_link_3shapeimage_2_link_4

William and Lauren with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) at the Holiday Inn on Merle Hay Road in Urbandale, Dec. 22.

With Christie Vilsack, wife of former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack.

With good sport Chelsea Clinton, who talked colleges with Lauren. Strangely, there was no mention of DMACC.

Mike, William and Lauren with Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) at the Celebration Barn in Cumming on Dec. 26.

C umming, Ia., Dec. 26 – We saw Hillary Clinton speak at the Celebration Barn in rural Cumming. Yes, that Celebration Barn. The scene of the Roth-McNarney wedding reception in July 2006 was, the day after Christmas, packed cheek-to-jowl to see Clinton, daughter Chelsea, and former Iowa first lady Christie Vilsack. Clinton was on her A game, and the crowd loved every bit of it. For someone who is labeled as stiff, she got a mid-speech standing ovation and seemed passionate and engaged from beginning to end. The Celebration Barn, for the uninitiated, is a giant old country barn that has been refurbished and hosts wedding receptions, reunions and now political rallies. The barn’s tiny gravel parking lot was no match for the crowds and the Secret Service; after dropping Mom and I at the door, Dad parked three-quarters of a mile away (!) and walked back on the shoulder of County Road G14. The Hillary rally couldn’t have been more different than Biden’s. There were advance people, scads of paid staffers, a giant AV contingent and hot drinks catered by Hy-Vee. It was a fully mechanized operation. Everyone who wanted a picture afterwards got one. Hillary was gracious enough to come back down the rope line and redo our photo with the staffer who took the image caught Mom in mid-sentence. She and Hillary had been talking about Scranton; like Joe Biden, Hillary was quick to name her people’s home address on Diamond Avenue. One would never guess Chelsea was shielded from the trail as a girl. Smooth. She came over to coo over me, catching my parents – who had just muffed the Hillary picture – off guard. She and Mom got some good talking in about Northwestern v. Stanford. >> See more pictures of the Hillary Clinton visitOn_the_trail/Pages/Hillary_Clinton,_Dec._26.htmlOn_the_trail/Pages/Hillary_Clinton,_Dec._26.htmlshapeimage_4_link_0shapeimage_4_link_1
W indsor Heights, Ia., Dec. 27 – With the news of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination breaking shortly before Sen. John McCain’s appearance a block from grandma’s Windsor Heights home, there was a crush of reporters and photographers there to get McCain’s comment. His speech was broadcast live on the cable news channels, so I was extra well-behaved for my parents. McCain drew a decent crowd, about 100 people. There was none of the pomp and circumstance of Hillary’s rally the night before, and none of the passion of Biden’s smaller rally. Biden acted like he knew everyone in the room. McCain seemed more ill at ease, though he was good with the one-liners about ethanol and the cold. >> See more pictures of the John McCain visit >> James Oliphant of the Baltimore Sun reports from the rally (wrong dateline: West Des Moines) >> Michael Luo of The New York Times reports from the rally (wrong dateline: Urbandale)
>> NYT blog post from Adam Nagourney about McCain’s phone ringing during his speechOn_the_trail/Pages/McCain_Dec._27.htmlhttp://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2007/12/mccain_looks_for_lastminute_ma.htmlhttp://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2007/12/mccain_looks_for_lastminute_ma.htmlhttp://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2007/12/mccain_looks_for_lastminute_ma.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/us/politics/27cnd-campaign.html?ex=1356411600&en=2d7f84189b8dc6df&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rsshttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/us/politics/27cnd-campaign.html?ex=1356411600&en=2d7f84189b8dc6df&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rsshttp://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/please-silence-your-cell-phonehttp://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/please-silence-your-cell-phoneshapeimage_5_link_0shapeimage_5_link_1shapeimage_5_link_2shapeimage_5_link_3shapeimage_5_link_4shapeimage_5_link_5shapeimage_5_link_6shapeimage_5_link_7

William and Lauren with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) at the Elks Club No. 2752 at the old Baker’s Cafeteria in Windsor Heights on Dec. 27 .

Urbandale, Ia., Dec. 27 – After the nothing-left-to-chance Hillary and Obama rallies, Fred Thompson’s Thursday afternoon appearance had the look and feel of, well, the rest of the Thompson campaign. The rally was in the lobby of the small suburban office building – behind the KGGO Ice Arena – where Thompson has his headquarters. There were chairs for maybe 50 people. Well more than 100 showed up. By far, it was the most poorly arranged event to date. Thompson was affable and friendly, and had the down-home country twang down pat. But his speech seemed to be mostly platitudes. In fairness, though, that’s all most candidates offer. The difference lies in the perception. Thompson’s event seemed to draw the wingnuts absent or neutralized elsewhere. One woman, clad in a sweatshirt that read “grandma’s best cookies,” told Thompson that he was the Constitution to her. A guy went on at length during his ‘question,’ complaining about – among other things – anti-Italian discrimination and Communist infiltration of the United States. Um. Well. If only Thompson had had the comedic timing to reply: “Russkies don’t take a plan without a dump, son.” Next stop: Bill Richardson in Boone! >> See more pictures of the Fred Thompson visitOn_the_trail/Pages/Thompson,_Dec._27.htmlOn_the_trail/Pages/Thompson,_Dec._27.htmlshapeimage_7_link_0shapeimage_7_link_1

The baby on the

back of the bus

One infant’s quest for a photo op with every major (and minor) presidential candidate in the tall corn state between Dec. 22 and Jan. 1.

Boone, Ia., Dec. 27 – Posting live from the Tic-Toc restaurant and supper club in downtown Boone minutes after New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson left the premises for a campaign appearance in Story City (motto: no U-turns by law). In contrast to McCain’s appearance in the morning, which was packed with dozens of reporters and photographers, there were two or three – at best – newspeople watching Richardson speak to about 75 people in the Tic-Toc meeting room. Like every other appearance we’ve seen, it was standing-room only. Richardson was personable, affable and down-home – but not terribly presidential. This was the first rally we attended where the candidate didn’t seem to have much heartfelt support in the room. Most of the attendees seemed to be kicking the tires, checking Richardson out but not giving much love. Even Thompson – who, like Richardson, has no Iowa experience and very little ground operations – had a handful of vocal, passionate boosters. Unfortunately, the appearance had the feel of someone playing out the string. It’s too bad. >> See more pictures of the Bill Richardson visitOn_the_trail/Pages/Richardson,_Dec._27.htmlshapeimage_9_link_0

William and Lauren with former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) at his Urbandale headquarters on Dec. 27 .

William and Lauren with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson at the Tic-Toc in downtown Boone on Dec. 27 .

Above: Dad, baby and mom at the Thompson rally on Dec. 27. Right: Dad (far left) laughs at an ethanol joke during the McCain rally earlier that same day.

Dec. 28 – No new candidates today. Sen. Chris Dodd cancelled his afternoon rally at the Clive Police Department (?), leaving us with an open day. Maybe we should just go knock on Dodd’s door? Has anyone seen Duncan Hunter around? Alan Keyes? Is Tancredo going to come back and stump for one of his fellow Republicans?

    Full posting should resume tomorrow.

    P.S. It’s Ambassador Alan Keyes to you.

Clive, Ia., Dec. 29 – You can’t always judge a campaign by its headquarters, but it’s hard to take seriously a guy whose office is next to a purple-and-yellow painted bar called ‘The Zone’ and whose office still bears the sign of the previous tenant, an off-brand mortgage operation. Saturday morning’s Rudy Giuliani office was at the headquarters, in an obscure Clive strip mall. As you might guess, there was not much room inside; people were socked into side rooms and lined the hallways. Not everyone could see the candidate, and some people couldn’t hear him. It wasn’t the best-planned rally in political history. A woman in the crowd thanked Rudy for 9/11 (!). He talked about 9/11, terror and 9/11. And other things, too. But we only heard part of the speech. The most telling moment of the day: A supporter inexplicably parked her car in a snowbank outside the rally. When it came time to extract her, no one at the headquarters could find a snow shovel. >> See more pictures of the Rudy Giuliani visitOn_the_trail/Pages/Giuliani,_Dec._29.htmlshapeimage_13_link_0

Dec. 30 – Baby and mom make the AP wire! For the record, neither are Giuliani volunteers as described in the photo caption.

Baby and mom with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani at his Clive headquarters on Dec. 29.

Baby and former President Bill Clinton at Carlisle Middle School on Dec. 30.

Carlisle, Ia. Dec. 30 – Many people on the campaign trail had smiled at me over the last few days. A couple had even held a tiny finger or two. But no one on the trail had held me close, pronounced me a beautiful baby and displayed me to the assembled crowd. Until tonight. Former Bill President Bill Clinton showed the love at a rally for Hillary at Carlisle Middle School. He gave a good speech, not whooping up the crowd like Hillary did but acting the part of the common-sense neighbor laying out the reasons to caucus for Hillary. And then we had our quality time on the rope line. A Secret Service agent even broke his customary silence to ask how old I am. Life is good. >> See more pictures of the Bill Clinton visitOn_the_trail/Pages/Bill_Clinton,_Dec._30.htmlOn_the_trail/Pages/Bill_Clinton,_Dec._30.htmlshapeimage_16_link_0shapeimage_16_link_1
Des Moines, Ia. Dec. 31 – Cops! War protesters! The Huckabee office under siege by a thousand screaming Ron Paul crazies! We braved it all to say hi to former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who was pressing the flesh at his downtown office. When he saw my pacifier, he said “Some of my staffers think I should have one of those.” Less than an hour earlier, he had surprised some of his own staff and the press at the Downtown Marriott by announcing he would not be running an attack ad against Mitt Romney. We let out a small cry during this talk, so mom and dad shuffled me off to meet Huckabee at his office instead. We got to the third-floor phone room and escaped the chaos that had enveloped the storefront and Locust Street. My mom and I were pinned down in the storefront Huckabee office for a time while cops dealt with protesters staging a sit-in. And then there were the Paul people. A lot of them. All boisterously protesting Huckabee. It all spilled into the street, with cops, reporters and Paul crazies all mixing it up. But we still got our picture. Tragically, this means we won’t be attending tonight’s rally with Chuck Norris. >> Read MSNBC’s account of the madness >> See more pictures of the Huckabee visithttp://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/12/31/540760.aspxOn_the_trail/Pages/Huckabee,_Dec._31.htmlshapeimage_19_link_0shapeimage_19_link_1

Dad, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, baby and mom at Huckabee’s downtown Des Moines office on Dec. 31.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with dad and baby at a suburban house party the morning of Jan. 1. 

Johnston, Ia. Jan. 1 – A little bit of political stagecraft: Even a tall candidate like Mitt Romney gets a plastic crate to stand on when addressing a small house party. The event, at the suburban Johnston home of the Cook family, was our first house party. Ostensibly a get-together to watch football, the New Year’s Day morning event was a chance for Romney to meet with folks in a small intimate setting – in this case, the family room. Romney was poised and said nothing about the friction between his campaign and Mike Huckabee’s. He spoke briefly and then spent some time meeting attendees individually before heading into the basement rec room for a press conference with a traveling press corps that outnumbered civilians. A final observation: A picture of Jesus was prominently displayed in the family room, and a Bible verse was painted on the kitchen wall. >> See more pictures of the Romney visit On_the_trail/Pages/Romney,_Jan._1.htmlshapeimage_22_link_0
Ames, Ia. Jan. 1 – We rolled into the South Ballroom at the Iowa State Memorial Union a few minutes late after driving through blowing snow on two-lane roads from Johnston. There was only one seat left, a campaign staffer told mom and I while dad parked the car. On the stage. So we took our place in the back row on the left while John Edwards played to a huge audience. His speech was the polar opposite of Romney’s. Edwards sees a country divided. Romney sees a country united. Edwards is going to bust heads in the realm of health-care reform. Romney isn’t. I required three (!) diaper changes, including two during the speech. Those took place off stage, fortunately. The senator was in a rush to kick off his 36-hour tour but we were able to slip in for a photo. Next stop: Chris Dodd. >> See more pictures of the Edwards visit On_the_trail/Pages/Edwards,_Jan._1.htmlshapeimage_23_link_0

Baby, mom and former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) at the Iowa State University Memorial Union in Ames on Jan. 1.

Dad and baby with Lin Ly, running with Arnold Schwarzenegger on the Amend The Constitution ticket, at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in Covington, Ky., on Jan. 2.

Famous-for-D.M., as seen at Stomping Grounds in Ames

Jan. 2 – Maybe it was inevitable that this odyssey to see every candidate would end up feeding the 24-hour caucus media machine. Maybe you can never go wrong with a cute baby story in the Jan. 1 newspaper. However it happened, Ken Fuson wrote a terribly nice story about me in The Des Moines Register. He translated my burps and gurgles well, kind of how sports writers use “quote helper” on locker-room interviews.


>> Read The Register’s story
>> USA TODAY’s politics blog picked it up as well

Norfolk, Va., Jan. 14 – The madness continues. Dad appeared on Weekend America, an American Public Media program that runs on many public radio stations (but not in southeastern Virginia, central Iowa, or northeastern Pennsylvania). He talked about knocking down little old ladies to get my picture taken with the likes of Fred Thompson and Bill Richardson. Also on the program was Darren Garnick, who writes a column for the Nashua Telegraph – where mom used to work – and wrote on slate about a similarly crazy endeavor with his kid. The two dads are going to get into a flame war over whose kid is cuter. Like Nixon, I plan to return to the campaign trail tanned, rested and ready when it runs through the Virginia Tidewater. Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich, I’ll be waiting! Mrs. Kucinich, please call. >> Read about Darren Garnick’s baby mission on slate.com >> Read about and listen to the whole thing at Weekend America’s site Above left: The Weekend America Web site. Left: A picture of dad (posted at mom’s insistence) at the WHRO studios in Norfolk. http://www.slate.com/id/2181495/nav/ais/http://www.slate.com/id/2181495/nav/ais/http://weekendamerica.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/01/11/babies/http://weekendamerica.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/01/11/babies/shapeimage_28_link_0shapeimage_28_link_1shapeimage_28_link_2shapeimage_28_link_3

With Sen. Hillary Clinton at the Celebration Barn in Cumming on Dec. 27.