BTTT
Posted on 06/17/2003 9:04:25 PM PDT by Doctor Raoul
This took a while to compose and put up on FR, but it’s been a busy week or so.
PART 1 – MANHATTAN MELODRAMA
The intent to FReep of the Manhattan opening of Rodham Hussein’s book tour was circulated amongst the members of the Tri-State Chapter so as to preserve the element of surprise. Apologies to anyone in the area that was not notified and would have attended. Please FReep mail firebrand if you want in on future Tri-State events.
We received tactical air support from Curtis Sliwa of WABC radio (770 AM) in NYC and Dom Giordano of WPHT radio (1210 AM) in Philadelphia the weekend before Hillary’s visit to “Upstate New York”. Hey, the Border’s at 48th and 5th Ave, that’s as north as she goes in a non-election year, consider it “Upstate New York” for all practical Senatorial purposes in 2003.
Anyway, Curtis and Dom ridiculed Hillary’s low rent plan to turn this one into “It Takes A Village” Ripoff Part II. That tour featured presigned books and a receiving line. Curtis ripped the Hillary fans for being door mats and Dom noted how Hillary’s rules were almost the same as for the “Soup Nazi”.
Here’s the points they made:
Hillary’s books are “pre-signed” NO photographs NO book, NO admittance NO media during the signing You buy a voucher, then get in line outside the store When called, you may approach, say “Hello” and shake hands. Hand the voucher to employee, receive your book(s) and leave“Wham, Bham, Thank You Mamm”, it’s not just for Bill Clinton anymore.
What about that big Clinton fan who want an inscription “To Aunt Lulu”?
Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, CA has said, “We have been assured that they are hand-signed, not autopenned.“
Here’s the URL to the rules as cited by Vroman’s: http://www.vromansbookstore.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp;jsessionid=6F540371334C2A56D793EC54954442FE.t1?s=storeevents&eventId=238902
Hillary is certainly NOT customer friendly like David Brock. At his signings, Brock not only autographed and inscribed his book to whoever you named, he’d also re-write any 15 pages of the book you didn’t like, right there in the bookstore.
At the appointed time, 9:30 am, I arrived at the Starbucks three short blocks down from Borders. From a distance, you could see the satellite trucks, modern monuments to the fact that SEX SELLS, even for Hillary. Shortly thereafter, firebrand came walking south after scouting out the scene of the latest crime. We ensconced ourselves in the front window of Starbucks and I went and ordered. Starbucks to me is an alien world populated by beings who speak a different language. I memorized firebrand’s order and repeated it by rote to the clerk. The second try her recognized what firebrand wanted, my order, “just regular coffee”, confused him. Ultimately, we communicated and there were two cups delivered to my waiting grasp.
About this time, hellinahandcart arrived. While she made her pass for coffee, I picked out some breakfast. At firebrand’s advice, we waited a bit so we could make our entrance grander. No sense arriving early and having the press tire of us about the same time Hillary waltzed in. Turns out that her advice was sound. They extra wait and Hillary’s late arrival had the natives restless. When we showed up across the street from Borders on 5th Ave, they turned their backs to the store and paid attention to us.
On that corner, there were already two police barricades and an officer. He told us he’d bring two more and we’d have our own area. As it was curbside and directly across from the entrance, we had no gripes. There was no room on the other side due to lots of media and some Hillary fans. The press claimed about 40% of the sidewalk in front of Borders. The fans had about 25% and pedestrians squeezed into the remainder.
Early on, the press herd was wrangled into the store and as a group, they were granted a 5 minute audience with The Queen. This disrespect of the NYC media is not unlike the treatment they received on her Senate campaign trail. I wonder why they take it laying down? In any event, it left the reporters without enough “story” and lots of time to kill. That gave them motive an opportunity to take with us.
Sporting a black pants suit, a Hillary mask and a WalMart dishtowel around her neck that radical left wear to show solidarity with Palestinian terrorists, firebrand went to work carrying a sign that read, “I Am Sick And Tired Of Having People Question My Patriotism.” That God that she didn’t have the audio of a screeching Hillary making that remark to go with the sign and outfit.
Wearing a George W. Bush mask, my sign read “HILLARY KNEW” on one side and on the other side had a large fish with the word “Hillary’s” above it and the word “Story” below it (Hillary’s FISH Story”). I can understand the foreign press not understanding that a “fish story” is American jargon for a lie, but the number of US reporters who couldn’t BUY a clue was distressing. I was holding class for first graders, going “Say the words or name the object” and pointing to “Hillary”, then the fish, and then to “Story”. It would take multiple passes. They would strain for the words at first, I’d move my finger from word to picture and word. Finally we’d be going fast enough that “Hillary’s Fish Story” could be heard and understood. Even they laughed at the kindergarten nature of the exercise.
I had some other signs, WHO’S WATCHING BILL,…WHAT DID HILLARY KNOW AND WHEN DID SHE KNOW IT,…I AM NOT A CROOK – LIKE HILLARY (held while wearing a Nixon mask),…and a few I now forget.
Firebrand did a number of interviews. I have been told I was pretty much on every local news that evening saying that Hillary in rewriting history. Probably did 10 or so radio and TV interviews. Probably six to eight print interviews too. The really fun one was with a Reuters reporter who asked, “Why are you here, isn’t this old news?” I asked, “If it’s old news, why are you here?” That discussion went on for a long time because I would not be “worn down” and I pressed for an answer to my questions. We had an audience of other reporters, some tourists, the police officer and some workers out to see what’s going on. I have been told that as she left, she rolled her eyes when she turned away. Whatever that was about, I don’t know, it was more debating fun than fuming. Having read the subsequent article, she wrote a fair and balanced story, so thanks.
The 880 AM and 1010 AM newsradio people came over and stayed for quite some time. With those folks and some others, we had a pretty good discussion of “just sex” versus “trying to fix a court case”. Some started by rattling off the phrases the Clinton spin machine tattooed of the media’s collective brain. But they did give my points their attention and listen, so that was good. Perhaps it will encourage them to question future pronouncements from the Clinton media molders.
hellinahandcart started off holding a “RODHAM HUSSEIN” sign above “Hillary”, but did a great job taking three rolls of photos documenting the FReep. She was quick witted and took several photos of the announcement signs in the Borders window. Those photos confirmed the original plan was presigned books and a receiving line. Hellinahandcart said of the “receiving line” format, “Receiving line? What the hell does she think this is, a wedding”?
As they were stiffed by Hillary, the media had lots of time to talk. Not interview, just talk. And the consistent remark from them was that this was a poorly organized event. Many went on to mention how Howard Stern fans packed the entire street. A number of younger TV crew members (assistants, producers?) actually got in line and bought a book. When one of the reporters said, “ I should have gotten on for my girl”, he producer said, “I’ll go back and get one, it’s only a 30 minute wait.”
Hillary may have been there for 2 and a half hours and Borders may claim 1250 books signed, but I doubt it. The distance from the door to the corner was two average single store fronts. hellinahandcart said that the line really was only ten or so yards around the corner. When Hillary let the press in, the sidewalk outside the store went 80% open and the line didn’t reach the corner and that was at the beginning.
We stayed expecting a noon rush of buyers on their lunch hour, but as that didn’t materialize, we packed it in, paid our respects to the officer and left for GTIFriday’s next door to the Borders. A couple of times during lunch, I ducked out to check, but the noon crowd never showed.
After a long leisurely lunch with some good conversation, we paid our bill, tipped well and split up.
I walked around the corner and noted some press lined up on either side of the side entrance. There were other signs that The Queen was soon departing, things like “The Batmobile”, essentially a broom with four wheels. So I waited about five minutes and the sound of shutters and general media commotion announced The Great Escape with the people’s money.
I was on the curb and she was on the roadside of a vehicle parked at the curb. Deciding a photo would be of more interest, and that the members of law enforcement had enough to do already, I kept my signs in my bag and my opinion to myself.
PART 2 – CHAPPAQUA, WHERE ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN, BUT NEVER DOES
Having basically cancelled White Plains due to rain and finding out that FReeper “God loves America” did a solo in our absence, firebrand and I decided to take Metro North’s Harlem line to charming Chappaqua. If the US Army can send an armored column into the heart of Baghdad, a few cloves of garlic, a mirror and a cross would take us into deepest, darkest Chappaqua.
Deepest, darkest Chappaqua actually is correct when Hillary’s in town. See the photo in the webshots album for proof.
firebrand and I met in Grand Central Station. We waited for a possible third adventurer who did not show. Relaxing waiting for the train, we hydrated, expecting a hot day in the sun. The ride up was pleasant, so pleasant that we almost missed our stop. We arrived to find a very nice town with an old train station incorporated into the new platform. It was cold and pleasant place to wait a bit before heading out.
Across the parking lot was Pizza Station. At the corner, we turned right and went about two long city blocks to the Chappaqua Library. There we checked in with the local police. As there were less than 10 of us, no permit was required. Being very early, we walked back to Pizza Station. Other than the banner announcing Hillary’s book signing, a few police and some cones, nothing was happening there. No press, no lines, no sign of anything other than a Saturday at the library.
Curtis Sliwa has a formula for NYC. The proper bus/subway fare is the same as the cost for a slice of pizza and a coke. Well in Chappaqua, a slice of pizza and a bottle of water will buy you a Porsche. A used one, a stolen one perhaps, but still a Porsche.
Had a nice lunch at an outside table where the shade and a breeze made it pleasant. Afterwards, I grabbed some extra water and back to the library we went. As we approached, I could see that a bike cop had a vehicle pulled over. A fairly late model Volvo (Mount Kisko Volvo license frame on it) with a young late teen early twenties female was getting a lecture. She was oblivious to his words and alternately kept trying to wear him down or going hysterically angry.
Apparently a Hillary fan from how I hear her treat the cop like he was beneath her and from what I heard of what she did before I got there. I listened to the cop explain exactly what she did wrong. She’s obviously an airhead who’s mom never told that she ever did anything wrong. Let’s just say that when you insist on parking in a zone marked off by cones, and insist enough that some really good natured, laid back cops decide you really, really earned a ticket, peeling out and damn near clipping another cop is just BAD MANNERS.
While that was going on, we suited up and went to work. firebrand did an encore but I broke out Satan and a new sign, white on black with “I Sold My Soul To Hillary” on one side and a big “HILLARY KNEW” on the other. Also added some devil hands (gloves). It was a nice touch.
Some people on hand thought it was funny. One person was even laughing up (down?) their sleeve.
We worked the passing cars and people walking past since there was NO line and library foot traffic was pretty thin. Maybe one out of fifty passing people went into the library. We found out later from press reports that 250 tickets were given out days in advance. I wonder how much info people had to give to get them and did the US Secret Service screen then like they would if they were visiting the White House or if they were to be part of a studio audience. For those types of things, you’re checked against watch lists and other things.
About 30 minutes later (20 minutes late), the “Batmobile” pulled up to the main entrance. Just like Studio 54, there was a velvet rope line entrance for VIP (Very Insufferable People). The Queen knew we were there because she never faced us. Funny how she never looked around to where people were mostly likely to have stopped to observe that day.
The biggest thing to report about reactions was the lack of a reaction. But firebrand noted that this is Upper Westchester where people are very insular and worry about themselves first. When we did get a reaction, it was 4 to 1 favorable to us. Of course there were the middle finger gestures. One was a well heeled soccer mom/trophy wife trying to casually give us the finger so her eight year old siting behind her doesn’t see that mom’s an obscene hater.
One guy went along with the “Sold My Soul To Hillary” gag and tapped his chest as he past and said, “Me too”. Was his wife named Hillary?
If got SO boring, we left 30 minutes after Hillary’s late arrival. BTW, she didn’t bring Bill.
We saw two professional video cameras and maybe three professional still cameras while we were there. Press coverage was minimal. The next day, Hillary was competing for space in the paper with Chappaqua’s female bank robber who was captured.
There you have it folks……..
Click Here For The Photo Album
In Chappaqua, we took some "I was there" photos next to the Chappaqua sign on the train platform.
Great report and photos.
Now is this a dare, or a double-dog dare?
Way to go, Doc!
And kudos to firebrand for making two FReeps, and hellinahandcart for her costumed duty in NYC as well!
Got new material too.
Hang in there for me friend.
You scare me. Go for it.
The one thing I will always, always say about Doctor Raoul, I never, never know where he is going to come from. Creative, yes. To the point, yes. Interisting, yes. Effective, yes.
Take care my good friend.
BTTT
:-)
Looking forward to seeing you again.
Congressman Billybob
Latest column, now up FR, "The Perfect Country and Western Song."
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Another Field Report: In the Glastonbury, Connecticut Barnes & Noble today, I saw Hillary's books marked down 30% also! (Is this for real or one of those B&N marketing/teaser things?)
Starting to read Raoul's report now...
Yeah, that's what I figured... I guess we're celebrating a little early then, unfortunately. :-(
Great report and pics, too. I really wish we could've joined you for both of these.
~nutmeg & zelig
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.
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