By Bridget Thoreson
Journal Times | Posted: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 12:00 am
DENVER - It's 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday, but Meg Andrietsch has been at work for hours.
She's just finished with the breakfast program for the Wisconsin delegation to the Democratic National Convention, which began at 7:30 a.m. At these morning gatherings, speeches typically follow the meal - on Tuesday, State Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, received a standing ovation from the delegates after her speech.
But now the program is over, and Andrietsch needs to get on with her packed schedule for the day. She takes the elevator up to the hotel lobby, where red, white and blue bunting decorates the rails of the Starbucks next to a banner saying "Barack Obama, Democrat for President." Above the banner stands a life-size cutout of Obama himself.
"I just heard the dumbest question," Andrietsch says to fellow delegate Marilyn Nemeth, also of Mount Pleasant, when she arrives in the lobby.
A man in the elevator asked Andrietsch how she got her credentials. When she explained the voting process of the spring caucus that led to her selection, he said, "It's not that easy?"
"Everyone looked at him and went, 'Well no,'" Andrietsch says. "'You have to earn your own.'"
10:35 a.m.Andrietsch arrives at the Colorado Convention Center after walking through a corridor of people on the street - street vendors with buttons and t-shirts, convention attendees hurrying to their next appointments, people handing out fliers. Andrietsch takes every flier offered to her.
"There are so many things to do, and you can't take advantage of them all," Andrietsch says. "You don't have time to read the paper."
Now she takes a seat in the Four Seasons Ballroom, where the Women's Caucus is underway. An Ebony magazine, a flier and a tambourine are laid out on each of the chairs. Andrietsch has already received two gift bags, and is adjusting to all the freebies being handed out.
"You carry as light a bag as you can, and then you accumulate junk as you go along," Andrietsch says.
She listens while speakers, from politicians to actresses, talk about celebrating women's progress and role in politics. She says it reminds her of when she was hired to work at a telephone company. She was told the only reason she was hired was because at the interview in her home, she served coffee in china cups and homemade cookies.
"There's a lot of good, powerful women. It's really heartwarming," she says. "It's wonderful progress we've made in my lifetime."
12:15 p.m.
As Andrietsch leaves the women's caucus, she hears someone comment that this is "a freak show."
"All I'm finding is dedicated, committed people," Andrietsch says. "They all have the same passion, they're all trying to achieve the same goal.
"Aren't the freaks the ones who don't care?" she asks.
Maybe, Andrietsch says as she goes back outside the convention center, the woman she overheard was referring to the people who have started protesting. A truck with an anti-abortion poster passes on the street, which has become even more crowded.
After a quick lunch at Jason's Deli, Andrietsch is back on the street, where a man is shouting through a megaphone: "Join the coalition to stop bird watchers!"
"Sometimes I think sitting inside the Pepsi Center is the quietest, most peaceful," Andrietsch says.
2:05 p.m.
After an hour's drive around road closures and through congested traffic, Andrietsch arrives at the Pepsi Center and goes through security. The convention will begin in about an hour, but she wants to look around a little before taking her place on the floor.
As a first-time delegate, Andrietsch feels it is her obligation to do the job she was elected to do, and be at the convention from gavel to gavel. There are a lot of events going on - she has an 11-page schedule of what's happening on Tuesday alone. But she will be in her seat from 3 p.m. until the convention closes at 9 p.m.
Before taking that seat, she checks out the media set-ups around the hallways of the arena. She goes into radio row, where different stations have tables set up with microphones and equipment.
"This is like being backstage at a rock concert," Andrietsch says. "It's cool."
When she reaches her place in the arena, she starts chatting with another delegate about the previous night. They saw Jimmy Carter, who went to sit with the Georgia delegation across the aisle. And from their seats, they could see Katie Couric's shoes.
3 p.m.
Throughout the convention business, which includes speakers, videos and musical performances, Andrietsch stays with the Wisconsin delegation.
The delegation stood up for speeches from Gov. Jim Doyle and U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin. They danced to the band's rendition of "Boogie Oogie Oogie," and applauded along to a particularly energetic speech by Dennis Kucinich that garnered a standing ovation and chants of "Dennis."
The crowd waves signs that are handed out throughout the evening during the speeches. Andrietsch took 27 signs back from the convention Monday night, which she plans to put on auction at a Democratic fundraiser.
By the time Sen. Hillary Clinton is about to approach the podium, the arena is packed and buzzing. Earlier in the day, Andrietsch had said she was told that throughout the week, things would just get busier and busier, leading up to Obama's speech Thursday at Invesco Stadium. On Tuesday, she could begin to see that prediction come true.
"It seems more crowded," Andrietsch says. "The excitement is building for Biden and Obama."