I learned early this morning that Bush was going to be in Council Bluffs, Iowa (about a 50-minute drive) today. I didn't have tickets, but decided to go anyways. Thanks to the Pottawatomie County Republican Party, I got in. I was one of the last people to get in, so I thought I was going to be chewing on rafter. Surprisingly, I walked onto the floor and to within about 100 ft of the podium.
Senator Grassley of Iowa was there, as well as Rudy and Mrs. Bush. The enthusiasm there was excellent. The crowd was extremely loud. Bush didn't really say anything I haven't heard yet, but he did have a couple clever lines that were new. The evidence is clear that the next 8 days will be spent focusing on the war on terror and the post-9/11 Bush Doctrine.
My pictures of Air Force One (saw it on my way there) and the motorcade did not come out well. Here is a sample of the ones that did turn out:
First, the obligatory anti-Bush crowd and "Kerry supporters". They were a mouthy bunch, but I won't go into that:
Here are a couple from inside the rally. Unfortunately, I had to conserve battery power and didn't get any pictures of Rudy speaking:
