Complete Convention Coverage

Read all about my trip to NYC for The Republican Convention, including the epic story

H.L.Does Time

October 16, 2004.

H.L. watches Bill Maher Interview Howard Dean Live.

How you all doing tonight? I went to the Bill Maher taping, and unfortunately I was "mislead" by the people that gave me the tickets. I got to see a 10 minute interview with Howard Dean, which made it worth the trip over to CBS Studio's, but thats all I got to see. They were pre taping the interview which they will show during tonights show which they tape live.

Let start at the begining. If you've ever been to Hollywood and gone over to The Graumans Chinese Theatre, you will always see people who work for the production companies giving out free tickets to go see tapings of various shows. Since this is a tourist area, they know they can get rid of a lot of tickets that way. A friend of mine came over yesterday, and we walked around the corner from my palatial hi rise studio apartment to a Pizza place thats across from The Chinese. We were getting ready to go see Roby the T-Shirt guys band who played last night at The Whiskey a go-go, The same place where bands like The Doors, Van Halen, and Motley Crue used to play. I found out the name of the band its called Troy Bones and The Congregation. (Roby's also opening for Johnny Winter with his own Roby Duron Band, at The Ventura Theatre tomorrow night.) We ran into a guy who was trying to give away tickets for the Jimmy Kimmel show which was taping right next door. We turned them down, but then he said he also had tickets to the taping of Bill Maher, with Howard Dean, and Bill O'Rielly, I jumped at that. It wasn't until I got to the studio, and we were inside that I found out it was just for the pretaping.

As usual they had a guy come out to warm up the audience. He asked how many people were voting for Kerry, about 80% of the crowd applauded. When he asked about Bush, there were a small smattering of applause. Almost like these people were ashamed of their boy. After a few minutes Bill Maher, and Howard Dean came out to the stage together. The crowd went crazy for Dean. They sat down and began the interview. Maher pointed out that Bush winning the election would help out Dean, because he would only have to wait 4 years to run again, instead of 8 if Kerry wins. Deans reply was that the most important thing right now was getting rid of Bush. The crowd broke into thunderous applause at this. The talk turned to the subject of health care, with Maher talking about how the Doctors, pharmaceutical companies, and the food industry were conspiring to slowly poison us all to death. Dean didn't quite agree with that but he did talk about how The health industry is more concerned with treating the sick, instead of making sure that people don't get sick in the first place. Maher said he wanted to continue that discussion next time, which Dean agreed to. That was the end of the interview, and Deans handlers whisked him out of there. I was hoping to get a chance to meet him, but he was gone before we even got out of our seats. The rest of the show was being taped live, but it was all full up, so I didnt get a chance to boo O'Rielly, oh well next time.

Oregon Police Fire on Crowd of Protesters

JACKSONVILLE, Ore. - Police in riot gear fired pepperballs Thursday night to disperse a crowd of protesters assembled in this historic gold mining town where President Bush (news - web sites) was spending the night after a campaign appearance.

HL Photo

Witnesses said Bush supporters were on one side of California Street chanting "Four more years," and supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (news - websiteswere on the other chanting "Three more weeks." Police began moving the crowd away from the Jacksonville Inn, where the president was to arrive for dinner and to spend the night following a speech.

"We were here to protest Bush and show our support for Kerry," said Cerridewen Bunten, 24, a college student and retail clerk. "Nobody was being violent. We were out of the streets so cars could go by. We were being loud, but I never knew that was against the law."

Bunten said she was pushed by police as she held her 6-year-old daughter. Jeff Treadwell, 37, an auto mechanic from Medford who joined the protesters, estimated about 500 people were assembled, counting both Bush and Kerry supporters.

Jacksonville City Administrator Paul Wyntergreen said the protest was peaceful until a few people started pushing police. Police reacted by firing pepperballs, which he described as projectiles like a paintball filled with cayenne pepper. Two people were arrested for failing to disperse. There were no reports of injuries.

Protester Richard Swaney, 65, of Central Point, said he was walking with the crowd away from the inn when he was hit in the back with three separate bursts, one of which knocked him down.

H.L.s Take

It just keeps getting worse, and worse, out there. The story doesn't say which side of the street the Police fired at. The Kerry supporters on one side, and The Bush Supporter(s)? on the other. If I could get a bet down, I know which one I would bet on.

Subject: Wake Up and Smell The Schieffers

This is in response to the story that I wrote yesterday. "Final Debate: Did Bush Have The Questions (& Answers) In Advance?

H.L.

Not only is Bob Schieffer a Bush supporter, his brother is A/ Bush's former business partner in the Rangers and other companies, and B/ Bush's U.S. Ambassador to Australia!!!!! Yes, H.L., that's why I was appalled when the commission picked Schieffer to moderate -- the most clearly personally compromised of the big media people. Don't you recall four years ago when Schieffer used to begin each show with the disclaimer about his brother and Bush? Then he stopped. Did Bush have the question from the brother of an official in his administration? Hell, yes.

David F.

H.L. Responds

David, Thanks for writing in. Yep I smelt this one coming as soon as I knew there was a connection. Keep in touch. H.L.

Bush doesn't just want to take away the right to choice, he wants to take away contraception too?

The Village Voice

The President vs. The Pill

BBC News

Bush Sr. brands Moore 'Slimeball'

Heh, heh, heh, Oh poor George, the bad man lied about his family. Hey George prove it. All you do is lay down accusations. So lets see some proof that its all lies. You can't do that can you George? Because you know its all true. Now go jump out of a plane from 38,000 feet up. You sleazy reptile you.

from J.W.

Subject:Did Bush Have Questions?

Dear H.L.:

I suspected Bush had questions in advance while the debate was still going on. How else could you explain his performance after seeing him in first debate. No one could improve that much in two years, let alone two weeks. Even if he used an earpiece, as he appears to have during first debate, he could not have improved that much since the first debate. Considering the close business and social relationships between Bush, the moderator and the moderator's brother, and considering the Bush team's record of lying and cheating, I think it deserves more investigation. Sure, Kerry won all three debates. But how can you explain Bush's improvement in two weeks? Some may claim that Bush was off his game that first debate. I thought he seemed a lot more like the unscripted Bush we know and hate during that first debate. In the third debate he seemed more like the scripted Bush.

Regards, JW

Even Kerry's Calling it Now

Kerry Warns Draft Possible if Bush Wins

Ok we only have about 30 seconds left. So lets get to one more quick letter

Heather.

Dude,

I was thinking that myself.........I mean - how else would he be able to come up with an answer to FLU SHOTS that fast? We all know that was probably not one of the items they expected and ordinarily wouldn't be rehearsed. He HAD to have known that question was coming because he thought fast and we all know Bush don't think fast.

Heather Phoenix, AZ

Hounddog2.blogspot.com

mailto:houndog2@cox.net

Ok guys its time for me to go out drinking. I may stop by one of my all time favorites

The Rainbow Bar & Grille.

Have a good night/morning. H.L.

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