From the Obama campaign plane

Wednesday
Oct. 1
Washington, D.C.
Bailout vote

I'm in the 'tight pool' group, which is AFP, AP, Reuters, NY Times photographers and 1 tv cameraman (rotates among ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and Fox). I think 3-4 reporters also from the major media. We travel in the motorcade with the Senator and have priority at any of the events he is at. A campaign worker (Katie and Samantha) and a secret service agent (Jill) are constantly with us, getting us through crowds, etc. There is a second, larger, non-pool group of media that also travels along in a second big bus. Mainly reporters, and the tv network crews that are not in the pool rotation for that day.

We're on a 757 plane chartered for the campaign, with the Obama logo on the tail and Change We Can Believe In painted on the body. Everyone piles on board, the 'Candidate', aides, secret service, media. Luggage bins overhead in the media section (back of plane) are covered with snapshots people have taken of each other during the campaign. And someone decided to start a collection of hotel keys, taped to the overhead bins. In the media section, we sit 2 people in a row of 3 seats. The Reuters, AP, NY Times and AFP photogs (Me) are in 2 rows together. A staff of flight attendants who fly constantly with the campaign serve meals (not too bad) and drinks.

A motorcade is waiting for us at the destination, we run off the plane and wait for the Senator to get off, take a few photos and run into our mini bus. Then roar off to the destination, usually a hotel. The non-pool bus behind us.

Not to worry:

General feeling among media here is Obama in strong position, no one can figure out McCain or Palin. Lots of puzzled, harsh words for Palin. From a person who organized one of the Bush campaigns and from media traveling with McCain, consensus is that it is poorly run. Also no interesting 'visuals' to show, photograph and lots of boring older people in the crowd. Compare to turnouts of 12,000, 15,000 for Obama, rock star like greeting for him and passionate crowds, and a dynamic speakers leads to much better images of the candidate.

The 4 photogs had dinner with Eric, the 'travel logistics coordinator’, his key function is to make sure all the luggage gets transported. Main talk was about WHEN Obama gets elected, how the campaign workers would fit into new administration. Eric thought Secretary of Transportation would be perfect for him. But many campaign people are political sci. majors, sounds like there are 'policy' positions in various offices in the White House, which Eric said would be realistic.

Today (Oct. 1) on pool bus as we motorcaded through Washington, D.C. for the Senate vote, someone mentioned that our campaign escort, Katie, would be in the White House press office come January.

So media on plane is fairly confident, no one really worried.

The schedule (as of Wednesday, 6:59pm):

Tuesday we started in Reno, Nevada for a rally at the Univ. of Nevada. Flew to La Crosse, Wisconsin to stay at a Holiday Inn. The rally there (this morning) happened to be at a square in front of the hotel. From there to Washington, D.C for this financial bailout bill, I guess as a Senator or as a candidate his motorcade goes flying through red lights and they drive on the left if there is traffic. Waiting now in the Mayflower hotel, for the Senate to vote.
7:28pm, vote delayed for 30 min, so we wait.