FOX News

08.26.08

Big Head Todd and Governor Ed Rendell

By Author Bruce Thompson

 

The celebrities were out in full force tonight. While I waited for friends outside the Pepsi Center, James Taylor, Tony Bennett and former Senator Tom Daschle all walked by. Inside the hall, I caught glimpses of and had conversations with Maria Shriver, Dan Rather, former Congressman Tom McMillen, Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch and North Carolina Governor Mike Easley.

Following tonight’s emotional session, I attended “A Rocky Mountain Salute to Democratic Governors” hosted by the Democratic Governors Association (”DGA”) at Elitch Gardens, a theme park adjacent to the Pepsi Center. First of all, it felt like I was in the middle of one of those famous nights where Elvis and his friends rented out Libertyland for the evening. Except, as far as I know, no members of the famed Memphis Mafia were present. Instead, here we were, adults hanging out in a theme park, with no kids around. At every corner, there seemed to be a Democratic Governor holding court with a group of delegates. For me, the most notable was Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania who has become quite a national figure in this Presidential race.

Then, Big Head Todd & The Monsters, a local band from Boulder who has had moments of great notoriety nationally, took the stage just in front of the Elitch Gardens ferris wheel. The last time I saw Big Head Todd was in 1993 when I was attending law school at Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, NC. Here they were, 15 years later entertaining a bunch of Governors, lobbyists and delegates. It was one of those bizarre crossroads that we so often encounter in life.

It’s late and we have another big day tomorrow. Keep checking back for updates from me and the other delegates who are sharing our experiences with you.