Floor pass in my future? (9/1)

12:00–Everyone is gone, and so am I.

10:37–The absence of anyone in the AP workspace has allowed us to watch whatever we want on the huge HD TVs that surround the workspace. This means for the last two hours all I have heard is Obama’s droning voice about ‘change’ and Palin’s pregnant daughter. I guess the fact a hurricane just struck the gulf coast is a non-issue now.

8:37–I took a lap around the Xcel with my hastily and possibly subversively acquired credential. Not much was going on. At all. Biggest priorities for me at the moment is to find a camera to better explain some unusual happenings and track down John Oliver of the Daily Show. I think my life could be considered a success if I accomplished either one tonight.

7:08–Video of riot police preparing for the onslaught of the anarchists:

 

6:50–A colleague here just received a text from a buddy of his that is currently at Harriet Island in St. Paul. What started as a music festival has evidently turned into a bit of a protest. His friend can see snipers on the rooftops and more police are arriving by the minute. 

5:56–The convention is starting to slow down, and the news has shifted to Sarah Palin’s daughter and Gustav.

5:34–Update on the gas masks: We have a cabinet full of them, and for a very good reason. I mentioned earlier that the protesters were out in force this morning and afternoon. I also mentioned how they were ‘crushed.’ They were crushed with tear gas–and AP photographers had to be in the middle of it to capture the moment. In the moment = gas masks. 

5:04–Laura Bush and Cindy McCain just finished up the final portion of the convention today, mostly driving home the need for help in the gulf states. 

4:44–There is a floor pass available to us. I will do my best to get out on the floor to provide an up-close look at what is going on inside, although after today’s events it sounds like the Xcel will clear out quick.

4:05–Today the protesters were out in force. While I still have no clue what they are protesting, I’m glad to see democracy in action. Here’s to hoping I don’t get a Molotov thrown at me. According to a few of my colleagues, the protesters main accomplishment today was flipping over a garbage can on the street. They were then crushed by riot police.

Here I am. 75 feet and a battalion of armed guards away from the convention floor (8/31)

12:00–Bed is sounding good right about now.

11:14–The Xcel is mostly dead now, not many reporters remain. News is slow to come from the higher-ups as to the change in the convention schedlue for the next few days. Now I have to figure out how to get back home. I’ll be sure to provide pictures and perhaps a few interviews tommorow.

9:47–Almost to spite my last update, a photographer with a very foreign accent just noted to me as he passed by how beautful Minneapolis was. Luckily for all parties involved he passed by before I could respond.

9:44–If I read one more article saying the Republican National Convention is being held in Minneapolis, I am going to completely loose control of my temper.

8:11–Security is a little bit oppressive, obviously due to the threat of protesters. There are multiple layers to get to any one point through any of the three entrances. Most of it is similar to airport security, but with little platoons of soldiers manning each gate. I’m tempted to say it is a bit comical, but we live in a very unusual age where the margin of error is measured in lives. So we have soldiers.

8:09–Things are still very slow. Most of the basement of the RiverCenter where I am located is empty. The few remaining reporters are busy trading company pins (more on my collection later). I plan to bring my camera tommorow to share a more comprehensive view of the event from my perspective. Unfortunately, my credentials only let me in the first ring of security–I won’t be seeing the convention floor unless something very unusual happens.

6:57–No Bush or Cheney for the convention. The convention hasn’t started and it is already loosing steam. Most of the reporters won’t stick around tonight, and the entire photography department has left.

6:54–Gas masks are delivered to the AP workspace near the AP workspace. I have no idea why or who they are for. Evidently they have items like this staged around the entire convention, for no purpose other than to be prepared.

5:12–Our duties as office assistants for the AP will range from taking out the garbage to stocking supplies to tracking down individuals and answering the phones. Should be an interesting night.

4:37–I finally got my credentials. It is now time to pass through the iron gates, metal detector, armed guards, secret service, attack dogs, and soldiers. I am no longer considered a threat to national security.

4:13–The bus schedule has been turned completely upside down. The 16, which should all but drop me off in front of the Xcel, no longer serves an entire half of downtown St. Paul. So I arrive late. Luckily for me, EVERYONE is showing up late.

There’s no fighting in the war room!

 

The War Room

 

The work has begun. Above is a picture of the AP nerve center. The guts of the operation, this is what I have to protect. This basically means I am a glorified steward who has to make sure nobody walks in accidently steals a plasma TV. During the convention, this room will be nothing short of a chaotic mess. There is sure to be fighting in this war room. I can’t wait.

To update how I actually got in: It was just about as bad as I anticipated. It took two hours to finally get my credential, but I got it. This involved anywhere between 5 and 25 phone calls to people who may or may not have been in the same time zone, all in an effort to work my way up (in most cases sideways) the phone tree. Once in communication with people who actually knew what was going on and vaguely understood who I was, or at least pretended to know, I got my credential. Hard fought battle. Joe-1 AP-0.

 

Inside the Xcel Center

 

This is currently what the inside of the Xcel Center looks like. Still very rough around the edges, but most of the infrastructure is up and running. It is the weekend so there is much less activity than usual. I’m told during the week you can’t even count the people working inside.

More updates to come today, including possible interviews. I have an outside internet connection. Yesterday, I couldn’t access the web because I would be using the AP hard line. Supposedly they don’t want non-reporter intern-types to be able to access the inner-workings of the Associated Press network.

Weird.