Even though John Kerry has been busy this week with issues like China trade, stem cell research, rising family debt and a major address on the strengthening the middle class (the last two are key in the face of the latest numbers on the economy). And even though the Kerry campaign has been shattering fundraising records, (all links here) Halbfinger is going after the most pointless part of the picture today (again) with the Great Veep Hunt. It's like a snipe hunt only less fun to read about. Which is probably why he's spiced up the story with some intrique:
Despite feints and ruses, Mr. Kerry's decision to return from campaigning in Ohio for unspecified office work in his Capitol hideaway left the Capitol police and the Senate sergeant-at-arms struggling to keep reporters at bay.
Feints and ruses ... Reporters at bay ...
Mr. Kerry himself took part in trying to throw reporters off the trail. Arriving with aides and bodyguards at his cubbyhole office about 3:40 p.m., he announced, "I'm just going to be here a couple of minutes," then asked his entourage if anyone had a key to the hideaway.
Throwing reporters off the trail ... bodyguards ... a cubbyhole that's a hideaway! It's smaller than an undisclosed location and bigger than a spider hole and apparently the keys to it are lost, but it's definitely mysterious and a perfect place to interview candidates for the VP slot. And if only Halbfinger could have peaked inside, we would know what the carpet looked like. If only.
Way too much later Halbfinger, bruised but unbowed from all that denial of access, gets to telling us that Mr. Kerry addressed working parents and their children when he spoke in Columbus the day before. His plan is to expand the tax credit for child care to ... cover ...up to $5,000... Wait. I think I saw Bill Richardson get off a bus and he's headed this way! Someone radio ahead to the hideaway.
Funny post, I'm citing you as I mock VandeHei's version.
Posted by: Dimmy Karras | June 18, 2004 at 01:31 PM