I Stole Montana's First Lady's Pen (and got two EXCLUSIVE interviews)

So tonight was a big night, mostly on the political side, slightly on the sporting side, and not at al on the food side.  Backstage catering is not as good as it sounds.

Anyway, I went with Lauren and her aunt to a concert called Green Sunday at Red Rocks.  The lineup was Sheryl Crow, Sugarland, and Dave Matthews (who played an acoustic set with Tim Reynolds).  It was great music and it supported a good cause: Global Warming.  Or, as one of the Sugarland band members clarified, STOPPING Global Warming!

Of course, this is a blog about the DNC, and there was plenty of political action.  The coolest thing was that I met Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana, interviewed him, and made off with his wife's blue ballpoint pen.  The transcript of the interview is below the picture:

HENRY GRUBER: Mr. Governor, it's funny, but, uh, up until a couple hours before that text message some people I knew could have sworn you were the VP.

BRIAN SCHWEITZER: Really?  Well, lots of people from the West and East coasts kept calling me about that, and I just told them that they should stop smoking whatever pinecones they were smoking.  But does your friend blog?  Because I read something about me being the VP on fivethirtyeight.  

HG: No, but it's funny you say that, because I actually just started a blog.  I was wondering if I could ask you a few quick questions.

BS: Sure, go ahead.

HG: So, Montana is a red state, but it's becoming more blue--

BS: Well, actually, Montana's not a red state, it's not a blue state, and as Obama would say, it's a United State.

HG:  I mean, it has two Democratic Senators and a Democratic Governor.

BS:  We are one of, I think, only 11 or 12 states with the trifecta.

HG:  So this election may be decided in the West.  As a Western Governor, what do you think the electoral key is to the West?

BS:  That's absolutely true.  What's going on in the West is, we're live and let live people.  Some of us are Democrats, some of us are Republicans, but hell, let's be honest: all of us are libertarians.  We're less likely to be ideologues, on the left or the right.  We're just looking for common sense.

HG:  In all honesty, I only found out about you in the last few months, but I love what you're doing and I'm looking forward to your speech on Tuesday.

BS: Well, a Denver paper told me that I was one of many Governors speaking, and I told them they'd know when the Governor of Montana was speaking because, I quote, "I'd have cow shit on my boots but no bullshit in my speech."

HG: Governor, thank you very much for your time.

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We also met other cool people, like Robert F Kennedy Jr., Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia, and hung out with Sugarland a lot.  I interviewed Kristian Busch, half of Sugarland, about his music and his life.  Here's the transcript:

HENRY GRUBER: How long have you been Sugarland?

KRISTIAN BUSCH: Well, Jennifer and I have been playing together for about 5 1/2 years.  My son is six, and I know he was just born when the band started.

HG: So, you're from Atlanta.  Are you a Braves fan? [note: I hate the Braves.  Utterly.]

KB:  I'm a spit with the wind fan.  

HG: I'm a Phillies fan.

KB:  Do you know about any old Phillies.

HG:  Does Mike Schmidt count?

KB: No.  Older.  I know this musician, Chuck Brodsky, who wrote an album of ballads about true  baseball stories.  The album is in the Baseball Hall of Fame.  There's great stuff in there.  A pitcher who threw a no-hitter while on LSD.  A catcher for the Yankees who was in the CIA.

HG:  Wow.  So this is a Global Warming event.  Do you have a message to pass on about Global Warming?

KB:  I'd be the first to tell you, I don't know WHAT I can do, but I'd be willing to learn.  I'm not here because I know, but because I don't.  

HG: Yeah, that's me too.  

KB: I mean, I'm still figuring out the three trash cans here.  

HG: I put something in the wrong one.  I felt really bad.

KB:  Well, all we can do is read the wall [note: there were signs on the wall explaining the recycling policy] and try to follow the rules we come up with.  [pause] But it's a worthy cause.  A very worthy cause.

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Anyway, it was a great event.  There were speeches by Kaine, Kennedy, Sen. Salazar (D-CO), Laurie David, Reggie Bush, the Blue Man Group, and more.  But the most moving speech was by Van Jones, the founder of a green company that helps pull people out of poverty, a self described "father trying to raise two African-American kids in Oakland" who has "been to more funerals than graduations these past couple years."  He told us that although certain people in the media say that "hope is so last year" and that we should be cynics, "the only people to whom hope and change are cliches are those who don't need it.  This party stands for those who do."

He finished, to a standing ovation, by commenting that "politicians always talk about taking America back-- but we can take America forward."

I'll finish that way as well, at least for tonight.  It's late and I want to sleep.  

peace

PS-  Best song of the night?  Check it out.