Ryan's Journal

I was wandering around the capitol last weekend, bumming around after checking out the Library of Congress, led on a tour by a docent who strove to but fell short of cracking wise. I'd like to know what it takes to get into the reading room proper instead of being relegated to the tenth story viewing balcony. It seems beautiful; right now, it's half-covered in construction dust sheeting.

Wandering past the Supreme Court and Congress, I heard what sounded a lot like a crowd cheering a home run; more strained listening showed it to be a speech of some sort. Rounding to the Mall side, I saw a large crowd of something, and upon nearing found it to be a Ron Paul rally.

I hung back to observe and apparently arrived at the wrong time. DC police conferred with one another about setting up a "command post" in the general vicinity in which I stood, and the three of them agreed it was time to get anybody not a cop out of there. "Goodbye, get out of here, you're gone." Other uninvolved foot traffic were also rudely dealt with, complaints of, "Are you serious? I just told you to leave and you're walking that way?" emanating from the civic servants. They were expecting the Ron Paul revolution to break out on that walkway. I walked to the back of the rally; I was much less dangerous there. Later on, I glanced at the command post - it was the same three officers standing there looking at each other. On so many levels, amazing.

When Rep. Paul wrapped up his mini-tirade, I figured it would get significantly less interesting and left, only to find his supporters leafleting. One another. That's one bit of Election '08 to take home, I actually got to see one of these guys in person. Now to find another who still thinks he's running - anyone know where Mike Gravel is?

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