Minnesota Nice/Jim Kolbe on McCain & Palin

Today was quite an unusual day, waking up in Los Angeles, then setting off for St. Paul, dealing with “Minnesota Nice” at the airport where the folks at Enterprise were super accommodating (more on that perhaps anon) and later at the convention site where the cops were amazingly polite as I learned I had parked on the wrong site of the convention site to pick up my credentials (perhaps more on that anon as well.)

When I did get to the right side of the Xcel Center (lots of security here), I saw a number of Ron Paul supporters (one who had come from Florida just to protest on behalf of their man), met a 9/11 “Truther” and caught site of Karl Rove leaving the convention site.

I did chat with two Obama supporters, both (like all people here) super nice, one in a gay bar.  Even the woman wearing a “Liar Liar Pants On Fire” button with a picture of George W. Bush was friendly after I challenged her to identify one Bush lie.  She couldn’t, just offered “Weapons of Mass Destruction.”  I pressed her and asked for a particular statement the president had made which he knew to be false.  She couldn’t.

Still, both she and her friend (visiting from Seattle in order to protest) engaged me in friendly banter over our political differences and wished me a good stay in St. Paul.

Minnesota Nice indeed!  And I haven’t even mentioned my hosts! Â

I challenged both Obama supporters to identify one major accomplishment that their man had spearheaded in his twelve years in the Illinois and United States Senate.  Neither was able to.

I had a wonderful dinner with my friend and fellow blogger Dale Carpenter (Independent Gay Forum and Volokh Conspiracy).  When Dale mentioned he was meeting former Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz) for a drink, I asked if I might tag along.  We didn’t heard back from Jim for a while, so stopped at a gay bar in Minneapolis.Â

Spotting a man with gay Republicans for McCain-Palin button, we approached him, introduced ourselves.  Turns out it was Joel Hastings from the Log Cabin board.  Kudos to Joel for his boldness in advertising his Republican politics in a potentially hostile environment.

Soon, Jim called and remembering me from my DC days, that good man invited me to join them.  We joined Jim and some of his friends at a seafood place.  I was flattered that Jim remembered me from my DC days.  Once together, we had a spirited discussion about the convention, the presidential election gay marriage and other topics.Â

Jim is a great guy and a wonderful conversationalist.

On Sarah Palin, Jim offered (and I report with his permission), the move was “quintessentially McCain.”   He thinks she was a “good choice” even though she is more conservative (than he) on social issues than he.  Referencing the revelation today about her daughter’s pregnancy, he appreciated her candor and didn’t think it would impact the convention of her candidacy.

Jim, who is openly gay, will be addressing Log Cabin’s Big Tent Luncheon tomorrow.  I look forward to hearing him there.