April 6 Nick Lampson Press Confe

The following emails went out from Chris Homan, Tom DeLay's campaign manager and Cress Ann Posten (State Republican Executive Committeewoman, District 18, last night at 6:00 p.m.

Homan

We would meet tomorrow morning at 9:45 am on the first floor of the parking garage attached to the Marriott. Please get folks to call our campaign office 281.343.1333 and let us know they can do it – or e-mail Leonard Cash (in the cc field above) so that we can get some head count. Let’s give Lampson a parting shot that wrecks his press conference.

It started nicely enough, with Lampson's supporters and some of their children.

In walks the first DeLay "protestor," (in the stylish white tee-shirt) who kinda looks like he just got off of an episode of C.O.P.S.

Here comes the rest of them across the parking lot. The guy with the first green sign (who looks familiar to some of us) brought his airhorn, which is the rightwing equavilent of the hippie megaphone. Airhorns, of course, are for people who have nothing to say but want to say it the loudest.

There are two good guys standing next to Nick: Albert, in the black shirt, and Vince, holding the baby. Albert is trying to reason logically with the DeLay people, an impossible task. The DeLay lady is holding a sign that says, "I stand with Tom DeLay." Albert calmly asked her, "Why would you do that? He doesn't stand with you. He cut and ran from you." Good point, Albert. She didn't have an answer.

The man to the right is Vince, with his baby daughter. He brought her to hear Nick Lampson. When they started shoving him, he got his daughter out of the way and stood to the side. The white shirt guy behind Vince was still determined to intimidate everybody.

Reporters come forward to try to hear what Lampson came to say. Airhorny (and I mean that seriously) guy is going wild at this point. Albert is holding on to his son. (Added note: we later discover who air horny guy is - Leonard Cash, a paid outside political operative.)

The more the reporters come forward, the more DeLay's troops try to keep them away from Lampson. Lampson won't quit.

The woman in the wild hat is Marsha. She's 69 years old and is retired from a lifetime of working as a CPS caseworker. This is a few minutes before she gets "wrecked" by a Delay guardsman (not in picture). The man in the blue dress shirt and jeans, attempting to protect Marsha, is Mike Malaise, Lampson's campaign manager. I've heard that he was hired for brains not brawn, so he might get paid extra for today. Expense account: 1 body block against a DeLay Cyborg, $150.