PPPS (Denver) One of our loyal readers and sometimes contributor, Citizen Pete, had the encounter of a lifetime Wednesday evening.
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| David Axelrod & Citizen Pete at Coors Field |
Pete had taken a break from his responsibilities to attend a Colorado Rockies vs. Chicago White Sox game at Coors Field. Amazingly, so did David Axelrod, the former White House Senior Adviser who is now managing President Obama’s reelection campaign from Chicago.
After receiving an anonymous tip, Pundit Pete Press Service (PPPS) interviewed Pete outside the stadium after the game. We asked Citizen Pete (CP) to describe the experience.
PPPS: How did you happen to meet David Axelrod?
CP: It was my wife who spotted him in the stadium concourse. I thought she was kidding, but then she pointed him out as he was walking away. I caught up with him as he got in a line of people waiting for hot dogs and beer.
My wife, on the other hand, kept on going in the other direction, either to avoid a confrontation, or as I would like to think, out of sympathy for Mr. Axelrod.
PPPS: Why were you so anxious to talk with him?
CP: Well, I figure you only get one chance to speak to a person who has access to the President, so you’d better take it. I thought maybe he’d like to know a little Tea Party perspective on things. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t hear from many regular folks like me.
PPPS: So how did you begin your conversation? Were you nervous?
CP: Well not really at first. I started by saying, “David?” You know, to make sure it was really him. He said, Yes? Then I started to introduce myself, and for the first time in my life, I was momentarily at a loss for words.
After a long pause, all I could get out was a nervous, “I’m so excited to meet you......the man who invented astroturf!”
I’m not sure if he was more proud or more anxious at that point.
After a long pause, all I could get out was a nervous, “I’m so excited to meet you......the man who invented astroturf!”
I’m not sure if he was more proud or more anxious at that point.
PPPS: How did the conversation go from there?
CP: Well, then I said, “I have some things for you to tell the President. He needs to stop the spending.”
Then he started to lecture me, saying that you can’t balance the budget with just spending cuts.
I said, “Wait a minute. You need to listen to me. I’m a Tea Party guy. I’m here to give you some input.”
Then he started to lecture me, saying that you can’t balance the budget with just spending cuts.
I said, “Wait a minute. You need to listen to me. I’m a Tea Party guy. I’m here to give you some input.”
PPPS: How did he respond to you identifying yourself as from the Tea Party?
CP: He replied, “You need to tell your friends to stop supporting tax cuts for people making over $250,000 a year.” I said that I might consider something like that if the President ever actually cut anything, anything at all from the budget.
Then, he responded with, “The President proposed a budget that cuts trillions.”
To that I said, “Oh, do you mean that budget that was just voted down 97-0 in the Senate? How’d that work out?”
All he could come up with was “That was only a symbolic vote.”
To that I said, “Oh, do you mean that budget that was just voted down 97-0 in the Senate? How’d that work out?”
All he could come up with was “That was only a symbolic vote.”
Not wanting to embarrass him any further, I told him to enjoy the game and let him go.
PPPS: So was that the end of your encounter with Mr. Axelrod?
CP: Well, I thought it was. In fact, I kinda kicked myself for not getting a picture with him before we started debating.
Later, after I had rejoined my wife at our seats, I was telling the guy in the row behind me that I’d just talked to David Axelrod. Not two seconds later, here comes Axelrod, who sits down two rows directly in front of us. Go figure the chances of that happening again.
PPPS: So did you resume your debate with him?
CP: Well, no. I figured he ought to be able to enjoy the game. On the other hand, I did really want a picture with him; you know, to prove I had really met him.
Then after a couple of innings, the people in the row between us got up. I figured you only get one chance to have your picture taken with someone who has access to the President, so you’d better take it.
I climbed over the seats, sat down behind Mr. Axelrod and gently tapped him on the shoulder. With something less than total enthusiasm, he agreed to have his picture taken with me. Like a good sport, he said “I’ll bet your pals will love that”. I thanked him, and like many a good Tea Party member would do, said “God bless you” and left him alone to enjoy the game.
PPPS: On reflection, what do you think of your encounter with David Axelrod, Senior Adviser to President Obama? Are there things you wish you had said, or wish you hadn’t?
CP: Well, I wish I could have debated him longer, perhaps on a stage, or with a video recording it. But then, it was a ball game, and he is entitled to his free time.
On the other hand, here was a man who was complicit in creating the largest deficit and debt in the history of our nation - in practically destroying our economy and a lot of other things. Maybe he needs to hear from more people like me.
One thing that I wish I had done, was to ask him to apologize for some of the things he and “his pals” had said about the Tea Party. I suppose, in that respect, I was much more polite than he deserved. But that is who we are.
And that ended our interview with Citizen Pete. Although Citizen Pete maintains that he won their short debate, Mr. Axelrod did not go home totally empty handed; the White Sox beat the Rockies 3-2.
Beginning in early April, all of our editorial staff and correspondents were posted to London to cover the Royal Wedding. This was the first time that the Pundit Pete Press Service had attempted coverage of such an important international event entirely from a remote location.