Video of attendees at AT&T's "thank you for letting us spy on America" party at DNC
Glenn Greenwald and friends crashed AT&T's lavish do at the DNC in Denver to see who got invited to the secretive party thrown to thank Democratic operators for getting AT&T off the hook on the charges it faced of abetting the Bush administration with its illegal warrantless bulk-surveillance program. None of the attendees would speak to them, but they're on video, so maybe we can identify them and figure out who AT&T owns in the Democratic party.
Armed with full-scale Convention press credentials issued by the DNC, I went -- along with Firedoglake's Jane Hamsher, John Amato, Stoller and others -- in order to cover the event, interview the attendees, and videotape the festivities. There was a wall of private security deployed around the building, and after asking where the press entrance was, we were told by the security officials, after they consulted with event organizers, that the press was barred from the event, and that only those with invitations could enter -- notwithstanding the fact that what was taking place in side was a meeting between one of the nation's largest corporations and the numerous members of the most influential elected faction in Congress. As a result, we stood in front of the entrance and began videotaping and trying to interview the parade of Blue Dog Representatives, AT&T executives, assorted lobbyists and delegates who pulled up in rented limousines, chauffeured cars, and SUVs in order to find out who was attending and why AT&T would be throwing such a lavish party for the Blue Dog members of Congress.AT&T thanks the Blue Dog Democrats with a lavish party (via David Isenberg)Amazingly, not a single one of the 25-30 people we tried to interview would speak to us about who they were, how they got invited, what the party's purpose was, why they were attending, etc. One attendee said he was with an "energy company," and the other confessed she was affiliated with a "trade association," but that was the full extent of their willingness to describe themselves or this event. It was as though they knew they're part of a filthy and deeply corrupt process and were ashamed of -- or at least eager to conceal -- their involvement in it. After just a few minutes, the private security teams demanded that we leave, and when we refused and continued to stand in front trying to interview the reticent attendees, the Denver Police forced us to move further and further away until finally we were unable to approach any more of the arriving guests.
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It is a shame that a presidential candidate who stands as a splendid testament to the success of the civil rights movement of previous decades cares so little for the civil rights of the country as a whole.
In those same previous decades, AT&T (as the old "Ma Bell") was an icon of corporate hegemony. Plus ça change...
Hrm, locking out politically inclined nerds from an AT&T event. What could possibly go wrong?
I just got back to my house from last night. Incredibly demoralizing (but in some instances very inspiring). I've never seen so many money-whores in Denver, ever. I still have a headache from the tear gas, but at least I wasn't in direct contact. I had a brief encounter with Bill O'Rielly over on Market St. while he was leaving the 1515 (which was hilarious that he stumbled in there in the first place). He's much more timid in person, then again... he was outnumbered pretty badly and we weren't exactly greeting him with smiles. I made his buddies laugh with an odd comment something along the lines of "you're taller than I thought you were" or something stupid that flew into my skull. Met drunk lobbyist bitches from some mining company that gave 50/50 dem/repug and were very concerned with getting to exclusive parties and hung out with drunk union women that were concerned with saving the world. Crap, I'm too tired... too much happened tonight, it's all still spinning around.. got video footage at Invesco where Obama was practicing his speech, got footage of the protest getting sprayed and herded and got some drinks with dem freaks. Shit, it's only Monday.... er, tues...
Wild, wild night... I'm... getting... sleep...
By the way, you can still get tickets to Rage Against The Machine (it was lottery only, but...) over at Tent State, but you gotta earn it by helping out.
Cowicide, care to elaborate when you've had a nap? Sounds mental.
You know, I like and trust Glenn Greenwald a lot, but it sounds like he claimed that the party was attended by Blue Dog Democrats when, in fact, he couldn't positively identify any. I'll chalk some of that up to the presence of Jane Hamsher, one of the worst things to happen to the Democratic Party.
@halloween jack: Watch Democracy Now's segment on this from yesterday's show. The party was announced as being explicitly for Blue Dog Democrats and sponsored by AT&T.
Shameless. And that shamelessness is compounded by Obama's faliure to curtail this kind of political corporate lovefest before the convention.
Why didn't BB send intrepid AT&T buster Joel Johnson to pester these people? He could have gotten some great pics with his iPhone.
The RNC thanks all of you very very very much for your astroturf.
@COWICIDE
"I made his buddies laugh with an odd comment something along the lines of "you're taller than I thought you were" or something stupid that flew into my skull."
I once got out of an obvious mugging by commenting to the skinniest of the five kids that 'I'd never seen a piece of shit longer then 6 inches before'. Two of his buddies started laughing at him, and that broke the mood on their end, and I got to go home. That would have been a great line to use on Bill Oh'Really as well.
Cambridge in 1975 was a long time ago.
"...maybe we can identify them and figure out who AT&T owns in the Democratic party."
You mean, other than those who voted to approve the FISA bill?
COWICIDE: I'll second that. We eagerly await more once you are rested.
It is ironic that all of those who arrive at this party seem to value their privacy in not disclosing why they are attending. The owners of the property use security and cops to enforce their privacy. Who enforces ours?
Also annoying: Democracy Now!, when covering this yesterday (with Greenwald) made clear that Greenwald and DN! were the only press trying to get any coverage of the event.
You should have followed up your joke about Bill O. with "Thanks, I'm here all week, try the falafel, it's great!".