Rocky start to D.C. trip
Larry Wright/The Detroit News
This was supposed to be an entry to kick off what will be a running blog about my attendance at the newspaper convention in Washington, DC, with details about what is on the program for the next few days. Instead, we're living through the travel nightmares that thousands of others have been suffering in recent weeks because of canceled flights due to FAA safety checks.
I was grateful that I was flying on United instead of American. But United — or at least my connecting flight from Denver to D.C. — is having its own problems. After everybody was loaded on board (wall-to-wall, every seat filled, many of them by transfers from American), it was found there is some sort of electrical problem. So we are sitting in the plane at the gate, waiting to hear whether we can get the OK to fly on auxiliary power (highly unlikely!), or solve the problem, or unload us and find another plane.
At least I get a chance to try out my Verizon laptop uplink — seems to be working OK!
I'm bummed because I had dinner plans this evening with a longtime journalism colleague from Hawaii days who is now working on the Pentagon's news Web site, believe it or not. (Bet you didn't know they even had one...) It's possible that we'll have to try to reschedule — if I can even get to Washington at all today.
If I do, there are some interesting things going on at this convention, which because it's an election year is a combination of the American Society of Newspaper Editors, the Newspaper Association of America (the publishers), and the industry's trade show, called NEXPO.
I'll fill in details of the upcoming program later today, but all three remaining presidential contenders will be speaking — McCain and Hillary Clinton on Monday, and Obama on Tuesday. Plus, the welcoming bash will be at the brand-new Nationals baseball park, and a trip is planned to the Newseum on the Mall, which opened officially yesterday.
Meanwhile, things are getting claustrophobic in here. Pray for us...