I was over at the Xcel center this morning for an MSNBC panel with Erick Erickson at RedState, Domenico Montanaro of First Read and MSNBC digital reporter Mara Schiavocampo.  It didn’t look much different this morning than it did last night when you could’ve fired a canon through the aisles.

All the activity was on radio row, where Ralph Reed was promoting his new book (even the Republicans I was with were muttering "save us from Christian novels").  My good buddy Bob Barr was there but he was being interviewed and Bob’s can be kind of a long-winded so I had to do my panel before I could get a word in (I expected he’d still be talking to the same guy when I came out, but he had disappeared).

I was THIS CLOSE to Karl Rove and wanted to get a picture with him, but Erick Erickson was too slow on the camera uptake and Rove scurried away before I could get one.  I’m pretty sure it wasn’t because he thought I was a security threat.  I’m told that Rove is my new neighbor in DC so I may try to go back over later in the day and invite him to the fundraiser I’m having at the house for Dennis Shulman on Tuesday Sept. 9th.  I figure it would be the neighborly thing to do, right?

Anyway, Erick said it was okay if I mentioned he was griping (with good reason) that the RNC credentialed almost no bloggers, and those that they did credential they stuck up in the nosebleed section and are charging $800 (yes, $800) for internet access. That is unless you can get into the "Elephant Club" (no shit), underneath the stage where the fatcats and the politicians hang out.  Then they give you a chocolate dipped macadamia cookie and throw you out after fifteen minutes.

Ben Domenech’s dad was with us, and after he saw the crestfallen look on my face as Rove ran down the hall, he pointed out that Rick Santorumwas there and probably available for photo ops.

We all shared a moment of wordless understanding and walked on.