From the diaries -- Larry 

The United Methodist Church of Hollywood is huge, gothic, and glorious - sunlight filters in through intricate stained glass clerestory windows, enormous vaulted ceilings tower overhead, topped off with elaborately carved wooden truss beams, gracefully pointed arches frame the windows and doorways, The spectacular setting created a fitting frame for our Wes.

An estimated 400-500 excited Democrats filled the pews. My section of the church was treated to a pass the bag of Clark buttons (thanks to icantbelieve's rapid response button delivery!) Everyone put one on - we were pumped and ready.

The Pledge of Allegiance was led by the uniformed, returning vet son of Candidate Russ Warner--running against boo hiss Dreaded David Dreier in the 50th. I think I leaked a few tears pledging allegiance to OUR flag with Wes standing before me reciting the pledge as well. At the end "with Liberty and Justice for all"-- the entire crowd, as if on cue, spontaneously took the word 'ALL' and shouted it in emphasis.  It was powerful.

Bubbly and charming - Stephanie Miller of Air America took the stage and commandeered the crowd with a surprisingly tight and roaring comedic opening. She did her Arianna / Arnold impressions in an imaginary debate which had everyone in stitches. (Well, maybe not Arianna, but I believe she had left by this time)

In a quiet moment, Ms Miller took a beat and solemnly announced-- I am hear today for three words...

General   Wesley   Clark. 

(crowd erupts in applause)

"General Clark-- I would put you on my future husbands list but I'm afraid Gert would probably kick my butt!"

She tells the crowd that since she has been speaking, three more republicans have been newly indicted. It's clear that she too holds Wes in the highest esteem and having a strong progressive radio voice on our side can only be a boon for WesPAC and any future plans.....like running for some higher office....at some point...down the road...

She tells us that her mother is "really republican", 82 years old, and that if George W. Bush was caught having sex with a sheep on the White House lawn, her Mom would say "Well honey, he's just trying to help out. The sheep was probably cold, he just wanted to make it warmer...why do you hate America?"

Her first introduction is John Heaner, local Dem party chair, who gave a stirring warm up "Take Back the House" speech and brought each of the candidates forward to rousing cheers...Francine Busby was infectiously enthusiastic and clearly poised to get the vacant Cunningham seat left open through his admittance to taking $2.4 million in bribes...the Republican way.  Michael Webber, the indefatiguable, spoke as well and took the crowd yet another notch into its anticipation.

THE INTRODUCTION

Sincerely humbled by being chosen to introduce Wes, Stephanie likened it to Carrot Top introducing Ghandi!

She rattles off his key resume points, at "Rhodes Scholar" she squeals "Oh, ME TOO!!",  finishing with "candidate for President of the United States" bringing on huge applause and whistles...and she then says something about being in Church and prayer and, "Please God, make him run and get nominated"  Well the room went wild here-- more whistling than at a Manhattan taxi stand.  Woo Hooing like it was going out of style.  Deafening screaming like at a rock concert. Out of control -- Dems want Wes.

She looks to Wes and flatly says-- "I don't know General....sounds like there's a groundswell to me..."  Then she introduces him at last and again, the applause and shouting goes on forever....the crowd up on it's feet.

Right off the bat he asks the Vets in the crowd to stand up and be recognized.  A good group representing all ages rises to warm applause and cheers from an appreciative crowd.  I'll bet it felt better than a magnet on a bumper.

When discussing his writing of the Real State of the Union speech, Wes confesses that the exercise left him feeling so saddened...  The church quieted to dead silence as he went on.

"WHY?" His voice dropping with an edge of pain in it..."WHY are we here?... I came to recognize that millions of people all over the world, they believe that America's beacon of hope is dimming-- they believe our star is setting, they believe America's time is passing...WHY?? Why, When we are the greatest country in the world?-- OUr Bill of Rights- that set the standards for the whole world....WHY?, When we save the world from tyranny,   Why? When we have the most incredible Constitution...WHY?  Why is our day passing?  WHY?" 

Each successive "WHY?"--some whispered, some pleaded-- was more plaintiff than the previous...it was the soft sound of Wes's heart breaking as he pondered these questions, and we all broke along with him in the pews. 

You could have heard a mosquito cough at this point.  (I privately wondered if he'd been reading donjo's posts and borrowed the WHY theme from him. But plagiary is so UnWesLike...) 

Has a full Church ever been so quiet I wondered?

Now here it gets eerily symbolic.  Suddenly I'm watching Wes up there, aglow beneath the stained glass and Romanesque archways, a draped green cloth reading "HOLY * HOLY * HOLY" displayed to his right... I scan the crowd to find them - to a person- transfixed.  Literally glued to his words, which at this point are booming in echo off the massive stone walls....and I realize profoundly where I am. 

I am in Church...on so many levels.  We has taken the pulpit and delivered a sermon that this hungry congregation was voraciously inhaling, hanging on his every word.  A sort of Church of Democracy.

Wes had taken his already riveting public speaking skills to a new and transcendant level-- he was preaching democracy.  Preaching ethics, preaching the Constitution, values, and America, with a passion to rival any of the best of them.  I have not seen him this powerful to date, relishing more than ever the rhythms of working the room from the podium.  My heart raced at the revelation and fusion of it all.  Holy Holy Holy. 

He should probably book more house of worship venues-- I make a mental note for WesPAC.  If this isn't a man running for President, then this is a man rehearsing to play a role of a man running for President, my mind tells me.  I tell my mind to shut up and listen.

Next he concluded how the blunders of the current administration had turned sour our vast good faith and reputation in the world, from Iraq to Katrina, listing the fatal errors that dragged us into this pit and plundered our national pride.  He categorizes how the world sees America now and what they hear from us--

"Osama Bin Laden wanted dead or alive, Bring em on, Old Europe, You're either with us or against us--They see the carnage and destruction, the waste, the misuse or our men and women in uniform.-- They hear us talkin' tough....but they don't see real leadership."

On Katrina-- "--when the United States of America CAN'T get it together for our own natural disaster! Despite hundreds of millions of dollars, CAN'T score in the Middle East....Can't Can't Can't...they SMELL it abroad, they smell it, it's in the air-- it's this nastiness, it comes out in partisanship."

He pulls out the Bible, (and calls it "Pat Robertson's book")-- telling us the story of his decision to run in the '04 race.  Gert would not give him a YEA or NAY on the issue, leaving it for Wes alone to decide.  "It's your decision" she said.  He stole away to go to the Bible, and read verses and psalms, ("So I sat down with Pat's book...") seeking that confirmation that might come to him in the form of a tingle or recognition of some message.  "Nothing! Nothing!"  He continued to read.  Still nothing. 

He put the book away, and the phone rang with a male voice that said to him

"General Clark?" 

"Yes who is this?"

"It doesn't matter.  You have to run"

And hung up.

There was much more rabble rousing party rallying and advice for the grassroots, (always Country before Party, get the uninvolved into politics, the Party of Service and equal opportunity, Save the Constitution...preserve our rights, Congress needs to do their duty, and don't be shy about National Security discussions) But the key moments to me were the pleas to take back our country, so heartfelt and so urgently expressed.

"For America to be safe....We've got to make more friends than enemies"-- Wes Clark

My day in Church in Hollywood......Holy Holy Holy