The only thing vaguely reminiscent of the old days is the haze in the air. But that doesn't mean these Republicans aren't turning out to be regular party animals. I had a little bout with John Barleycorn last night and he seemed to have won. The balloons in the ceiling look like red, white and blue honeycombs waiting to drop on your head. Nearly everyone is sweating.
Precious floor passes turn into fans.
Photographers wipe themselves off with stray articles of clothing. Everywhere, there are familiar TV faces in heavy makeup that gives them a weird, unnatural appearance. If you turn around, the mirrored platform where the band sits offers a fun-house reflection that, here on this floor, seems neither weird nor unnatural. In the foreign press tent Tuesday, they were sifting through the remnants of Laura Bush's speech, trying to figure out what she was talking about. The text was so full of homey, American allusions it escaped some of the most English-proficient reporters from abroad.