By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/un64ga1m092309.html
UNITED NATIONS, September 23, updated -- At the UN's entrance Wednesday morning, Robert Mugabe and then Hugo Chavez came in. Chavez came over to the crowded stakeout the Press was penned into, and even answered a few questions. Zelaya? He is "un valiente," a valiant. Chavez said he hasn't been to the UN General Assembly for three years, but he is hoping for "good speeches."
One TV journalist yelled out, "Any books for President Obama?" The reference was to Chavez' gift of Chomsky to Bush. Inner City Press wonders, if not sulfur, what will it smell like?
The second entering president to speak to the Press was Fernandez of the Dominican Republic, with what one photographer called an "insanely large" entourage. As he spoke about coup d'etat -- presumably, Honduras -- a trio of journalists with "Turkmenistan" emblazoned on their jackets grumbled. Who is this guy?
The question was, where is Obama? Michele Obama came in...
Update of 9:32 a.m. -- security tells the Press, Obama will arrive in two minutes. The Press is locked in the stakeout. As we wait, Inner City Press is asked, why does Brazil always speak first? A UN staffer answers, the first GA president did it, and they've kept the tradition.
During the wait, a UN security officer tells TV camera people to stop standing on the chairs. When they ignore him, he starts taking the chairs. The camera people just push closer to the front edge of the stakeout.
Even diplomats are stopped for a time from entering. A Sri Lankan diplomat flashes her "secondary pass," but the security officer shrugs. You have to wait just like the others. Entourages pour in.
Update of 9:40 p.m. -- the two minutes have turned to eight. Now a security officer says, in Spanish, cinco minutos. Then, diez minutos. There is a strangely near reverential lull and silence.
Update of 9:42 a.m. - Gaddafi comes in. "What is your message to the people of Britain?" one journalist shouts out. Gaddafi is flashing theV peace sign -- for the record, two fingers. He is trailed by women in combat fatigues with long black hair.
Update of 9:53 a.m. -- Rwanda's President Paul Kagame walks in, and no one at the stakeout calls out a question or even notices, so intent on Obama's now delayed entrance.... We can call this, political paparazzi....
Update of 9:59 a.m. -- "this is is," the woman from the UN's Department of Public Information says. And after a slew of security officers, there is Obama, waving to the Press. Reporters shout only his name, no questions. Then in his wake, anther call: "Hilary!" By the time Ambassador Susan Rice walks by, next to a tall red headed woman -- we are assuming Samantha Power -- no reporter shouts anything. Two minutes later, the stakeout has emptied out. It's all about Obama...
Update of 10:26 a.m. -- as Obama, with the green marble backdrop, says the U.S. will work with Russia, the UN TV camera pans to Russia's seat, in which the country's Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin sits nonplussed. Coming up from the stakeout, reporters are crowded around TV screens on the third floor -- even without sound! filming each other! It is hard to describe Obama's tone: teacher-ly? He might (want to) appear to be lecturing...
Update of 10:31 a.m. -- a press conference by the spokesman for Japan's new prime minister, which was scheduled to start at 10 a.m., has been delayed. Deferred, one might say, out of deference, not wanting to overlap with Obama. Perhaps its that no repoters would go to the Japanese presser at this time. The next is Spain's Zapatero at noon.
And see, www.innercitypress.com/un64ga1m092309.html
