* From Lynn Sweet…
-Illinois has prime seats on the Democratic convention floor, and for the Wednesday session labor leaders from the state were front row center. The group pictured above are Tom Balanoff, SEIU and a longtime Obama friend; Toby Trimmer, IFT; Dan Montgomery, IFT president; Tony Garcia, UAW and Ron McInroy, UAW president.
* The photo…
- Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 12:15 pm:
“Anybody seen Henry Bayer?”
- Cincinnatus - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 12:16 pm:
“We are the Democratic Party”
- Ronald RayGun - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 12:16 pm:
“These seats are terrible. They’re facing the stage!”
- beserkr29 - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 12:21 pm:
“Does this purple tie clash too much with my ID badge?”
- VanillaMan - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 12:30 pm:
What strike vote back home?
- Wensicia - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 12:38 pm:
Ok, the seats are nice. Where’s the bar with the free cocktails that we get at our conventions?
- Come on man! - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 12:42 pm:
All their missing is Bashful and Doc.
- Ron Burgundy - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 12:45 pm:
“Just think, thanks to us, our brothers got $50 an hour to put these chairs here!”
- wordslinger - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 12:50 pm:
“Who were those Illinois delegates who came all the way to Charlotte and forgot to vote for Obama?”
- Michelle Flaherty - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 12:53 pm:
Toby Trimmer is my hero!
- Give Me A Break - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 12:53 pm:
Toby “this beats the heck of sitting through one of those Dem. caucus meetings at 10:00 PM on May 31st.”
- Esquire - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 12:54 pm:
Tom, our jobs would be a lot simpler today if you had persuaded Blago to appoint Valerie to the Senate in 2008.
- Michelle Flaherty - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 12:57 pm:
The Speaker demanded Toby have a frontrow seat so the Speaker would be able to see over him.
- OneMan - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 12:59 pm:
Illinois public employee labor union leaders look longingly at the stage as most people see the President accepting his parties nomination they are thinking…
“It’s nice to see an Illinois Democrat who isn’t trying to mess with us”
- Anonymous - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 1:07 pm:
“damn, you’re right, ‘empty chair” DOES trump empty suits”…
- Spliff - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 1:08 pm:
If I could grow up top be a union leader I would want to be the “Amazing Toby Trimmer!”
- PQ's Primary Opponent - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 1:10 pm:
Mr. Toby has always been a classy man..
- Kerfuffle - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 1:15 pm:
Okay, when the music starts we have to remove one of the seats and then when it stops a delegate has to go home.
- Dirty Red - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 1:16 pm:
Why did they stick Toby in the middle? He’s going to have to pee in five minutes and make everybody get up!
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 1:42 pm:
“Okay, President, this time I want to see your walking shoes, or I’m heading to the bar.”
- Anon - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 1:45 pm:
What’d Rod offer for your seat?
- That Guy - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 1:55 pm:
“It’s hard to sit after what these guys have been doing to us. Can someone please pass me one of those donut pillows?”
- Steve Bartin - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 1:57 pm:
‘We like coercion’
- Holdingontomywallet - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 2:17 pm:
“Obama is so skinny, he fits nicely in our back pockets - how convenient is that?”
- Ronald RayGun - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 2:29 pm:
Anon nailed it.
“Wow, these seats really are ****in’ golden.”
- Zoble21 - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 2:36 pm:
Guys, after this gets over lets meet and decide how we can finish ruining the country…the dems haven’t figured out yet that we can break everyone very soon!
- Siyotanka - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 2:39 pm:
See no evil…hear no evil…speak no evil…these others guys are just along for the ride.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 2:44 pm:
Toby: “Who wants an Orange Whip? Orange Whip? Orange Whip? Three Orange Whips!”
- Boone Logan Square - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 2:48 pm:
“Are you boys from the union?”
- Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 2:49 pm:
Montgomery to Trimmer: “Did you get me my Cheez Wiz, boy?”
- Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 2:53 pm:
“My name is Toby Trimmer. I’m from the American Federation of Teachers. I’ve been sent to see if you gentlemen are carrying your permits.”
- Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 2:57 pm:
Balanoff: Try not to be so negative all the time. Why don’t you offer a little… constructive criticism?
Trimmer: You got us into to this convention hall, pal. Now you get us out!
Balanoff: You want outta this convention hall?… O.K.
- Been There - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 2:57 pm:
Toby is longingly looking at the stage thinking “My Joe Cocker impersonation would kill in front of this audience”. “YOU ARE SOOOO BEAUTIFUL……”
- Esquire - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 3:10 pm:
@Rich Miller: Orange whips? I miss John Candy too.
- Anonymous - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 3:23 pm:
Who put the glue on the chairs? Strong stuff.
- jwscott72 - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 3:31 pm:
Having seen many of Toby’s impersonations in high school, I KNOW it would have been better that whatever else was on stage!
- Cincinnatus - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 3:37 pm:
Nice to see pear-shaped middle aged white men aren’t limited to the Republican Party!
- Toby Trimmer - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 4:12 pm:
Trimmer to Self: “Sure, you would’ve been a triple diamond Amway Ambassador, but do you really think they’d given you such great seats in Boise? Good choice on career paths.”
- jt - Friday, Sep 7, 12 @ 4:16 pm:
Hypnotist: When I snap my fingers you won’t remember any of this.