That Time I Saw Gary Busey In Action
That Time I Saw Gary Busey In Action
A political convention for the ages
Circa 2000
Hello, Los Angeles!
When Bill Clinton was exiting the White House and Al Gore was campaigning to win it, Los Angeles hosted the Democratic National Convention. Lucky me, I landed an assignment for US News and World Report and its Washington Whispers column. Covering a political convention had been a childhood dream of mine.
By day, I roamed the Staples Center where actors like Warren Beatty and Annette Benning sashayed, wearing Gore buttons and signing autographs. By night, I hit swanky hotspots on Sunset Boulevard where high-roller Democratic donors and stars drank, schmoozed, flirted, and fucked at private parties in locales that seemed ripped from the pages of a Jackie Collins’ novel.
One night, a middle-aged Arkansas couple I met earlier during the week approached me on the convention floor.
“We’ve hired a car to take us to a party that is being thrown two Democratic Party bigwigs, outside of Los Angeles,” the man said. “Would you like to join us?”