Late Wednesday afternoon former President Bill Clinton had a book signing at the Barnes and Noble at 12th and E Street. Individuals had reportedly been waiting in line since the night before to get their books signed. Many fans camped out with lawn chairs, umbrellas, and coolers. As I was leaving work I decided to stop in to see how difficult media access was at the event. Although the event staffers were very hyper, I was able to get signed in and through security in less than 10 minutes. I was escorted behind a curtain and onto the photographer’s shooting gallery.
My fellow intern and I watched as dozens of people filed by to get there books signed. Naturally the former president used a rotation of greetings with the passersby. He thanked them for their support, making special note if the person was evidently a veteran or some other form of public servant.
All was not so rosy outside the event. For a relatively insignificant news event there was a large contingent of protestors outside the store. They held signs protesting Clinton’s stance on terrorism, expressing general disregard for his character, and revising the title of his autobiography to read My Lies instead of My Life. One man wore a suit and a mask of Clinton’s head. He stood outside the barricades with his arm around a Monica Lewinsky look-alike. They held a sign that said “Scandal for Profit.”
I’ll post more photos from the event when I put up my next news gallery.