The headquarters is relatively empty becausemost of the workers have been bused to theSomerset Clarion Hotel in Nashua, where Harkinwill speak to the United Auto Workers' dinner atseven. It is snowing. The New Hampshire road crewshaven't salted or plowed yet, and the traffic onI-93 goes fifteen miles an hour under the minimumspeed limit of forty-five. The New HampshireLiquor Store/Rest Stops aren't doing much businesstonight.

At the Clarion, the reporters wait in the lobbyfor Harkin to arrive. Lars, a reporter for CBS,types notes into his laptop. He has followedHarkin around all day for three weeks, first inIowa and now here, and "has heard the stump seventhousand times." He travels with Ju-Ju, hiscounterpart at ABC, who is writing a postcard to afriend that just got engaged. Before she canfinish, she looks up, "Oh shit, he's herealready."

The Betacams and Nikons cluster around Harkinas he enters, and the usual questions get theusual replies. "Senator, what do you say aboutpolls that you are running in a race for thirdwith Kerrey?"

"I don't pay attention to polls," he shootsback.

"Senator, what do you think about Kerrey'sads?"

"They're nothing compared to what Bush willthrow at us."

"Senator, would you be insulted if yourcolleagues drafted a nominee?"

"The nominee is in the race and you are lookingat him."

Harkin enters the ballroom to the cheers ofunion members and the flashes of pocket cameras,shakes hands, waves, sits down to dinner. Theunion leader goes to the podium and starts theintroduction just as the Chicken Kiev is beingserved. This is bad timing, because Harkin willstart speaking to the clinking of silverware,people will stop eating out of politeness, and thechicken and potatoes will grow cold and be leftuneaten.

Harkin rises, goes to the microphone. He firstthanks the union leader and several other bigwigs."He's been with me since the very beginning...Shehas done tremendous work for the union...He is mylong-time friend and supporter." He is reading thenames off note cards an aide slipped him as hestepped to the podium.

Bush is staying in this hotel tonight, andHarkin quips, "This is the closest the Presidentwill get to organized labor." The crowd loves it.Harkin sweeps into his stump. He is preaching tothe converted.

"How many of you saw the State of the Unionaddress?" Boos. "Well you didn't miss a damnthing!" Cheers.

"Let's talk trickle down economics." Boos."It's like trying to feed the birds by giving moreoats to the horse!" Cheers.

The crowd punctuates the speech withinterjections, like worshippers urging on theminister.

"My father was a coal miner, my mother was animmigrant."