I had a tasty lunch and a very active grassroots campaign today; just check out all the signs that my supporters made, copied, and plastered around the office for me! Nick's cockiness with me, in the form of taunting me and making smartass comments to me all day, was finally starting to show signs of cracking. He went from, "Yeah, we're gonna go to Italy and then take a shuttle into space for dinner; it's gonna be out of this world," and "So... still looking for lunch, huh? Are you actually getting any work done today?" to this:

Artair: I want to put this Chenwei sign on Tommaso's desk. 
Nick: If you do that, I'm gonna lose it.

What makes this even worse is that we share a cubicle space and sit literally 3 inches from each other at work.  Did I mention that he ripped one of my signs in half as well?  He did it very slowly, being sure to make his animosity known.  I hope he at least recycled.

And the divisiveness and tension of the Campus Progress office was only exacerbated.  Some new alliances were formed, others were broken.  No wonder the campaign trail can be so exhausting sometimes.  /sigh

Even though breakfast was not as successful as I had originally hoped for it to be, my tasty lunch definitely made up for it.  So it wasn't a three-course meal that I had to lie my way in to, but it was still fulfilling.  I walked over to the Washington Institute to attend a discussion with Mario Mancuso, President Bush's Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security, on economic and national security issues dealing with US-Iranian relations.  The Washington Institute is a fairly cramped suite situated in a big impressive building on K Street.  I signed in, slapped on my nametag--that had "Center for American Progress" written on it--in an inconspicuous part of my body, and went straight to the buffet table.

My lunch consisted of: a portobello mushroom sandwich with sprouts and avocado on flatbread that had cheese and tomatoes baked on top; salad with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and artichoke hearts; tomato and mozzarella slices in a savory pesto sauce; fruit salad, complete with kiwis, watermelon, pineapple, grapefruit, honeydew, and cantaloupe; crispy pita chips; and a Diet Pepsi.  And for dessert: a super-soft mini blondie brownie, a tangy lemon bar, and a chewy vanilla macaroon cookie, with caramel-flavored coffee.  Mmm.

My plate of food.


I wondered how many of the old people were there only for the food as well.

What's bigger than my [fairly big] lunch, though, is the grassroots movement that has been building in my office.  Several interns plastered "Chenwei or the Highway" signs and wore (memo pad) stickers throughout the office.  A pseudo-chant took place right before the staff meeting.  Emails were sent.  The revolution has even spread to beyond the office!  Tobin Van Ostern, national co-director of Students for Barack Obama who I first met last summer, has given me his support in the form of  wall posts on my Facebook.  (He also adds that the Free Food posts are hilarious, so uh, good job, everyone.)

Also, I hope that at the end of the competition, all of you will remember that I love you.