Christian Lanier with the Rev. Al Sharpton

Tennessee delegates with Sen. Bob Corker

Marty, Lauren and Randy Fairbanks.

Karl Rove and Christian Lanier

Sean Hannity at the Fox News booth adjacent to Tennessee delegation

Rep. Zach Wamp and Sen. Bob Corker on the convention floor with Tennessee delegation

John Bobo, former Hamilton County assistant district attorney and former Times reporter, with Christian Lanier

Sen. McCain's brother, Joe McCain autographs scarf for Tennessee delegate

By Christian Lanier, Republican delegate

We began yesterday morning’s delegation breakfast by receiving schedule updates. Our delegation and the Alaska delegation are at the Ramada Inn Mall of America, so Alaska joined us for breakfast. All of us hope that our vice-presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, will speak to both our delegations before the convention is over. I can’t understate how much enthusiasm and energy she has added amongst the conservative base. To us she has become Saint Sarah for all she has done to lift our spirits and set us on the right path to victory.

At the breakfast, we were visited by former Gov. George Pataki of New York, retired Air Force Col. Tom Moe, and Sen. John McCain’s brother, Joe McCain.

Col. Moe retired from the Air Force in 1995. He was shot down and captured by the North Vietnamese in January 1968. Like Sen. McCain, Col. Moe refused early release from the Hanoi Hilton. They were released together in March 1973. After returning to the United States, Col. Moe earned his master’s degree in international relations from Notre Dame University, where he later served as a professor of aerospace studies and commander of the Air Force ROTC program.

Several of us were able to have photos made with Joe McCain holding John McCain’s flight jacket.

From breakfast Pam, Charlie Holder and his wife, Glenda Holder, drove up to the Marriott at Nicollet Mall to a workshop on Education Reform conducted by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia under his American Solutions organization. Among the speakers were Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, entrepreneur Bob Compton, Gov. Roy Romer of Colorado, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, and the Rev. Al Sharpton. Take two guesses who received the most standing O’s at this Republican National Convention. It was Rev. Sharpton. He is genuinely funny, eloquent, and most important for us conservative Republicans, he is dramatically pro-education reform.

Here are some Sharpton gems:

* “There is no greater civil rights issue today than education reform.”

* “If parents can find $125 to buy tennis shoes, they can find time to go to a PTA meeting.”

But the single most thought provoking statement: “We didn't fight for the right to be decadent; we fought for the right to be excellent.”

Yes, I took photos of Rev. Sharpton sharing the stage with Speaker Gingrich; and, yes, I had my own photo snapped with him. Looking back 30 years from now, this may have been the day that not all “bi-partisanship” has to be liberal in outcome, and this may have been the day when true education reform began. These guys were focused on what works, not on whose label it fit.

The entire panel agreed that the greatest problem for American education is culture and expectations. They spoke of how students in the U.S. are not just competing against one another, but the real competition is with students in India and China. Their students spend week nights and Saturdays studying, whereas American student spend their time shopping, focusing on entertainment and playing sports. Math and science education directly correlate with a nation’s GDP; we teach Spanish and French in our schools, whereas the Indians and Chinese teach English. The panel suggested we teach Farsi (Persian), Arabic, Hindu and Mandarin Chinese. They also suggested achievement-based hiring rather than credentials-based hiring. If we don’t obtain true education reform, the rest of the world will eat our lunch and leave us with crumbs.

After that, we shopped at the downtown Nicollet Pedestrian Mall and headed back to the hotel to prepare for the convention session. U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, his wife, Kim, and his chief of staff rode the bus with us to the Excel Center. I had the chance to talk with David Donley, an attorney from Anchorage, Alaska. Occasionally, Pam and I have thought of taking a cruise up to Alaska; he had photos from home that would quickly convince you to go. Walking into the hall, we ran into U.S. Sen. Bob Corker. I made photos of Gary Drinkard and Bill Hilleary of Rhea County, and they photographed me with the senator.

Once I entered the convention center and made my way to the floor I began to run into a lot of folks that were famous, and or whom I knew from college days. Among our Tennessee delegates is Memphis/Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons, who was president of the Vanderbilt College Republicans a couple of years before me. From the McCain campaign, I ran into former Hamilton County Assistant District Attorney and former Times reporter John Bobo.

The Fox News broadcasting unit is at the back of the convention floor next to the Tennessee delegation. Several of us stood right behind Sean Hannity as he broadcasted the night’s show with co-host Alan Colmes and consultant Dick Morris while they interviewed New York Mayor Giuliani, U.S. Rep. Mike Pense (”Drill Here, Drill Now”), the Architect Karl Rove and others. I made some great photos of Sean Hannity. I met Karl Rove for a photo. I knew him when he was National College Republican chairman.

After that excitement, I headed back to my seat on the convention floor. Former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson began speaking, and Tennessee was pumped. It was serendipity that on my way in, I saw Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty being interview by Conan O’Brien’s Triumph The Insult Comic Dog.

After a photo with Gov. Pawlenty, I met the canine for a eight-minute rollicking bout. I called my daughter to tell her, and she thought that was the coolest thing — her dad being interviewed by Triumph.

So watch Conan during the next few evenings, and you might see me talk about Abominable Obama. I noted that Joe Biden might be known as an attack dog, but that Saint Sarah is going to put him in the dog pound.

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