I was quite excited to get to go the Democratic Rural Conference with the Albany Young Democrats. I had heard about this conference in the news in the past, and was looking forward to meeting some other upstate and rural Democrats even more then meeting with the big politicians that always attend this conference.

I got to the registration booth of the conference around 5:45 PM. I had to run home before I went here, as I needed to get my dress shoes which I accidentally left home. I went to there via Altamont and Route 158, which I avoided much of the traffic that slowed many of the other Albany Young Democrats. At the door was Ralph Signorni who was hanging up Andrew Cuomo signs all around. I walked in got my name tag, and proceeded on in. Christine Rutan was the only other young dem that I knew there at the time.

Walking around, all of the major Democratic candidates for state offices in 2006, such as Elliot Spitizer, Andrew Cuomo, and Mark Green. It was pretty amazing to see these men so up close, and shaking their hands. Politicians come a dime a dozen in politics, but it's always neat to meet important elected officials up close and personal. It was very crowded, and I wondered around with the other Albany Young Dems that had subsequently arrived.

We got some drinks at the open bar and then where ushered into the dinning hall for dinner. Stu Border, the head of the DRC started the ceremony, minus his usual cowboy hat. We sat around and listened to Spitzer's speech. It was fascinating, and enjoyable. The real highlight of the evening was the brief introductory remarks of the charismatic Mayor Brian Stratton. If there ever was a politician that was going far, it is Bryan Stratton.

The blind Senate Minority Leader Mark Patterson's speech was inspiring. He talked about rural America being the future after the end of the cheap oil boom. He has great hope for the farms and other small cottage industries replacing the big cities. It was particularly surprising for him to give this speech, being a Manhattan Democrat. It will be great when he becomes the Senate Majority Leader. New York State is going left!

We sat and listened to several speeches as we munched down to dinner. Around 9 PM things broke up for the Andrew Cuomo desert reception. They had all kinds of amazing cakes and deserts to eat, along with all the beer you could drink. Andrew's rambling about HUD was drowned out by us all chomping down on cake.

We then went to the Brodsky and DiNappoli after-dinner reception. Assemblyman DiNappoli grabbed me and pulled me out on the floor to dance. Another lady kept making us dance, eventhough I am probably one of the most terrible dancers out there. At any rate, we were pretty drunk by that point. Left around mid-night.

The next morning I was there before all the other Young Dems for the DiNappoli breakfast reception. It was good eating all that food, and DiNappoli's speech was personable. More impressive was the guest speakers including Frank Muaro whose condemnation of the New York tax system was impressive. Frank Muaro of the Fiscal Policy Insitute really knows his stuff.

At lunch time we had another speaker talk about the President and his failed rural policies. This speaker went on for a long time and in some ways our interests drifted away. Yet, it was still pretty enjoyable. I then attended Tedra Cobb's lecture on Winning Rural Elections. That was also quite a bit fun.