Among many, I was focusing on the race between John Laesch and Dennis Hastert. Laesch supported this effort right away, but Hastert and his campaign ignored multiple phone
calls and emails. It's horrible that these guys think they can make a citizen based campaign that turns out to be an inconvenience to them, go away by simply ignoring it long enough. I was determined to show them that the significance and importance of candidates taking a stance on issues like transparency does not go away easily, and I decided to attend a "public" meet and greet Hastert was holding, and politely ask him if he would support the Punch Clock Agreement.

Laesch shaking hands with Murchie after signing pledge:

The following is my summary of the meeting.

They must have agents in the crowd with special antennas to detect anyone who seems who is not of their clan, and remove them immediately. The event started at 9am. I got there 10 minutes before hand. As I was standing alone, enjoying a cup of coffee, minding my own business, not
having spoken a single word to anyone, a guy comes up and asks me what I was doing there. I told him I took time out of my weekend to come meet the speaker. He then said straight out that he didn't want me there and I would have to leave. The conversation went like this.

Brad: "What are you doing here?"
Me: "Waiting to meet Mr. Hastert"
Brad: "Well, we really don't want you here"
Sam: "Is there some kind of problem?"
Brad: "This is a private party and we don't want you here"
Sam: "A private party, that is publicized in the newspaper
as a meet and greet for community volunteers?"
Brad: "We're going to need you to leave"
Sam: "I'm Sam, what's your name?"
Brad: "Brad"
Sam: "Brad Hahn?" (I know Brad Hahn is the Comm. Dir.)
Brad: "No"
Sam: "What is your last name?"
Brad: (After a few seconds of silence) "We need you to
leave right now. Who are you with?"
Sam: "I'm with the Sunlight Network"
Brad: "Amy, can you go get Chris please?"
(At this point many thoughts ran through my mind. Video
clips of what happened in VA with the blogger and Jim Webb
came into play, was just one.)
Sam: "I'm just curious why you don't want me here?"
Brad: "Because we don't want you here."
Sam: "You don't want me here because...you don't want me
here?"

At this point, Chris showed up. Rational arguments weren't
carrying any weight, and since Brad had said this was a
private party, (and I wasn't sure what the implications
were for that)I was on thin ice for not leaving after being
asked several times. There were several cops there too, so
I really was in a catch. I thought about the benefits of
making a scene and drawing attention to the fact that I was
being forced to leave for no reason other that Brad "I
don't have a last name" Hahn thought that he simply didn't
want me there.

But there weren't any cameras right there, and I also think
that causing a ruckus might be going a little too far in
terms of this kind of organizing. Needless to say, I have a
mixture of frustration, disappointment, and anger. But as
in every situation, there is always something that has to
be learned. I now have a better idea of how to avoid this
in the future.

1. Don't show up too early and give them a chance to notice
you, and then proceed to confront me the way they did.

2.If possible, have someone else there with a camera. Brad
"No last name" Hahn was clearly afraid of how this could
play out in the media, and didn't want to be seen as the
culprit of something like this.

3.Have 2 or 3 response to their stupid questions already
planned out.