From the College of Journalism, Capital News Service on, Monday, July 31,
2000.

^CNS-Maryland Notebook,520<
   ^Elephant Condoms, Mistaken Identity Occupy Delegation's First Day<
   ^By CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE=
  
    PHILADELPHIA -- If presidential candidate George W. Bush ever needs a 
stand-in, he need not look any farther than the chairman of Maryland's 
Republican Party.
    "People tell me I look like him all the time," said a smiling Richard
D.  Bennett on the convention's first day. "Since the convention began,
I've been  approached six times."
    Bennett said that he was even mistaken for Bush by an Amtrak conductor
 while riding to Philadelphia. "I think he changed his mind though when he
saw me  carrying my own luggage," Bennett said.
    Bennett, who served as the U.S. attorney for Maryland under Bush's
father,  said the resemblance has not gone unnoticed by the Texas
governor. "He sees me  and says, `Get over here twin.' It's all a big
joke."
STRANGE BEDFELLOWS
    Rank may have its privileges, but the rank of state senator was not
enough  to get state Sen. Christopher McCabe, R-Howard, his own hotel room
during the  convention.
    McCabe had been in Philadelphia for much of last week, serving on the 
party's platform committee. He drove home Saturday for a quick overnight
visit  with his wife and four small children and didn't get back to
Philadelphia until  late Sunday - when he was told that the Hawthorn
Suites hotel had canceled his  reservation and rented his room.
    McCabe had to bunk in with House Delegate John Leopold, R-Anne
Arundel, on  Sunday night. With all the hotel rooms in Philadelphia rented
for the week of  the convention, the best the Hawthorn Suites could do for
McCabe by Monday was  to offer him a couch in its hospitality suite.
    Even though he is now sleeping on a pullout couch in a room that is
also  full of tables and chairs, McCabe isn't complaining. He said he was
just glad to  have a place to stay.
    "I had to roll with the punches,'' he said.
DIVERSITY DIVERSION
    Delegation Chairwoman Ellen Sauerbrey cheered the diversity of
Maryland's  Republican Party on Monday, making a point of introducing
several minority  members during the delegation's morning meeting.
    Sauerbrey introduced Alma Preciado, an at-large alternate delegate who
is  Hispanic and Sam Mok, an alternate delegate from the 8th Congressional
District  who is Asian. "I think we have been able to put together a
delegation that  represents Maryland," Sauerbrey said.
    She happened to overlook Maryland's only openly gay Republican
delegate,  James Harrison Jr., of Silver Spring.
    Of Maryland's 62 delegates and alternate delegates, seven are African 
American, one is Latino and one is Asian American.
PACHYDERM PROPHYLACTICS?
    What's 1 foot long, made of rubber and used by an elephant to show its
 enthusiasm?
    A Republican Party rally balloon, of course.
    But snickering Maryland party leaders had to warn delegation members 
Monday against making the connection between the deflated balloons and the
 party's elephant mascot.
    The balloons, which were first used Sunday at an event for Dick
Cheney,  the presumptive vice-presidential nominee, were shaped distinctly
like condoms.  They were passed out yesterday for delegates to use at
convention events the  rest of the week.
                        -30- CNS 07-31-00