[Leica] USA politics

[kcassidy at asc.upenn.edu (Kyle Cassidy)]

I'm hoping to see lots of great photos of politicians now that the season 
they strut around for our photo-practice has arrived.

The first time I met the admirable Sal DiMarco was at a political event. I'd 
just gotten kicked out of the crowd for looking too much like a professional 
(it was the Domke vest)  and was sent forlornely to the back of the hall 
where the press riser was. As I grumbled with my 80mm f 1.8 jupiter lens, 
standing now a good 200 feet away, one of the reporters looked down and said 
"Hey! It's Kyle Cassidy!" and rushed over and gave me a hug. It was Sal, 
whom I'd never met before. I lamented that I only had a short lens and he 
said "That's no problem, hold on," and he flagged down a staffer and said 
"This reporter and I need to go up to the photo pit!" -- and she escorted us 
up to the very front where I proceeded to take very lousy photos.

But I met Sal DiMarco, and my world was never the same again. He took a 
Leica red dot out of his wallet and stuck it on my Nikon. "Now you're fit 
for polite society," he said.