Even though the title of this diary is a little sordid, its not what you think (or would hope to think). I had an amazing opportunity to show my support for Hillary Clinton during a time when she needed it the most right here in Sacramento.

After work, I came home to find an invitation in my email asking for help supporting Hillary Clinton at an event in Sacramento where several anti-war radicals were planning to protest. I’m not a full-throated Hillary supporter, but I honestly believe she could be a fantastic president and I’m looking forward to seeing what she brings to the table over the next year. So, I decided to trek out to cheer her motorcade and hopefully drown out the negativity of some ill-advised protesters.

When I arrived, I saw some friendly faces, and a few who were less than friendly. A small group of protesters were lined on the opposite side of the street waving flags and displaying a flag-draped casket. Our numbers kept growing, and the road, now blocked off by well over a hundred people, the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department and the Secret Service, was a proverbial who’s who in the Sacramento Democratic world.

Assemblymen Lloyd Levine and Kevin de Leon, former California Treasurer Phil Angelides, First Lady Maria Shriver’s Chief of Staff Daniel Zingale and numerous other dignitaries and influential people were mixed in with the crowd of supporters, donors and protesters. After almost two and a half hours of waiting, an event spokeswoman informed us about the situation: the casket was a potential bomb threat, and the main road to the fundraiser was closed off while the bomb squad investigated. Fundraiser attendees were told they would have to walk through an orchard bordering the property and enter through a side gate.

Out of either perhaps sheer stupidity or just a strong sense of adventure, I decided to try my luck with the Secret Service to see if I could get in to the event. After a brief check with the agents, I was allowed to pass. Once in, we all herded down a narrow dirt path (Phil Angelides glued to a cell phone right behind me) to the gorgeous home of real estate developer Eleni Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis and Markos Kounalakis.

Once into the backyard, I got a front-row position to see the Senator. While we were waiting patiently on the road, she was waiting as well on a tarmac at the Sacramento Airport, and graciously decided to go through with the event—albeit 2 and a half hours later than planned. Her attitude was very pleasant and cordial when she arrived.

After an abridged speech hitting on key points (universal healthcare, education reform, and a quick blast against oil companies), Senator Clinton ended with a remarkable tale from her husband’s White House administration.

The story, relayed by Senator Clinton, regarded a visit from then-Secretary of State Madeline Albright to the Eastern European countries that once comprised “The Iron Curtain.” Wherever she traveled in the region, Secretary Albright started noticing that the people were waving 48-starred American flags. When she asked some of the people why they had these outdated flags, they told her that they were given to them when the American GI’s liberated them from Nazi rule after World War II. For decades of Soviet oppression, they kept our flag because it was a symbol of freedom and hope.

After her remarks, Senator Clinton posed for a photo with the children and then proceeded inside to meet with everyone and do photo-ops. By the time she left, it was after 10pm.

I left the event inspired, knowing that regardless of which Democrat becomes our next President of the United States, he or she will work to restore the integrity of our flag and make our country respected again. It was nice to get a little glimpse of how Hillary would run this country. And it was nice to sneak into a high-level fundraiser for free.