OK so I'm working on this story about health care reform.  I find something out by pure accident and I decide to call the Senate Finance Committee today in Washington, D.C. to see if this proposal has a bill number yet (No, not 3200).  Well, I get sent to the voicemail for the SFC Press Office.  No big deal.  I leave a message KNOWING I won't get a call back before my deadline.  Well I was right, partially.  I didn't get the phone call, but I did get an email from the Press Office.

"Hi Anthony, the Chairman's Mark gets released tomorrow and I've added you to our permanent press lists so that you'll get the release the instant it goes out."

I was stunned, shaken, excited and more.  I was ecstatic that a student at a community college writing for a community college student newspaper could gain that much favor with Washington.  WOW.

I'm still on sort of a high from the whole thing, I mean who would have thought *ME* of all people getting on a permanent press list?  That means I get the press releases at the same time the big boys do like CNN and Fox News.

Maybe I'm being overzealous, but this was a MAJOR victory for me and for the Renegade RIp.

Ant