Big Willy Style's All In It

Former President Bill Clinton arrived in Ann Arbor today to stump for U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, who is being challenged by Republican Rob Steele on Nov. 2. This is one of those times as a photographer when you want to scream. No, not because Bill Clinton is scary. But because I was stuck in a press section in the back of a very large auditorium and told I couldn't move up closer. That forced me to have to shoot straight on against a gaudy orange background from far away the entire afternoon. Ugh. Anyway, it was an interesting rally. Lots of politicking and Tea Party bashing. Read the story here. Oh, and that last photo is of a U-M a cappella group called Gimble that was probably the highlight of the day for me. They opened with this cover of "Far From Home" by the Gabe Dixon Band, one of my favorite bands in the whole wide world (I didn't think anybody knew who they were). Oh, and I have to give a shout out to Bill for looking pretty healthy these days (it's that new "almost vegan" diet of his). He has followed in daughter Chelsea's vegan footstep in hopes of becoming healthier (he had a quadruple heart bypass in 2004) and has reported losing 24 pounds since starting the diet. "I live on beans, legumes, vegetables, fruit," he told CNN's Wolf Blitzer recently. "I drink a protein supplement every morning — no dairy — I drink almond milk mixed in with fruit and a protein powder so I get the protein for the day." Viva la vegan.

Democrats Unite

Former Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean told a crowd of mostly University of Michigan students Wednesday night that a victory for Democrats in the November midterm elections is anything but assured. "You caused a revolution in this country two years ago. We are in danger of losing everything that you worked for," he said. "We can't let that happen. All I'm asking is, for the next 55 days, that you get your friends involved like you did two years ago." With less than two months to go until the Nov. 2 election, Dean urged the crowd gathered at Rackham Auditorium in Ann Arbor to sign up to volunteer for the campaigns of Democratic Congressmen John Dingell, Mark Schauer and Gary Peters, shown in the pictures below. Read the story here.