We are finally back from Eldorado! The FLDS sect was an incredibly interesting experience for viewers and reporters alike. As I said in my previous entries, Larry King Live asked me to be on their show for commentary a few nights and here are a couple of clips!

This clip is from the first night I went on and was caught a little off guard–

I’ve been meaning to update my blog about the experiences we’re having here in San Angelo and Eldorado. However, the beast has been hungry and I’ve been on every local news show my station airs… so its safe to say I’m operating on adrenaline and not food, water or sleep.

At the moment, I’m watching my live report on Larry King Live tonight. I’m amazed we somehow squeezed that in, but who’s going to say no to Larry? In all honesty, this has been a crazy experience and one that doesn’t seem like its going to end anytime soon. The hearing in this custody battle just started today and the 300 plus lawyers here have yet to cross examine the CPS supervisor who is the basis of the state’s evidence.

Let’s start with our return to Eldorado yesterday. When my photographer, Thomas Costley and I arrived in Eldorado, we immediately went to the Yearning for Zion ranch where we found dozens of news crews outside the gate, hoping to get in. I’ll admit I had to pull a fast one and convince the church member at the gate that I was “on the list” to get in. We finally did and found a guard tower greeting us as soon as we entered.

***By the way, by pulling a fast one, I don’t mean I lied to anyone. I just convinced the guy at the gate and his supervisor that if they wanted exposure, rejecting local news crews wasn’t going to accomplish that goal. He ended up letting all of the crews outside take a tour of the ranch.

After arriving, a man drove us through the compound to the “central area” where we were allowed to interview some of the women. They cried and said their lives were empty without the children.

The ranch itself is a lot of dusty, dry Texas land. There are some log cabin like homes, a huge temple and machinery. After leaving the ranch, we went to San Angelo, did our live hit at 10pm and then returned to the same spot a few hours later to deliver news for the morning show.

Today’s hearing was mass chaos. The one thing I noticed is there were a few young men with the women but hardly any older men. We keep hearing about young girls marrying fifty something year old men, but I have yet to see any. Perhaps that is intentional.

We have not eaten yet today, so after an 18 hour work day, we’re going to get lost in San Angelo in search of food.

Keep reading and I’ll keep writing…I’m sure it will only get crazier!

For those of you who have wondered why I haven’t mentioned the D.A.’s runoff race or any of the other exciting political events that have happened over the last few days, its because I’ve been traipsing through dust, mud and dirt out here in Eldorado, Texas. We’ve watched the children from the Yearning for Zion Ranch load onto buses with their teen moms and head into an outside world they’ve never seen. CPS tells us all the children have been removed from the ranch; a total of 416. The women, 139 of them, have joined the children on their own accord (presumably their mothers).

T.V. and newspaper crews from all over the country are here, including many stations from Salt Lake City, Utah (home to the Church of Latter Day Saints). While they don’t affiliate themselves with this church in El Dorado–the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints, its obviously a case of particular importance to their viewers.

Everyone is confused out here. I haven’t heard anyone say for certain that what is happening now is good for the children, but we also can’t find people who believe the life they were living was healthy. However, when you see the images of these kids play while surrounded by fences on an old military fort and think of what lies ahead (months of legal proceedings) your heart aches for them.

Last night I started talking to man and soon found out he worked at the First Baptist Church in Eldorado. His church provided shelter for some of the first few dozen kids to be taken off the ranch. When I asked him if there was any memorable moment, he broke down in tears remembering a little boy who looked at him so confused and scared. The man, Charles Pfluger, told me he just wanted to hold that little boy and tell him it would all be o.k. He didn’t dare hold him though. And, in truth, he doesn’t know if everything is going to be alright.

I’m heading to a briefing with DPS … now that all the children have been removed, the real investigation into the compound can begin.

While we have been shooting video for television, some crews out here have been taking still pictures and I want to show you a few I’ve seen. These are from a Salt Lake City journalist.

While I’m on the money topic, I’ll give you the lowdown on D.A. race cash according to Montford’s and Lehmberg’s finance reports filed on March 31st.

You’ll notice some discrepencies between money in, money out and cash on hand. I have no good explanation for this (perhaps their own money?):

Mindy Montford:

Total Political Contributions: $194,007.72

Expenditures: $225,684.93

Loan: $25,000

Money  maintained: $7,530.55

***Again, my math isn’t off. This is right from the horse’s mouth.

Rosemary Lehmberg 

Contributions: $140,825.00

Expenditures: $90,612.26

Maintained: $86,692.03

***See disclaimer above

According to Mindy Montford’s campaign finance reports, ex-hubby city councilman Brewster McCracken apparently holds no post-marital grudge. Though he didn’t put up the big bucks like ex (not husband but governor) Dolph Briscoe, who donated $75,000 to her campaign… Brewster did spot her a cool $250.

This time, however, no funny Hardball clips. Apparently, Cornyn didn’t have any entertaining slip-ups but here are the “highlights” (according to his pr folks) of his intervew with Wolf Blitzer today.

On progress in Iraq

BLITZER: How worried are you about the current situation in Iraq unraveling? 

CORNYN: Well, I’m very concerned. And that’s why I think we need to continue to make sure that we leave Iraq in a condition that it can govern and defend itself. 

I was last there in January, and very encouraged by the progress on the military front. The Iraqis are stepping up, taking more responsibility, paying more of the bills. And about two-thirds of the benchmarks, on the political side, that Congress set in 2007 have now been met. 

And finally, I would say the initiative that the prime minister — that President Maliki took in Basra, recently, without American support, except in follow-up, the initiative he took against the Shiite militias, criminals and gangs, I thought was encouraging. 

So we need to see more of that, and need the Iraqis to stand up so we can stand down and bring our folks home….

On the economic Stimulus Package

BLITZER: How important is a second economic stimulus package, Senator Cornyn? 

CORNYN: Well, I think we need to be careful here. We need to do what we can. And of course, contrary to what Senator Schumer has said, we just passed a stimulus package on a bipartisan basis. 

What concerns me is that it resulted in $150 billion added to the national deficit. And we need to be careful and make sure what we do is targeted in a way that will actually help people who need it the most. 

I’m glad to hear Senator Durbin talk about the cost of gasoline and the cost of health care. We have frankly done nothing in Congress recently to deal with either of those issues which, even in places where the economy is doing relatively well, like here in Texas, those are areas where people are really feeling the pinch. And I think we would do well to target some of our efforts on bringing down the price of gasoline and making health care more affordable. 

BLITZER: What about extended unemployment benefits, Senator Cornyn? 

CORNYN: Well, you know, unemployment in Texas is about 4.1 percent. It’s almost a full employment economy, it’s 5.1 percent nationally. We need to help I think people with job training and help them get back into the economy if they’re having a hard time. 

But I don’t think spending a lot of extra money and adding to the debt — I mean, everything I hear coming from my friends on the other side of the aisle is let’s have the federal government spend more money. And that money comes from your pocket and mine. And I think we ought to be careful.

I’ve been checking out some of the moola raised for our congressional candidates who will be up for re-election in November and there are some tight, unexpected money races. There are, of course, also some landslides.

District 10:

Michael McCaul (R) * Larry Joe Doherty (D) Matt Finkel (L)

$526,854  $447,529  $0

District 21:

Lamar Smith (R) * James Arthur Strohm (L)

$685,038  $497

Senate:

John Cornyn (R) * Rick Noriega (D) Scott Jameson (L) Yvonne Adams Schick (L) Jon Roland (L)

$12,954,091  $1,074,335  $0  $0  $0

On Tuesday, we Travis County voters will get a chance to choose a guaranteed new D.A. for the first time in 30 years. Another first—that D.A. will be a woman. The race goes great with this political season’s “change” theme, but one thing that is a lovable constant-dirty dueling via our t.v. airwaves.

Mindy Montford has been bringing in big lobbying bucks and has the support of our law enforcement. With that dough, she’s leading a guerrilla t.v. campaign with ads touting tough change and good relationships with police and deputies. However, she’s even pulling at my heartstrings with her stance on animal cruelty:

Rosemary Lehmberg isn’t backing down though…and for those of you who thought decades in the D.A.’s office would have made her a stick in the mud-think again: