I was kicked out of the Pfister at the RNC

MILWAUKEE — I’ve been thrown out of many classy places, but none finer than The Pfister Hotel.

This “incident” occurred Thursday as I attempted to cover events at the Republican National Convention.

To say I was thrown out may be an overstatement. I was asked to leave after I was practicing polite persistence. Yes, I was polite, but I was determined to attend a Wisconsin delegation event billed as “Wisconsin First.”

The Wisconsin delegation gathering was scheduled for 1 p.m. at the historic and grand Pfister, a landmark downtown Milwaukee treasure. The last thing I wanted to do was to create a ruckus, especially since law enforcement officers were all over the place.

From the beginning I suspected something unusual was up regarding this event. The Wisconsin delegation was staying at the Hampton Inn & Suites about four blocks down Wisconsin Avenue from The Phister. Why not have the event at the Hampton?

It made no sense to me why an event celebrating Wisconsin as the birthplace of the Republican Party would be off limits to the press.

I contacted Steve King, a former Republican Party of Wisconsin chairman and a visitor to the convention who was staying at The Pfister. I asked him if he knew what was going on. He said he had no idea.

I also spoke with delegate Bob Kordus of Lake Geneva. He said he was told the event would be closed to the press. I asked if somebody special might attend. He said that was a possibility.

My suspicion was confirmed when I connected with Kordus after the event.

“That was it,” Kordus said. “J.D. Vance showed up.”

According to Kordus’ summary of the event, there wasn’t much to cover.

“Basically, he talked about how much he enjoyed Milwaukee and the convention,” Kordus said. “I said he was pleased to be able to take a walk by the lake with his kids.”

Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate, thanked the delegates for all their hard work and support. Kordus said. “Then he gave a pitch for party unity, and that was about it.”

And so it goes. Another entry in my log book of places I have been “asked to leave.”