After being lampooned on late-night television for his caucus night speech to Iowa supporters, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean decided to take the matter into his own hands.
The presidential candidate appeared Thursday afternoon at Lou's to tape a segment for CBS' "The Late Show with David Letterman" and read the comedian's nightly Top 10 list.
After a campaign stop in Lebanon, Dean walked into Lou's at 4 p.m. with a few aides and filmmaker Rob Reiner to tape the segment for Thursday night's episode. He exited the restaurant 17 minutes later and promptly boarded his campaign bus.
At the Lebanon Opera House, Dean joked about his Monday night speech, saying, "I still have not recovered from my screeching in Iowa."
Thursday's taping marked Dean's second appearance on Letterman's show. Dean campaign contacted CBS about taping a segment, and the network agreed. Once word got to Hanover, the event had to come together quickly.
"We found out earlier this morning around noon," said Dean supporter Sarah Ayres '06. "We had a couple of locations in mind and we thought Lou's would be the best."
The Dartmouth chapter of the "Generation Dean" campaign group had organized for several students to appear in the background during the segment, and about 30 eager students arrived around 3 p.m, armed with Dean stickers, buttons and signs.
Both students and Lou's customers, however, were asked to move before taping began. As "The Late Show" is not a news program, the network would have been forced to pay customers and students as extras, according to CBS.
"We got booted out," said Adrienne Smith of New York City.Students were asked to either wait outside or at Dirt Cowboy Cafe for the presidential hopeful. The crowd that chose to remain outside was significantly smaller by the time Dean came to Hanover.
Barry Hashimoto '06 was one of the students approached by Generation Dean to appear at Lou's.
"Yeah I'm disappointed," he said. "But it's okay, I'd rather be out in the snow."
Hashimoto had come to see Sen. John Edwards speak earlier in the day.
Filmmaker and liberal activist Reiner had joined up with Dean an hour before the Letterman taping.
"I've known him over a year, we met over early childhood issues," Reiner said, explaining his support of Dean. "He's very passionate about it and it's my passion."
Asked if the Hanover weather was cold enough for him, Reiner just did what the Dean campaign hopes the rest of America did when the Letterman piece aired -- he laughed.
