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"I Am Paying For This Microphone, Mr. Green!" (w/video)

Nick | 23 July, 2006 21:31 | (953)

As some of you may have noticed, we've added a new blog to our growing stable of offerings: NH Prime Cuts, a blog dedicated to the 2008 New Hampshire presidential primary written by veteran Telegraph Statehouse/political reporter Kevin Landrigan.

And judging by the news that emerged Saturday from the Democratic National Committee's rules and bylaws panel -- you can read the Las Vegas Review-Journal account here -- it appears that the timing couldn't be any better.

Kevin, for those of you who don't know, has been covering the state presidential primary since 1980, when he was a young reporter working for the Eagle Times of Claremont.

In fact, the next time you see him, ask him to tell you the story about his boys-on-the-bus interview with then-GOP candidate Ronald Reagan, who at the time was trying to bounce back from his loss in the Iowa caucuses to George H.W. Bush.

Of course, Reagan would go on to trounce Bush and five other candidates in that primary, which was held three days after the infamous "I am paying for this microphone, Mr. Green!" debate sponsored by The Telegraph in the Nashua High School gymnasium.

You can see a video clip of that exchange with then-Telegraph editor Jon Breen -- yes, Reagan got his last name wrong -- courtesy of the New Hampshire Political Library.

Share and enjoy.

"I Am Paying For This Microphone, Mr. Green!" [Reply]

Indirectly Reagan's comment was partly true. I actually contracted with the Molloy sound company in Manchester for that and the other microphones used in the debate.
I understand that Bob Molloy kept that microphone as a collector's item.

Posted by: Donald Dillaby | July 24, 2006, 14:45

[Reply]

Watching the video, I'm surprised to see that Reagan says "I am paying for this microphone, Mr. Green" (as Nick quoted correctly) instead of "I paid for this microphone ..." as it is usually given. Funny how many famous quotes are slightly wrong - call it the "Elementary, my dear Watson" syndrome.

Posted by: Dave Brooks | July 29, 2006, 12:38

[Reply]

It's funny how quotes get messed up like that. So many different interperatations.

Posted by: Benny | September 25, 2006, 16:16

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