"I'll be here all weekend: don't forget to tip your wait staff!" Credit: Photo by Richard Whittaker

If you want to know the quickest way to get from one side of the convention center to the other, just follow Rep. Rick Noriega, D-Houston, since he seems to have been in every room already.

The Democrat chasing down Sen. John Cornyn is also the first superstar of the convention, and can be seen sprinting from caucus meeting to caucus meeting. Interviews are being done on the hoof: Newsdesk caught him running between the West Texas Coalition of Democrats and the Texas State Teachers Association, but even that was interrupted by several people wanting to have their photo taken with him.

Other unconfirmed sightings have included the Energy Policy Caucus, Gun Owners Caucus, and the Texas Military Veterans. And it’s not only lunchtime. “We’re trying to hit everything, but time constraints are against us,” said his press wrangler Rowland Garza

This article appears in June 6 • 2008.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.