‘92 REPUBLICAN CONVENTION : HOUSTON NOTEBOOK : Help From Above

California delegation chaplain Don Burch, delivering the invocation at the delegation’s first meeting at the Adams Mark Hotel on Sunday morning, called for a little divine intervention in this year’s elections. Burch, a resident of Quartz Hill who runs a prison ministry in the Antelope Valley, sought the Lord’s help in electing “Godly men and women in this land”--starting with President Bush. Referring to members of Congress, Burch was even more direct. “Those whose hearts are hard against you, we pray that you’ll change their hearts. And, if their hearts are too hard to change, we pray that you’ll change their address.”

Heard, not Seen

The Republican Convention orchestra will not be able to see the podium when it strikes up the tunes today. Musicians are placed behind an enormous photographers’ platform and actually will face the spectators in the gallery. Cues from the platform will be delivered to the conductor by telephone.

Belly Up

During the convention, Houston’s Ritz-Carlton bar will serve the following drinks:

Clinton Between the Sheets (brandy and light rum)

Al Gore Baby Boomer Cocktail (vodka and champagne)

Jerry Brown’s California Fizzle (Kahlua)