Spectators at the marathon Benghazi hearing still haven't eaten, slept, or gone to the bathroom
What would you be willing to do to in order to witness history? For the interns and political tourists lucky enough to snag the few hundred available seats at Thursday's Hillary Clinton Benghazi hearing, the next five-plus hours are going to be a feat of endurance in the name of watching history happen — especially since most of them haven't slept or eaten and can't leave the room without forfeiting their coveted seats.
The first person in line Thursday morning was Steven Arango, an intern for Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), who wasn't willing to risk the first-come-first-serve gamble of showing up too close to the 10 a.m. start time. He claimed to The Huffington Post that he slept overnight in the Caucus Room on the third floor of the House Cannon Office Building, fed himself on Cheetos and apple juice, and woke up at 4 a.m. feeling "not good" but got in line anyway.
It paid off — he was first. Another group of interns arrived around 5:30 a.m. to get in line behind him; they strategically plotted to go to the bathroom in one-by-one shifts around 9 a.m., so they wouldn't get trapped in a possibly 10-hour hearing needing to take a break. After all, if they left, they'd surrender their seats, making the early morning wait all in vain.
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"Political tourists" Kyle Drosdick and Eric Corley, who took a 2 a.m. train from Long Island to Washington, D.C., also confirmed they weren't going to leave the room for food, a stretch, or even to use the bathroom.
"We have a plan," Corley said slyly to The Huffington Post. "We're keeping our secrets."
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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