Local media kept Colin Powell in the dark

A lights-out situation far different from barracks life occurred today when Gen. Colin Powell addressed the media at the Lions Club 92nd International Convention at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

The retired military man and former Secretary of State rolled with it as the lights set up by KARE11 photographer Matt Passolt went off twice requiring him to rewind his opening words. Speculation was that there something wrong with the electrical connection or voltage.

Powell, who was at the convention to give a keynote address on the importance of volunteerism in tough economic times, was getting into his spiel about how pleased he was to be back in the Twin Cities when the lights failed the first time.

"You guys want to shoot in the dark?" Powell joked with a laugh. "Somebody standing by to unplug this?"

He backed away from the podium, the light was restored and he began again. "Well, good morning everyone I've very pleased to be back in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and particularly on this ocassion when I get a chance to...." The lights went off again. "See the lights go on and off," Powell added with a light laugh.

I made a joke that only I could have gotten away with, as the sole media member present with the requisite amount of melanin: You're fair-skinned but we'll still require some light, won't we?

Powell laughed, as you can see at startribune.com/video.

"As I said to her I said, 'If you work for a communications firm, a communications outlet, your effort was inept at best,'" McNiff told me. "It sounded too good to be true, so I sent an e-mail saying, 'Can I really do this' and I was told, 'Yes, you can,' only to arrive and find out -- from the same person -- 'No you can't.'"

After Gen. Powell completed his "media availability" time, the TV camera guys were preparing to go shoot his keynote address. Then we were told that media would not be allowed to videotape that.

Oh, what terrible punishment! There is nothing duller than covering most speeches, unless something interesting happens -- such as the lights going out.