WASHINGTON -
* "[Politicians] all care about two things: money and votes," said CUNA's Trey Hawkins, not necessarily suggesting in which order those two things are prioritized. But Hawkins, as did CUNA CEO Dan Mica in a different session of the conference, pointed out that credit unions are uniquely positioned to offer both of those two things. Case in point: one of the differences between CUNA's PAC, CULAC, which is among the top 10 biggest PACs at this time, is that instead of having an average contribution in the hundreds or even thousands of dollars, the average CULAC contribution is $22-indicating a much broader cross-section of individuals participating in the PAC.
* Credit unions would like to see their growth numbers take off, but in the meantime, one credit union CEO suggested this is a good time to delve deeper into how credit unions can develop relationships with their members and find new ways to serve them. Truliant FCU CEO Marc Schaefer said his credit union, like many CUs across the board, is experiencing flat membership growth, but rather than fret over it, Truliant is experimenting with how it can develop a member advisor relationship with its members. Schaefer said Truliant is piloting a financial check-up plan, for example, something that would be tough to initiate in the midst of a high-growth period.
* Fox News' Brit Hume was obviously surprised to discover the size of the crowd the GAC draws, leading off his remarks with a heartfelt, "Wow." He went on to comment, "I'm a little astonished at the size of the assemblage. I feel like the man who dreamed he was addressing the House of Lords and woke to discover he was." Hume promised he was there to tell attendees about the biggest, most important news story, "the disposition of the remains of Anna Nicole Smith."
Hume's reporting for FOX News has specifically avoided all mention of Smith, but he said he wasn't deserving of any great praise for showing restraint over the salacious story, noting "it's just that I thought her body was a hell of a lot more interesting when she was alive."
* "This is way better than the Oscars," said Wegner Award recipient Carol Schillios during the awards ceremony that happened to be held at the same time as the Oscars. "I'd like to thank my agent. I'd like to thank my two ex-husbands." Schillios, who was honored for her work with African girls and women through her Fabric of Life Foundation, was quick to note that she wasn't joking about thanking her two ex-husbands. She went on to note how proud her father would be of her but, referring to the colorful, ethnic garb she was wearing (no doubt created by one of the girls involved in Schillios' work in Africa), he also would have asked her, "don't you ever wear regular clothes?"
* Actor Martin Sheen had the crowd laughing as he regaled them with stories of misidentification, such as the time he overheard someone whispering to another person, "no, he's not Emilio Estevez' brother, he's Charlie Sheen's son." Estevez and Charlie Sheen are brothers, and Martin Sheen is their father. When he boarded the airplane to come to the conference, someone on the plane greeted him by saying, "So, Mr. President, is Air force One in the shop?" - a reference to Sheen's portrayal of the fictional President Bartlett on the TV show "West Wing." But it wasn't all laughs during Sheen's presentation. When he started criticizing President George Bush, referring to "this wretched Administration," some walked out of the session.
* "I kept hearing [CUNA] talking about the 'Little Guy making some noise,' and thought, 'why do they keep referring to me that way?'" quipped former Washington Redskin Joe Theismann during his opening session remarks. The "Little Guy" in question is the newest arrow in CUNA's quiver in its efforts to educate members of Congress about whom credit unions represent.
* "[Being among the top 10 biggest PACs] hits home here in Washington more than a wintry mix," said GAC Emcee Paul Barry, referring to a snow storm that shut down travel to the nation's capital just as GAC was getting underway. A number of would-be GAC attendees were stranded in airports as they tried to get to the conference.
