advertisement
News Local search    • Help  • Paid archives
Saves you time. Saves you money. Makes you smarter.The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA
A place where people go to talk about politics.

Monday, March 10th, 2008

Posted by Hunter George @ 02:23:05 pm

We reported Saturday that Casey Knowles, a 17-year-old Bonney Lake resident, is the little girl asleep in the Hillary Clinton "3 a.m." ad. Here's a link to the ad.

Reporter Mike Archbold talked to Casey by phone in New York, where she's making the TV rounds. He filed this report:

After five more interviews today, including an appearance on the "Today" show, Bonney Lake’s own “3.a.m. girl” – 17-year-old Casey Knowles is hoping she and her family can play tourists in New York City.

“The phones have been ringing off the hook,” she said from her room at the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan where she has been since Saturday. There have been so many calls, she said she has trouble remembering what she said to whom.

Casey Knowles appears on "Good Morning America."

Knowles was thrust into the spotlight last week when her family discovered that she was the "3 a.m. girl" - the little girl asleep in a Hillary Clinton commercial while a narrator asks who voters want answering the phone in the White House when an emergency happens at 3 a.m.

Knowles, however, is a Barack Obama supporter.

Her story ended up on Seattle's KING 5, and then went national. She appeared on the "Good Morning America" show Sunday morning. CNN interviewed her, as did MSNBC and CBS.

New York has been a whirlwind. "Good Morning America" flew her and her father, Richard, to New York City on Saturday. The "Today" show picked up the airfare for her mother, Pam, and 15-year-old brother, Brady, who joined them Sunday.

Knowlkes said she was interviewed by Matt Lauer. “It was incredible,” she said. “That was unreal. Everyone knows him. I met ("Today" co-host) Ann Curry. She went to the same college I want to go to, the University of Oregon.”

[More:]

The big question everyone is asking, she said, is whether she has heard from Obama or his campaign about appearing in a counter-advertisement with Obama. On Saturday, she told CNN that it would be wonderful to appear in a counter-ad.

“There are no plans to make a counter ad,” she said. “That was a complete joke. I was trying to be funny but everyone is taking it as a serious suggestion.”

In e-mails people have offered suggestions for an ad, she said. One girl sent her an entire script complete with stage directions and music suggestions.

Though she hasn’t heard from Obama and she doesn’t really expect to, she said his campaign has talked to her. They told her she might be able to help out in the May 20 Oregon primary election.

Knowles said she doesn’t know what they have in mind but she is game to help.

Instant fame, she said “is real strange.” The calls for interviews and the whole New York City experience with its tall buildings and taxi cabs everywhere are exciting, she said.

She has checked out blog posts about her. “It’s so weird to hear people commenting about you. There are even some negative comments.” She said she can imagine how things about celebrities get taken out of context.

Knowles said she isn’t upset that the Clinton campaign used her image in the commercial. It wasn’t illegal, she said. The image of her sleeping was made for a Burlington Northern Santa Fe commercial years ago and the rights to her image were sold to a licensing agency.

She said she might do some more radio interviews, but she turned down an interview request from Fox News.

She said the family plans to return home Wednesday. The it will be back to life as Bonney Lake High School student.

Categories: Campaign news, President

COMMENTS:

No COMMENTS for this post yet...

Comments are not allowed from anonymous visitors. Please login or register to comment.



Political Buzz

A team of experienced reporters keep you updated on what's happening in political arenas at the city, county, state and federal levels. From presidential campaign visits to who's running for city council, we've got it covered.

Contributors

Niki Sullivan covers Tacoma city government. Before coming to Tacoma, she covered state government in Oregon. She is a regular contributor to the GritCity blog. Email Niki

Peter Callaghan is a local columnist. He’s covered the statehouse and state politics since 1981. Before joining The News Tribune in 1985, the Stadium High grad worked for newspapers in Everett and Lewiston, Idaho, and for The Associated Press in Olympia and Seattle. Email Peter

Joe Turner has covered state government and transportation issues since 1990. Since the Bellarmine grad’s arrival in the newsroom in 1978, he’s covered police, suburban cities, Tacoma City Hall, Federal Way City Hall and the Pierce and King county governments. Email Joe

David Wickert covers Pierce County government. Before coming to The News Tribune in 1998, he covered local government for newspapers in Illinois, Virginia and Tennessee. Email David

Jason Hagey covers politics. Before coming to The News Tribune in late 2000, he worked at newspapers in the Tri-Cities and Pendleton, Ore., covering city and county government, courts, crime and the occasional feature. Email Jason

Les Blumenthal has been covering Washington, D.C. for The News Tribune since 1990, focusing on issues and politicians involving the state. Before joining The News Tribune, he spent 13 years working for The Associated Press in Seattle, Illinois and Washington, D.C. Email Les

Hunter George is the local news editor who oversees coverage of state and county politics. Before coming to The News Tribune in 2001, he spent 11 years covering the statehouses in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Washington state for The Associated Press. Email Hunter

John Henrikson is a local news editor who oversees City of Tacoma and education coverage. He's worked as a journalist in the Northwest for 19 years, supervising coverage and reporting on local and state government, the environment and growth. Email John

Local politics links
Chris Mulick's Olympia Dispatch
Brad Shannon's Campaign Trail
Postman on Politics
Sound Politics
Horse's Ass
Richard Roesler's Eye on Olympia
P-I's Strange Bedfellows

Calendar

August 2008
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
 << <   > >>
          1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31            
Archives
XML Feeds
What is RSS?
Misc
Who's Online?
  • Prophet372 Email
  • mtj70 Email
  • cliffallo Email
  • Vishal620 Email
  • CustomScoop Email
  • Guest Users: 526