Democratic National Convention--Day 3 Wednesday Podium Schedule

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

"SECURING AMERICA'S FUTURE"
Time shown as local – Denver, Colorado MST



Hour # 1 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (LOCAL)
Call to Order
The Honorable Leticia Van de Putte
State Senator from Texas
Co-Chair, Democratic National Convention

Invocation
Archbishop Demetrios
Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America

Presentation of Colors
Colorado Chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars
Franz Wedeman, Thomas Chesner, David Shuker, John Harrington

Pledge of Allegiance
Paul Bucha
Ridgefield, Connecticut recipient of the Medal of Honor for distinguished service as a commanding officer in Vietnam

National Anthem
Robert Moore
Distinguished singer from South Dakota and elected council member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe

Presidential Nomination Process
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the US House of Representatives
Permanent Chair, Democratic National Convention

Nominating speech on behalf of Senator Hillary Clinton

Seconding speeches on behalf of Senator Hillary Clinton (2)

Nominating speech on behalf of Senator Barack Obama

Seconding speeches on behalf of Senator Barack Obama (3)

Call for Roll Call Vote
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the US House of Representatives
Permanent Chair, Democratic National Convention

Roll Call Vote
Alice Travis Germond
Secretary of the Democratic National Committee

Remarks
The Honorable Charles Schumer
US Senator, New York
Chair, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee

The Honorable Tom Udall
Member of the US House of Representatives, New Mexico

The Honorable Jean Shaheen
Former Governor of New Hampshire
Candidate for US Senate

Jeff Merkley
Candidate for US Senate from the State of Oregon

Tom Allen
Candidate for the US Senate from the State of Maine

Hour # 4 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (LOCAL)
Remarks
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago, Illinois

The Honorable Robert Wexler
Member of the US House of Representatives, Florida

Video - The Course of Our Nation
Brittany Washington
A student at Howard University in Washington, DC from Los Angeles, California

Women of the US House of Representatives
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the US House of Representatives
Permanent Chair, Democratic National Convention
The Honorable Rosa DeLauro
Member of the US House of Representatives, Connecticut
The Honorable Nita Lowey
Member of the US House of Representatives, New York
The Honorable Hilda Solis
Member of the US House of Representatives, California
The Honorable Louise Slaughter
Member of the US House of Representatives, New York
The Honorable Maxine Waters
Member of the US House of Representatives, California
The Honorable Kathy Castor
Member of the US House of Representatives, Florida
The Honorable Lois Capps
Member of the US House of Representatives, California

Remarks
The Honorable Elijah Cummings
Member of the US House of Representatives, Maryland

Mark Docherty
Veteran and a firefighter from Sterling Heights, Michigan

The Honorable James Clyburn
Member of the US House of Representatives, South Carolina

The Honorable Manuel Diaz
Mayor of Miami, Florida

The Honorable Jay Rockefeller
US Senator, West Virginia

Live Performance
Melissa Etheridge accompanied by Phillip Sayce (guitar)
Award-winning singer/songwriter

Video - First Time Delegates: Renewing America's Promise

Remarks
The Honorable Harry Reid
US Senator, Nevada
Senate Majority Leader

CSM Michele S. Jones, US Army (Ret.)
First female command sergeant major of the US Army

The Honorable Patrick Murphy
Member of the US House of Representatives, Pennsylvania
Joined by Iraq war veterans

The Honorable Madeleine Albright
Former Secretary of State

America’s Town Hall - Economy
Moderator: The Honorable Joe Sestak
Member of the US House of Representatives, Pennsylvania
Panelists: Kathy Roth-Douquet, CSM John Estrada, Collin McMahon,
Representative Ellen Tauscher/California

Remarks
The Honorable Evan Bayh
US Senator, Indiana

Xiomara Rodriguez
Nevada delegate and retired member of the US Coast Guard

The Honorable Jack Reed
US Senator, Rhode Island

The Honorable Tom Daschle
Former US Senator and Senate Minority Leader, South Dakota

Hour # 5 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM (LOCAL)
Remarks
The Honorable Bill Clinton
Former President of the United States

Beth Robinson
Stay-at-home mom from Hampton Roads, Virginia

The Honorable John Kerry
US Senator, Massachusetts

Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy, US Army (Ret.)
First woman to achieve the rank of three star general in the US Army

The Honorable Bill Richardson
Governor of New Mexico

Video – Changing The Course of Our Nation
John Melvin
Iraq war veteran from DeWitt, Iowa

Veterans Video and Remarks
The Honorable Chet Edwards
Member of the US House of Representatives, Texas

Hour # 6 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM (LOCAL)
Remarks
Tammy Duckworth
Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs
Helicopter pilot and wounded Iraq war veteran

Vice Presidential Nomination
Remarks and nominating speech
Seconding speech

Vice Presidential Nominee
The Honorable Senator Joe Biden
US Senator, Delaware

Benediction
Sister Catherine Pinkerton
Congregation of St. Joseph’s in Cleveland, Ohio

Recess
The Honorable Leticia Van de Putte
State Senator from Texas
Co-Chair, Democratic National Convention

7:15pm MST - Fairbanks Mayor Whittaker!

The Alaskan delegation got up and started cheering as soon as they announced Mayor Whittaker.

He was very eloquent with his speech - saying that he wasn't here to say bad things about McCain, but:

"I'm a registered Republican, and I cast my vote for Barack Obama!"

7pm MST- Knowles and McAulliffe

Governor Knowles has arrived!














Former DNC Chair Terri McAulliffe greets Alaskans. His advice for Alaska?

"Win that Senate seat!"

4:30pm MST - Who's the rock star?

Who got the whole crowd on their feet?













It's Kucinich!

No doubt he will get overshadowed in the news by Hillary, coming on in prime time, but his "Wake up America!" sure got everyone fired up. If you can, find a YouTube video of his speech.

The Black Caucus led the memorial moments for Tubbs-Jones, the congresswoman who recently died. Although the whole time was meant to highlight those who passed away in the past year, Tubbs-Jones was given some special moments of her own.

The Alaskan delegates have been pretty popular here. Pictures, requests for interviews, or just shouts of, "Hey! You from Alaska??" are heard round the room.

Alaskan press!

We didn't think there were any members of the mainstream Alaskan press here - just bloggers! - but Tim from Cordova showed up. He heard of someone from the Juneau Empire showing up, but hasn't seen a trace yet.

Know why it's not televised?

There's no one here.

All right - not totally true - most delegates are networking, finding out schedules, coordinating who knows what. It's filling up slowly, but the cameras tend to angle it so all these empty seats don't show up.

I'm in! 3:30pm MST - God bless the Denver PD and the Secret Service

Writing Raven will be posting on the Blue Oasis for the duration for the duration of the Tuesday convention. She will be back posting live on Alaska Real tonight, but all live blogging will be on the Oasis.

3:30 MST- I'm in, but it took quite a while to get in. They seemed to have worked out the kinks in getting people in fast - except bloggers maybe. There was a hiccup in exactly how I was supposed to get in the building. Although I arrived at the arena with (part of) the delegation, I am "press." But a very helpful Denver PD guy spent a whole lot of his own time to make sure I didn't have to take a bus back to the hotel just to get in. It took some discussion and guarantees to the Secret Service to do it, but now I'm in...

The place is about 2/3 full now, and full of energy - though most of it is backstage at the moment. I nearly walked in on an NBC suite, and there's quite a buzz in the room.

By the way, if you're checking in live from Alaska, have you voted?

Getting Fired Up and Ready to Go!!!!! 24 hours until I'm flying to Denver!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!

- Not packed yet
- Need an additional laptop battery
- Need a cord to plug into the net by my seat at the Pepsi Center
- Need a new camera (if I can afford it after the other stuff, which I can't really afford either but I need them)
- Need another 24 hours to do all the other stuff on my to-do list!

Anyway, this was mainly an excuse to test-drive (and put in storage on my blog) the header I'm going to use for the live-blogging posts. That way folks will know which is specifically gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Convention.

Breaking: UPDATE--AP AND CNN RECANTING...TUBBS JONES IN CRITICAL CONDITION

Consgresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones became well-known as a strong Clinton supporter and spokesperson

I received this email just two hours ago:

Statement From the Office of Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Yesterday evening, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones was admitted to Huron Hospital after suffering an aneurysm while driving her car in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. At the present time Rep. Tubbs Jones' condition has stabilized and she is receiving the best care available.

Tuesday's condition followed a full day of activity, including planning for an upcoming forum on electoral reform, scheduled for September 4, 2008 at Cleveland State University. Congresswoman Tubbs Jones was scheduled to travel to Denver on August 24, 2008 to attend the Democratic National Convention as a superdelegate.

I just heard on CNN that Congresswoman Jones passed away so it must have happened within the hour. My heart goes out to her family, friends and constituents. CNN, AP and other sources are now recanting their story, explaining that Tubbs Jones is actually in critical condition.

I'm very sorry folks--I figured getting it on CNN as an AP story (and hearing it on Ed Schultz) made it a pretty safe story to report.

The crazy-busy days before the Democratic National Convention! How you can keep up with the information (when I can't!)

Obama "wall of hope" at the Midtown Campaign for Change office in Anchorage, Alaska

Right now, I'm experiencing what I like to call the "shame spiral" leading up to leaving for the Convention on the Friday morning red-eye flight. I'm trying to wrap- up some projects while putting some on hold, getting my daughter ready to go back to school tomorrow and meeting with her teacher (which has turned out to be difficult) to get the work she'll miss, constantly reading/answering/RSVPing email that has more-than-exploded over the last few days (150-200 a day), giving interviews (keep your eyes on the New York Times), helping with the "Meet the Delegates" party this Thursday (6:30 - 9:30 PM at Club Soroya), etc...etc...

The "shame" part (it's a Catholic thing) comes from the fact that this frenetic activity is keeping me AWAY from the reason FOR all of this...the blog.

Add to it the myriad of press releases coming from multiple sources with information of every kind...speakers, more "green" activities, parties, etc...there is just so much communication I feel like my head is going to explode.

(It makes me look forward to switching over to the new blog platform when I get back so that folks can write diaries about their interests and I can include them...a real community effort! But I digress...)

In musing on all of this, I suddenly realized that I've never discussed the Rootswire aggregator...the widget to the right of my blog and what it means. Granted, it wasn't working properly for a short while but now it seems to be doing just fine. Blogger Steve Hanson ("Uppity Wisconsin") put his considerable energy and expertise into this project, which pulls from the feed of participating Convention bloggers as well as the DNCC Blog and the Democratic Host Committee. The aggregator also grabs stories about candidates and all things Obama/McCain.

In Steve's own words:

Many of you may have noticed the widget that has been displaying around this site for the last few weeks from RootsWire.org. RootsWire is an exciting project that we've been working on in conjunction with many of the bloggers who are covering the Democratic Convention. We are pulling together content from many of the best bloggers in the country in a single site, covering the convention from many angles, both in different parts of the planet and from different political viewpoints. This has been a great experience, and we're thrilled that so many well-known bloggers from around the world are participating.

So, when you check my blog throughout the Convention for the "Alaska view," make sure you click on the widget as well and see what bloggers from all over the country are experiencing. I think that collectively, we'll have the most comprehensive coverage ever seen!

Button Blanket is still up for bid!!!!! The desserts sold (and were donated to the hard-working Obamacans...happy eating!!!)

$400 is the top bid--post other bids in the comments!!!

***UPDATE***

The button blanket was made by Writing Raven's mom, a Tlingit of the Dog Salmon clan. (I hope I said that right...correct me if I'm wrong Raven!)

Pictures from the "Team Blue Oasis" Fundraiser...we made a profit thanks to all who continue to support us!

A very special thanks to my friends Rishi and Tesva for being there when we needed them most and my sisterfriend Rebecca for working so hard and sharing her decorative talents, and Steve (What Do I Know) for jumping in to help...thanks for putting up with the Diva and Divo!!! (not to mention the little Diva-in-training!!!)...





...to the wonderful Mat Su Democrats including candidate Erick Cordero for showing up (most of) the Anchorage-ites by coming out in the rain...






...a "we are not worthy" **bow** for all the hard work by the incredibly warm and generous Mungers and the use of their beautiful home...



...to Donovan for committing to come before he realized it was in Wasilla, then coming anyway...



...for Diane and Tony for booking out of Anchorage right after the debate and for Diane and Raven who gave us the rare and beautiful gift of spontaneously sharing their Tlingit culture with us through song.



Thank you to everyone for your help as we continue to work towards our goal!

The bustle before the Barbecue

Josh is having some trouble getting those plates for auction full! My cousin and her brood came over on their way back to Iowa and ripped through a batch...they are so good!

Well the chicken is marinating in teriyaki sauce, the beans are waiting to be baked in the morning, the fixins are fixed and Raven's whole family is in town just pumping out yummy desserts and putting the finishing touches on the button blanket.

Now all we need is YOU!

Plates of homemade chocolate chip cookies for auction and some melon for consumption!

Hope to see everyone tomorrow. We're starting at four but, due to the debate, the wonderful Mungers have said they plan to go late. Soooo...c'mon down ya'll! Just click on the flyer above for the directions. Or, for a more portable page, the Democratic Party website has it up!

An evening with the Mat Su Democrats

While the Palin Administration was digging itself into a hole down the road (Thanks, Todd Palin!) I was invited to speak about being a credentialed blogger at the Democratic National Convention to the July Mat Su Democrats meeting. I was impressed; there were over 50 friendly, enthusiastic folks there who gave all of us a warm reception. They didn't even let the influx of a bunch of loud bus tourists stop their meeting. We even stopped clapping because it was "annoying the customers." I would have liked to have asked the management to make the tourists stop their incredibly rude stares.

This is a really bad (but the only one I took) picture of my friend and fellow "blogger-in-arms" Phil Munger, whose excellent idea to have a poetry contest about Ted Stevens on national blog Firedoglake called "Ted-fest" also netted him a contributor slot...congratulations!!!! Phil spread his contageous energy addressing the Dems about letters to the editor and then (of course) veering off to his favorite subject, using the Intertoobz wisely and effectively for Progressive issues and campaigning. He also explained the true significance of the poetry contest (millions of non-Alaskans learning about Ted's "issues") and read several of the poems. Here's one by commenter darkblack in the tradition of Robert Service's "The Cremation of Sam McGee":

There are odd things done in the midnight sun
By the men whom Oil has sold
Their fishy tales meet with hearty gales
from wise heads when they are told
The FBI’s knights have recited some rights
but the queerest they ever had read
was that night by the mouse of a Girdwood house
that belonged to Senator Ted.

Phil has also posted about this over at Progressive Alaska

Native Veteran and State Delegate Jay Cross with Erick Cordero, candidate for Lyda Green's seat--discussing the race while an audience watches from the wall. Erick spoke very eloquently about why he was running and impressed the crowd with his enthusiasm--especially since he just became a citizen in January.

Dennis Zaki and Shannyn Moore (pictured with Shannyn's boyfriend Kelly) along with me spoke about the Democratic Convention and Progressive media in general. Dennis's website, Alaska Report, is easily the most-read Progressive site in Alaska and possibly the most-read Alaska news site period


The irrepressible Katie Hurley, Chief Clerk to Alaska's Constitutional Convention, chats with her table. When she addressed the group, she reminded us that "Republicans don't know how to party." Woo Hoo!

Denver Host Committee Update (via my email)

ATTENTION CONVENTION-GOERS: July 16, 2008 Press Release from Chris Lopez

DENVER PROVIDES PLAN TO ENSURE MOBILITY & ACCESS DURING DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

- Mile High City Will Be Open for Business -

Denver, CO -- July 16, 2008 -- After extensive preparation and work with local, state and federal transportation and security officials to meet Democratic National Convention needs while keeping downtown Denver open and accessible, the City and County of Denver provided information Wednesday about local mobility and access during the week of the Democratic National Convention (Monday, August 25 - Wednesday, August 27, 2008). Given that the August 28 venue change from the Pepsi Center to Invesco Field at Mile High was just announced last week, roadway impacts have not yet been finalized for Thursday, August 28 and will be announced by early August.

"We have worked very hard to ensure that downtown residents and workers can get around and access their buildings with ease during the Democratic National Convention," said Mayor John Hickenlooper. "We have said from the beginning that - while there will be some additional screening procedures and security measures in some locations - all downtown residents will be able to access their homes and parking garages, and downtown businesses will be able to remain open with access to employees and customers. Keeping the roads open and transit running will also enable Metro Denver residents to come downtown and enjoy the many public events around the Convention."

ROADWAY INFORMATION: Monday - Wednesday

Downtown will be open and accessible during the Convention. Nearly all roads will be open and transit services will be operational. The majority of Convention-related movement will occur via bus, foot, and pedicab/bicycle and before/after the main hours of activity inside the Pepsi Center (4 p.m. to 9 p.m.), thereby mitigating impacts on commuters. Unlike previous host cities that closed a large number of thoroughfares, the City of Denver's commitment to local mobility and convenience is evident in the minimal amount of closures for an event of this magnitude:

· Speer Boulevard from I-25 to Lawrence Street (and the I-25 ramp to southbound Speer Boulevard ) will be closed from 9 a.m. on Monday, August 25 through midnight on Wednesday, August 27 - except during morning rush hour. Two lanes in each direction of Speer Boulevard between I-25 and Lawrence Street (and the ramp from I-25 to southbound Speer Boulevard) will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday through Wednesday. The I-25 ramp to northbound Speer Boulevard will remain open at all times.

· Auraria Parkway from I-25 to Speer Boulevard will be closed from 12:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 23 through midnight on Wednesday, August 27. The I-25 ramps to and from Auraria Parkway will be closed during this time frame.

· As announced in mid-June, Bannock Street between 14th Avenue and Colfax Avenue will be closed August 25 - 27 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. for the Designated Parade Route staging area. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. - which avoids the standard morning and evening commute times - the westbound lanes of Colfax Avenue from Bannock Street to Speer Boulevard will be closed for the Designated Parade Route, as will the southbound lanes of Speer Boulevard from Colfax Avenue to Larimer Street. The eastbound lanes of Colfax Avenue and the northbound lanes of Speer will remain open, but some slowdown in traffic flow is expected. The RTD light rail line which crosses Speer Boulevard at Stout Street will remain open at all times, including the time allocated for parades. Additional security provided by RTD will supplement law enforcement officials to ensure the safety of marchers when the light rail trains cross the parade route.

· While still accessible to pedestrians, vehicular traffic on the following blocks between 15th Street and Speer Boulevard will be limited to residents and employees from Monday, August 25 through Wednesday, August 27: Wazee, Wynkoop, Delgany, Wewatta, and Little Raven. (More details on residential and business access are below).

Given that the August 28 venue change from the Pepsi Center to Invesco Field at Mile High was just announced on July 7, roadway impacts - including the designated parade route to Invesco - for Thursday of Convention week have not yet been finalized and will be announced by early August.

RECOMMENDED ROUTE INFORMATION: Monday - Wednesday

The downtown grid has ample street capacity to absorb these manageable diversions and provide local residents and commuters with convenient access to and from downtown. Recommended routes for the four quadrants of the city are described below:

· EAST AND NORTHEAST: Drivers may access downtown from the east and northeast using Martin Luther King Blvd, 18th Avenue, 13th Avenue, and 8th Avenue.

· SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST: With northbound Speer Boulevard closed at Lawrence Street, drivers along Speer Boulevard south of Lawrence, as well as on Lincoln and Santa Fe, may experience slight increases in traffic. It is anticipated that slowing may occur on these streets as they cross Colfax Avenue. Commuters may want to use Downing, Clarkson, or Logan Street to avoid delays. Exiting Downtown may be slightly slower than normal due to Convention-related activities, but once traffic crosses Colfax Avenue, movement along Kalamath, Broadway, Grant, Washington and Corona/Downing should be similar to any normal weekday.

· WEST AND SOUTHWEST: Travelers may access downtown from the west and southwest using 6th Avenue or northbound I-25 to 20th Street. Traffic exiting downtown to the west and southwest may be a little slower than normal; however, with the combination of increased transit use and the absence of Auraria Campus traffic, any delays along Arapahoe, Champa, Glenarm and Colfax should be minimal. Once traffic reaches Kalamath, I-25, and 6th Avenue, travel should be similar to any normal weekday.

· NORTHWEST: Travelers can use I-25 to Park Ave West or 20th Street to access downtown. Traffic exiting downtown to the northwest should use 20th Street or Park Avenue to I-25.

Given that the August 28 venue change from the Pepsi Center to Invesco Field at Mile High was just announced on July 7, roadway impacts - and recommended alternative routes - for Thursday of Convention week have not yet been finalized and will be announced by early August.

RTD PUBLIC TRANSIT INFORMATION: Monday - Wednesday

The use of public transit is always encouraged, and downtown will be accessible by transit. The following information from the Regional Transportation District (RTD) applies to Monday, August 25 through Wednesday, August 27. Any transit impacts related to the Invesco Field event on Thursday, August 28 will be announced when they are finalized.

· LIGHT RAIL: Light rail lines coming into the Central Business District will not be disrupted, including lines D, F and H. There will be no light rail service to or from the Pepsi Center and Denver Union Station stops. Passengers on the C and E lines who want to travel downtown can transfer to the D, F and H lines. All C- and E-line light rail passengers will be required to disembark at the Invesco Field light rail stop.

· BUSES: RTD plans to run normal bus service during the Convention, adjusting routes impacted by street closures. RTD will provide information on these adjustments as they are finalized through its web site, the RTD Telephone Information Center, and information will be posted on buses and light rail.

RESIDENTIAL & BUSINESS ACCESS: Monday - Wednesday

Between street parking, parking lots and garages, downtown parking will be largely accessible.
· The majority of downtown street meters will remain unbagged and available for public use. (Please note that vehicles with disability placards may park at any unbagged meter for up to four hours - whether or not the meter is designated for disabled parking).

Because many commercial buildings directly adjacent to the Pepsi Center have been rented out by private organizations during the Convention week, only a few businesses will be impacted by the screening and access measures described below:

· Residents (and their caretakers or renters, if applicable) and businesses (and their employees) west of 15th Street along Wynkoop, Delgany and Wewatta will receive vehicle placards from the Secret Service enabling them to access their normally assigned parking spots. There will be no pedestrian restrictions in this area, so visitors will be able to come and go on foot.

· Residents (and their caretakers or renters, if applicable) in the small area bound by Speer Boulevard, Wazee Street and 14th Court will receive vehicle placards from Secret Service enabling them to park in their normally assigned parking spots after undergoing vehicle screening at a 24-hour checkpoint. There will be no pedestrian restrictions in this area, so visitors will be able to come and go on foot.

· Residents (and their caretakers or renters, if applicable) and businesses (and their employees) in the area bound by 11th Street, Auraria Parkway, Speer Boulevard and the Pepsi Center will receive personal credentials from the Secret Service, enabling them to come and go by foot with ease. Placards will also be provided for their vehicles enabling them to park in their normally assigned parking spots after undergoing vehicle screening at a 24-hour checkpoint. Individuals renting any of these units during the Convention may undergo the same registration process to obtain these access documents. Residents in this area expecting guests will be asked to meet them on the street and escort them into their building.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Beginning with a community meeting tonight hosted by the LoDo District, Inc., Downtown Denver Residents Organization, and the Lower Downtown Neighborhood Association, targeted outreach will take place in the coming weeks to residents, businesses, building managers and homeowners associations in the aforementioned areas, providing details on the registration/ credentialing process and answering questions about access and mobility. That outreach will also include another LoDo community meeting at Ocean Journey on July 23 from 6 - 8 p.m.

Five additional citywide community forums about DNC preparations and opportunities for local residents to participate - hosted by the City and County of Denver and the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee - will take place over the next three weeks:


Central Denver: July 26 (12 - 2:00 p.m.)
Curious Theatre, 1080 Acoma St.

SE Denver: July 28 (12 - 2:00 p.m.)
Temple Sinai, 3509 S. Glencoe St.

SW Denver: July 29 (5:30 - 7:30 p.m.)
SW Improvement Council, 1000 S. Lowell Blvd.

NW Denver: July 30 (5:30 - 7:30 p.m.)
North High School, 2960 N. Speer Blvd.

NE Denver: August 6 (5:30 - 7:30 p.m.)
Montview Presbyterian Church, 1980 Dahlia St.

Once roadway impacts related to the Thursday, August 28 event at Invesco Field at Mile High are finalized, additional community outreach will be conducted to residents and businesses near the stadium.

Ongoing updates will be disseminated widely and available through a variety of sources including www.DenverConvention2008.com, www.DenverGov.org, www.DowntownDenver.com, 3-1-1 and more. .We are also working with MapQuest, Google and other online map providers to ensure the roadway impacts and route alternatives described above are incorporated into their online mapping tools during the week of the Convention.

Because security planning for the Convention will continue up to the event, particularly with regard to the areas immediately adjacent to the Convention sites, the City reserves the right to modify these plans if necessary to ensure public safety.

TICKETS...get yer tickets...

Photo: Invesco Field

...to Barack Obama's acceptance speech at Invesco Field in Denver, Colorado!!

Hat tip to AAPP for directing us to The Colorado Independent who then sends us to the form on The Colorado Democratic Website.

It's only a request for info but they do ask how many tickets you want.

Unless they perform a miracle, liveblogging Obama's acceptance is out the window

Photo: Invesco Field, Denver

Per Marc Ambinder at The Atlantic:

The big announcement comes tomorrow, according to Democrats.

On Thursday, August 28, Barack Obama plans to accept his nomination at Invesco Field in Denver, rather than at the Pepsi Center.

It's going to cost the convention committee a lot of money to make the move, but Invesco Field can handle more than 75,000 spectators and will make a much better picture.

Interesting...that comes on the heels of a negative New York Times article and the DNCC response regarding planning and money issues. I don't think it's too hard to figure out that this was probably the Obama Campaign's idea and they are probably paying for it.

1) This is good news for many in the general public as well as other bloggers who don't have DNCC credentials.

2) This also means that it's good news for my team, especially my daughter. We can all be there for the highlight!

3) However, from a credentialed blogger perspective, this is kind of a drag. This is the highlight of the Convention and not only will it be unlikely that we can liveblog it, but I can't see how I'll be able to bring my laptop at all since it's completely out in the open with no rain protection.

So, good and bad news, depending on how you look at it. We'll find out more tomorrow.

The perfect gift to say, "Happy Birthday, George W!"

Courtesy of mooncat at Left in Alabama

Laura's [Bush] letter said she needed my help to make George's birthday "truly meaningful," and I'd like to oblige. She asked me to sign and return a card for George, along with a $62 dollar donation to the RNC. The inscription on the card started with "Thank you for your service and dedication to our country" and, much as I hate to disappoint Laura, I can't tell a lie that big, so the card remains unsent.

Sending $62 (or even more) to the RNC is a non-starter too, but I've come up with a plan to make George's 62nd birthday truly meaningful. Here it is:

I'm sending a $62 contribution to the DNC to mark the occasion of W's last birthday in Our House. My personal message to George is "Now get out, and don't let the door hit you in the ass when you leave." The NSA guys will forward that to him if he doesn't read this blog on his birthday.

I thought it was absolutely a BRILLIANT idea! She also suggests giving to the local Democratic Party or a candidate...even if it's $6.20, $62.00 or $620.00!

Here are some suggested donation destinations:

- Alaska Democratic Party

Also, here is their candidates page. From there you can find how to donate to any candidate you wish, especially State House and State Senate.

Ack...The New York Times is "bad pressing" the Democratic National Convention planning! Howard Dean reponds.

Per the Sunday morning story:

With the Denver convention less than two months away, problems range from the serious — upwardly spiraling costs on key contracts still being negotiated — to the mundane, like the reluctance of local caterers to participate because of stringent rules on what delegates will be eating, down to the color of the food. At last count, plans to renovate the inside of the Pepsi Center for the Democrats are $6 million over budget, which may force convention planners to scale back on their original design or increase their fund-raising goals.

The convention is being organized by the Democratic National Committee, which is run by Howard Dean, with his chief of staff, the Rev. Leah D. Daughtry, leading the effort. Only in the last month has the Obama campaign been able to take over management of the convention planning with the candidate claiming the nomination, and his aides are increasingly frustrated, as the event nears, at organizers who they believe spent too freely, planned too slowly and underestimated actual costs.

Did anyone bother to mention that...Oh, I don't know...maybe the shortage is due to t Hillary staying in too long and sucking-up Dem funds that should have gone to the party? Did anyone mention that folks are being asked to donate to her to cover her debt?

Did anyone mention that when you're doing the planning, for some things you must have the money up front?

Howard Dean responds for the Dems:

We are proud to stand at the helm of the finest Convention team we’ve known. As the arm of the national Party tasked with planning and organizing the Democratic National Convention in Denver, the Democratic National Convention Committee has been at this for more than a year. And we take great pride in our work. That's why we were astonished to read in Sunday’s New York Times such a gross misrepresentation of the groundwork that has been laid to date.

The New York Times asserts that this is a Democratic convention effort “marred by costly setbacks.” That is false. In fact we are ahead of the game. Anyone who has ever worked on a national political Convention would tell you as much. This is a well managed Convention.

The New York Times states that the Convention is facing “upwardly spiraling costs on key contracts still being negotiated.” That is false. All major contracts have been executed and we are on track to move in to the Pepsi Center to begin build out on Monday as planned.

The New York Times implies that the Convention has imposed eating restrictions on delegates to the Convention. That is false. Democrats at the Pepsi Center and other official Convention venues can have all the fried goodies they can stomach. Talk of anything to the contrary is just plain silly.

Read the rest at the website.

Blogger Selection issues include accusations of political favoritism while the minority exclusion discussion is going strong

It seems that there are more issues than the diversity question surrounding the blogger selection. There is a letter for Howard Dean signed by 21 folks on the State Blogger List requesting that he make a detailed review the selection process.

The story that some POC blogs have a accused the DNC of minority exclusion in the State Blogger Selection process I initially wrote about here is moving up as well.

Pam made another post on this issue...a good one. She brings up one of the points I made:

Absent answers -- and the announcement of the blogs selected for the general pool, the conversation has evolved into a fine example of how difficult and frustrating a dialogue involving race can be, and communication styles that make defense shields go up, it's like watching the Titanic heading for the iceberg and can't be turned around. For instance, Linda finally brought up what I feel was the crux of the problem:

While it's obvious that the tone used by certain members of the AfroSpear has rubbed me the wrong way, I can see the benefit of raising this issue in the first place.

My response was that I agreed it was an issue. Black bloggers who, we must assume, can afford a laptop and travel expenses to Denver (or raise those funds) cannot be classified the same as blacks who couldn't eat at a lunch counter back in the day. When people go around tossing out "Jim Crow" so liberally, it automatically places everyone in defensive positions, regardless of the merits of the complaint/observation at hand. It can also diminish the reality that was Jim Crow.

That's just my opinion, of course. I know if I took that approach here at the Blend, I'd have few readers willing to engage me on the difficult topic of race relations -- it's tough enough as it is because people are so self-conscious of the third rail and the comments are lighter in those threads. Those who go for the flamethrowing "Jim Crow" approach may not, however, have any interest in dialogue, or are so frustrated with hitting the wall of white privilege (and the denial of it), that they don't care how it comes across as long as the point is made, the issue is raised and action taken. It illustrates a frustration based in reality out there and a communication gap between parts of the blogosphere communities that has been difficult to bridge.

It also seems that there are some other blogs weighing in on the issue. Some may be more selectively picking blogs to link on this issue than others.

Francis also made another post in response to one of my comments on the AAPP blog:

I think we all know how this works: When those who developed the criteria for blogs participating at Denver developed this particular set of criteria for "state blogs", they had a clear idea of which blogs they wanted and they wrote the criteria accordingly, both to include some and EXCLUDE others.

If they had wanted diversity among the state blogs (as we have in the Democratic Party), they would have included multiple blogs from each state and these blogs would have been selected based on their ability to reach necessary constituencies in each state. Instead, their definition of "best blog" is divorced from and oblivious to the question of the whether these individual blogs have any traction among ALL of each states' target constituencies. The simple fact that there is only one state blog per state proves that they DO NOT have traction among all of each state's target sine qua non constituencies.

If they had analyzed their needs this way, it would have been obvious that each state needs to have at least one white blog, a Black blog, a Latino blog, a woman's blog and a gay blog. But, you won't find that diversity to any significant degree on the DailyKos/MyDD bloglist and you also won't find that diversity among the state blogs.

The entire "state blog" formula just validates the DailyKos/MyDD belief that something OTHER than diversity is most important when reaching out to Democratic Party constituencies.

What about the Asian blogs? The Jewish blogs? The Muslim blogs? As someone who does event planning for a living, the idea that the DNC would be able to handle that kind of logistical nightmare is not reasonable. I believe that the long-term solution for all of this doesn't really fall on the DNC...it falls on the blogosphere, including the minority bloggers themselves.

Francis did not respond to my latest comment on AAPP, where I sum that up:

After a couple of days, I revisited all of the posts from everyone on the issue...I admit that the tone of my posts was in reaction to what I perceive as a strong, accusative tone here and on Francis blog (as well as his comments). I needed to step back and look at the whole issue.

I still believe that the DNC did not intentionally exclude POC blogs from the State Blogger Corps. Is it a distinct possibility that they were somewhat callous in taking ethnicity in consideration? I can believe that. Are there also complex issues regarding internet anonymity, etc...involved that the DNC cannot control...ones that bloggers as a whole need to deal with ourselves? Absolutely!

I have been on the lookout for awhile for an Alaska Native Woman blogger as a contributor to my blog. Native issues are probably the most desperately urgent in my state, as Native Women make up about 7% of the population yet make up 45% - 55% of the victims of sexual and domestic violence. So far, I have been unable to find anyone and through this discussion on other blogs, it seems that many others in the blogosphere have the same problem finding POC bloggers. I believe we should work even harder to make it happen and I hope my new-found exposure does that.

I also believe that those of us selected for the State Blogger Corps can use this opportunity to recruit more POC writers as contributors, encourage them to start their own blogs...or something that can have a more immediate impact...encourage already-established blogs to shift their focus and get more directly involved in state and local politics.

Barack Obama saw that the 50-state-strategy was the right way to go and he has proven its success. POC bloggers need to adopt that strategy as well. While the first attempt by the DNC to have a State Blogger Corps may have been clumsy and in need of revision, I believe their overall goal was to do just that. If 100 nationally-focused POC blogs suddenly shifted to state and local politics, what a huge impact that could have on our upcoming Congressional elections!

While I still may not agree with the accusatory tone of the posts, I believe the dialogue that they started is an important one. I hope that it continues here as well as throughout the blogosphere.

I want to point something out here...it was this white chick who was the one that discovered the posts over at AAPP and Francis' blogs in the first place because I was SPECIFICALLY looking at POC blogs who had linked the DNCC State Blogger list. Since I wanted clarification, this white chick was the one who emailed someone I greatly respect, Pam Spaulding, to get her take on it. As a result, she made some very balanced, thoughtful posts on two of the largest blogs in the country. That plus my placement at the top of the DNC State Blogger list are a big reason why this issue is getting so much attention (everyone is checking out my blog first, for better or worse).

I'm not looking for credit. I'm not saying this because AAPP and Francis don't have their own, extensive audiences...they do. I'm DEFINITELY not saying it because I don't think they have an underlying point...I've been very clear that I believe they do. What I'm saying is that this attention started because I WAS MAKING AN EFFORT TO VISIT THE BLACK BLOG COMMUNITY...which several folks in the AAPP claim never happens!

I was initially offended as I felt I was being painted with the "white male, white supremacist" brush just by being on the list. I was able to calm down, strip away the anger and actually let the issue sink in a bit because, frankly, my daughter makes me "not your average white chick". I was more motivated to wade through the rhetoric.

Many, many folks who would be potential allies ARE NOT that motivated or that patient.

Hell...I'm a 46-year-old menopausal woman...I'm not saying don't offend anyone. Why have a blog if you can't blow off some steam? What I AM saying is if you want folks to really listen, try not to OFFEND EVERYONE!

I also talked to the same reporter at the Dallas Morning News that Francis did. She explained that she saw the story because she came to Blue Oasis blog and saw this issue. Here's my part in her story.

Pam Spaulding, an African-American blogger in North Carolina who has applied to the general pool, suggested on her blog — Pam’s House Blend — that minorities don’t blog about state and local politics as much as white people do, narrowing the pool.

A Hispanic blogger from New Mexico agreed and wrote that their blog was passed over in favor of a blog run by a white woman, but didn’t see any discrimination in a majority Hispanic state.

“I do think we should be looking at the quality of blogs,” said the blogger, who only identified his or her ethnicity. “Do we want to include certain blogs of poor quality to fill a sort of quota? No, that would be ridiculous.”

Linda Kellen Biegel, whose Celtic Diva’s Blue Oasis blog will represent Alaska at the convention, said the issue should encourage more minorities to blog locally while pushing for more diversity in the entire blogosphere.

“No one knows what anyone looks like in the blogosphere. It’s easy to get caught up in anger, to ignore the actual underlying issue,” she said. “The underlying issue is that bloggers need to reach out and try to find other voices from the community that are diverse.”

I don't believe there is any way to change the State Blogger process for this year. At this point, the best the DNC can do is acknowledge their selection criteria was clumsy and make sure there are extensive and diverse POC voices in the General Blogger Pool.

However, it's also not realistic to assume that ALL blogs should have an equal chance at a State Blogger spot in the future if they don't focus on state issues or even identify what state they are from.

1) State blogs and multi-contributor blogs need to reach out to POC writers and build a group of diverse voices from all constituencies.

2) POC blogs need to focus on state and local issues more if they want to be considered a voice for their state. It doesn't mean any blog would have to totally give up a minority focus. A local voice is much more powerful than a national one when it comes to any issue, including issues of color. National voices tend to be faceless and ignored.

Barack Obama used the 50-state strategy and he will be our nominee. Hillary Clinton discounted it in favor of old alliances and she will not.

I think there is a lesson there.