Tag: Democratic National Convention (page 4)

On August 13, the DNCC announced additional speakers for Tuesday night, the night that Hillary Clinton and Convention Keynote Speaker Mark Warner will make their speeches.

Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, Governors Ted Strickland of Ohio and Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, Senator Bob Casey, Jr. of Pennsylvania and Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana and Federico Peña, former Mayor of Denver and Secretary of both Energy and Transportation.

In addition to those ten speakers, a press release I received today adds nine more: [More...]

Another press release received today from the DNC announces a "Unity Breakfast." It's an event that marries civil rights and faith.

DENVER – The Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) today unveiled plans for a unity breakfast to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the March on Washington on Thursday, August 28 during the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. Martin Luther King III will join with civil rights leaders including Rev. Al Sharpton and faith leaders including Rabbi Jack Moline and Sister Simone Campbell to honor Martin Luther King Jr., the message of his “I Have a Dream” speech and the movement behind the March on Washington.

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This just in from the DNCC on rules for attending events at Invesco Field Thursday, when Sen. Barack Obama will make his acceptance speech.

Doors open at 1:00 pm. They recommend coming early as while you will be assigned a section, the seats with the section are first-come - first serve.

The list of items not allowed on-site is long, and includes but is not limited to: [More...]

Via the Denver Post, Hillary Clinton supporters will have two days of events celebrating her achievements.

• Aug. 25: Clinton supporters will gather at Confluence Park
• August 26: The Clinton parade march from 11:45 to 12:30pm, along the convention center parade route.
• August 26: Afternoon and evening: Cheeseman Park

The organizers stress the events are intended to promote party unity. Also,

..... the events are meant to be positive, to acknowledge Clinton's achievements and to celebrate women's suffrage.

First came the news came that Hillary Clinton would speak at the Democratic Convention Tuesday night. Yesterday came the news that the keynote speech, to be given by former VA. Governor Mark Warner, would also be Tuesday.

Now there's this: the Tuesday lineup will also include Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, Governors Ted Strickland of Ohio and Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, Senator Bob Casey, Jr. of Pennsylvania and Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana and Federico Peña, former Mayor of Denver and Secretary of both Energy and Transportation.

That's 10 speakers for Tuesday night. By contrast, Monday night, there are 5 speakers, 3 of whom are Michelle Obama, her brother and Barack Obama's sister.[More...]

Welcome to Gitmo of the Rockies, or as Denver locals are calling it, Gitmo on the Platte (for the nearby Platte River.)

Denver's CBS4 News reporter Rick Salinger scores an exclusive on Denver's plans for arrested protesters in the event of mass arrests -- as proof, he and his camera people got inside and shot this video before being asked to leave.

The facility is a city owned warehouse.

Inside are dozens are metal cages. They are made out of chain link fence material and topped by rolls of barbed wire.

"This is a secured environment," Capt. Frank Gale of the Denver Sheriff's Department told CBS4. "We're concerned about how that's going to be utilized by people who will be potentially disruptive."

More....

Sen. Hillary Clinton will be one of four speakers on Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention.

The convention keynote speaker, who will also be speaking Tuesday, has just been announced. It's former Governor Mark Warner.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Obama's rival during the Democratic presidential primaries, is also scheduled to speak that night, Aug. 26. But Warner is being given the plum position, according to an e-mail that Obama campaign adviser Mike Henry sent to Virginia supporters late Tuesday.

Other newly announced speakers: Michelle Obama's brother will introduce her on Monday night. Nancy Pelosi, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, will also speak Monday.

Each night has a theme: [More...]

The Democratic National Convention Committee today released the final keynote speaker's list for the four nights of the convention:

Monday: Michelle Obama
Tuesday: Hillary Clinton
Wednesday: the Vice Presidential Candidate
Thursday: Barack Obama

Former President Bill Clinton will also speak on Wednesday night.

The Democratic Party Platform Committee agreed on a platform for the Convention. It comes closer to Hillary Clinton's view of health insurance than Sen. Barack Obama's but it does not mandate insurance coverage at government expense. The final version reads:

All Americans should have coverage they can afford; employers should have incentives to provide coverage to their workers; insurers and providers should ensure high quality affordable care; and the government should ensure that health insurance is affordable and provides meaningful coverage. As affordable coverage is made available, individuals should purchase health insurance and take steps to lead healthy lives.

On criminal justice, it's a bit disappointing. While it stresses prevention and drug treatment, including more drug courts, there's a lot of emphasis on more cops and nothing criticizing mandatory minimum sentences. See pages 48 and 49 (pdf).

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Bill Clinton will speak at the Democratic Convention in Denver Wednesday night, before the VP candidate. Wednesday night is also when the balloting takes place.

Sen. Barack Obama is off to Hawaii tomorrow on vacation. That means no VP pick until next week, less than 3 weeks out from the Convention.

There's still no resolution as to whether there will be a roll-coll vote at the convention or whether Hillary will ask for her name to be placed in nomination. Newsweek's Jonathan Alter, in Catharsis in Denver? today writes [More...]:

Update 8/7: Here's my breakdown of yesterday's federal court decision upholding Denver's planned protest zone.

In a 71 page ruling available here, a federal judge in Denver today upheld Denver's planned protest zone for the Democratic National Convention, finding the plan does not run afoul of the First Amendment. As the Denver Post reports:

The demonstrators wanted the public-protest area moved closer to the delegates coming in and out of the Pepsi Center, and they wanted parade routes to end closer to the venue.

Law-enforcement officials and Denver representatives argued during a one-day trial that there has been a robust effort made to allow groups of all backgrounds to demonstrate and that security concerns superceded the demonstrators' need to be closer to the delegates.

The last paragraphs of the ruling:[More...]

ABC News has the latest on whether Hillary Clinton will put her name in nomination alongside Barack Obama at the Democratic Convention.

Answer: It's not clear.

Friday, the New York Daily News said she was not going to submit a request.

...."She is not going to submit the signed request," the [Clinton] insider told the Daily News. "People are still circulating petitions on her behalf, but this is a done deal."

Party rules stipulate that Clinton must ask in writing to be nominated herself and also submit a petition signed by 300 to 600 delegates. Without her signed request, petitions of support are meaningless.

Today's update: [More...]