DNC Live Blog – Day 2
We had a great time blogging the Democratic Convention –
Click after the jump for the complete transcript…
5:06 Maddy – Tonight’s Theme is “Renewing America’s Promise” – the Democrats have 60 speaker scheduled tonight – 60!
5:07 Maddy – Presently, delegates are streaming into the arena.
5:09 Maddy – I’m not exactly sure why political conventions are also opportunities for people to wear their most outlandish garments (especially hats)
5:12 Maddy – oooh. The music has begun (or at least in warming up) — a cover of “every breath you take” by the Police. Interesting choice.
5:36 Maddy – Dnc Chair and CA Rep – Mike Honda is speaking
5:37 Maddy –
former JFK speech writer Ted Sorenson just concluded his remarks – which drew strong comparisions between JFK and BHO.
5:38 Maddy – And Eleanor Homes Norton – non-voting member of the house (DC) spoke about the DC voting rights bill – and one of the bill’s co-sponsors, Barack Obama
5:40 Maddy – Honda is speaking of education and teachers –
5:40 Maddy – Next speaker – David Gipp (ND)
5:40 Maddy – Gipp is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
5:44 Maddy – Next up is Linda Sanchez – Rep (CA) –
5:49 Maddy – Chet Culver, Iowa Governor – speaking of the floods and tornadoes in Iowa this summer
5:51 Maddy – Culver uses the term “green collared jobs” – while discussing the clean energy plan
5:53 Maddy – David Paterson Gov NY – is greated with “New York, New York” and rousing applause
5:54 Maddy – Paterson is legally blind
5:55 Maddy –
and was turned down for his first job – out of grad school – due to his disabilities – and now he is Governor of New York
5:56 Maddy – This is, what Michelle Obama called last night “the american promise”
5:56 Maddy – but what has happened to that promise during the last 8 years?
5:57 Maddy – there is only one candidate that will make the change to restore the promise
6:03 Maddy – Senator Patrick Leahy is scheduled to speak next – but we’re enjoying a nice musical intermission instead…
6:07 Maddy – One has to wonder if the Republicans will be boogying until they “just can’t boogie no more” next week.
6:07 Maddy – quiet cheer of “we want Leahy”
6:08 Maddy – Video of Obama speaking about change
6:10 Maddy – representatives of the Black Caucus
6:11 Maddy – tribute to Stephan Tubbs Jones
6:13 Maddy – Charles Rangle – chairman of House Ways and Means Committee (NY) – continues the tribute
6:26 Maddy – Senior Senator from Vermont – Patrick Leahy
6:27 Maddy – I live on a dirt road –
that may be true Senator – but you also get cameos in Batman movies
6:31 Maddy – he appeals to rural america that Obama is the one who will restore prosperity in these areas
6:32 Maddy – Rep Chris Van Hollen (MD)
6:32 Maddy – The band introduced Rep Van Hollen with “living on a prayer”
6:41 Maddy – He is introducing some of the “candidates for change” – democrats who are running for office
6:44 Maddy – next up Cecile Richards – President of Planned Parenthood
6:44 Maddy – and daughter of the late Ann Richards
6:45 Maddy – this is just the 2nd time planned parenthood has endorsed a candidate
6:48 Maddy –
Dennis Kucinich – Ohio Rep – and former Presidential candidate
6:51 Maddy – Kucinich has led a movement in the Congress to impeach George Bush
6:54 Maddy – He has woken up the audience with his call “wake up America!”
6:54 Maddy – California Comptroller – john Chiang
6:59 Maddy –
Wisconsin Governor, Jim Doyle
7:00 Maddy – as many other speakers – Doyle is remembering John F. Kennedy
7:01 Maddy – time to revive the spirit of Kennedy – ready to reject 4 more years of the same
7:02 Maddy – **this is a really big theme = that John McCain will be a continuation of George Bush’s administration
7:06 Maddy – Governor Joe Manchin (WV) – chairman of the democratic governors association
7:16 [Comment From ElisaBerlin]
Hi! I just read that 44 % at the convention represent minority groups. I wonder how that number is at the republican convention..
7:17 Maddy – Members of the US Women Senate have been speaking – and I have been doing battle with a few computer troubles – but we’re back now!
7:18 Maddy – Now up – Blanche Lincoln
7:37 Maddy – Ed Rendell listed some specific goals of the Obama engery plan
7:37 Maddy –
Now up Wisconsin Rep Tammy Baldwin – speaking of health care and medical bills
7:40 Maddy – cali rep Xavier Beccera
7:42 Maddy – speaking of american workers and the troubles facing many americans
7:44 Maddy – President of the AFL-CIO – John Sweeney
7:47 Maddy – Mr. Sweeney is on the stage with workers who have met with hardships
7:47 Maddy –
Mr. sweeney says that they need change and that is why they are voting for barack obama
7:50 Maddy – Now up – Robin Golden – a michigan autoworker scheduled to lose his job
7:51 Maddy – his job is being moved to Mexico in 2 weeks. all of his co-workers are being laid-off as well
7:53 Maddy –
Rahm Emanuel, rep from Illinois
7:58 Maddy – video time
8:02 Maddy – Music break – time to stretch your legs and get a snack as we head into prime time
8:10 Maddy – taking the stage is Katherine Marcano – an Iowa flood victim
8:11 Maddy – her sister is disabled – and she takes care of her as her mother is ill
8:14 Maddy – Steny Hoyer Rep from Maryland
8:14 Maddy – House Majority leader
8:21 Maddy – so far tonight – Kucinich has gotten the biggest reaction – by far
8:21 Maddy – Next up Pauline Beck – an homecare worker from California
8:24 Maddy – Senator Obama had spent the day working with Ms. Beck
8:24 Maddy –
Now on the stage – Anna Burger – officer with the SEIU
8:27 Maddy – next to the podium – Arizona governor – Janet Napolitano
8:29 Maddy – Arizonians are proud of their state – and their politcal tradition –
Barry Goldwater ran, and he lost – Bruce Babbit ran, and he lost -
and at least for this election – this is one tradition I’d like to continue
8:30 Maddy – There has never been a President from Arizona
8:35 Maddy – well, one thing we have learned this evening = from nearly everyspeaker that Barack Obama will fight for the middle class, work for health care for all, create green energy jobs and end the war in Iraq
8:35 Maddy – I guess that’s more than one thing
8:37 Maddy – Now time for the “American town Hall” – Moderator Jennifer Granholm (governor of Michigan) – the topic tonight – Economy.
8:38 Maddy – Energy company rep, wind energy worker, environmental consultant, and a lablor rep.
8:38 Maddy – they will be answering questions – from email and video
8:39 Maddy –
goal is to make ours the most energy efficent ecomony in the world
8:41 Maddy –
Jim Bauer from PA – lost manufactuering job – now has job at wind energy plant
8:42 Maddy – Next question = gas prices
8:43 Maddy –
obama has a plan for fuel efficiency and to retool American auto industry
8:50 Maddy – The next two scheduled speakers are republicans
8:50 Maddy – Jim Whitaker, Mayor of Fairbanks, Alaska
8:51 Maddy – “I am here to endorse Barack Obama as the next President of the United States. Because I am an American first”
8:52 Maddy –
“I will be casting my vote for Barack Obama
8:54 Maddy –
Gloria Craven from North Carolina
8:54 Maddy – a laid off textile worker
8:57 Maddy – Nancy Floyd from Oregon –
8:58 Maddy –
founder of Nth power – and energy technology investment firm
9:00 Maddy – that “college in Pennsylvania” that she mentioned, it’s Franklin and Marshall – in case you’re wondering
9:04 Maddy – Here comes Governor Kathleen Sebelius (Kansas)
9:05 Maddy – Governor Sebelius was on the “short list” of possible Vice Presidential candidates
9:05 Maddy – The Governor is reminding us of Barack Obama’s background
9:08 Maddy – Governor Sebelius was elected in 2002
9:08 Maddy – How many new green jobs?
9:09 Maddy – oh yeah. 5 million
9:10 Maddy – Next up Federico Pena
9:11 Maddy – former mayor of Denver. and former Secretary of Energy
9:12 Maddy – Pena also served as Transportation Secretary under the Clinton Administration
9:13 Maddy –
Pena, in 1983, was the first hispanic mayor of Denver
9:17 Maddy – Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez of New York
9:17 Maddy – Chairwoman of the House small business committee
9:18 Maddy – Rep Velazquez, when elected in 1993, was the first Puerto Rican woman elected to the US Congress
9:23 [Comment From Suz]
What time does Hillary take the stage?
9:23 Maddy – Probably 10:30
9:23 Maddy – now up Bob Casey, Jr
9:24 Maddy – Casey is an interesting choice – but he has been a staunch supporter of Obama from the beginning
9:24 Maddy – Casey (as was his father before him) is more known as a pro-life politician than a democrat
9:26 Maddy – Casey, like Biden, is also from Scranton
9:26 [Comment From Suz]
I find Casey to be a ‘conservative’ democrat. I’ve found it interesting that he’s been such a strong supporter
9:26 Maddy – I agree
9:28 Maddy –
Hillary’s father was also born in Scranton (of course, Hillary was born in Illinois) – what is it about Scranton?
9:29 Maddy – Casey is calling McCain a “sidekick” not a maverick
9:29 Maddy – “4 more months!’ the crowd is cheering
9:30 Maddy – he’s not the first speaker to make that distinction tonight
9:31 Maddy – now on the stage – Lily Ledbetter – from Alabama
9:32 Maddy – Ms Ledbetter’s actions against Goodyear led to the passage of the Fair Pay Restoration Act
9:33 Maddy – She was a supervisor at Goodyear – working for 19 years
9:33 Maddy – she suspected that she was not being paid the same amount as her male co-workers
9:34 Maddy – She couldn’t ignore the discrimination – so she went to court
9:34 Maddy – A jury agreed
9:34 Maddy – but her company appealed – all the way to the Supreme Court
9:35 Maddy – and Goodyear won
9:35 Maddy –
citing that she did not file her action in a timely manner – although she did not know that she was being paid less
9:36 Maddy –
Since then, the House of Representatives passed a bill to change the law
9:36 Maddy – the bill died in the Senate
9:36 Maddy – Ms Ledbetter says that Senator Obama will work for equal pay.
9:37 Maddy – she says that this is not a party issue – it’s a fairness issue
9:37 Maddy –
equal pay for equal work is a fundamental American principle. we need leaders who will fight for it
9:38 Maddy – The Keynote speech should be next
9:38 Maddy – after a quick music break – it would seem
9:40 Maddy – Governor Mark Warner (VA) – will be delivering the keynote. Warner was a businessman before he entered politics
9:41 Maddy – Mark Warner is taking the stage
9:41 Maddy –
Warner is the former governor of Virginia – and is currently running for the US Senate
9:42 Maddy – to fill the vacant seat left by John Warner (R).
9:42 Maddy – “the most important race of our lives has begun…”
9:43 Maddy –
“the race for the future”
9:43 Maddy – “it won’t be won by a president who is stuck in the past”
9:44 Maddy – Warner was born in Indiana – and grew up in…Illinois
9:45 Maddy – He went to Harvard Law School
9:45 [Comment From Suz]
Well it can’t be won by a president from the past…he has reached his term limits (thank goodness!)
9:45 Maddy – the big message tonight has been that McCain is a continuation of Bush’s administration
9:46 Maddy – it hasn’t been very “anti republican” – more anti George Bush
9:48 Maddy –
Warner is repeating Obama’s message – and idea that the Bush administration has not asked the american people to participate
9:48 Maddy – in service to the country –
9:49 Maddy – “America has never been afraid of the future”
9:52 Maddy – Contining on the bi-partisian theme – Warner says that we need leaders that see us as Americans first
9:53 Maddy – This election is about the future versus the past
9:55 Maddy – Warner was Governor from 2002 – 2006
9:58 Maddy – The Virginia constitution precludes a Governor from serving consecutive terms
10:01 Maddy – Ohio Governor, Ted Strickland
10:02 Maddy – it would appear that the party of technology and science is having some technical problems
10:02 Maddy – Governor Strickland first applauds the late congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones
10:03 Maddy – “ohio has a bit of everything this county has to offer”
10:04 Maddy – Stickland was elected Governor in 2006
10:04 Maddy – before that, he served 6 terms in the US congress
10:04 [Comment From Laura]
Well, Warner didn’t give a pep talk, but hid did say some important things
10:05 Maddy – he’s not a cheerleader/homespun politician – but it continues this idea of bi-partisanship
10:05 [Comment From Laura]
If nothing else, he reminded the PUMAs that some SERIOUS issues are at stake, even if he didn’t do it brilliantly
10:06 Maddy – There’s really only been one speech tonight – good points, but a little redundant
10:08 Maddy –
“george W bush came into office on 3rd base…and then he stole 2nd.” “and John McCain cheered him all the way.”
10:08 Maddy – favorite line so far tonight
10:09 [Comment From Laura]
Love Michelle Obama — she’s on PBS right now
10:09 Maddy – She did a great job last night. I’m a little floored that anyone could find fault in it.
10:10 Maddy – Strickland’s voice waivered a little as he said “it’s time to bring our jobs back and our troops home.”
10:10 [Comment From Laura]
I heard Rove said she didn’t say “I love America” enough. If she’d said it more, though, they’d be complaining about that.
10:11 Maddy – Massachusetts Governor, Deval Patrick
10:11 Maddy – Also from Illinois
10:12 [Comment From Laura]
Every third night on the floor, and now he’s a guv!
10:12 Maddy – Governor Patrick is the first African American to hold the office of Mass Governor
10:14 Maddy –
Through a program called “A Better Chance” Patrick attended Milton Academy – he went on to Harvard College and Harvard Law School.
10:14 Maddy – Governor Patrick – is emphasizing Obama’s committment to education
10:15 Maddy –
“a well educated America will make things again”
10:16 Maddy – Patrick was elected in 2006
10:17 [Comment From Laura]
Like what he said about the people in New Orleans being abandonded by the federal gov’t even BEFORE Katrina.
10:18 Maddy –
it’s a good point – action before the storm would have made things very different
10:19 [Comment From Laura]
Heck, building the levees right in the first place decades before would have been a good start . . . they weren’t constructed the way LA was told they were in many places.
10:20 Maddy –
big emphasis on “americans” versus democrats
10:20 Maddy –
Next up – Brian Schweitzer – Governor from Montana
10:22 [Comment From Laura]
Montana — now here’s a state that will be important this time out.
10:24 Maddy – Schweitzer has (one of) the best approval rating in the country (over 70%) –
10:26 [Comment From Suz]
Ed Rendell is being interviewed by Katie Couric on CBS
10:26 [Comment From Laura]
He’s a loveable kinda guy.
10:27 Maddy – He was a serious consideration for VP
10:27 [Comment From Laura]
And he’s doing a good job firing up the room. Love the rancher string tie, too.
10:27 [Comment From Laura]
We didn’t hear much about him
10:28 Maddy – A pretty strong counter balance to Obama
10:28 [Comment From ElisaBerlin]
I love his cowboy tie
10:28 Maddy – A soil science masters from Montana State University
10:28 [Comment From Suz]
I don’t know why, but a man in a string tie makes me think of conservative, NRA folk. Nice to see they can go Democrat too
10:29 Maddy – He’s definitely an NRA guy – it’s kinda mandatory in Montana
10:29 [Comment From Laura]
They should send him out to stump for the campaign
10:30 Maddy – I’ll bet that he does a lot of campaigning in the west
10:30 [Comment From Laura]
Yeah, but they have guns for reasons other than shooting folks out there.
10:30 [Comment From ElisaBerlin]
and when you put the thing on mute he looks like a comedian – facial expressions!
10:30 [Comment From Suz]
So who thinks Hillary can bring her supporters over to Obama?
10:30 Maddy – regarding the comedy thing – I was thinking the same thing!
10:30 [Comment From Laura]
all of McCain’s back yards even the ones he doesn’t know he has
10:31 [Comment From Laura]
me too — it’s that jolly delivery
10:31 Maddy – That’s a good line
10:31 Maddy – The most important barrel of oil is the one you don’t use
10:32 Maddy –
Hillary and Obama aren’t that different in ideology – if her supporters (ie delegates) are true democrats, they should vote for Obama
10:32 [Comment From Suz]
Maybe he’s in favor of wind ranches. would be a great energy plan, would invest money in our economy, and employ folks. I call it win-win
10:32 [Comment From ElisaBerlin]
I am excited for Hillary’s speech. If she disappoints me, the bumper sticker on my fridge is going to embarrass me
10:33 [Comment From Laura]
Oh, I hope she doesn’t disappoint
10:33 Maddy –
I think she’ll do a good job
10:33 [Comment From Laura]
It’s too important for the campaign, plus she needs to come out looking gracious at this point
10:34 Maddy – this guy is awesome
10:34 [Comment From Laura]
I kind of feel sorry for her on the PUMA front these days — all those people using her name to fight the party and she can’t stop them
10:34 [Comment From Laura]
get off of your hind end, he says!
10:34 [Comment From Laura]
I love this guy
10:35 Maddy – reportedly, he regularly brings his dog to work
10:35 Maddy – Bill CLinton is in the house
10:35 Maddy – “that’s it baby”
10:36 Maddy – that’s the first time that’s been said tonight
10:36 [Comment From ElisaBerlin]
me too. he is awesome
10:36 Maddy –
Hillary video
10:36 [Comment From Suz]
now that was a rousing speech
10:37 [Comment From ElisaBerlin]
great intro
10:38 Maddy – oh my
10:38 [Comment From Suz]
the SNL clip was a classic
10:38 [Comment From ElisaBerlin]
american girl. I love it!
10:39 [Comment From Suz]
they’ve been having good song choices all convention long
10:39 [Comment From Suz]
so who sees Chelsea running for Pres in the future?
10:40 Maddy – i think it’s up to her. hill and bill said that they were surprised at how much Chelsea did in this campaign
10:41 Maddy –
Chelsea is at the mic
10:41 Maddy – looking very lovely
10:42 [Comment From Laura]
Yep Chelsea may just wind up in the family business
10:42 Maddy – Hillary is on the stage
10:42 [Comment From Laura]
take that, Rush Limbaugh for calling Chelsea an ugly dog when she was 12
10:42 [Comment From Suz]
Don’t know that I lovce that shall wel say ‘pumpkin’ colored suit Hillary is wearing
10:43 [Comment From ElisaBerlin]
I just thought that
10:43 Maddy – bold choice – she looks good though – and it’s good against the blue backdrop
10:43 [Comment From Laura]
well, it does seem to be a pretty good color for her
10:43 [Comment From Laura]
and with all that blue and red up there . . . . maybe a safe pick
10:43 [Comment From ElisaBerlin]
about the ugly dog AND the pumpkin suit
10:44 Maddy – is bill crying?
10:44 [Comment From Suz]
safe, but a bit weird
10:44 [Comment From Laura]
YES
10:44 [Comment From Laura]
he’s crying
10:44 [Comment From Suz]
Does Bill’s botox allow him to cry still?
10:44 [Comment From ElisaBerlin]
Maybe it’s because I am from Europe, but I still think that Bill is awesome
10:45 Maddy – biggest applause of the convention, so far
10:45 Maddy – So, at least Hillary is still a democrat
10:45 [Comment From Laura]
like the unity signs in the crowd
10:46 Maddy – it’s probably a good thing that they cheered after that
10:46 [Comment From Laura]
good that she got supporter of Obama out there right up front
10:46 Maddy – “the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose”
10:46 [Comment From Laura]
yea, unity!
10:47 [Comment From Suz]
There was a lot of pressure on her to make it clear that she’s behind him
10:47 [Comment From Laura]
I think Michelle looks a little nervous, but hiding it
10:47 [Comment From ElisaBerlin]
I wish she would be a little less robotic
10:48 Laura – good line
10:48 Maddy – No way. No How. No McCain.
10:48 [Comment From Suz]
GREAT LINE
10:48 [Comment From ElisaBerlin]
ok I take it back. good line
10:48 Laura – now michelle looks like she’s feeling better
10:49 Laura – Hillary seems to be loosening up, too
10:49 Laura – She looked a little funny right at first — I’m sure she was feeling wistful and the cheering
10:49 Laura – at the cheering
10:50 Laura – Bill is still weepy
10:50 Suz – Bill makes some weird faces
10:51 Maddy – if she tells the story about the boy who sold his bike…
10:51 Laura – oh, she’d better not tell that one
10:51 Laura – sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits!
10:51 Suz – LOL!
10:52 Maddy – Hillary is remembering the Arkansas Dem leader who was murdered in the party headquarters and Stephanie Tubbs Jones
10:53 Laura – Both of those deaths had to hit Hill hard, esp. Gwatney — they were close
10:53 Laura – sad that we have the big deficit when Bill worked so hard to get rid of it
10:54 Maddy – She needs to bring it back to Obama
10:54 Laura – Yes, she does
10:54 Suz – Green collar’ jobs…hadn’t heard that term yet
10:54 Maddy – 5 million of them
10:55 Laura – It’s been a little too much about her, then turning to general issues without using his name
10:55 Suz – i hear that she’ll only mention it at the beginning and towards the end. Basically setting herself up for 2012 or 2016
10:55 Laura – Maybe so
10:55 Laura – I was just hoping for a little more Obama love here
10:56 Laura – OK, there it is
10:56 Laura – finally
10:56 Suz – Finally mentions Obama again
10:56 Maddy –
same ideas –
10:56 ElisaBerlin – there she goes
10:56 Laura – OK, now she’s making me happy
10:57 ElisaBerlin – I like where this is going
10:57 Suz – “Were you in this campaingn just for me…’
10:57 Laura – Were you in it just for me or for all those people whose stories I told
10:57 Laura – Good
10:57 Suz – American confidence and optimism…would be nice to see those again from the top of the government
10:59 Laura – Good, she’s talking up the party AND Obama now
10:59 Maddy – middle class – the Dems are taking ownership of this term
10:59 Laura – Some of those faces in the crowd don’t look like they’re 100% on baord
10:59 Laura – nod to Bill now
11:00 Laura – OK, big cheers for health care
11:00 Suz – “Repair our alliancies around the world…”
11:01 Suz – Nod to Michelle Obama
11:01 Laura – and Biden
11:01 Suz – Come on Biden…when she’s talking about you stand up!
11:01 Maddy – hasn’t been much talk about Joe – I guess tomorrow is more his day
11:01 Laura – Love Jill Biden
11:01 ElisaBerlin – get up Jill
11:02 Suz – God help us if we get “…4 more years of the last 8 years”
11:02 Laura – like that line
11:02 Laura – now she’s kicking McCain’s butt
11:02 Laura – equal pay!!!!!!!
11:03 Suz – I like the McCain bashing
11:03 Laura – Twin Cities joke! Love it!
11:03 Laura – These days McCain and Bush are awfully hard to tell apart
11:03 Suz – The Twins (McCain and Bush) in the Twin City!!!!
11:04 Laura – Aw, Chelsea looks so moved by Mom’s talk about women’s right to vote
11:05 Suz – Women got the right to vote today in history and we had the right this primary season to vote for a woman. I hope I get the chance in my lifetime to vote for a woman for president
11:05 Laura – Me too
11:05 Maddy –
“keep going”
11:06 Maddy – I’d like to know who wrote this speech – they did a good job
11:06 Suz – We’re Americans…we’re not big on quitting
11:06 Laura – now we need to GET going
11:06 Maddy – Bill looks convinced
11:07 ElisaBerlin – I love her. I hope she gets a great deal out of this.
11:07 Suz – She delivered that well.
11:08 Maddy – I’d say that she did her job
11:08 Laura – I want her to be in charge of Health & Human Services — or at least a more powerful force in the Senate
11:08 ElisaBerlin – And I actually liked the pumpkin
11:08 Suz – Funny how she seems so much more ‘human’ and relaxed now that she’s not the nominee
11:08 Maddy – very true
11:09 Maddy – Now the benediction and closing
11:09 Laura – My friend Pam from Montana is on the phone
11:10 Laura – We’re talking about how great her gov did
11:10 Maddy –
lucky girl
11:10 Suz – you’ll have to ask her if he always wears the string tie
11:10 Laura – Actually, she lives in MInneapolis right now
11:10 Laura – She liked the Twin Cities joke
11:11 Maddy – last night’s prayer was very specific – the pastor asked for health care
11:11 Maddy – So, 2 speakers were scrapped – both republicans
11:11 Suz – I have to say I agree with Teddy K that health care for all should be a basic human right not a priveledge
11:12 Maddy – well, after watching 12 hours of convention the last 2 days – I’d have to say I agree
11:13 Maddy –
I’m going to close the live blog -thanks for participating! be sure to stop by again tomorrow and on thursday!
