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Governor Bill Richardson spoke, Stevie Wonder's about te sing, the floor is so crowded that fire marshals are setting limits... The evening is getting closer to Obama's speech time. There are still some empty seats, but the majority are filled.. The majority are from the community, the floor is filled with delegates, and floating around are VIPs and some celebrities. We've seen Spike Lee, Jennifer Hudson, and that guy from Lost.
People are streaming into Invesco Field! Some say lines are at least
an hour long
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It has been billed as the biggest speech of his political career. And the convention has certainly been building up that way. In just a few hours, Sen. Barack Obama will make a historic speech at Invesco Field, and more than 70,000 people will be in attendence.
It's going to be a long day any way you slice it. Denver TV stations have spent all morning telling people that streets are highways are beig shut down. The lucky people with tickets are already filing into the stadium. And the media? It's going to be a long day and night. Stay tuned!
A Lot of people worked some really long hours overnight to get the media sections up and running!
With the roll call over, the speeches have begun.. We're waiting to hear from former President Bill Clinton, and of course, VP nominee Joe Biden. It's going to be another interesting night.
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are officially nominated. Now comes
the roll call votes!
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Texas delegates crowd in for a chance to cast their ballot. A roll
call vote will follow on the floor this afternoon.
Senator Hillary Clinton gave what was perhaps the most important speech of her career last night. She gave a full endorsement to the Obama-Biden ticket, and called Sen. John McCain's campaign just four more years of George Bush. For most Democrats, it was a speech that got them standing, excited, clapping -- it was what they wanted to hear.
Whether her speech will move polling points toward Obama remains to be seen. But, have you ever wondered what people like Clinton hang out when not speaking in front of a national audience? This week, the famous Palace Hotel in Denver is the place to be if you are the upper crust of the Democratic Party. Last night, Secret Service had half the hotel blocked off while waiting for Clinton to leave the hotel. You couldn't go near the elevator. Outside, dozens of fans lined the streets, waiting for Clinton to show up.
Clinton wasn't the only Democratic VIP hanging out at the century old Palace Hotel. If you hang out long enough, the place is loaded with party big wigs. We also spotted Teresa Heinz Kerry in the hotel, with a cadre of people, heading to a private dining room in the restaurant. So, what does Clinton like to have before and after the big event? The waiters weren't talking.
Tonight is the Unity night everyone is waiting for. Mainly, will
Hillary Clinton truly be able to convince some of her most diehard
supporters to vote for Obama. It is a speech that is also expected to
attack McCain. Texas, which Obama won the caucus and Clinton won the
Primary, still has a lot of her supporters. The most prominent
include Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, Sue Lovell, and Carol Alvarado. It
will be interesting to see their reactions tonight.
Convention seats are precious. Better write your name on them!
Actually, more like the view from the Texas Delegation. The first day of the convention brought a mix of heady excitement and anxiousness to Texans in Denver. No, as you can see from the photo, the Texans didn't have a front row seat. However, most seemed perfectly content in their places. We spotted State Sen. Mario Gallegos, Carol Alvarado, State Rep. Garnet Coleman, State Rep. Alma Allen, and Council Member Sue Lovell among the large Texas contingent.
There were also a lot of Texans who aren't delegates. For those people, the challenge became finding a coveted guest pass. Lovell admitted to me that she's even been offered money for some of her passes. As a Super Delegate, she was excited about the Convention, but not about to sell her passes. Instead, Lovell had the enviable job of handing out the hottest tickets in town to a few choice friends.
Over the next 24 hours, we are expecting to see other Houston notables, including candidates for Senate (Rick Noriega) and House (Michael Skelly.) For those wondering, Houston Mayor Bill White, a Democrat who is mulling over the idea of running for Texas Governor... is not here.
Thousands of delegates, lots of flags, and plenty of music to get the
crowd excited!
We spotted Houston City Council Member Sue Lovell trying to connect to
her people in downtown Denver.
A small but determined group of Clinton supporters vowing to vote for
McCain demonstrate at Union Station.
There is always something interesting, even when you are just walking
down the street. Here are two guys from hollywood.
At every convention, there is a pecking order. Texas, a traditionally Red state, is low in the
pecking order during Democratic primaries. That means the Texas delegates are assigned a mediocre hotel (Red Lion) far away (in a suburb called Aurora.) They also don’t get to sit on the floor of Pepsi Center, where the nightly events are held. Texas, like most Republican leaning states, gets the balcony. Front and center are swing states like Ohio, and of course, the candidate’s home state of Illinois.
Security is extra tight this year, and many parts of downtown Denver are blocked off. Driving anywhere is a hassle. If you don’t have a credential around your neck, forget it! I’ve met several delegates who didn’t bring their wives or husbands because there would be nothing for them to do. Almost everything is delegate invite only.
So what happens if you don’t have a coveted credential or a floor pass? You can protest in the face of armed Denver police, you can party for peace at several local parks and pubs, or you can sell some Barack Obama buttons at a friendly street corner. Everywhere you turn, somebody is doing some version of that. The mixture of hawkers, gawkers, and activists form the colorful tableau that makes the American political process so interesting. Denver’s pleasant summer weather doesn’t hurt, either.
Our position in a skybox in the Pepsi Center. it's early!
Lots and lots of security.
We are about to go into pepsi center
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It certainly is convention time in Denver. Both Tom Abrahams and I will be covering the Democratic National Convention over the next week. This morning, my flight was loaded with media, some delegates, and one or two Obamacans.
It's the front page news in the Denver papers, and when you leave the airport, there is a variety of welcome wagons.
We , though, headed to our rental cars. Over the next few days, both Tom and I will show you the ins and outs of the convention.
The Texas delegation is headquartered out of the Red Lion, so we'll make sure to head there and check out the scene. A lot of Texans are already in town, getting in an early bike ride. We are going to meet up with some of them in a bit.
So the news this week that another White (may) want to be Mayor is sending the City Hall folks abuzzing. Former Gov. Mark White is letting people know that he's definitely thinking about running for Mayor. How would you like to be Peter Brown, Annise Parker, or Bill King? Having talked to two out out of the three (Brown is in France) they are staying pretty cool, saying it won't really matter.
Besides, there should be a few others jumping in the race. Still, a former Governor, with a name of White? Hm... should be interesting. Gov. White says he'll make a decision in a few weeks. We can't wait.. meanwhile.. let's go dig up a few more Mayoral candidates (who aren't currently running for other offices.)
Looks like the County Commissioners are going to consider adding $10 Million to the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) on the East End to help make the Dynamo Stadium a reality.
Mayor Bill White talked about it yesterday.... which is nice and all, but it will be up to the Commissioners Court to bring it up. The Mayor wouldn't admit it in so many words, but he would obviously like the commissioners to bring it up on the agenda sooner, rather than later.
Alas, it was not on this week's agenda, and all eyes will be on Commissioner Sylvia Garcia to see if she'll make it happen next week.
In the meantime, the Dynamo is holding a get-out-the-vote campaign, where the League of Women Voters will be registering folks at the next Dynamo game. And no, despite an email being circulated by the Harris County Democrats, the Dynamo has made it clear it is not a Democrat/Dynamo deal.. it's no partisan, and all parties are invited. Just don't wear blue or red, wear orange!
Council Member and mayoral hopeful Peter Brown made some Democrats very angry recently.. by showing up at a fundraiser headlined by Karl Rove. Annie's List, a Democratic activist group, sent out a scathing press release about Brown, saying in part:
Peter Brown owes an apology to Kristi Thibaut, Sherri Matula, and other Democrats after attending and being recognized at a Harris County fundraiser featuring Karl Rove, the "Republican mastermind". The event had the exclusive purpose of raising funds to beat these Democratic women.
"If Peter Brown wants to hob knob with Karl Rove, that is his prerogative, but attending a Republican fundraiser for the explicit purpose of defeating Democratic candidates is way over the line. At the very least he owes Kristi Thibaut and Sherrie Matula an apology and an offer to contribute or raise an equal amount of money for them," said Annie's List Communications Director Erica Prosser.
Annie's List has already endorsed Controller Annise Parker for Mayor, but this news release still stings. Brown,for his part, does tend to show up on politically surprising places. I remember the council member, who is a major Barack Obama bundler, showing up at a Hillary Clinton rally during the primary season. In reality, his appearance at the Rove event was probably more due to his eagerness to attend events, more than anything else. Besides, the Mayor's race is "suppose" to be non-partisan, right?
We are back from a little summer vacation, just in time for the Democratic National Convention! But before we get ahead of ourselves, let's check in on what's been going on here in town.
Jolanda Jones is always in the middle of something. And that’s exactly what happened when the City Council Member and her son went for a middle-of-the-night Wal-Mart run last Sunday. Shortly before 1 a.m., as Jones was driving down the Southwest Freeway, sparks flew near an overpass.
Her son quickly realized it was a car on fire. Upon a second look, the car was falling off the overpass. The duo quickly exited the freeway, and eventually found the car, burning, along the edge of the Hillcroft Transit Center.
“I kept looking to see if there was anyone inside,” said Jones, “and then I saw someone screaming.”
Jones and two other Good Samaritans managed to pull the woman out of the car. With the woman in her arms, Jones waited for help to arrive. “She was just screaming, and you can tell her leg was broken because the bone was sticking out.”
Jones said firefighters told her that she probably saved the woman’s life. By Sunday afternoon, Jones was still somewhat stunned by what she did. But if you know Jones, it’s just another turn in an unpredictable life.
As I write this sitting at Intercontinental, my flight is delayed 90 minutes. Continental can't find a flight attendant to complete the crew.. But, it's nothing you and I haven't lived through in the adventures of air travel in America.
That being said, if I make it out of Houston, your humble blogger will be on vacation for about a week. As in the past, I will occasionally get the urge to post during vacation, which always ends up with something a bit wacky. I the mean time, you can find my column in the HCN papers this week!
And, for the truly adventurous type, find me on Facebook or Tweeter for real time updates!
Last night, Barack Obama's star power drew the city's rich and influential to two party palaces. The first, a 250 member fete at the Mithoffs. The second, a 50 person seated event at the Thrashs. Both events carried heavy tariffs, from a minimum of $2,300 for the first, to a $28,000 minimum for the second. The majority of the dough will go to the Democratic National Committee, as federal contributions limit a candidate's take to $2,300 per person.
Still, it was THE guest list to be on if you are of the Democratic persuasion. Among the notable locals who fought for face time, Chris Bell, Adrian Garcia, Rusty Hardin, David Mincberg, and on and on. Council member Peter Brown, who was an early supporter and bundler for Obama, didn't need to get in line. He's one of the few people Obama actually recognized by sight and referred to by name. Wonder if the budding Mayoral Candidates is smiling today? Society Queen Lynn Wyatt also showed up, of course not at the Thrashs. And, security was tight!
Those of us in media were forced to wait across the street, on the very well manicured lawns of the Mithoffs neighbors on Lazy Lane. The good news? Even though we weren't invited inside the fete, I managed to find some photos and a bit of video from the Obama event.
Here's the transcript of what he said in the videos:
Clip 1:
I love Texas! We’re going to surface some more democrats here in Texas. (inaudible from off camera kid) What’s that? (to the young lady) I wish I could stay.. I’ve got my own daughters back home! And they’re cute, just like you. But I do love Texas, I love visiting Texas , I’ll come back. I want to begin by thanking.. (video cuts off)Clip 2:
And you got an ad with Britney and Paris? (laughter.) We got to elevate our politics! We’re not going to agree on everything. We got a whole range of things we can disagree on, but at least we can agree that the times are serious. It calls for serious people, and it calls for serious solutions. And that’s what we want this campaign to.. (video cuts off)
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