August 2008 Archives

Facebook wunderkind Chris Hughes, now working with the Obama campaign on technology and social networking issues, admits that the big buildup around the promised vice president text message alert was botched. Still got all those phone number in the Obama system, though.

Here's Obama on his big night at Invesco Field in Denver on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008.

Here's a photographic look at the night, with full audio of the speech included.

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What did you think of Obama's speech? Blog with us and share your thoughts and comments. Catch up on our convention travels below, and follow our live Twitter feed from Invesco Field above.

We ran into this random homeless guy on California Street in downtown Denver - I thought they swept them all out of town, but the security is much more lax today. Turns out he's from Chicago and asked us to tell his mother he's OK.

So, Marian Jenkins, Franklin's OK. Though he does say he lost some teeth - and there's a connection to Obama. Watch the video and see for yourself.

Even a small submarine shop in Denver -- duely called Chicago Subs -- gets in on the crosstown rivaly between the Cubs and the Sox. The clear winner? The Sox in this town

DENVER - The Rev. Jesse Jackson says he's onboard with the Obama/Biden ticket and is pushing a voter registration drive to help the campaign.

Jackson arrived in Denver on the final day of the Democratic National Convention on Thursday and asked if he's talked to Barack Obama, with whom he has a strained relationship after a vulgar comment of his about the Democratic candidate was recorded on a Fox News telecast in July, since arriving, Jackson said, "No I've Talked with Joe Biden. The excitement is all in the air. We have a big duty when we leave the joy of Denver to go back home and work.

The number of unregistered voters will determine the winner in the campaign. The Clinton/Obama reconciliation was a big deal but now voter registration is an even bigger deal.

"We're kicking off a Rainbow Coalition voter registration campaign in Springfield, Ohio, this weekend and then in Athens, Ga. We have huge numbers of unregistered voters and undecided voters, so we now know that we have a six-day countdown to work it out. "

Jackson said his main focus of support for the campaign is the get-out-the-vote drive.
"We got the right candidate, we got the right ticket, now we have to set about making sure that our votes count."

Check out the free candy -- bound with Mayor Richard M. Daley metallic ribbon -- that Illinois delegates got to take home after the last delegation on Thursday. Chicago's very own Tootsie Rolls were a sweet snack for attendees of Dick Durbin and Rahm Emanuel's Chicago night bash held Tuesday at the convention.

Here's a peek at the credentials that the 30,000 or so Coloradans will get to gain entrance to Invesco Field tonight. The hologram passes showacse Barack Obama's face when you look at it one way and the progam details when you look like

Illinois State Senator and Barack Obama friend Terry Link on Obama's poker face, his golf game, and him being president.

DENVER -- On the closing day of the Democratic National Convention, Illinois delegates each took turns signing one of the placards from the convention to commemorate Barack Obama being the first African American to be nominated for president.

Once signed by the delegates, the sign will be donated to the Smithsonian Museum.

Delegates from Illinois attended their last breakfast together Thursday at the Mariott Central City Hotel.

See you again in four years ...

An "Illinois for Obama" water bottle sits a top the speaker's table.

Banners hang behind the speaker's tables at the Illinois delegation meeting room

And that's a wrap ...

Culminating the end of a four-day Democratic love fest, Barack Obama will accept the nomination of his party tonight at Invesco Field.

Word on the street is we'll have to head to the field -- where all DNC events are being held today -- very, very early, possibly as early as 1 p.m.

God bless Twitter. Look for updates throughout the day.

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Today's lineup of speeches

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There are at least two Denver restaurants with a Chicago-themed name - a sub shop and a pizza joint. The sub shop doesn't promise a good beef sandwich, so we let them be, but the pizza place comes very close to offering a Chicago-style pie, which we just had to investigate.

Mark went in and talked to the regional manager, who seemed very nice and, if given the benefit of the doubt, probably has never had even one slice of a true deep-dish sausage or a crispy bit of heaven that is the thin crust with toppings slathered to the edge. So if he's told this is Chicago pizza, he's acting in good faith. But hey, pal, sometimes you gotta question your faith.

So we bought a pie and offered it up to the hardest-working Chicago news crew in the media ghetto here at the Pepsi Center in Denver to see if we had a find here. Turns out, not so much. Check out the video for the results.

And to our new friends in Denver, a truly beautiful city with lots of nice people, don't be mad. But keep in mind, we don't try to build Denver-style mountains and bring the Colorado skiing experience to Chicago, so maybe you should leave slinging world-class pizza to the pros.

But any time you want to visit, we'll buy. You bring the beer.

We want to know what you think! Last night we live blogged speeches from the Democratic National Convention, Missed it? Share your thoughts on the speeches and comment below. Converse together. How did the speakers measure up?

They're chicks with a cause, but not Democratic cause. Meet the "Missile Dick Chicks."
They're not strangers to political conventions, and have campaigned for the Republican cause as far as New York.

Note: There's a reason they're called the "Missile Dick Chicks," though we had to sensor out the bottom-halves of their bodies.

Margaret Cho, Rufus Wainwright and Thelma Houston. (Mark Bieganski photos)

Melissa Etheridge and Cyndi Lauper

DENVER -- Brushing off the notion that America's Democratic party is divided, musician Melissa Etheridge said voters will rally behind Barack Obama -- and for change in the White House -- in the upcoming months leading to November election.

Etheridge -- flanked by an all-star cast that included Margaret Cho, Cyndi Lauper, Rufus Wainwright and Thelma Houston -- applauded the youth vote and increasing interest in the campaign.

"Are you referring to me?" Wainwright joked when talking about young voters.

Here is Clinton's speech as prepared:

Who is speaking when:

The whole world of the Democratic Convention can't be about politics. Man cannot live on rhetoric alone. With that in mind I tried to pay a quick visit to the Wynkoop Brewery on Wynkoop and 18th Street in Denver at the urging of many friends. Great beer, they said. Must go, they said. So, I dragged myself through the Denver midday heat to sample and English-style ale and a burger.

One problem: Yet another closed-event private party. Fortunately the door guy suggested I hit the Falling Rock Taproom just a few blocks away on Blake and 19th or so. It's there I ran into a tasty, hoppy ale to take the edge off a hot day, an equally tasty blackened chicken club sandwich and Chris Bourn, a local with a taste for good suds who was kind enough to share some knowledge on where to get the good stuff in Denver.

We found these guys selling the "Barack Obama: An action figure we can believe in" on the pedestrian mall along 16th Street in Denver and had to find out what super powers he has. This doll fell off the cart and hit the ground, so flying is out. Maybe unification? Oratory? You'll have to buy your own to find out.

The Chicago Sun-Times Springfield Bureau chief was briefed by the U.S. Attorney in Denver today on the alleged plot to kill Barack Obama during his speech at the Democratic National Convention. They're saying it was never a serious plot, rather an idea fueled by meth and white supremacy. The suspect were arrested with plenty of weapond, camo and bulletproof vests.

Dave also tells about his experience in the bust when one of the suspects was areested jumping from the sixth floor of his hotel - and just above his room.

Denver -- You can't walk a block here without hearing about someone's cause. Usually it's about the war in Iraq. Or high gas prices. Or abortion.

This one, not so much.

No explanation necessary. Just watch the video,

Denver -- They're not preaching Barack Obama's message of hope, but rather one of their own: Bring back Crystal Pepsi.

Let's rewind: Crystal Pepsi was on store shelves for an early time in the 1990s -- but only for a short time.

The clear drink aimed to bring clarity with purity -- being offered as a caffeine-free, clear alternative to regular colas.

Initial sales were promising, but quickly dropped off, just like the product on store shelves.

Some fight for world peace, they fight for consumer satisfaction.

She might be on markdown, but she's still packing a merchandise punch. Shops and vendors are filled with political memorabilia and merchandise -- even Barack and Hillary dolls.

Barack doll: $20
Hillary doll: $12 (discounted from $20)

Lisa Madigan was quite ready to go spikes-up at Barack Obama at his convention after he impugned the honor of Cubs fans on ESPN, but she did say Cubs fans would have the last laugh. Obama told an ESPN reporter that everyone knows Sox fans are better baseball fans and all the Cubs followers care about is cold beer and hot bodies in the bleachers.

Madigan countered by saying that it's OK to have fun at the ballgame and, when it was pointed out that both the Democratic nominee for president and the Mayor of Chicago, Richard Daley, are huge Sox fans, she pointed out that after 99 years, Cubs fans are due for a big break.

Chicago Alderman Sandi Jackson, who's husband Jesse Jr. won praise for his own speech earlier in the day to delegates on day one of the Democratic National Convention, says Michelle Obama did everything she needed to do in her much-anticipated remarks to close out the night. We caught up with Ald. Jackson waiting in the pancake line at the breakfast buffet after the delegates' morning meeting and got her reaction:

Are two top politicians mulling a run for governor? We caught up with Alexi Giannoulias and Bill Daley before Tuesday's Illinois delegation meeting to discuss their intentions in the next governor's race.

As you might imagine, for Barack, running for President is nothing compared to that first game of basketball with my brother Craig.

I can't tell you how much it means to have Craig and my mom here tonight. Like Craig, I can feel my dad looking down on us, just as I've felt his presence in every grace-filled moment of my life.

Click through for more ...

Click through for a complete list of scheduled speakers for day two -- Tuesday -- at the Denver Democratic National Convention.

Michelle Obama was charged with giving the speech of her life to the Democratic National Convention in Denver and judging by the crowd's reaction, she didn't disappoint. We managed to weasel our way to the Illinois delegation seats on the floor for her address and here are some of the photos we got in the midst of one of the most jam-packed crowds a person could squeeze through.

AS PREPARED

As you might imagine, for Barack, running for president is nothing compared to that first game of basketball with my brother, Craig. I can't tell you how much it means to have Craig and my mom here tonight. Like Craig, I can feel my dad looking down on us, just as I've felt his presence in every grace-filled moment of my life.
 
At six-foot-six, I've often felt like Craig was looking down on me too, literally. But the truth is, both when we were kids and today, he wasn't looking down on me. He was watching over me. And he's been there for me every step of the way since that clear February day, 19 months ago when, with little more than our faith in each other and a hunger for change, we joined my husband, Barack Obama, on the improbable journey that's brought us to this moment.
 
But each of us also comes here tonight by way of our own improbable journey. I come here tonight as a sister blessed with a brother who is my mentor, my protector and my lifelong friend. I come here as a wife who loves my husband and believes he will be an extraordinary president. I come here as a mom whose girls are the heart of my heart and the center of my world. They're the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night. Their future and all our children's future is my stake in this election.
 
And I come here as a daughter raised on the south side of Chicago by a father who was a blue-collar city worker and a mother who stayed at home with my brother and me. My mother's love has always been a sustaining force for our family and one of my greatest joys is seeing her integrity, her compassion and her intelligence reflected in my own daughters.
 
My dad was our rock. Although he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in his early thirties, he was our provider, our champion, our hero. As he got sicker, it got harder for him to walk. It took him longer to get dressed in the morning. But if he was in pain, he never let on. He never stopped smiling and laughing, even while struggling to button his shirt, even while using two canes to get himself across the room to give my mom a kiss. He just woke up a little earlier and worked a little harder.
 
He and my mom poured everything they had into me and Craig. It was the greatest gift a child can receive: never doubting for a single minute that you're loved and cherished and have a place in this world. And thanks to their faith and hard work, we both were able to go on to college.
 
So I know firsthand from their lives and mine that the American dream endures. And you know, what struck me when I first met Barack was that even though he had this funny name, even though he'd grown up all the way across the continent in Hawaii, his family was so much like mine. He was raised by grandparents who were working class folks just like my parents and by a single mother who struggled to pay the bills, just like we did. Like my family, they scrimped and saved so that he could have opportunities they never had themselves.
 
And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you're going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them and even if you don't agree with them. And Barack and I set out to build lives guided by these values and pass them on to the next generation, because we want our children and all children in this nation to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.
 
And as our friendship grew and I learned more about Barack, he introduced me to the work he'd done when he first moved to Chicago after college. Instead of heading to Wall Street, Barack had gone to work in neighborhoods devastated when steel plants shut down and jobs dried up. And he'd been invited back to speak to people from those neighborhoods about how to rebuild their community.
 
The people gathered together that day were ordinary folks, doing the best they could to build a good life. They were parents living paycheck to paycheck, grandparents trying to get by on a fixed income, men frustrated that they couldn't support their families after their jobs disappeared. Those folks weren't asking for a handout or a shortcut. They were ready to work. They wanted to contribute. They believed, like you and I believe, that America should be a place where you can make it if you try. Barack stood up that day and spoke words that have stayed with me ever since. He talked about the world as it is and the world as it should be. And he said that all too often we accept the distance between the two and settle for the world as it is, even when it doesn't reflect our values and aspirations.
 
But he reminded us that we know what our world should look like. We know what fairness and justice and opportunity look like. And he urged us to believe in ourselves, to find the strength within ourselves to strive for the world as it should be.
 
It is because of their will and determination that this week we celebrate two anniversaries: the 88th anniversary of women winning the right to vote and the 45th anniversary of that hot summer day when Dr. King lifted our sights and our hearts with his dream for our nation.
 
I stand here today at the crosscurrents of that history, knowing that my piece of the American dream is a blessing hard won by those who came before me. All of them, driven by the same conviction that drove my dad to get up an hour early each day to painstakingly dress himself for work. The same conviction that drives the men and women I've met all across this country: people who work the day shift, kiss their kids goodnight and head out for the night shift without disappointment, without regret. That goodnight kiss a reminder of everything they're working for.
 
The military families who say grace each night with an empty seat at the table, the servicemen and women who love this country so much, they leave those they love most to defend it. The young people across America serving our communities teaching children, cleaning up neighborhoods, caring for the least among us each and every day.
 
People like Hillary Clinton, who put those 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling, so that our daughters and sons can dream a little bigger and aim a little higher. People like Joe Biden, who's never forgotten where he came from and never stopped fighting for folks who work long hours and face long odds and need someone on their side again.
 
All of us driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won't do. That we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be. That is the thread that connects our hearts. That is the thread that runs through my journey and Barack's journey and so many other improbable journeys that have brought us here tonight, where the current of history meets this new tide of hope.
 
That is why I love this country. And in my own life, in my own small way, I've tried to give back to this country that has given me so much. That's why I left a job at a law firm for a career in public service, working to empower young people to volunteer in their communities.
 
Because I believe that each of us--no matter what our age or background or walk of life--each of us has something to contribute to the life of this nation. It's a belief Barack shares, a belief at the heart of his life's work. It's what he did all those years ago on the streets of Chicago, setting up job training to get people back to work and after-school programs to keep kids safe, working block by block to help people lift up their families.
 
It's what he did in the Illinois Senate, moving people from welfare to jobs, passing tax cuts for hard-working families and making sure women get equal pay for equal work. It's what he's done in the United States Senate, fighting to ensure the men and women who serve this country are welcomed home not just with medals and parades, but with good jobs and benefits and health care, including mental health care.
 
That's why he's running: to end the war in Iraq responsibly, to build an economy that lifts every family, to make health care available for every American and to make sure every child in this nation gets a world-class education all the way from preschool to college.
 
That's what Barack Obama will do as President of the United States of America. He'll achieve these goals the same way he always has--by bringing us together and reminding us how much we share and how alike we really are.
 
You see, Barack doesn't care where you're from, or what your background is, or what party, if any, you belong to. That's not how he sees the world.
He knows that thread that connects us--our belief in America's promise, our commitment to our children's future--is strong enough to hold us together as one nation even when we disagree.
 
It was strong enough to bring hope to those neighborhoods in Chicago. It was strong enough to bring hope to the mother he met worried about her child in Iraq; hope to the man who's unemployed, but can't afford gas to find a job; hope to the student working nights to pay for her sister's health care, sleeping just a few hours a day.
 
And it was strong enough to bring hope to people who came out on a cold Iowa night and became the first voices in this chorus for change that's been echoed by millions of Americans from every corner of this nation. Millions of Americans who know that Barack understands their dreams, that Barack will fight for people like them and that Barack will finally bring the change we need.
 
And in the end, after all that's happened these past 19 months, the Barack Obama I know today is the same man I fell in love with 19 years ago. He's the same man who drove me and our new baby daughter home from the hospital 10 years ago this summer, inching along at a snail's pace, peering anxiously at us in the rearview mirror, feeling the whole weight of her future in his hands, determined to give her everything he'd struggled so hard for himself, determined to give her what he never had: the affirming embrace of a father's love.
 
And as I tuck that little girl and her little sister into bed at night, I think about how one day, they'll have families of their own. And one day, they--and your sons and daughters--will tell their own children about what we did together in this election. They'll tell them how this time we listened to our hopes, instead of our fears. How this time, we decided to stop doubting and to start dreaming.
 
How this time, in this great country, where a girl from the south side of Chicago can go to college and law school, and the son of a single mother from Hawaii can go all the way to the White House. We committed ourselves to building the world as it should be.
 
So tonight, in honor of my father's memory and my daughters' future, out of gratitude to those whose triumphs we mark this week and those whose everyday sacrifices have brought us to this moment, let us devote ourselves to finishing their work. Let us work together to fulfill their hopes and let us stand together to elect Barack Obama President of the United States of America.
 
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.

Robert Gibbs talked to Lynn Sweet a few hours before what some are calling the biggest speech of Michelle Obama's life, a night when she has to introduce her husband to a nation and paint herself as a down-to-Earth family woman. Gibbs also says that the Obama's are not above babysitting on date night for he and his wife.

Check out this video the Obama campaign posted of Michelle and her girls as she does a walkthrough in the morning before what many say needs to be the speech of her life in Denver.

Tim Carney will be helping us keep up with what's going on this week - he's the editor of the Evans-Novak Political Report, where he had served under Robert Novak for four years before Novak's retirement this summer. Tim is also a columnist for the Washington Examiner. His 2006 book, The Big Ripoff: How Big Business and Big Government Steal Your Money (Wiley) won the Lysander Spooner Award for Best Book on Liberty. More importantly, he still plays hardball - real, not political - as a catcher and outfielder in a D.C. men's league.
Today Tim went down to floor to take the pulse of the delegates. Four years ago Iraq was big and social issues - abortion, gay rights, etc. - were on the radar, but not so now. Apparently, times are tough out there and that's the No. 1 concern on their minds.

Forget pogs, bobble head dolls and action figures. Political pins are the hot items to collect here at the Democratic National Convention. Loosen up my buttons, baby.


Loosen up my buttons, baby. More pictures when you click through ...

We set out looking for some of Denver's most eccentric Democrats. We didn't have to go far to find the seas or red, white and blue.

They wouldn't let us behind the scenes, but Katie Couric got a private tour of the convention center. We have nice legs too, you know.

Being a native son of the Commonwealth of Virginia, I know a good redneck when I see one. And the only thing these fellas were missing was a dog, a cooler of beer and a pickup - all of which were probably confiscated by the Secret Service. But that didn't stop them from making the trek from Missouri to cheer on Barack Obama. Turns out they're part of the Obama camp's community blogs and you can check them out here.

Los Angeles student activist Tony B Conscious has travelled the country selling the Obama image - and his various trinkets and t-shirts - all so the world can have the face of Barack emblazoned on their brains. When he's not hawking, he's dropping rhymes, too, which you can check out here. Anyway, let's let him speak for himself:

AS PREPARED

I'm sure Dr. King is looking down on us here in Denver, noting that this is the first political convention in history to take place within sight of his mountaintop.

On the day President Johnson submitted the Voting Rights Act to Congress, he said, "At times, history and fate meet at a single time in a single place to shape a turning point in man's unending search for freedom."

So it was at Lexington and Concord. So it was at Appomattox. So it was in Selma, Alabama. Tonight, I would like to add: and so it shall be in Denver, Colorado, with the nomination of Barack Obama to be President of the United States.

What a remarkable thing it is that the man who came to this convention four years ago as the keynote speaker is returning this year as our party's nominee. But for those of us who've known Barack over his decade in public office in Illinois the yearning for change, the hunger for unity that he's tapped into across the country has a familiar ring.

I remember when Barack first decided to run for the United States Senate. He'd had a remarkable career in the state Senate, reaching across the aisle to put a tax cut into the pockets of working families, to expand health care for more children and parents and to take on the lobbyists who had so much influence in Springfield.

But despite this record, most in Springfield didn't take his candidacy all that seriously. The party establishment was skeptical of this young leader from the South Side. They didn't know what to make of a man like Barack, with a father from Kenya, a mother from Kansas and a funny name that few could pronounce. They didn't see how this former community organizer could possibly defeat candidates with more money, more name recognition and more backing from "all the right people."

But here's the thing: that race wasn't going to be decided in the halls of power in Springfield or the high rises on the lakefront. It was not going to be decided by the power brokers or opinion shapers. It was going to be decided by the people of Illinois. Illinois is America. It's great cities and small towns, it's old factories and new industries, it's timeless Midwestern values of faith, family and hard work. And it's black and white and Latino all living together, as one Illinois family, as one America. And the people of Illinois were hungry for change. From the old factory towns of our industrial north to the farms of our agrarian south, families had been struggling to meet the challenges of our global economy. And more often than not, they'd been harmed, rather than helped, by economic policies that failed to them get ahead and reach for their dreams.

But what they heard from Barack as he traveled across the state was a message of hope. Whether he was upstate or downstate; whether he was talking with folks who'd been laid off and seen their jobs shipped overseas or families struggling to keep up with rising costs; whether he was talking with recent immigrants who wanted to know that America had a place for them too, or African Americans who were falling further and further behind, Barack spoke of the same powerful idea. The idea that's at the heart of who Barack is. The idea that's at the heart of who we are as Americans. And the idea that's at the heart of this campaign. That we all have a stake in each other; that the well-being of the "we" depends on the well-being of the "he" and "she"; and that in this country we rise and fall together as one people, as one nation.

And what I saw in that campaign is what I'm seeing today: ordinary men and women of all races, all religions, all walks of life coming together to demand a government in Washington that's as honest and decent, as purposeful and responsible as the American people.

Fellow Democrats, this is an historic moment. I know. I grew up with the lessons of another generation, my father's generation. I know his stories of struggle and sacrifice, of fear and division. I know America is still a place where dreams are too often deferred and opportunities too often denied.

But here's what I also know. I know that while America may not be perfect, our union can always be perfected. I know what we can achieve when good people with strong convictions come together around a common purpose. And I know what a great leader can do to help us find common ground. America, we need such a leader today, a leader who can heal the wounds of the last eight years, a leader who knows that what unites us is greater than what divides us and that America is at its strongest when hard work is rewarded and all of our dreams are within reach.

I know Barack Obama. I've seen his leadership at work. I've seen the difference he's made in the lives of people across Illinois. And that is why I know that for the sake of our children, our families, and the future we hold in common, he is the leader America needs right now. Forty-five years to the day after a young preacher called out, "Let freedom ring," let history show in this fourth week of August in this Mile-High City, freedom in America has never rung from a higher mountaintop than it does here today.

AS PREPARED

Good evening, Democrats.  Good evening, California.  Good evening, Maryland.  Welcome to the convention that will nominate Barack Obama and Joe Biden to be the next President and Vice President of the United States.
 
This week is the culmination of an historic race that has brought millions of voters to the polls--many voting for the first time.  All Democrats salute Senator Hillary Clinton for her excellent campaign. Our party and our country are strengthened by her candidacy.
 
We meet today at a defining moment in our history.  America stands at a crossroads, with an historic choice between two paths for our country.  One is a path of renewing opportunity and promoting innovation here at home, and of greater security and respect around the world.  It is the path that renews our democracy by bringing us together as one nation under God.  But there is another path--it leads us to the same broken promises and failed policies that have diminished the American dream and weakened the security of our nation.
 
We call this convention to order tonight to put America on the path begun by our founders--a path that renews America's promise for a new century.  We call this convention to order to nominate a new leader for our time--Barack Obama--the next President of the United States. Two years ago, the American people set our nation in a new direction--electing a new Democratic majority in Congress committed to real change.
 
I am very proud of the Democrats in Congress.  Working with Majority Leader Harry Reid in the Senate, here are some of our accomplishments:
·        After years of inaction by Republicans, in our very first act, we passed the 9/11 Commission recommendations to protect the American people. That was just the beginning.
·        We helped rebuild the Gulf Coast for the survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
·        We put recovery rebates into the hands of more than 130 million families.
·        We passed legislation to keep hard-working American families in their homes and to keep toxic toys out of the hands of our children.
·        We increased the minimum wage for the first time in ten years.
·        We improved fuel efficiency for the first time in 32 years.
·        We passed the largest college aid expansion since the G.I. Bill 64 years ago.
·        We passed the largest veterans' health care funding in the 77 year history of the Veterans Administration.
·        And, we enacted a new G.I. Bill to thank our veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by sending them to college.
 
Every chance we get, we must honor our veterans and our men and women in uniform for their courage, patriotism, and the sacrifice they and their families are willing to make.  Because of them, America is the land of the free and the home of the brave.
 
The American people gave Democrats their confidence, and we have started to reclaim the American dream for all Americans.  But our journey to take our nation in a new direction cannot be complete without new leadership in the White House.  Democrats know we can't afford any more of the same failed Republican path.  Democrats stand for the change America needs.  We stand for Barack Obama for President of the United States.
 
Republicans say John McCain has experience. We say John McCain has the experience of being wrong. On the failed Bush policies that have weakened our economy and taken us from the Clinton surplus to reckless Bush deficits and on raising the minimum wage for millions of American workers, Barack Obama is right and John McCain is wrong.  On health care for 10 million American children and on protecting Medicare--a bill so crucial that Senator Ted Kennedy left his own medical treatment to cast the decisive vote--Barack Obama is right and John McCain is wrong. On a future of American energy independence, investment in renewable clean energy, and millions of good-paying green jobs here at home, Barack Obama is right and John McCain is wrong. And on the most important foreign policy decision of our time, the war in Iraq--a catastrophic mistake that has cost thousands of lives of our men and women in uniform and trillions of dollars, as well as has weakened our standing in the world and our capability to protect the American people, Barack Obama is right and John McCain is wrong. Very, very wrong.
 
America needs a president who knows that health care is a right, not a privilege, and that quality education is the key to our future.  America needs a president who knows our democracy depends on a strong middle class and who will create millions of good-paying jobs right here at home. America needs a president who will once and for all end our dangerous dependence on foreign oil and invest in renewable, clean energy.
 
To make America stronger, America needs a president who will honor our troops and responsibly end the war in Iraq. For our children and grandchildren, America needs President Barack Obama.
 
The night before I was sworn in as Speaker, we had a celebration dinner at the Italian Embassy. In addition to being the first woman Speaker of the House, I am proud to be the first Italian-American Speaker of the House. My little grandson Ryan, who lives in Texas and, at the time was five years old, was playing under the table. At one point, he came out from under the table, looked up, saw Senator Obama and said, "Barack Obama! I must be dreaming!"
 
Barack Obama's dream is the American dream.  He gives us renewed faith in a vision of the future that is free of the constraints of the tired policies of the past--a vision that is new and bold and calls forth the best in the American people.
 
Barack Obama's change is the change America needs.  Whether in Illinois or in Washington, Barack Obama has bridged partisanship to bring about significant reform.  Barack Obama knew that to change policy in Washington you had to change how Washington works.
 
That means restoring integrity to government by reducing the influence of special interests.  I saw firsthand his strong leadership on one of the toughest issues: enacting the toughest ethics reform legislation in the history of Congress.  This was only possible with Barack Obama's leadership.
 
Barack Obama's values are enduring American values:
·        A belief in personal responsibility, community, and hard work that brought him to the struggling neighborhoods of Chicago;
·        A faith in God that gives him strength;
·        A patriotic love of America that gives him courage;
·        And his wife Michelle and his entire loving family, inspiring him every day to strengthen and renew this great country.
 
One hundred and fifteen years ago, a young woman named Katharine Lee Bates visited Denver.  From the top of Pike's Peak, she looked across Colorado--to the bountiful golden prairies to the east and to the majestic mountains to the west. That night she returned to her hotel room, opened her notebook, and the words of "America the Beautiful" spilled from her pen. My favorite verse is the fourth: O beautiful, for patriot dream, that sees beyond the years...

Today, Barack Obama is a 21st century patriot who sees beyond the years.  As president, Barack Obama will renew the American dream; Barack Obama is the leader for America's future.
 
Inspired by that same vision of "America the Beautiful," Democrats will leave this Denver convention, unified, organized, and stronger than ever to take America in a new direction with Barack Obama and Joe Biden as President and Vice President of the United States!
 
God bless you and God bless America.  

Here's tonight's lineup of speakers at the Democratic National Convention in Denver -- featuring several Illinois politicians.

Headline speaker: Michelle Obama

Click through for the complete list.

AS PREPARED

Good evening. I'm Craig Robinson, and Michelle Obama is my little sister.

Tonight I don't want to just introduce my sister. I want to introduce you to my sister. The girl I grew up with. The poised young woman I saw her grow into. The compassionate mother, aunt and sister-in-law she is. The passionate voice for women and children she has become. And the type of first lady she will be.

Sometimes, when I look at the woman you are about to hear from, it's funny to think that this is the same person who used to wake me up early, and I mean early, on Christmas morning, because we both had to be up at the same time in order to open our presents.

This is the person who would play the piano to calm me down before all of my big games in high school. This is the person who, even though we were allowed only one hour of television a night, somehow managed to commit to memory every single episode of "The Brady Bunch."

But when I really think back, I can also see how the person she is today was formed in the experiences we shared growing up: working hard, studying hard, having parents who wanted more for us than what they had, and always being reminded that in this country, of all countries, those things were possible.

Neither of our parents went to college. My father went to work right out of high school to help pay for his brother's college tuition. He worked at the water filtration plant for 30 years. We lost my father in 1991. And I know he's looking down on us tonight, so proud of his daughter, not because of whom she married, though he was a big fan of Barack, but because of the hard-working, brilliant woman she is, what she's accomplished in her own right, the mother she's become, and the values she's instilled in her daughters.

My mother Marian is here tonight. She remains our family's anchor, and the sole reason Michelle was willing to campaign at all was because she knows that Mom is there to help take care of the girls.

When we were young kids, our parents divided the bedroom we shared so we could each have our own room. Many nights we would talk when we were supposed to be sleeping. My sister always talked about who was getting picked on at school or who was having a tough time at home. I didn't realize it then, but I realize it now: Those were the people she was going to dedicate her life to, the people who were struggling with life's challenges.

She has continued to follow that passion. She gave up a job in a big law firm to work in her community. With a group called Public Allies, she trained a new generation of community leaders. She developed the University of Chicago's community service center, connecting the university to the neighborhood that was blocks away--but often worlds away--from its gates.

And when I wasn't happy doing what I was doing--investment banking--she was the one who encouraged me to go back to my first love, teaching and coaching. And today I'm proud to be the coach of the Oregon State men's basketball team. Go Beavs!

But she did take something away from that first big law firm job: a young lawyer by the name of Barack Obama.

My sister had grown up hearing my father and me talk about how to judge a person's character by what type of sportsman they are, so she asked me to take Barack to play basketball. If you're looking for a political analysis based on his playing, here it is: He's confident but not cocky, he'll take the shot if he's open, he's a team player who improves the people around him, and he won't back down from any challenge.

Together, I've watched Barack and Michelle strengthen each other. I've watched them create a home filled with love and grounded in faith. During challenging times I've watched Michelle and Barack stand by each other. And I know they'll stand by you, the American people, now and in the future.

So please join me in welcoming an impassioned public servant, a loving daughter, wife and mother, my little sister and our nation's next first lady, Michele Obama.

AS PREPARED

Thank you.  Thank you. Thank you, Caroline. My fellow Democrats. My fellow Americans.

It is so wonderful to be here. Nothing, nothing was going to keep me away from this special gathering tonight.

I have come here to stand with you to change America, to restore its future, to rise to our best ideals, and to elect Barack Obama as President of the United States.

As I look ahead, I am strengthened by family and friendship. So many of you have been with me in the happiest and the hardest days. Together we have known success and set-backs, victory and defeat.  But we have never lost our belief that we are all called to a better country and a newer world.

And I pledge to you that I will be there -- next January -- on the floor of the United States Senate, when we begin to write the next great chapter of American progress.

For me, this is a season of hope. New hope-for a just and fair prosperity for the many and not just the few. New hope -- and this is the cause of my life -  New hope that we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that every American -- north, south, east and west -- young and old -- Will have decent, quality, affordable health care as a fundamental right and not a privilege.

We can meet the challenges. With Barack Obama- Yes we can. And finally, finally- Yes we will.

Barack Obama will close the book on the old politics of race against race, gender against gender, group against group, and straight against gay.

And Barack Obama will be a commander-in-chief who understands that young Americans in uniform must never ever be committed to a mistake, but always to a mission worthy of their bravery and sacrifice.

We are told that Barack Obama believes too much in an America of high purpose and bold endeavor.

But when John Kennedy thought of going to the moon, he didn't say, it's too far, we can't get there, we shouldn't even try.

Our people answered his call and rose to the challenge -- and today an American flag still marks the surface of the moon.

Yes, we are Americans. This is what we do.  We reach the moon. We scale the heights.  I know it.  I've seen it.  I've lived it. And we can do it again.

There is a new wave of change all around us- and if we set our compass true, we will reach our destination-not merely victory for our party, but renewal for our nation.

And this November, the torch will be passed again to a new generation of Americans.

And so with Barack Obama -- for you and for me, for our country and for our cause - the work begins anew, the hope rises again, and the dream lives on.

AS PREPARED

Good evening, Democrats. It's a great night to be from Illinois. When I became an Illinois state senator, I was one of only five Democratic women. So I didn't expect to find many strong allies in the fight for women and children. But, as it turned out, I found a passionate ally sitting at the desk right next to me, Barack Obama.
 
Over four years of working together, eating sandwiches and listening to speeches on the Senate floor, I learned why Barack is such a fierce advocate for women and their children. In his own life, he saw women struggle and sacrifice to support his family. 
 
Like millions of other American children, Barack was raised by a single mother for much of his childhood. And like all moms, Ann Dunham dreamed of a better future for her son, so much so that she would get him out of bed at four in the morning to give him extra lessons before school. She got that drive from her mother. Barack's grandmother, Madelyn, worked in a factory during World War II. Later, she worked for years at a local bank, steadily rising to become its first female vice president.
 
Smart, tough women sacrificed to make Barack the man he is today. And he's never forgotten it. That's why. He convinced a Republican majority to pass an Illinois earned-income tax credit which now provides precious extra dollars to families struggling to get by. That's why. He expanded health care benefits for working mothers and fathers. And that's why. He provided training for those who need jobs.
 
Like Barack and Michelle, my husband Pat and I have two beautiful young daughters, and like parents everywhere, there's nothing we wouldn't do for them, willingly and with love. But today, too many families face challenges that even the most loving and devoted parents can't overcome on their own. We need a president who knows how to remove the obstacles that stand between parents and their dreams for their children. I saw Senator Obama do this for the families of Illinois. Now I can't wait for President Obama to fight for families across America!
 
Thank you very much.

AS PREPARED

It's an honor to be here tonight, and it's been an honor to meet so many of you across this country and hear your stories.
 
Tonight, I want to share my story about growing up with my big brother, Barack Obama, a truly hard act to follow. When we were young, our family didn't have much in the way of wealth, but what we did have was far more important. We had people who made us believe that with a little imagination, we could dream the improbable; that through hard work, we could accomplish the extraordinary; that through the power of education, we could propel ourselves to a future far more promising than our circumstances led us to expect.
 
Perhaps most importantly, we had our mother. I've thought of her often during this campaign and wish she were here to see it. She was a sturdy woman and an eternal optimist who understood that parents are our first and best teachers. She encouraged us to explore and ask questions and delight in unexpected discoveries and surprising answers. She brought us to telescopes and microscopes to remind us that there was a world beyond our limited reach and that we should sometimes have faith in what we could not see.
 
Above all, she was a storyteller. She told us tales from history about heroism in the face of injustice, about beauty breaking through darkness. These stories suggested that our deepest humanity and happiness would be found by reaching out to, empathizing with and working to serve others.
 
In these interconnected times, we need such stories. Like our mother, Barack opened my mind and spirit to a broader world. He took me to festivals and museums, introduced me to people from many different neighborhoods and backgrounds, and taught me about the importance of standing up for what you believe. I loved to watch him in action, working with such commitment, really listening to people, bringing them together to solve their own problems.
 
In these challenging times, we need those skills and that sense of unwavering responsibility. As a U.S. history teacher, I try to make our country's fascinating story leap from the page for my students. Woven throughout that history is the story of our capacity to hope and achieve, even during the toughest times.
 
Many of the children I taught in public and charter schools in New York City and Hawaii had never traveled beyond their neighborhoods for fear of feeling like outsiders. I wanted them to know that they belonged to something greater. I wanted them to imagine wider, dream bigger and reach higher, to realize they had more power than they knew. That is what this nation gave to Barack, and that is what he wants for his daughters, and my daughter, and every single child in this country: bountiful opportunity. It is a gift he has already given us in this campaign.
 
I've seen it everywhere I travel in people of every age, faith, background and walk of life, reaching out to one another, staking their own dreams on what we do together in this election. And I know that if we elect Barack as president, he'll be there for you just as he's always been there for me. I know he'll help you realize your dreams just as he's helped me realize mine.

I know we'll make our mothers proud, and, together, we will leave for our children a better nation. Thank you.

AS PREPARED

I am here tonight to pay tribute to two men who have changed my life and the life of this country: Barack Obama and Edward M. Kennedy. Their stories are very different, but they share a commitment to the timeless American ideals of justice and fairness, service and sacrifice, faith and family.

Leaders like them come along rarely. But once or twice in a lifetime, they come along just when we need them the most. This is one of those moments. As our nation faces a fundamental choice between moving forward or falling further behind, Senator Obama offers the change we need.
 
Everywhere I go in this country, people tell me that Barack Obama is making them feel hopeful the way they did when my father was president. It's partly the words he uses--words that remind us that we are all in this together and that we each have something to contribute to this country that has given us so much. But it's the life he has led that is the true source of this inspiration--a life spent fighting for ordinary people in neighborhoods and courts, in the state senate and the United States Senate.

I have never had someone inspire me the way people tell me my father inspired them, but I do now, Barack Obama. And I know someone else who's been inspired all over again by Senator Obama. In our family, he's known as Uncle Teddy. More than any senator of his generation, or perhaps any generation, Teddy has made life better for people in this country and around the world.

For 46 years, he has been so much more than just a senator for the people of Massachusetts. He's been a senator for all who believe in a dream that's never died. If you're no longer being denied a job because of your race, gender or disability, or if you've seen a rise in the minimum wage you're being paid, Teddy is your senator too.

If your children are receiving health care thanks to the Children's Health Insurance Program, if you see a nurse at a community health center or if you're benefiting from the Medicare program that he fought to create, and that just last month he returned to the Senate to save, Teddy is your senator too. If your child is getting an early boost in life through Head Start, or attending a better school or can go to college because a Pell grant has made it more affordable, Teddy is your senator too. And if you're an 18-year-old who's going to vote for the first time--and I bet it'll be for Barack Obama--Teddy is your senator too.

Not only has Teddy helped put the American dream within reach for so many families, he's been a powerful force around the world for human rights and human dignity, for refugees and the dispossessed. He helped end apartheid in South Africa and bring peace to Northern Ireland. He's been a leader on nuclear arms control. And he took a strong, early and courageous stand against the war in Iraq.

He is a man who always insists that America live up to her highest ideals, who always fights for what he knows is right and who is always there for others. I've seen it in my own life. No matter how busy he is, he never fails to find time for those in pain, those in grief or those who just need a hug. In our family, he has never missed a first communion, a graduation, or a chance to walk one of his nieces down the aisle.
 
He has a special relationship with each of us. And his 60 great nieces and nephews all know that the best cookies and the best laughs are always found at Uncle Teddy's. Whether he is teaching us about sailing, about the Senate or about life, he has shown us how to chart our course, take the helm and sail against the wind. And this summer, as he faced yet another challenge, he and Vicki have taught us all about dignity, courage and the power of love.

In this campaign, Barack Obama has no greater champion. When he is president, he will have no stronger partner in the United States Senate. Now, it is my honor to introduce a tribute to Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

AS PREPARED

Thank you. It's an honor to share my thoughts with you this evening at this historic convention. Barack Obama has been my friend, my mentor, my inspiration. Now, he's going to be the next President of the United States of America. Because his story is our story. Your story. My story. It's the American story.
 
My parents came to this country as Greek immigrants with nothing. They came because they believed in the promise of a better life for their family. They believed in the promise of America. I stand here today, at the age of 32, as the fulfillment of that American promise. But whether your story begins in a small Greek village, or the plains of Kansas, or on the streets of Chicago, we're Americans because we all share the promise of that story.
 
After eight years watching the betrayal of that promise, it's time to write a new chapter. It's time for a new type of leadership. Leadership not defined by mistrust and neglect, but leadership that inspires others to follow. The time is now. It's time for a fresh start. It's time for a leader like Barack Obama.
 
I've known Barack for 10 years. I have never met anyone with more strength of character and integrity. Barack is one of the kindest and most genuinely decent people in the world. Barack Obama reminds us what is good about America. For me, public service wouldn't have been possible without the example he set, as a friend, as a man, as the leader this nation needs. He inspired me to run for office and has motivated countless leaders of the next generation. His story has shown it doesn't matter where you live, whether you are young or old, rich or poor, red or blue. What matters is that we share a belief in his story, my story, our story. That America is more than a place. It's a promise. And that promise is up to all of us to fulfill.
 
Thank you. God bless you all.

AS PREPARED

My name is Dan Hynes, and I'm the Illinois state comptroller. Four years ago, I ran in our state's Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate. Though I had a few advantages, I lacked the most important one of all: I wasn't Barack Obama.

I remember thinking that he was the most gifted person I'd seen in public life: smart and tough, visionary and practical. In debates, his knowledge seemed to come not just from his head, but from his heart, and he connected to people everywhere in our state by calling out to something inside of them.
 
No one likes to lose, but it's a lot easier when you admire the person who wins, and I did. Soon, I watched many across our nation come to know Barack as I had. And two years ago, I became the first elected official in America to publicly call on him to run for president.
 
I did so because I was concerned for our country and I felt we needed someone extraordinary. We needed someone who could speak to that part of us that's the best in us, the part that knows that we each can make a difference, that we all, if we're together, can make this America we love even better.
 
You see, Barack Obama doesn't want us to rise above politics. He simply knows that with the right kind of politics, we can all rise up.
 
On the night of our Senate primary, I said to him, "Congratulations, my friend." Two years ago, I said to him, "Our country needs you." Tonight, I say to all Americans who believe in restoring the promise of America, "Barack Obama is the change we need."

AS PREPARED

The 45th quadrennial national convention of the Democratic Party will now come to order. Welcome delegates, alternates, standing committee members, special guests and other friends, members of the news media, guests from around the world and our fellow Americans.
 
During our national convention, we will demonstrate to all Americans why we need Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the White House. Looking out from this podium tonight, I see this diverse assembly of Democrats as a testament to the strength and unity of our party and the fruition of our 50-state strategy.
 
While the Democratic Party is the oldest continuing party in the world, I can also see that we are the most vibrant, inclusive and energized party, and we are ready to compete in all 50 states in November. America realizes we cannot have four more years of the same, ineffective approach to governing.
 
It is the Democratic Party that can effect the change America needs. The Chair reminds all delegates that presidential nominating petitions must be submitted to the Office of the Secretary no later than 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Vice Presidential nominating petitions must be submitted to the Secretary's office no later than 9 a.m. Wednesday. Petitions should be delivered to the Secretary's office, which is in the Officials' Lounge, located on the floor-level concourse behind the Ohio delegation.
 
Delegates, alternates and guests, please extend a warm welcome to the convention band under the direction of Ray Chew. I am now pleased to introduce former Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee and former Colorado State Senator Polly Baca to lead the invocation.

Yes, that's a Playboy-themed limosine. And yes, those are Playboy magazines in the front seat of the limo. But no, the limo doesn't belong to Playboy or Chicagoan Christie Hefner.

Crowds outside the Daley party Sunday questioned whether it was that of Christie Hefner -- chairman and chief executive officer of Playboy -- however, a spokeswoman says Hefner was not in attendance and that the limo doesn't belong to the company.

Case closed.

DENVER -- Illinois' most notable Democratic politicians -- with the exception of Gov. Rod Blagojevich -- were out in full force at a Mayor Daley-sponsored gala a day before the convention kicked off Sunday.

The event -- held downtown at Marlowe's -- was closed to the media, but we caught some of the famous pols on their way in and out of the party. Anyone look familiar?



Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley speaks as he leaves the party.

Speaker of the Illinois House Michael Madigan

Businessman and politican Blair Hull

U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky

Democratic Party Whip Dick Durbin

Alderman Dick Mell

Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Tammy Duckworth

Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes

He wasn't there in person, but Barack Obama was there -- in a life-size cardboard cutout.

Chicagoan Kitty Kurth wrangles politicians. No, that has nothing to do with the western setting the DNC is in. She's one of a small band of party advance planners that helps get speakers from their hotels through security and to the event on time. Kitty has a special connection with Barack Obama, having seen the start of the movement from the front row in 2004 at the Boston DNC as her husband walked the then unkown state senator onstage for what would become his watershed moment. Lynn Sweet will have more on Kitty and a look backstage later.

A warning is still in effect and CNN had some video of a twister touching down in Parker, Colo., about 25 miles south of Denver along I-25. Doesn't look like they'll get too close, though these media tents should be more than sturdy enough to hold strong weather off.

Luke Finken, a sixth-grade social studies teacher from Leadville, Colo., shares photos and video from his visit to the Pepsi Center as final preparations are made before the official start of the convention Monday.

Maybe next time she'll stop and offer me a lift.

Sure, the great state of Illinois gets front and center seating at the DNC, with Delaware close to the side. But you say you're not from either state and want to know where your stomping grounds rate? Check out this handy seating chart - and notice that Michigan and Florida have pretty prime spots on the wings. Hmm.

By Abdon M. Pallasch and Dave McKinney

Staff Reporters

DENVER -- Thousands of protesters opposing the war and championing other causes marched from the Colorado State Capital to the Democratic National Convention Sunday.

The convention doesn't officially start until Monday, but staffers and press were setting up shop. Denver police closed down the entrance, stranding hundreds of journalists and staffers for an hour while the protesters sat down, chanted or called police "fascist pigs."

"The whole world is watching," Katie Kloth, 21, a biology student from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, chanted. "It does remind me of '68. In a perfect world these cops would join us -- I'm sure some of them oppose the war."

Kloth referred to the scores of Denver Police officers who carried guns and tear gas canisters, which they did not have to use for today's protest.

While opposing the war in Iraq or the start of a war with Iran was the main focus, some protesters carried signs reading "Immigrants are not criminals" or "Humanity needs revolution and communism."

One chant criticized presidential nominee Barack Obama's vote to permit some government surveillance of telephone calls under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA):

"When Obama says FISA, we say 'No!'," they chanted.

Kloth said she came her with her school's College Democrats group and was disappointed she couldn't get more of them to come to the protest.

After an hour the protesters moved on, and sunburned journalists and staffers were allowed to enter or exit the convention grounds.

Noticeable sign of increased security as the convention open nears. Patrols are stationed throughout downtown Denver and there's a constant air presence above the area.

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley is throwing a party today at Marlowe's in downtown Denver.

DENVER, Colo. -- Journalists have had the run of the arena for the past several days at the Pepsi Center -- that'll all change tomorrow when new levels of credentialing restrict where we can and can't go.

Here's a peek inside the Pepsi Center ...





That's Bob Schieffer of CBS news doing a live shot from the convention floor.


The grand video wall inside the arena -- the backdrop to the podium at the stage.






Sun-Times columnist Carol Marin and NBC correspondent Steve Handlesman. Marin's filing a live shot for Saturday's 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts in Chicago.


That's CNN's Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer anchoring from the convention floor.

Don't think I won't be pitching the idea of a Sun-Times grill for the next convention in four years. Until then, we'll settle for a Smokey Joe from Wal-Mart.

DENVER -- Media groups were greeted Saturday night with a night-long company-sponsored gala at Elitch Gardens -- an amusement park located adjacent to the Pepsi Center.

No big names here, but that didn't stop party goers from feasting on tons of free food -- cotton candy, funnel cakes, corn dogs and mini-hamburgers -- and free beer brewed by Coors (a big sponsor of many of the events here) especially for the convention.

At the end of the night, a grand display of fireworks -- synced at three different locations adjacent to the amusement park -- kicked off festivities at the DNCC.

 A local shopkeeper was up to the task trying to get the onslaught of Democratic National Convention crowds due to swarm Denver next week to pick up some new threads. No conservative savings here!

Hundreds of journalists from operations large and small braved the sun to stand in line for up to an hour to get through a security checkpoint at the Pepsi Center in Denver. And the Democratic National Convention hasn't even started yet. No telling what hardships will be faced by Thursday.

Check out pictures on the Sweet blog from inside the Pepsi Center.

We're headed inside shortly to shoot video of the arena and of Carol Marin as she preps for a spot on the 4 p.m. news on NBC5.

Hundreds of journalists lined the entrance to the Pepsi Center in Denver on Saturday to prepare for the upcoming DNCC. We waited in line for over an hour -- once inside are pretty much given open access to the media pavilions and the Pepsi Center. That'll all change tomorrow, when new credentials are issued restricting where you can -- and can't go -- during the convention. Secret Service agents did a sweep of the Pepsi Center and the pavilions Saturday before journalists were allowed access inside.



Sun-Times columnists Michael Sneed and Carol Marin wait outside the Pepsi Center Saturday to go through security.

Sneed and Marin outside the media line at the Pepsi Center, with Marin's producer, Don Mosley.

Secret Service agents sweep one of the media pavilions at the Pepsi Center. Journalists from around the world have taken home to several circus-size tents outside the Pepsi Center to cover the DNCC.

Thats the street view from outside the Pepsi Center -- there are at least four physical barricades from the street preventing access to the lots inside.

Swarms of credentialed journalists line up outside the barricades to gain access to the Pepsi Center.

First morning in Denver, Colo., site of the upcoming DNCC -- and probably the quietest one we'll have.

The Sun-Times team is staying at two separate hotels while here -- Craig and I are staying in Wheatridge, Colo., while the rest of our team is in an area called Cherry Creek. Our hotel it pretty far out from downtown Denver -- a good 25 minutes away. Things are a tad quieter here, but hotels this far out still are all booked up for the convention.

Strangely enough, we're neighbors to a truck stop, liquor store and a 24-hour porn shop. --three things that when put together might make a dangerous combination.

Last night Barack Obama's VP picked was leaked out -- an inevitable secret dangled in front of the world for the past week -- but also hours before supporters received a text or e-mail informing them who it was. Some would say the VP guessing game went on too long.

Did you get the thrill factor when getting Obama's text? If you're like me, probably not, and you just rolled over and went back to bed.

Here's a picture of our Pre-convention credentials for the Pepsi Center -- site of where the DNCC is taking place in Denver. These are just one of the many sets needed to get around the convention.

This set allows us access to the Pepsi Center until Sunday -- at which point these expire and another set is issued.

So, it's Joe Biden. There. You've been spared waking up at 5 a.m. Chicago time to get a text message telling who Barack Obama is choosing as his running mate. We hope this doesn't ruin the start to your Saturday, poised over your cell at 4:59 a.m. for this historic announcement. You can thank us by letting us sleep in.

I've never been one to get mad when something doesn't go right. Usually there's a reason. And I think if we weren't meant to handle and solve problems, they wouldn't happen to us. My car's been booted. I didn't mind because I knew I was in the wrong. My car's been towed. It was OK, because I knew I could pay for it.

Well, add missing my flight on the list of lessons learned. Like the mojo I'm trying to be, I was blogging and reading up on the convention before boarding my plane 20 minutes before departure.

When I finally reached the gate, my friends at United told me my gate was moved to another terminal.

"Didn't you hear?" they asked.

Well, no. That's why I was at the gate on my ticket.

Like a scene out of "Home Alone" there I was -- dashing through O'Hare to another terminal, just to get there to see them close the door to the airbridge to the plane. (Lesson to air travelers: Board stops a good 15 minutes before a plane takes off -- another thing I didn't know.)

They say to come early to the airport. I did.

My friends at United got me a ticket on a later flight. You betcha I'm there early. A good three hours early.

Check out the new "American Prayer" video from Dave Stewart.

Stewart co-wrote the song, set to the backdrop of Obama supporters across America -- including celebs Forest Whitaker, Jason Alexander, Whoopi Goldberg, Cyndi Lauper, Barry Manilow, Joan Baez, Macy Gray and Joss Stone.

Obama fans are asked to submit their own video at MyAmericanPrayer.com

OK, it's not REALLY for me, but ADT ain't got nothin' on the feds and the Obama/McCain camps. Check out this Bloomberg article out this morning -- putting the cost of securing the Denver and St. Paul areas at almost $100 million dollars.

The candidates, delegates, attendees and the swarms of journalists covering the conventions will be protected by airplanes, helicopters, barriers, fences and thousands of police officers, National Guard troops and Secret Service agents.

If only my life were like this every day. I'd settle for just a driver to make me happy.

There's one thing most journalists probably have been anticipating more this week than the trek to Denver, Colo. Barack Obama's text message announcing who'll his pick as his No. 2 man (or woman) in the White House. Rumor has it the announcement will come today. Hopefully not during my flight to Denver.

Here's a photo timeline we've put together to show Barack Obama's life in the public eye. It's definitely a work in progress, so keep checking back through the convention, the general election and beyond. Unless he loses. Then we all have permission to stop paying attention.

Just use the scroll bar at the bottom of the timeline window to navigate. And any time you see one of those little thought bubble-looking things, it means there's enhanced content - captions, links, video, hidden scandals, etc. You can also go full-bore widescreen by clicking on the square button next to the menu button at the bottom of the screen.

We'll start getting some fresh stuff posted soon enough, but in the meantime here's a look back to the 20 minutes that launched a career. When Barack Obama took the stage at the 2004 Democratic National Convention as keynote speaker in Boston, many in the country had no idea who they were watching. By the end of his speech, Obama had made a national name for himself and the presidential campaign watch was on.

In the end, maybe we should even come back to this and see if he was able to top himself in the 2008 version of the Hope Express.