September 2008 Archives

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Veteran Chicago actor - and current star of CSI:NY - Gary Sinise. Who says all of Hollywood is liberal? 

Can't catch the final speakers at home? Join us here for the live stream ...

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Credit my colleague Erica Smith for tagging and comparing veep candidates Sarah Palin and Joe Biden's addresses to their respective parties and the nation. Just what were the buzz words? Click to compare both speeches ...

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- They weren't carrying signs. They didn't have loud speakers. They didn't even need a group of guards in riot gear to make sure they didn't get out of hand.

Call them the non-protesting protesters. About 14 or so of them gathered -- many coming and going and some just stopping by for the free food -- at the "Unconvention" to take a different approach to protesting the Iraq war: talking it out.

ST. PAUL -- With just one day left on the block for the Republican National Convention, all eyes are focused on vice presidential nominee-in-waiting Sarah Palin's big speech tonight.

Inside the convention hall last night, Republican pols couldn't sing enough praises about McCain's pick. Pundits, meanwhile, challenge whether McCain's vetting process was thorough enough.

Palin, who was thrusted into the national media spotlight last week when picked by McCain as his running mate, is surrounded by two controversies that won't die down -- her pregnant and unwed 17-year-old daughter and allegations she was involved in a firing scandal in Alaska.

Whatever the case, Palin's place on the ticket has energized a somewhat lackluster and uneventful convention here in St. Paul. Visit back tonight as we live blog Palin's speech inside the Xcel Center.

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CNN reporting that a massive group of protesters outside the Xcel Center at the Republican National Convention caused law enforcement to use gas of some sort -- not necessarily tear gas -- to subdue the crowd.

This is the second day of the Republican National Convention that force has had to be used against protesters, a stark comparison to what we saw in Denver for the Democratic National Convention, where excessive force didn't seem to be an issue.

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President George W. Bush (via satellite)

First Lady Laura Bush

U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.)

Former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson (Tenn.)

U.S. House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio)

U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (Minn.)

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.)

Robert M. "Mike" Duncan, Chairman of the Republican National Committee

Jo Ann Davidson, Co-Chairman of the Republican National Committee and Chairman of the 2008 Republican National Convention Committee on Arrangements

Sun-Times colleague Kevin Allen's sports approach to Levi Johnson, the father of Bristol Palin's child.

If you think being trapped in a cubicle at the office is tough work, try living in a Guantanamo Bay prison cell.

Touring the Republican National Convention and someday making a stop near you, Amnesty International USA recreated a life-size replica of an actual maximum security prison cell to protest the handling of detainees at the U.S. detention camp.

Think you could stomach it?

The cell -- featuring a lavish stainless steel toilet, mini-sink and padded seat for a mattress, is only 8-feet high and measures approximately 10 feet long by 7 feet wide.

The schedule for the Republican National Convention features, well, nothing for the next three days. Let's hope it's a technical error and the site hasn't been updated. Events were supposed to be back on schedule today ...

What's a pedal cloud? How does an 11-person bike party sound. Seen on the streets of Minneapolis, pedal clouds let ten people pedal, while one person drives the 920 pound frame adapted to VW Beetle and Bus suspension and brake components. Just how fast does it go? Up to 15 mph ... now that's thinking green.

Sun-Times reporters Dave McKinney and Abdon M. Pallash on today's GOP activities and Sarah Palin.

Water fills a low area near the Eastside of the Industrial Canal as Hurricane Gustav came through afternoon Sept. 1, 2008, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Brian Lawdermilk)

Barack Obama's campaign sent an e-mail to his donor list on Monday soliciting donations to the American Red Cross or through his Web site. John McCain's campaign also asked for financial assistance on his Web site and both sites allowed for donations by state.

Sun-Times political reporter Abdon M. Pallasch on day one of the GOP convention.

Storefronts and street corners are lacking the political flare we saw in Denver, but we did come across this store front touting anti-Barack Obama posters ...

Blame it on the fact that Monday was a holiday, or that attendees of the GOP convention are spread out over two cities (St. Paul and Minneapolis) -- but parts of downtown Minneapolis were practically empty Monday ... a far different cry from the streets of Denver just a week ago.

A look inside the Xcel Center, where the Republican National Convention is being held. Today Republicans held an abbreviated session, lasting only several hours and focused on raising money to help victims of Hurrican Gustav rather than discuss the political nature of the convention.

Former GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee appears at a youth luncheon Monday at the Hard Rock Cafe.

Minneapolis -- Ryan Kennedy doesn't fit the norm of someone you'd picture walking around a political convention.

He's not a political insider like many here. He's never ran for public office. Some might even call him a political amateur.

But it's Kennedy's vote -- and that of his friends -- that both Barack Obama and John McCain are targeting hard to get: the youth vote.

Mike Huckabee made a surprise appearance Monday at a Republican youth vote luncheon at the Hard Rock Cafe -- introduced by daughter Sarah Huckabee who was scheduled to speak.

On McCain and Sarah Palin:
Sarah Palin got more votes in her election as mayor than Joe Biden did in his run for the presidency. Sarah Palin has more actual experience in making decisions in two years as a governor then Joe Biden as Senator.

John McCain is a remarkable human being and someone you should feel proud to support. I'm excited about Sarah Palin, I know the other party has nominated a woman, but we're going to be the party to elect one.

Huckabee said the current and future elections will have a significant impact among young voters, drawing increased interest today from the youth vote.

Delegates from Illinois kicked off their morning breakfast sessions today in Minneapolis -- the opening day of the Republican Convention.

If there's one thing apparent on how this year's presidential election is being covered, it's that traditional journalists aren't the only ones with a say anymore.

Bruce DuMont -- political talk radio host of "Beyond the Beltway" and founder of the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago -- is one pundit who says the availabilty of news via the Internet has democratized the way these conventions and elections are covered.

Judy Baar Topinka -- the former GOP candidate for governor -- wasn't shy at all in mocking Dems last week for the hugfest at the Democratic National Convention. See video:

She doesn't consider herself Republican or Democrat -- though she will vote for Barack Obama in the upcoming presidential election. Malia Burkhart -- along with dozens of activists -- paraded their message of change and love throughout the Minneapolis streets at the Republican National Convention.

We're in St. Paul -- staying in Minneapolis -- for the upcoming Republican National Convention -- which kicks off tomorrow. Many of today's events were scaled back due to the hurricane crisis in the southern part of the country. Check back this week for schedule updates and much more as we blog the convention -- or the parts being held -- from Minnesota.

Minneapolis -- Call them Democrats. Call them Republican. Call them liberitarians. In one of the first of many anti-government movements held here this week, marchers paraded down Nicolette Mall on Sunday singing their causes and kicking off a week of subdued convention festivities.

The Rocky Mountain News put together this piece to summarize the Democratic National Convention, but also to clarify the city's part in it. Interesting insight from Denverites, politicians and journalists who covered the event.

If you're on Twitter, check out the Twitter feed from Rick Sanchez of CNN -- he's using Facebook, Twitter and MySpace to communicate with viewers and readers on Hurrican Gustav's movements.

Gustav has caused many of today's events at the Republican convention to be scratched, with further events during the week up in the air.

University of Chicago graduate Nate SIlver has a degree in economics, but a passion in getting to the meaning behind the numbers of baseball ad politics. Silver started his blog, www.fivethirtyeight.com, as a way of scrubbing all manner of polls in a quest to weed through the nonsense and find out what numbers a re trustworthy.