Democratic National Convention - Day 4

C-SPAN again...

This is getting started very late. I don't know how they're going to get done at a decent hour tonight. Apparently, there's a long line to get into Invesco Field (Mile High Stadium) and there's lots of security.

It turns out McCain put out an ad

So far, the sound is so horrible I can't even hear what the gentleman is saying. John Kunniholm. I think he might be an Iraq War Veteran. I can't even tell if its just C-SPAN or if all the stations are having the problem because CNN and FOX are all I have and they're not even listening to the speaker...

ah - they just fixed it. Thank goodness.

I think the schedule is kinda wacked out. I don't know who's going in what order - it looks like they're trying to wait it out until everyone is in the stadium? I don't know. So, I've been watching for awhile but, I'm only going to start making the list of who I'm listening to starting at 6:00 Eastern Time. I've seen the Yonder Mountain String Band, several Iraq War Veterans, David Plouffe and some others.

Rep Jill Schakowksy

Invocation
Call to Order
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Permanent Chair, Democratic National Convention
Member and Speaker of the US House of Representatives, California

Invocation
Rabbi David Saperstein
Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism – Washington, DC

We're sticking with the Judeo Christian prayers I guess.

Presentation of Colors
Disabled American Veterans

Pledge of Allegiance
Shawn Johnson
US Olympic Gymnast

National Anthem
Jennifer Hudson
Academy award-winning singer and Broadway performer

Both Shawn and Jennifer have flats on. That looks comfortable.
I kinda wish people would understand that you don't have to put your hand over your heart during the Star Spangled Banner; only the Pledge of Allegiance. The other thing I wish people would know is that its Voila not Wala, and when someone is toasting you, you just nod and smile in acknowledgement - don't lift your glass as if you're toasting yourself. Those are a couple of my pet peeves.
Jennifer Hudson sang the Star Spangled Banner well.

Welcome
Elbra Wedgeworth
President/Chair, Denver Host Committee

Presentation of Resolutions
Democratic National Committee Vice-Chairs
Mark Brewer
The Honorable Linda Chavez-Thompson
The Honorable Mike Honda
The Honorable Lottie Shackelford
Susan Turnbull

Remarks

Honorable Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor of Colorado
His laryngitis sounds painful. After this speech he needs to go home and rest his voice over the Labor Day weekend.

The Honorable Ed Perlmutter
Member of the US House of Representatives, Colorado

The Honorable John Salazar
Member of the US House of Representatives, Colorado

John McCain opposed the farm bill, opposed increased funding for nutrition programs. He promises us more of the same Bush policies we've had for 8 years.

The Honorable Diana DeGette
Member of the US House of Representatives, Colorado

John McCain is 4 more years of the same Bush policies.

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (LOCAL)

Video & Remarks

The Honorable Howard Dean
Former Governor of Vermont
Chair of the Democratic Party

How very true - George Bush decided he didn't care about the people who didn't agree with him as long as he had just enough on his side to keep him in power. It was just too bad for everyone else. That's what created such a negative, partisan process.

Power grows from the grass roots up.

John McCain doesn't know how many houses he owns.

**********

This is the 45th Anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.
(I hope the Republicans don't spoil a good and true thing by twisting this tribute into something negative and ugly)

Video & Remarks: Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King
MLK "it doesn't take much courage to be violent"
"we as a people will get to the promised land"
"All God's children will be able to hold hands and sing free at last, free at last, thank God almighty we're free at last"

The Honorable John Lewis
Member of the US House of Representatives, Georgia

Rev. Bernice King
Daughter of the late Dr. King

"Tonight, we witness, in part, what has become of his dream"
"Decided not by the color of his [Obama's] skin but by the content of his character"

Martin Luther King III
Oldest son of the late Dr. King

"America needs more than a great president to realize my father's dream."

"sometimes we must stand up and take positions that are neither safe, nor popular, nor politic."

Good speech, but its not grabbing the crowd.

C-SPAN is having a lot of audio troubles today.

long musical interlude

will.i.am
Accompanied by John Legend (piano), Agape Choir, and band

They are singing the words of an Obama speech. Pretty cool. And yet its kind of hard to sing along with.

Ray Rivera
Obama State Director, Colorado

Interesting high tech experiment that didn't have as much impact as they might have expected.

Sheryl Crow
A Change is Gonna Do You Good
Out of Our Heads
etc.

Okay - I've done well. For three days I watched this convention. I haven't done it as well today. There are really long musical interludes and the speeches are P 2 th C. When I was just out of high school, my family made a big trip to London England (we had a relative whose job took him there for a couple years so we took advantage of it). That was a three week vacation and as much as I cared about all the things we were seeing, by the end of the trip I just couldn't muster up the awe anymore. I was awed out. And now, as much as I know I might like the speeches, I can't muster up the interest anymore.

I'm signing off for now.