Barack Obama wins the nomination by acclamation.

Some pics from the Tennessee delegation...

Congratulations to Sen. Obama!

Get ready. The job has just begun.

How's the crowd, Randy?

I'm here at the Pepsi Center, getting set up for the 3:00 nominations. All (or most) of the Tennessee delegation votes have been cast. The votes will be entered into the computer at 3PM, and the roll call is scheduled to commence at 4PM. Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Gray Sasser will cast Tennessee's votes.

We spoke briefly with delegates Brenda Ables from Fayett and Angelia Cannon of Nashville, both Clinton delegates. Brenda said that their instructions were to vote for whoever they wanted, and they had until 3PM to change their mind, or they could wait until 3PM to vote. There was no pressure for anyone to change their vote.

Brenda said that she voted for Clinton because that's what voters in her district sent her to do, but she will support Obama. She said there was "lively discussion" at this morning's Tennessee Clinton caucus meeting, and that Clinton whip Betsy Reid announced that she was voting for Obama.

Angelia Cannon noted that this is a historic nomination either way, with our first woman and our first African-American as serious candidates, and that Democrats had good choices and either will make history. Angelia expressed frustration that when Hillary Clinton was First Lady the conservative media was all over her for being too strong and too tough, and when she ran for President they said she would be too weak and turn everything over to Bill.

Anyway, state delegations, or at least the Tennessee delegation, have not been advised on how the nominations and roll call will proceed, or even if every state will be called.

Stay tuned....

In totally unrelated news, we are told Doug Horne is here and may be running for Governor.

Tonight's program (Wednesday) features Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton being placed in nomination and the historic vote. Details are apparently still being negotiated about who will vote in what order.

There are lots of distinguished speakers, including Bill Clinton and John Kerry among others. Finally, Joe Biden will be nominated for VP and will close tonight's program with his remarks. Full schedule after the jump...

Unedited video clips taken by the Mrs. from the Convention Floor last night give you an idea of what it's like being there among all the chaos and excitement...

(Use the "watch in high quality" option if you see it.)

Attending the convention last night, the excitement was felt throughout the Pepsi Center. Anticipation grew as the great speakers fed the crowd's need for hope and change. In walking through the center, from the Tennessee delegation down to Florida, over to New Mexico and New York, everyone appeared to be ready to work together to win the presidency in 2008.

The Pepsi Center was packed. For most of the delegations, there were limited seats and the overflow sat in the nosebleed sections. The sound of 15,000-20,000 people with a common political interest was exhilarating. Notes to attendees, arrive early to avoid long lines for entry and don't leave the main arena area after 8 PM, you may not get back in.

As time got closer for Hillary Rodham Clinton to speak, the people on the convention floor were closer together than people on a New York subway at rush hour. I'm not sure those on the floor vying for a close spot cared, they just wanted to be near the action. I felt the same way until it got so close it felt like cattle going to slaughter. Time to head back to the Tennessee delegation.

Some of the Tennessee delegates were gracious enough to give me a few minutes. I just happened to find a group from East Tennessee. Dan Lawson, from Maryville, was there as a delegate from the 8th district. He had also attended the 2000 convention for Al Gore. Sylvia Woods and her husband, Harold, were there in their Hillary Clinton regalia. Both are hard working Democrats and members of the AFL-CIO. Sylvia is the recently elected Chair of the Knox County Democratic Party. Harold has been a leader in the AFL-CIO for 25 years. They have been married 47 years and still a very happy couple. Their advice, "A family that sticks together can get things done." Mrs. Woods also attended the last Democratic Convention in Chicago and Mr. Woods attended the last Democratic Convention in San Francisco. They worked and campaigned really hard to attend this convention together. I also spoke briefly with a delegate from Pulaski (Middle TN). He and his wife were both there as TN delegates. The Mrs. is a Super Delegate and a big HRC supporter. She traveled throughout the country with the HRC campaign. All of the delegates I spoke with said it was hard work campaigning for a delegate spot.

The Tennessee delegation seats aren't too bad. Only a couple of delegations back from the floor and there was a decent view of the box seats for Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, and other political dignitaries.

The speakers leading up to HRC were great. I especially enjoyed Mark Warner (Governor of Virginia) and Brian Schweitzer (Governor of Montana). Word is Lilly Ledbetter's address to the convention was great. I somehow missed it trying to break from the crowd.

What more can be said? Hillary Rodham Clinton was awesome. Standing between the Tennessee and Texas delegations, you could tell there were still a lot of people wishing she were the nominee. Ms. Clinton is willing to step aside for Unity. She obviously still has an agenda, as many of us expect. She wants to work together to achieve the goals to turn around our great country, to bring us back to prosperity, to make us all equal, to provide healthcare for all, and more. Many thanks to Hillary Rodham Clinton. She is a true inspiration. Now lets get our candidate, Barack Obama, elected President of these great United States.

More photos in this Tuesday slideshow

I'm seeing and hearing some chatter that last night's program was a snooze fest because Democrats didn't come out swinging against the GOP. My impression was that last night's program was not for that. It was to pay tribute to some great Democrats and to introduce the Obama family to America.

In that respect I thought it was a huge success.

Jimmy Carter was well received and got some long-overdue respect. And Ted Kennedy, well, it was quite a remarkable moment when he walked out on the stage, and his courageous speech was moving and inspiring.

Michelle Obama's speech was pitch perfect for what they wanted to accomplish. She is an excellent public speaker and will be a tremendous asset for the campaign. And their kids are as cute as they can be. If people were paying attention, they heard and saw that the Obamas aren't a couple of scary radical socialists with funny names or any of that other stuff. They are committed to public service and share the same concerns for their family and our country as other Americans. And judging from the overwhelming reaction, every Democrat in the hall was united and 100% on board.

In that light, going on the attack would not have been appropriate. I predict, though, that tonight will be different and the gloves will come off. That should make the pundits happy.

Speaking of pundits, it's been nice not watching this unfold through the media filter. I didn't miss all the jabbering and made up controversy. It was a warm, respectful, celebratory night in a place where it was safe to enjoy being a Democrat for a change.

My overall impression is, in a word, overwhelming. Not just the speakers and the programs, but the frantic schedules (which two people can't possibly cover), trying to get around with all the security and closed streets, the huge crowds, too much to see and do, and on and on.

Walking around inside the Pepsi Center is pretty amazing, too. You never know who you are going to see next. I saw lots of media personalities (including Dan Rather), the Daily Show crew, Mark Warner, Dennis Kucinich and his wife (they said hi), and lots of others I can't even remember. And when I say "saw," I mean just walking around, sometimes right next to you. The first lesson I learned is always have a camera.

Getting around is complicated. The security perimeter extends way out around the Pepsi center. There are lots of closed streets, and it's about a one mile walk (or more) from any open streets. Even without all that, there are a lot of one-way streets, and a lot of the street design seems random. A GPS is an indispensable time/sanity saver.

Security getting in is also complicated as you can imagine, but despite that it flowed smoothly yesterday. They have Secret Service, local Law Enforcement, and the TSA searching and/or x-raying everything going in. But they kept the lines going and it wasn't too bad. Not nearly as bad as the hike in. The Mrs. is going tonight, and I advised to pack light. I probably won't take the big camera and lenses any more, and will scale back my notebook kit if I even take one.

The DNC provided a power outlet and Ethernet internet hookup right there at the Tennessee seating area. Unfortunately, it's under a kiosk type deal where they have the delegation voting PC, a video monitor, and phones for mission control to communicate with the delegation. So of course, party officials need to be in that space, not bloggers. Most of the time I sat directly in front of the kiosk one row down in the Kansas section. I lost my seat for a while when I went out for a break. Then I got yelled at by a Kansas official when they were passing around a petition to sign and I said I wasn't with Kansas.

Speaking of the phones, the whole program is carefully choreographed. Before each speaker, they bring out signs for that speaker with strict instructions on when to wave them. If a delegation isn't waving properly, the phone lights up. The party officials have to act as part stage director and part cheerleader. It's a lot of fun for everyone though, and the Tennessee delegation did their part to raise the roof.

Between speakers the house band plays (which is a killer band by the way, which you can't really appreciate watching on TV). People go wild dancing, and roaming camera crews single out entertaining delegates and put them up on the big screen. Gray Sasser told me these were "spontaneous" demonstrations, with emphasis on the quotes around spontaneous.

Getting in was relatively painless compared to leaving. They funneled most of the 20,000+ crowd down four escalators through one entrance and out off the grounds through one twenty foot fence opening, causing massive congestion. It was the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen, and scary at times. Everybody was complaining, some forcefully. Not sure what the security concept was, but they certainly had everyone all bunched up into an easy mass target. Plus, any kind of incident could have set off a disastrous stampede. Then, after all that you still had to walk about a mile or more to catch a ride. I was not a happy camper.

Anyway, it's been an awesome, overwhelming, sometimes stressful, but totally amazing experience so far. My heartfelt thanks to the DNC for the opportunity and my sincere appreciation to the TNDP for their gracious hospitality.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Memphis delegate Henry Hooper this morning. Mr. Hooper is a former Green Beret and Vietnam veteran and a retired Secret Service agent. He started his Secret Service career in the Nixon administration, and worked for the Ford, Carter, and Reagan administrations, with White House assignments during the Ford and Carter administrations. He retired from the Secret Service after 24 years, although he said a Secret Service agent is never really "finished" and that he's active in a national organization of former Secret Service agents.

I asked what he thought about security for the convention, and he said they are doing an outstanding job. He said that given the current climate, and the depth of threats of terrorism and disruption, the Secret Service and local law enforcement and emergency responders have teamed up to do a fantastic job. He said he is impressed with the manpower on the streets, at hotels, the convention centers, and other venues.

Mr. Hooper also commended the City of Denver for the outstanding job they have done with their support effort. He said he was also pleased that the Mayor was there welcoming people at the airport. He noted that this isn't something you see every day and that it goes beyond expectations.

Regarding the convention, Mr. Hooper was happy to see his former boss at the convention last night, and really enjoyed the well-deserved tribute to President Carter.

Mr. Hooper noted that he is a Clinton delegate, and he is not sure what he will do if her name is put in nomination, even if Clinton releases the delegates. He said the Clintons are important assets to the party, saying "How can you argue with eight years of success? The Clintons led us through the most prosperous time we've had, and we're not going to honor that?" He said that Hillary Clinton needs to play a part in the convention.

Regarding the Vice Presidential choice, Mr. Hooper believes there may be a faction in the party that is concerned about having women in two of the most powerful jobs -- Speaker of the House and Vice President.

As Sr. Vice Commander of the Tennessee Veterans of Foreign Wars (and Commander next year), Mr. Hooper has a keen interest in veteran issues and support for the military. He noted that McCain did not support the recent G.I. bill, and instead promoted a watered-down Bush version. McCain only got on board with the full bill "once he saw the votes coming down," according to Mr. Hooper.

He also noted that active duty military personnel have donated six times as much money to the Obama campaign as they have the McCain campaign. "Why do you think Iraq veterans are demonstrating at the convention?" he asked. "It's not against Obama, it's against the war. This is just a platform to get their message out."

Mr. Hooper wanted folks to know that this is the most critical time and most critical election in a decade and that we need to make a change. He notes that with few exceptions, McCain's voting record for the past eight years proves that he is a strong advocate for Bush's policies.

Mr. Hooper's involvement in politics began after he retired from the Secret Service. "After leaving a government job standing by the door watching the process, I wanted to become more involved," he said. He is a former Memphis City Council member, and is now involved in mentoring and tutoring inner-city kids. He is a member of the Tennessee Democratic Party State Executive Committee. In his spare time, he owns a State Farm Insurance agency in Memphis.

My impression of Mr. Hooper is that he is a patriot, a successful businessman and an active, engaged political activist committed to public service. Above all, despite his calm and soft-spoken demeanor he is a Democrat not to be trifled with.

I arrived late and missed Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell’s talk, but to recap, he talked about unity and Hillary Clinton’s campaign in the context of today’s 88th anniversary of Women's Suffrage and the right to vote. He noted that McCain has voted twice against equal pay for women.

Gov. Rendell talked about the Democrat's platform on health care and energy policy. On health care, he noted the similarities between Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton's plans. He urged the Tennessee delegation to take the facts back home to their constituents.

He said Democrats are going to take the fight to Republicans, and that no matter what the polls say the Democratic Party is going to work equally hard in every state, including Tennessee.

Next up was Rep. Bart Gordon (TN-6). He said this is an important and historic presidential election, but said we shouldn't lose sight of how important the down-ticket races are. He noted the state House and Senate seats up for grabs, and without a Democratic majority we lose control of constitutional offices and we'll get slaughtered in redistricting.

He talked about the importance of health care, energy, and education in terms of U.S. global competitiveness. He noted that more than 60% of our math teachers don't have a major or minor in math, and more than 90% of science teachers don't have majors or minors in science.

On energy policy, he said Republicans in Congress have been blocking any meaningful progress. As an example, he noted a recently passed bill to implement high-risk, high-reward alternative energy research programs in the Department of Energy. He said the bill couldn't even get a hearing until Democrats gained a majority in the house, and then in passed in six months.

He said this is an example of why it's about more than winning and losing, it's about moving the country forward with good public policy. His final advice to the Tennessee delegation: "Early to bed, early to rise, work like heck, and organize!"

Following the program, I met up with Tennessee Democratic Party Communications Director Wade Munday. He's a sharp, super-nice young man and it was nice to finally meet him in person.

I also had the pleasure of speaking with Memphis delegate Henry Hooper, which I'll cover in a separate post.

Lot's of activity outside the DNC. Civic Center Park is about 1/2 to 1 mile from the Pepsi Center. The US Mint, the State Capitol building, the Denver Art Museum, and the Colorado History Museum all border the park area. Think World's Fair Park and KMA, oh the potential.

Finally, protesters. Oh, wait, you can't see the protesters. What you see are the press and/or lookie-loos.

More after the jump

The State of Tennessee Democratic Party DNC delegates met for a breakfast meeting (sponsored by AT&T) this morning at their hotel. Gray Sasser opened the meeting and introduced the featured speaker, Fabian Bedne. Mr. Bedne is the President of the Middle TN Hispanic Democrats and an Obama Alternate Delegate for TN to the convention. He discussed the traditional Hispanic community's distrust of the media, the importance of word-of-mouth sharing of information, as well as too much government power disrespects the constitution. Video of excerpts of his speech are at the end of this post.

Members of the Tennessee Federation of College Democrats are attending the Democratic National Convention. The two young ladies drove straight through from Tennessee, no overnight stops. Such dedication! The group is very excited about the election and will do everything they can to get out the college student vote, including annoying students so much they'll vote just to get them to shut up.

We're here in Denver, settling in to HQ and getting ready for the convention kickoff tomorrow. No official business for us today.

The photo above has the Colorado Convention Center in the upper foreground, with the Denver skyline in the background. The Convention Center is where most of the daytime official convention business will take place.

The tentative plan of the day for tomorrow is 1) check in and pick up credentials (first priority), 2) a convention kickoff press briefing with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, and 3) the Credentials Committee meeting.

A few more photos from this afternoon after the jump...

Saw it on the CNN crawl.

The O-Mail arrived at 4:45 AM. A Huffington Post item with an AP release arrived at 1:45 AM.

Don Daugherty encourages Knox Democrats to attend the nominating convention tomorrow night, but says he is withdrawing his name from consideration for Knox County Criminal Court Clerk and instead will focus his efforts on an independent "Democratic Resource PAC" and war room operation. Daugherty's full statement after the jump...

The Green Party of TN is honored to host Ms McKinney as she visits 4
communities across the state this week. “From community problems like
landfill issues in Dickson to community solutions like the Biofuels plant
in Memphis and community gardens in Nashville Ms McKinney will get to talk
to people who are impacted and those with community-based solutions, a
Green Party Key Value”, said Katey Culver Green Party of TN Co-chair.

Wednesday, August 20th McKinney will make 3 stops in Memphis.
That evening she will be in Jackson, Tennessee for a fundraiser hosted by
the Madison County Green Party.

Thursday, August 21st McKinney's first stop is in Dickson to meet with
representatives of the community who have been affected by the dumping of
toxic waste in their community. Then to Nashville for an 11:00 AM Press
Conference in Room 31, Legislative Plaza speaking to the press about her
campaign. This event is open to the public. Following the press
conference Ms McKinney will speak directly to the public and take
questions. This will also be in Legislative Plaza, Room 31.

That morning Greens will turn in their nominating petitions to secure her
position on the general election ballot in Tennessee. “Due to
Tennessee's oppressive election access laws Ms McKinney will be listed
on the ballot as an independent candidate which we can achieve with 275 valid signatures. It would take over 45,000 valid signatures to get her listed with the “Green” affiliation. The Green Party is currently a litigant against the state seeking ballot access laws that are fair”, said John Miglietta a delegate to the Green Party of the US and a Green Candidate for US House District 5.

Following the Press Conference she is scheduled to visit Tennessee State
University, Fisk University and Carver Food Park where Sizwe Herring of
EarthMatters Tennessee teaches children and community members about the
value of composting and principles of ecology.

Cynthia McKinney in her Chicago acceptance speech indicated why she had
chosen to go Green, saying, "In 2008, after two stolen Presidential elections and
eight years of George W. Bush, and at least two years of Democratic Party
complicity, the racket is about war crimes, torture, crimes against the
peace; the racket is about crimes against the Constitution, crimes against
the American people, and crimes against the global community. The racket
is even about values that we thought were long settled as reasonable to
pursue, like liberty and justice, and economic opportunity, for all."

As the Green Party candidate, issues of environmental and racial justice will highlight her Tennessee visit. “Cynthia has chosen to visit people and places that the Democrats and Republicans would would rather forget, such as the victims of environmental racism in Dickson, Tennessee. I think this is why Cynthia is the best choice this election season, because it is clear that she is the people's candidate," said Chris Lugo Green candidate for the US Senate.

Scheduled Itinerary Available Upon Request:

For More Information Contact:

Katey Culver, Green Party of TN,
Committee Co-chair, 615-416-1908
katey@gp.org

Chris Lugo, Green Candidate, US Senate,
615-593-0304, chris4senate@gmail.com

If you missed last night's interviews* with the presumptive nominees, you missed the upcoming election in a nutshell. It's going to be a replay of 2004, with the same manufactured wedge issues plus a side order of fear mongering, and both candidates said all they are going to say about them between now and November.

When is Kos going to denounce Obama for saying he does not support gay marriage, like he did Harold Ford Jr. ("I want Ford to win. But I won't cry when he doesn't.")?

Anyway, it was a pretty good format. McCain gave short and to-the-point party line talking point answers. Obama gave more contemplative and thoughtful answers. Both were given plenty of time to answer and the absence of barking and jabbering by preening network TV moderators was nice. For the most part, both performed well, both did their share of pandering to the religious right audience, and both likely scored points with viewers in their respective camps.

P.S. Who is Rick Warren and why does he get 120 minutes on CNN to interview candidates for President of the United States?

(*CNN will re-broadcast it tonight at 8PM.)

Welcome to Denver, part two?

Denver has set aside holding pens inside a dilapidated warehouse with no toilets, no water, no fire sprinkler system.

The location was determined unfit for storing voting equipment.

What the heck, they're only protesters. Not really human.

What's Denver doing about these types of activities?

[Denver] Officers also are antsy about the recent death of a man found dead in a Denver luxury hotel on Monday near a pound of cyanide.

By way of ACK, the Nashville Post has obtained a copy of State Sen. Raymond Finney's formal request for a recount. The "reasons" section is some interesting reading, to say the least.

(Rep. Doug Overbey defeated Finney by 139 votes in last week's GOP primary for State Senate 8th District, which includes Blount Co. and portions of Sevier Co. No Democrats ran, and Overbey will face Independent Ira Lapides in November.)

ABC News:

A deal has been brokered between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton that will allow Clinton's name to be placed in nomination at next week's Democratic nominating convention, sources close to the Clinton camp told ABC News.

Well, isn't that special. They're going to "allow" Clinton's name to be placed in nomination. Last time I checked she had about half the popular vote, and neither candidate had enough pledged delegates (which aren't even pledged anyway) to lock up the nomination.

The article says this will happen on Wednesday and that there will be a roll call vote. Should be interesting. Either way it's historic. I plan to be there to witness it. I will try to keep my opinions in check and report it straight up from the standpoint of the Tennessee delegation, their vote, and their reactions.

UPDATE: Politico.com: Joint statement (excerpt)

“I am convinced that honoring Senator Clinton's historic campaign in this way will help us celebrate this defining moment in our history and bring the party together in a strong united fashion,” said Senator Barack Obama.

Senator Obama’s campaign encouraged Senator Clinton's name to be placed in nomination as a show of unity and in recognition of the historic race she ran and the fact that she was the first woman to compete in all of our nation’s primary contests.

In other words, this is a formality to reinforce the legitimacy of Obama's nomination and the process. Not that there's anything wrong with that. (By way of ACK)

FDR signed the Social Security Act into law on Aug. 14th, 1935. Remarking on the occasion, his grandson has the following to say:

"It's hard to remember now, but before Social Security, nearly half of America's seniors lived in poverty," James Roosevelt Jr., whose grandfather was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, says in a web ad released by the Democratic National Committee. "After a lifetime of playing by the rules and working hard, there was no guarantee of a secure retirement. My grandfather, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and a majority of Americans thought that was wrong. They believed that lifting our seniors out of poverty is a reflection of our nation's core values."

[..]

"That's why my grandfather signed the Social Security act seventy three years ago today," James Roosevelt continues. "One of the great successes of the 20th Century, today Social Security lifts nearly 13 million seniors and 1.3 million children out of poverty."

Calling the program a "disgrace," John McCain plans to continue Bush's right-wing assault on one of the most successful social programs in history.

• John McCain: "Americans have got to understand that we are paying present-day retirees with the taxes paid by young workers in America today. And that's a disgrace. It's an absolute disgrace, and it's got to be fixed." [Washington Post, 7/9/08]

• John McCain: "As part of Social Security reform, I believe that private savings accounts are a part of it - along the lines of what President Bush proposed. I campaigned in support of President Bush's proposal and I campaigned with him, and I did town hall meetings with him." [Wall Street Journal, 3/3/08]

• John McCain, while appearing in Tuscon with Bush: "Private savings accounts work. They have been proven to work not only in America but all over the world, and we ought to really strongly support it." [Presidential speech in Tucson, Arizona, 3/21/05]

• 2004: John McCain, responding to a question of whether "privatizing Social Security be a priority for you going forward?": "Without privatization, I don't see how you can possibly, over time, make sure that young Americans are able to receive Social Security benefits." [C-Span Road to the White House, 11/18/2004]

In 2006, McCain voted for the Social Security Reserve Fund. The GOP proposal would shift Social Security's annual surpluses into a reserve account intended to be turned into risky private accounts. In 2005, McCain voted to keep the option open for congress to pass a social security plan that could require deep benefit cuts or a massive increase in debt. That same year McCain voted against legislation that would prioritize social security solvency over tax cuts for the wealthy. And, in 1998 McCain voted twice to replace Social Security's guaranteed benefits with income from risk-based private investments.

(Information provided by the DNC)

INTERESTING FACT: Every month, John McCain cashes his $1,929.75 Social Security check, which he says he has been receiving from the "broken" system that is a "disgrace" ever since he was eligible. (I guess that was so long ago he can't remember when it was.) Apparently he and Cindy McCain can't get by just on her $100 million in wealth and $6 million per year in income.

UPDATE: Senator Obama on the 73rd Anniversary of Social Security

On this anniversary of Social Security, let’s reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that Social Security remains a safety net that seniors can count on today, tomorrow, and always. It is impossible to fully measure Social Security’s value for its recipients, as well as for those who look after and love them. Nearly 13 million seniors depend on it each month to keep from falling into poverty, and millions more depend on survivor and disability benefits to protect their retirement.

As President, I will protect Social Security for today’s seniors and future generations. That means strengthening Social Security’s solvency while protecting middle class families from benefit cuts, tax increases or increases in the retirement age. It means treating Social Security not as a political football or describing it as an “absolute disgrace,” but instead honoring it as the cornerstone of the social compact in this country. And it means opposing efforts to privatize Social Security, as I did when President Bush proposed risky private accounts a few years ago. Privatization is wrong and tears at the fabric of Social Security – the very idea of mutual responsibility – by subjecting a secure, earned retirement to the whims of the market. The Bush privatization plan that Senator McCain now embraces would tell millions of elderly Americans that they’re on their own, putting them at risk of falling into poverty. That’s not what this country is about.

It’s time to reclaim the idea that in this country, we’re all in it together. That is America’s very promise – and Social Security’s very guarantee. And it requires a President who will change the ways of Washington, protect the people’s interests, and bring Americans together to meet the great challenges of our time. That is exactly the sort of leadership I intend to offer.

In addition to the 100+ bloggers who will be covering the Democratic National Convention and the DNCC gavel-to-gavel live online streaming video coverage at the official convention website, the DNCC is planning total information overload on the internet.

Saying "nobody likes a funeral," prominent Republicans are staying away from their convention. Politico reports that out of twelve Republican candidates in competitive Senate races, only three have agreed to come to the convention. Six are definite no-shows, and three are still deciding.

Several other prominent Republicans have formed "Republicans for Obama". Former Representative Jim Leach of Iowa said that "The prospect that we'll have more of the same -- that is the source of angst of many Republicans around the country."

And after some time off she's fired up and ready to go:

So, way to miss out on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Democrats. But truth to be told, it's probably not such a big deal, since your guys were just as involved in the nepotism and backroom deal-making as were the Republicans.

And just because you couldn't get it together to field a stronger slate of contenders for the countywide offices doesn’t mean there’s an unusual amount of internal strife in your party. Sure, lots of y'all hate each other's guts, but you shouldn’t feel like the Lone Ranger – half the Republicans I know wouldn’t pee on Mike Ragsdale's head if his brain were on fire.

Meanwhile, Sandra Clark gloats "It was about my 100th Republican victory party, but this one was different."

And Larry Van Guilder weighs in: Knox County voters concocted their own cure for scandal fatigue last Thursday: stay home.

So much for McCain's claims that he possesses the superior background and experience in foreign affairs.

Kansas Governor and Democratic National Convention Committee Co-Chair Kathleen Sebelius announced the themes and some of the speakers for each night of the convention. So far:

• Monday, August 25 - One Nation: Michelle Obama.

• Tuesday, August 26 – Renewing America’s Promise: Senator Hillary Clinton

• Wednesday, August 27 - Securing America’s Future: The Vice Presidential Acceptance Speech

• Thursday, August 28 – Change You Can Believe In: Barack Obama’s Acceptance Speech (at INVESCO Field at Mile High)

Other program details and speakers will be announced over the next few days.

Wow. I just heard on WBIR 10 News This week that Republican Kathy Bryant defeated Democrat Brad Anders for County Commission 6-A.

Or maybe I heard that wrong. Let's go to the tape for an instant replay:

Yep, that's what they said. I could have sworn that Bryant was the Democrat who was defeated by Republican Anders. But I could be wrong. Hope so, because we endorsed Bryant and were pulling for her to win.

(Katie's only been gone one day and look what happens!)

Mike Padgett came in third in the race for the U.S. Senate Democratic nomination. The News Sentinel reported on the front page that Padgett "tied for third," but the State of Tennessee Division of Elections begs to differ:

Bob Tuke 58946 32.3%
Gary Davis 38971 21.3%
Mike Padgett 33341 18.2%
Mark Clayton 32160 17.6%
Kenneth Eaton 14638 8.0%
Leonard Ladner 4668 2.6%

There was another interesting outcome over in Blount and Sevier Counties. In the Republican primary for the State Senate 8th District, Former Rep. Doug Overbey knocked off incumbent Sen. Raymond Finney by a scant 139 votes:

Jim Bishop 977 4.6%
Raymond Finney 10036 47.4%
Doug Overbey 10175 48%

Finney carried Blount Co. by a huge margin, but Overbey scored big in Sevier Co. Which is odd, because I would have guessed that nobody over there had ever heard of him. The 20th House district, Overbey's former seat that he gave up to run against Finney, is a relatively small part of Blount Co. Finney did not concede and says he wants a recount.

Some other incumbents got the boot, including U.S. Rep. David Davis in TN-1, who lost in the Republican primary to challenger Phil Roe by 460 votes. In the State Senate 14th district Democratic primary, incumbent Sen. Steve Roller lost to Eric Stewart by 131 votes.

Sen. Rosalind Kurita narrowly defeated Democratic primary challenger Tim Barnes by only 19 votes in a hotly contested race. Barnes is considering a challenge.

In another "turnout counts" election, Blount County school board candidate Patricia Bell lost by only 14 votes.

In the "poetic justice" department, incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen hammered Nikki Tinker, who drew national attention and the ire of Barack Obama for running racist ads, by more than 60 points in the Tennessee 9th Congressional district Democratic primary.

The Black Wednesday victories in Knox County were real puzzlers, especially some of the margins.

The most surprising to me was the race for Sheriff, with Republican J.J. Jones beating Democrat Randy Tyree by nearly 16 points. I really thought it would be closer than that, and that Tyree actually had a chance for a narrow victory. Again, low turnout was probably a factor, as were short memories and scandal fatigue.

The other disappointing result was Property Assessor. Andrew Graybeal was clearly the more qualified candidate, but Black Wednesday candidate Phil Ballard won by more than 25 points. Go figure.

Congratulations to Sam McKenzie in County Commission 1-A, Amy Broyles in 2-B, and Finbarr Saunders in 4-A for their decisive victories.

Turnout for yesterday's election in Knox County was an anemic 19%. When people don't vote, nothing changes.

Here.