Barack Obama wins the nomination by acclamation.

Some pics from the Tennessee delegation...

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.

Scariest thing is it was almost an accident they were caught.

Link...

This week's Sunday roundup of Tennessee liberal bloggers is devoted to the selection of Joe Biden as Obama's VP candidate. Reactions run the gamut, and they're collected here.

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...

With permission from the author who is a student at South- Doyle High School in Knoxville, TN. This was a class writing assignment. Content has not been altered in any way. These are his words. What are your thoughts?

Peace of Nations

What does it take to bring forth peace of nations? Loyalty from the people and from one nation to another is a necessity. Confidence, a nation needs confidence and pride in itself, to not back down to a stronger nation, for peace of nations to work, one nation can not push another around. Humanism, people must remember that though we may look different and sound different, everyone is a human, all the same.

A following of the people is necessary in order to maintain a stable nation and a healthy time of peace.

People who are loyal to their nation not only strengthen it, but also provide a safe melting pot for other nations. Loyalty is not only a thing for followers to show to the nation, it shows an allied nation that it can be trusted as well as supported in future efforts. A collaborated effort united by loyalty is one of the most influential groups of people around the globe. This virtue is one of the most important for any man or nation, having this virtue is a most for global peace.

Faith in a nation’s power or people is needed for a sense of belonging among other things. As a nation progresses forward to make itself more predominant in a growing world. Confidence brings forth a feeling of strength and power, yet for a smaller country of the world give it a sense of pride to project to a larger country that may be trying to break a world peace of sorts.

Without the confidence to stand up for a nation you believe in it may secretly fall from the inside. A virtue that many aspire to have, confidence is that which would prove difficult to a nation.

Humans, all humans are just that, humans, yet many wish to believe that all humans are different. In a world without violence, a peace among nations, there would, above all no racism. A world without racism, in itself would make all peaceful. Racism is the heart of all violence in humans, but at heart a human is just the same as another human. As a nation without racism all things violent would become shut out, from the nation.

Peace within nations is possible, but only with a few select qualities. Virtues such as confidence and loyalty make a nation strong, yet compassionate. Without racism, the world itself, all the world, would be free from the grip that is violence. Peace among the nations of the world is a possible feat, yet only at the will of the people throughout the world.

Note: I am proud to be a part of this young leaders life. He inspires me daily. The gene pool doesn't fall from the tree. Thank you for the forum to express young American's thoughts and dreams.

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.)

The Sunday roundup of Tennessee liberal bloggers is here. Go check out what everyone's been saying this week.

The Konservative Koffee Klatch of Obamaphobics have finally achieved nexus with the...wait for it!... 9/11 Truthers.

This surely means the end times are upon us, my friends.

Interests: Pinot Noir, leggy Baltic blondes, helping kick off pointless regional bloodbaths in exchange for large sacks of cash.

Favorite quote:

“Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac”

- H. Kissinger

Added: This is a great backgrounder on the morass of Caucasian conflicts that Scheunemann and his ilk have worked to drag into US politics.

These yahoos operate a lot like the brass on The Wire. They know nothing and could care less about the facts on the ground, and work tirelessly to spin human tragedy into their stupid little power plays and money schemes. It's really disgusting to watch, yet darkly compelling.

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.

UPDATE: CNN

The chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party died Wednesday, hours after a shooting at the party's headquarters, according to a statement from former President Clinton and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

UPDATE: AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The chairman of the Democratic Party of Arkansas was shot and killed Wednesday by a gunman who opened fire at the party's state headquarters, according to ex-president Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton.

"We are deeply saddened by the news that Bill Gwatney has passed away," the Clintons, who lived for years in the Arkansas capital of Little Rock while Bill Clinton was governor, said in a joint statement.

FIRST REPORT: KTHV Little Rock

The Arkansas Democratic Party says the chairman, Bill Gwatney, is hospitalized in critical condition after shooting at party headquarters in downtown Little Rock. Little Rock police say a suspect in the shooting was shot after after a chase that ended near Sheridan in Grant County.

The shooter's motive is not known at this time. Another report says a man of similar description flashed a gun at the Arkansas Baptist Convention building in downtown Little Rock earlier.

You know, after the Knoxville church shooting and now this, I am actually starting to worry a little. It could be that Democrats and other conservative movement opposition are going to have to start taking all the hateful remarks and veiled threats more seriously, especially if they are directed at individuals and especially if there is any specificity.

UPDATE: AP reports that the suspected gunman has died after being wounded in a shootout with police following a pursuit.

UPDATE: MSNBC

Witnesses told NBC Little Rock affiliate the shooter talked with a few party employees at the headquarters, complaining that he had lost his job.

UPDATE: KTHV Little Rock

OfficeTHV's Charles Crowson reports that shortly after the shooting at the Democratic headquarters, a man fitting the description of the shooting suspect threatened workers at the Arkansas State Baptist Convention headquarters located several blocks away. Business manager Dan Jordan says a man with a gun told another manager that he'd just lost his job. Crowson reports the man pointed a gun at a security guard, but didn't fire.

(Another report says this incident occurred before the Dem HQ shooting.)

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."

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.

Something you probably won't hear about on the Today Show or GMA...It's looking like we're heading for a possible unilateral naval blockade of Iran, intended to limit imports of benzene, necessary for oil refineries. Iran has limited benzene production capacity.

Other than a column in the Kennebec Journal, most reports of this are coming from overseas. This article reports resolutions in the U.S. House and Senate authorizing such a naval blockade.

Some blogs I occasionally read, including The Oil Drum and Automatic Earth, deal with some of these issues.

Warning: reading these sites may cause depression, fatigue, and general malaise.

Please remember to consume in small doses, can become boring and pedantic at dinner parties.

The TennViews Sunday roundup of progressive bloggers is here.

I'll be doing the roundup for the remainder of August, so if I've left anyone off the list, please let me know.

Paris Hilton issues tart rebuttal to McCain ad

The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) has announced the moderators for the 2008 general election presidential and vice presidential debates. Tom Brokaw will moderate the Nashville debate. More after the jump...

Check out the rogues gallery at The Next Cheney.

The new McCain ad has reignited a controversy that I completely missed the first time around.

The DNC has issued the following statement:

Today we received a letter from Senator Obama requesting that the Convention's Credentials Committee grant each delegate from Florida and Michigan a full vote. We deeply appreciate and value Senator Obama's perspective on this important issue. This matter will be the top priority for the Credentials Committee when we meet on August 24th. As always our goal is to ensure a fair process and a unified Democratic Party so that we can win in November.

From the AP: "I believe party unity calls for the delegates from Florida and Michigan to be able to participate fully alongside the delegates from the other states and territories," Obama said in the letter.