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Former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm addresses DNC.

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) - Few companies in the U.S. South have gotten as much nurturing by President Barack Obama's administration as Charlotte-based Celgard LLC. Obama and two of his Cabinet secretaries visited the plant and praised its successes after it was awarded $48.7 million in stimulus grants. But as Obama prepared to deliver his speech at the Democratic National Convention just 14 miles away on Thursday night, Celgard stands as an example of how the jobs, industrial development and green energy policies the president has implemented since taking office in January 2009 are no guarantee of success. It hasn't...

Hundreds stranded outside Democratic National ConventionPosted by David Siders September 6, 2012 CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Hundreds of ticketholders were stranded outside the Democratic National Convention ahead of President Barack Obama's acceptance speech here tonight, after officials said the arena reached capacity and closed the doors. **SNIP** An official told a crowd outside the arena gate that the local fire marshal apologized and called the situation "embarrassing." The official said the gate would not re-open and that no ticketholders - even delegates and special guests - would be admitted.

Link only - I Hate the Democratic National Convention, This Is Terrible

The Democrats know how to hold a party convention. They can give speeches, fire up the base, energize their key demographics, and hoodwink the willing news media. What they can’t do is manage the government. The 2012 Democratic National Convention presented the Democratic Party’s best face to the world, declaring support for American values while attacking them, championing the middle class while punishing it, pledging allegiance to “opportunities for the poor” while stripping those opportunities from the very fabric of American life. THE SPEAKERS Who are the Democrats’ faces in 2012? Lily Ledbetter, a tire factory worker who sued her...

It is a beautiful evening in Charlotte, 83 degrees and clear skies. What a wonderful night for some outdoor festivities.

I think what has happened today with the Obama campaign moving their highly and arrogantly touted downsized Thursday acceptance speech from a football stadium ready for 65,000 people down to an arena able to fit less than 20,000 due to stage size and other platforms on the floor, is easily the DNC's hair rock moment. This is a moment where bands like Def Leppard, Warrant, RATT, Cinderella, Whitesnake,Extreme, Slaughter, Great White,White Lion, Dokken, and others were put on notice that a huge shift had taken place and that shift was called "grunge rock". It's as if Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice In...

Reports from American Intelligence are being leaked to the public to put pressure on Israel to keep them from attacking Iran. Israel and Azerbaijan have struck a 1.6 billion dollar drone and defense deal, supposedly giving Israel access to their bases if they attack Iran. This means the Israelis would not have to refuel if they do attack and that is a game changer. Last Thursday, Ambassador John Bolton, being the straight shooter he is, laid it out succinctly on Fox News. He accused this administration of leaking information deliberately to deter Israel from defending herself. He was responding to...

By Mr. Curmudgeon:Democrats meeting at their national convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, were in a bit of a pickle. Word got out that God and recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital was struck from the Democratic Party platform, and so a hasty decision was made to rectify the telling blunder.Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, chairman of the Democratic National Convention, put a motion before the convention's delegates to suspend the rules and allow an amendment to the party platform. The measure passed by a roaring voice vote.That was the easy part.Then former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, platform committee chairman, rose...

Young Voter Panel at DNC Ignores Obama's Abysmal Drug War RecordGarrett Quinn|Sep. 5, 2012 6:54 pm CHARLOTTE—During an Atlantic magazine sponsored discussion on the declining enthusiasm among young people for President Obama, the now infamous Harold & Kumar campaign video was shown but, as has been the case throughout the Democratic National Convention, nobody discussed the president’s drug war record. The crowd and panel, compromised of Kal Penn, America Ferrera, and Alfre Woodard, chuckled at the hapless stoners in the video as they laughed at their television after receiving instructions from Obama.

The Democratic National Convention has descended in to chaos today both inside and outside the Time Warner arena in Charlotte, North Carolina.Following the debacle earlier today of the ramming through over the loud objections of delegates of pro-God, pro-Israel language to the platform, fire marshalls have locked down the arena leaving a reported thousands of credentialed delegates and reporters stranded outside.Reporters on Twitter are sending out on scene reports and photographs with commentary such as "mayhem", "fail" and "farce"."Democratic convention descending into farce. After "booing God" debacle, delegates, and media locked out of the convention by fire marshals" , Nico...

(CHARLOTTE, NC) The unethical treatment of bed bugs brought an estimated 500 angry sign-carrying protestors outside of the Time Warner Cable Arena at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. Conventioneers have complained about the inordinate number of bedbugs under their mattresses in the Queen City. According to Susan Lunesta, spokesperson for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Insects (PITI), the Democratic National Committee has urged the indiscriminate use of chemicals to mass exterminate what most people call pests. “No bedbug should ever be killed,” said Lunesta. “It’s not their fault that they have been taken out of...

The amazing conclusion to yesterday’s snafu involving the Democratic platform’s language on Israel. After an evening of bad press they decided to reinsert the language about Jerusalem being the capital of Israel, along with some language about God after people noticed that the phrase “God-given” in the 2008 platform had been dropped in the new one. Simple process, in theory: Have someone from the floor propose adding the new language, then let the delegates approve it via a voice vote. The result? A trainwreck so awful that even Paul Begala didn’t try to spin it. As you’ll see, Villaraigosa’s astonishment...

This has become a disaster for the Democrats and a boon to the Romney campaign. The DNC has now added God back into their platform language after originally taking it out. They have also added language back in that says Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. When they tried to change the language on the convention floor, there were boos! Oy-gevalt. Despite the corrections by the Democrats, the Romney campaign can now argue that the Democrats don't know what they believe on two very important topics. They can also argue that the Democrats only did this because of the pushback....

CHARLOTTE -- At political conventions, balloon drops usually produce iconic images of presidential nominees frolicking with their families in a sea of red, white and blue balloons triumphantly raining down on the arena stage. But Democratic sources tell Fox News this is one tradition President Obama will likely now have to skip after officials at the Democratic National Convention decided to move his Thursday night acceptance speech from the 65,000-seat outdoor Bank of America Stadium to the much-smaller indoor Time Warner Cable Arena, citing weather concerns. If you're standing on the main floor of the Time Warner center and look...

- After sharp criticism from Mitt Romney and Republicans, the Democrats have reinstated the language into their party platform that recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel as well as the words "God-given" that were removed in this year's platform.

Delegates and members of the Democratic party booed after former Gov. Ted Strickland (D-OH) discussed God and moved to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Convention chairman Antonio Villaraigosa, mayor of Los Angeles, had to ask for the Yea and Nay vote several times before declaring the motion passed. C-SPAN cameras captured the dissatisfaction among members after the motion passed.

Today's Schedule: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (EST) Call to Order: The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa (Chair of the 2012 Democratic National Convention Committee; Mayor of Los Angeles, California) Invocation: Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, 10th Episcopal District (First Woman Elected Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church) The Honorable Luis V. Gutierrez (Member of the US House of Representatives, Illinois) The Honorable Diana DeGette (Member of the US House of Representatives, Colorado) The Honorable John A. Pérez (Speaker and Member of the California State Assembly) The Honorable Thomas M. Menino (Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts) The Honorable Judy Chu (Member of...

Organizers said in a conference call with reporters that they will encourage those who can no longer attend to go to watch parties in their area and to participate in the call, which President Obama will do Thursday. There are no plans for the president to address them in person.

Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx spoke yesterday at the Democratic National Convention, welcoming attendees to North Carolina’s largest city. Two hours later, the Charlotte Atheists and Agnostics, a local affiliate of American Atheists, held a convention protest, at which they reiterated their demand for absolute “separation of religion and government.” So what does that have to do with Foxx, Charlotte’s first Democrat mayor in 22 years? Well, back in May, Foxx proclaimed “A Day of Reason,” in a bow to the city’s atheists and agnostics. And he “commend(ed) its observance to all citizens.” Sounding very much like the speakers ranting against...