LIVE THREAD: DNC Convention

4:00 pm Call to Order
The Honorable Bill Richardson
Governor of New Mexico
Permanent Chair, Democratic National Convention

Invocation
The Reverend Ernest "Gunny" Branch
Sermon on the Mount, Baptist Church, Roxbury, Massachusetts

National Anthem
Jim Garrity
President, Local Firefighters Union 1691
Boston, Massachusetts

Platform Approval

Representative Robert Matsui
U.S. House of Representatives, California

The Honorable Allyson Schwartz
Pennsylvania State Senate
Candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, Pennsylvania

Patty Wetterling
Candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, Minnesota

Elizabeth Cavendish
Interim President, NARAL Pro-Choice America

The Honorable Linda Sanchez
U.S. House of Representatives, California

The Honorable Nita Lowey
U.S. House of Representatives, New York

The Honorable Nancy Farmer
Treasurer of Missouri
Candidate for the United States Senate, Missouri

The Honorable Joe Manchin III
Secretary of State, West Virginia
Candidate for Governor, West Virginia

7:00 pm Gavel In by "Gavel In" Contest Winners
Kristen Turner, age 13, Boston, Massachusetts
Steven Ruperto, age 18, Moon, Pennsylvania

Kids for Kerry
Representatives from Kids for Kerry, Boston chapter
Nubia Smith Whitaker, age 12, will speak on their behalf

Tribute to Fannie Lou Hamer
Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee
Actors

The Honorable Bennie Thompson
U.S. House of Representatives, Mississippi

Dr. Maya Angelou
Poet and Activist

Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party Members

The Reverend Dr. James Forbes
Senior Minister, Riverside Church, New York, New York

Gavel to Order
The Honorable Jeanne Shaheen
Former Governor of New Hampshire

National Anthem via satellite from the Tohono O'odham Nation, Arizona
Michael Enis and Alicia Chiles
The anthem will be sung in the traditional Tohono O'odham language

The Honorable Edward Kennedy
United States Senator, Massachusetts
Honorary Chair, Democratic National Committee

The Honorable Tom Daschle
United States Senate, South Dakota
Democratic Leader

Satellite feed from Des Moines, Iowa

The Honorable Carol Mosley-Braun
Former United States Senator, Illinois

9:00 pm to 11:00 pm

Keynote Speaker
Barack Obama
Candidate for the United States Senate, Illinois

The Honorable Jim Langevin
U.S. House of Representatives, Rhode Island

Ron Reagan

Benediction
Imam Yahya Hendi
Muslim Chaplin, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

Sen. Kerry, Pioneer Linked In "Big Dig" Overpayment 02/06/2004

An insurance company led by Bush Pioneer Maurice "Hank" Greenberg has been connected to Sen. John F. Kerry (D-MA) - currently the frontrunner for this year's Democratic presidential nomination - in a series of events that appear to illustrate a trade of favors involving a huge Boston transportation project. The Associated Press reported Feb. 5 that in 2000, Kerry stopped a bill that would have forced American International Group (AIG) to repay $150 million related to overpayments for insurance premiums on the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, a $14.6 billion highway, bridge and tunnel complex better known as the "Big Dig." In 2001 and 2002, AIG paid $540 in travel expenses for a Kerry speech in Vermont, gave $18,000 to Kerry's Senate and presidential campaigns, and donated at least $30,000 to a tax-exempt "exploratory committee" Kerry set up to examine whether he should run for president.

The bill that Kerry blocked came after the Transportation Department found in 1999 that Big Dig managers overpaid AIG $128.9 million for unneeded worker's compensation and liability insurance, then let AIG invest the money in the market and keep about half the profits from the investments. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) introduced a bill in 2000 that would have taken $150 million in federal funding from the Big Dig while banning insurers from investing any excessive premiums paid with federal money. McCain relented when Kerry and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) asked McCain to drop the bill; instead, McCain held a hearing on the issue before the Senate Commerce Committee. A spokeswoman said Kerry called for hearings to determine whether the investments were legal, but opposed cutting funding for the project

Since the Convention is on break, here are my notes to now. (I'll do my radio report probably at 5:30. Hope this is useful to y'all.

John / Billybob Tuesday, July 27

Bill Richardson's call to order -- announces procedures for Petitions for President and Vice President/

Invocation by Rev. Earnest "Gunny" Branch -- who prays for the election of John Kerry, and that God bless and annoint him and all around him ... to make America peace makers, not peace breakers ... in Jesus' name ....

Firefighters' groups to present the colors -- George M. Cohen's "Yankee Doodle Dandy" played on bagpipes ... switch to "Grand Old Flag" --- I think I'm going to be sick

Then the pledge of allegiance by a vietnam vet who is also a union member -- as usual, the delegates do not join in

Boston firefighter on to sing the National Anthem ... again, the delegates do not join in, even though this singer is doing it straight

Introduces Tom Vilsac of Iowa opens with the strong at home and respected in the world theme -- platform adopted by unanimous voice vote without discussion or dissent

Rep. Bob Matsui, chairman of the Demo Cong Camp Comm -- a new majority ... committed to good jobs with good salaries ... good education for children ... no boubt we will make JK and JE the next Pres and Vice Pres .... waits for response... maybe 20 people responc ... same desultory response to Pelori as Speaker, and Daschle as Majority Leader .... hangs his hat on by-elections in SD and Ky where Demos won in "Bush" states ... people don't care about "red states" and "blue states"

Lois Murphy, candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania -- most Americans are working harder and harder, and falling further and further behind ... recites a list of private expenses, [DOESN"T mention higher taxes, including state and local taxes] ... I support John Kerry's plan to cut the deficit, because it is right for families [DOESN'T suggest what that is, or how it will work] ...

Pa State Sen Allyson Schwartz ... running for Congress ... values are not just something we talk about ... we act on them ... the truest definition of our values is in our actions .... a foreign policy that will respect our long-standing allies [HELLOOO, there's that phrase again ... does it mean FRANCE?] ... insist on standards and accountability in our schools ... {THAT cannot mean testing for students and teachers, the NEA won't tolerate that]

Mayor of Wilton Manor Jim Stork, candidate for Congress in the ever-famous Broward County ... people of all ages have made it clear to me that they aren't happy ... America has come to a dark place ... they miss the fact that America once stood tall in the world ....

Patty Wetterling from St. Joseph, Minn. ... candidate for Congress (introduced as a champion of children) ... is running because her son Jacob was abducted at gunpoint (apparently never found) ... supports JK because he was formed in the crucible of Vietnam, and JE because he had a personal tragedy (reference to Edward's dead son, whom he is trading on) ... we must banish fear ... and vote for hope

Interim President of the NAtional Abortion Rights Action League, Betsy Cavendish ... if John Kerry is President, this right will be protected ... if he is not, this right will be taken away ... abortion will become more rare ... John Kerry would never pack the courts with anti-choice judges ... more than 1 million people marched in Washington {NUMBER OF PEOPLE badly overstated, but that's no big whoop -- she stayed away from subjects like litmus tests for judges, and partial birth abortion]

video of assorted "hopeless dreamers" ... uses Doris Kearns Godwin to deliver speech trying to connect the founding of America in Boston, with the present ... interview with Principal of Lowell High School ... [APPARENTLY one of the best public high schools in the nation ... no examination of why so many urban high schools are so bad]

Cong. John Tanner from Tennessee .... a grave and growing danger that is potentially catestrophic ... national debt, $700 billion and growing ... (due to) one-party control of the government .... foreign countries are buying our debt in record numbers [BECAUSE the US economy is relatively safe, and relatively stable, foreigner have ALWAYS bought US debt] ... John Kerry has a plan for fiscal discipline ... restore this country again to strength and prosperity

Cong. Linda Sanchez from California

Cong, Diane DeGette from Colorado ... stem cell research ... Parkinson's ... {DOESN'T know that current research is that ADULT, not fetal stem cells, hace some effect] ... decries science being held hostage to politics ... [YET global warming, stem cell, are examples of her doing exactly what she decites]

Cong. Earl Blumenauer, Oregom .... our shared values... [DOESN'T say what they are] ... using science to shape policy, not policy to shape science ... work tirelessly to protect the environment ... will not appoint lobbyists ... [FORGETS that the 'greens' also engage in lobbying] ... not being held hostage to foreign oil ... [DOES ANWAR ring a bell?] ... a clean environment is a basic value .... [LIFE and death for Americans is NOT a basic value?]

rhythym-impaired white people trying to get down to the sound of "Celebration" ... I'm gonna be ill ... get down, all you Democrats ... watching this without trowing a brick at the TV, that's why I get paid the big bucks.

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