July 26 Convention News

July 26
Convention News

Google News-'convention'

Google News-'Convention bloggers'

NYT/Adam Nagourney- Democrats Open Convention, Faulting Bush's Record (overview)

THE SPEECHES

NYT LINK

Rev. David Alston Speech FULL TEXT

WP- FULL TEXT:Gore's Speech

Command Post- FULL TEXT: Jimmy Carter's Speech

Clintons' Speeches:
WP: Hillary's Speech FULL TEXT


Credit: AP photo

Guardian UK: Bill's speech FULL TEXT

TalkLeft: Crowd Loves Rev Alston

Howard Kurtz- Bloggers: Gadflies or 'Pretend' Journalists?

ABC News: Bloggers Offer Inside View to Convention

At Press Think:
- Weekend Update: Blogging the DNC
- Dispatches from the UnJournalists
- For Party and Press, the Conventions Are A Memory Device: First Report From Boston

BOP/MattStoller: A Note To Jay Rosen: Conventions Aren't Failed, But They Play Failed on TV

"..this Convention is more than gossip.."

Wall Street Journal: Meet the Bloggers (photos included)

John Edwards has a case of "tired-nasty-voice" (we are not calling it laryngitis just yet). The word is that he needs to rest the pipes for his big speech on Wednesday night.

Telegraph- Labour MPs will join fight in US to dislodge Bush:
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair will attempt to build bridges with the American Democrats this week by sending three allies to the Democratic convention in Boston. Ann Taylor, the former Commons Leader, Ross Cranston, the former Solicitor General, and Pat McFadden, the Downing Street political secretary, are travelling to the four-day "naming" ceremony. Meanwhile, some Brits consider Bush to be a complete and utter menace to the future security of the world and are working to help dislodge him from the Oval Office.


19-year-old Karl-Thomas Musselman (youngest delegate from Texas) has a lot of photos and information at his blog.

My fellow Liberal Coalition member 'Mustang Bobby' has posted the first Convention diary installment from his mother, who is a convention delegate from the swing state of Ohio.

Yahoo News: Stem Cells to Take Focus at DNC, Ronald P Reagan to speak Tuesday night. *No live coverage of Mr. Reagan's speech will be provided by NBC, ABC, or CBS.

Raleigh News- Networks have downgraded coverage of an event some say remains a linchpin of U.S. democracy. Is the image-making stage management of today's political conventions a setback for American politics? Do you believe it's true that the mainstream media already spends a lot more time on party politics than a lot of people think it's worth?

USA Today: Howard Dean will have a chance to address the convention during primetime on Tuesday. The major networks have dropped Tuesday (and Howard Dean, the "soul of the party's" speech) from their Convention coverage. The media helped immensely in destroying Dean's campaign (and image) by playing and replaying their crowd-roar-dampened version of "the scream" (not what the people in Iowa actually experienced), and now they will silence him altogether. Ron Reagan's speech will also be shunned by the major networks. Why? Why wouldn't the Democratic party press for primetime coverage by the major networks on Tuesday night? I would think, other than Kerry and Edwards' speeches, the speeches by these two men, Dean and Reagan, would be of great interest to many Americans. Certainly more so than "According to Jim" or "Big Brother Five"....right??

(more to come)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today's Convention Speakers
*PBS live coverage 8-11pm, NBC/CBS/ABC will allow you to view for one hour, 10-11pm, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNBC and C-Span all plan to cover the convention from start to finish, within the context of regularly scheduled programming.*

Monday, July 26
The Kerry-Edwards Plan for America's Future

David Alston, Vietnam Swift Boat Crewmate of John Kerry
Tammy Baldwin, U.S. Representative from Wisconsin
Jimmy Carter, Former President of the United States
Bill Clinton, Former President of the United States
Hillary Clinton, U.S. Senator from New York
Al Gore, Former Vice-President of the United States
Steny Hoyer, U.S. Representative from Maryland, Democratic Whip
Terry McAuliffe, Chairman of the Democratic Party
Kendrick Meek, U.S. Representative from Florida
Robert Menendez, U.S. Representative from New Jersey
Thomas Menino, Mayor of Boston
Barbara Mikulski, U.S. Senator from Maryland
(joined by all Women Senators)
Stephanie Tubbs Jones, U.S. Representative from Ohio
Jim Turner, U.S. Representative from Texas

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Competition: Transcript of Today's Republican Press Conference

Putting Myself in Colin McNickle's Place

Putting Myself in Colin McNickle's Place

It looks as if Teresa Heinz Kerry did say something in public on the steps of the Massachusetts Statehouse at that now-infamous campaign event about people acting unAmerican. Colin McNickle had a right to question her about the comments. Colin is publically known (by readers in Pittsburgh) to be shamelessly Conservative and he often uses a distinct mocking tone when he discusses the Democrats. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. It is what it is. Colin is an editor of opinion and opinion columns, not a straight-on news reporter. He wasn't there to look for factual information; he was there to editorialize. I would imagine he was hoping for something incendiary. I understand how people like Colin McNickle might think. I'm not that much unlike him when it comes to the passion that moves us to write about politics. In the case of Teresa Heinz Kerry, Colin surely got that incendiary result. It may wind up resulting in him being looked at as a bit of a lout, but he'll have a lot to talk about, as will the right-wing red-meat faction.


Mr. McNickle
Photo credit: pittsburghlive.com

I'd love to know exactly what Mrs. Kerry meant when she said "We need to turn back some of the creeping, un-Pennsylvanian and sometimes un-American traits that are coming into some of our politics." Perhaps Colin McNickle wanted to talk with her to get further clarification. Did he step over a line that Mrs. Kerry deemed to be inappropriate?

I imagine Colin isn't much different than me, except for the simple fact I'm leaning toward the ideological"other side". One big difference, though, is that my side of the ideological fence hasn't had the "benefit" of the vicious Scaife machine that David Brock exposes every day on Media Matters.

So, how would I feel if I was treated this way by Laura Bush? What if Laura had told me to "shove it" after I'd pressed her, a candidates's wife, to clarify the meaning of some words she had actually used in a public setting?

It would depend upon the situation. Perhaps I'd be flabbergasted that she said she didn't use those words when I had just heard her say them. But I don't really know how Colin McNickle framed his questions. I couldn't look him in the eye or hear the tone of his voice. The cameras did a poor job of relaying what occurred between the two of them. I'll tell you this-as opinionated as I can be, I'd never be less than professional and respectful to the wife of any political candidate.

Colin's a big boy and he put himself out there for any comment Teresa Heinz Kerry decided she would make in reply to his pressing. Teresa's outspoken comments were likely based on the way she believed she was being addressed and judged by Colin McNickle. I don't know if she had prior knowlege of Colin's obvious prejudgement of Democrats, but something tells me she sensed it clearly. She's no dummy.

Maybe she's sick of the right-wing mouth-machinery (as exposed by fellows like Rob Stein) and figured it was time to tell them, point blank, that she was not going to suffer any more of it like a good Stepford soldier. (I can't imagine Teresa being anyone's good Stepford soldier and I admire her honesty).

Rush Limbaugh is harping about all these pleas for civility, yet I distinctly remember a prominent Conservative he respects highly telling us a few years ago that civility often must be left behind in the pursuit of civic virtue. His name is Clarence Thomas. You remember Clarence, right? He was one of those nine voters who had the final say in "the people's" 2000 presidential election. Let's not be hypocritical. This is a fight for the soul of America and we must not fear our necessary honesty if it means a threat to the destruction of the virtues we personally cherish.

I'd like to remind Colin, since he's asked, that there is, indeed, a difference between a liberal and a socialist. If he was asking Mrs. Kerry something goofy like that particular question, I don't blame her for having the fortitude to tell him to "shove it". You couldn't hear the actual exchange between them on the news..it was muffled. I'd love to see a transcript (there's an unofficial one at Rush Limbaugh's site). It seems to me, judging by Mrs. Kerry's words "No, I didn't say that, I didn't say that," that she felt that Colin was trying to turn her words around to mean something different than she'd intended.

To Colin, I would say-- Be happy! Teresa made you a media star today.

If I was in Colin McNickle's place, though, that's not the way I'd wish to become a media star.

______________________
See reader comments at ThePittsburghChannel.com. John D. of Pittsburgh says: "..it is about time someone told Colin McNickle off!"

Read Mr. McNickle Goes to Boston

The LA Times editorial staff sounds off about the shove it.

The Washington Times accuses Mrs Kerry of employing McCarthyism. (I found this to be delicious in its hypocritical nature, recalling the months following 9/11 when Ari Fleischer soundly warned our media they'd best be careful about what they said and anyone who disagreed with President Bush was labeled as 'unpatriotic'.)

Google: McNickle/Heinz Kerry

See MEDIA MATTERS story about FOX News' misrepresentations.

Bush to Bypass Congress on 9/11 Changes

Bush to Bypass Congress on 9/11 Changes

It's been reported that President Bush, where he believes he can, will use Executive power to restructure the nation's intelligence machinery, in keeping with those changes recommended 9/11 Commission. I don't argue that these changes may be needed as soon as possible, but I don't really trust the Bush administration anymore. I believe the heart of democracy lives in the People and is exercised through their Congressional representatives. So I don't see this as particularly good news. I honestly believe Karl Rove and Company have scrambled to find something they can use to steal convention-week headlines and to steal as much Democratic ammunition as possible. I want what my fellow American citizens want, which is the best and quickest way to make our ability to fight terror more efficient. I realize that John Kerry has submitted a list of 16 ways he believes Bush can act now, so this isn't an exercise in Bush-bashing. But how much liberty will Bush take with our liberties in making these Executive decisions? Bypassing Congress in too many of the decisions may show the no-confidence vote which Bush will have thrown in our representatives' direction. In showing he cannot trust the Congress to work together (revealing that he has been a failure at getting them united on issues), Bush could wind up proving himself to be the divider he never wanted to admit to being.

While I'm glad the President would care enough to work on a "fast-track" to implement the changes, I regret that, by having done so, he may have never given the People a chance, through enough Congessional involvement, to have had any input in the decision-making about how we will fight terror (as we must do together). Democracy in America is dying. How will Bush or Kerry, for that matter, save American democracy? Who will be better to salvage what's left of our democracy? We can be as safe from terror as possible, but it will not have forwarded the value or health of our democracy. Our democracy is what makes us distinctly American.

Quoting Ben Franklin, "They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty."

Bloggers Tell More, Networks Tell Less

Lehrer's Challenge to Network Anchors
Bloggers Tell More, Networks Tell Less.

From NJ.com:

What you can't do is watch wall-to-wall primetime coverage on ABC, CBS and NBC.

This year, the big three networks are planning to devote just three primetime hours to the Democratic and Republican conventions, from 10 to 11 p.m. on three out of four nights. Boston's big-ticket items include former president Bill Clinton's speech tonight, vice presidential candidate John Edwards' acceptance speech Wednesday, and presidential candidate John Kerry's acceptance speech Thursday, all at 10 p.m.

That's a 25 percent drop in airtime from the networks' already-paltry 2000 commitment, which consisted of four hours per party, doled out over four nights. (The lone holdout is PBS, which will offer live coverage of both conventions from 8 to 11 each night, courtesy of "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.")

Said NBC News president Neal Shapiro, "With all due respect to everybody who wants us to cover more, if there's news there, I promise you we'll cover it more. The parties have done their best to take every bit of news out of the conventions."

[LINK]

Jim Lehrer, champion of the people, challenges the network anchors by saying:
"You guys are a hell of a lot more important than your bosses are willing to admit."

EXCERPT:

"I think that starting tomorrow, we're going to have four of the eight most important days we can have as a nation," said Lehrer, criticizing CBS's Dan Rather, ABC's Peter Jennings, and NBC's Tom Brokaw for not getting more air time. "I'm sorry. You guys are a hell of a lot more important than your bosses are willing to admit."

Addressing the challenges of covering politics in a politically polarized environment, CBS Rather stated that "fear has increased in every newsroom in America," and added that reporting on explosive issues can bring a torrent of e-mails and phone calls. That can lead to a situation, he said, in which journalists conclude that "when you run this story, you're asking for trouble with a capital 'T'. . . Why run it?"

Democratic Convention Bloggers

Democratic Convention Bloggers


Photo credit REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi

• Convention Bloggers OPML XML site
• The Boston (D) Party DNCC blog
• Official Convention Site Dems2004.org
• Kerry/Edwards blog


Bloggers Confirmed as Credentialed

Kirk Johnson American Amnesia
Alan Nelson Command Post
Dave Winer Scripting News
Dave Weinberger Boston.com
Taegan Goddard Political Wire
Jay Rosen Press Think
Markos Moulitsas Zuniga Daily Kos
Rick Heller Centrist Coalition blog
Jerome Armstrong My DD
Aldon Hynes greaterdemocracy.org
Jeralyn Merritt TalkLeft
Matt Welch Reason.com
Mathew Gross Matthew Gross blog
Byron LaMasters Burnt Orange Report
Jessamyn Charity West Librarian.net
Natasha L.C Pacific Views
Tom Burka Opinions You Should Have
Paul McCullum Dinner for America
Jesse Taylor Pandagon
Patrick Belton Oxblog
Dave Pell Electablog
xian Power of Many, also blogging for Radio Free Blogistan, Greater Democracy
Bill Scher Liberal Oasis
Michael Feldman Dowbrigade
Peter Rukavina Reinvented.net (*See ReInvented's description of the credentialing process)
Gordon Joseloff Westport Now
Christopher Rabb Afro-Netizen
Joe Rospars BlogforAmerica.com, NotGeniuses
Allen Larson Larson Report.com
Matt Stoller BOPnews.com
Alison Teal hotflashesfromthecampaigntrail
Zephyr Teachout Blog for Victory
Nathan Paxton NateKnowsNada
Michael Andrew JREGrassroots.org
Dave Rock & Todd Beeton Dave & Todd's Wild Democracy Ride
Dave Johnson See The Forest
David Sifry and Mary Hodder Sifry's Alerts blog

Officially Credentialed, then disinvited:
*due to unforeseen lack of space at Fleet Center

Jude Nagurney Camwell Iddybud blog, Rational Liberal
James Landrith JamesLandrith.com
ANWR.com ANWR
Bill INDC Journal
John Tabin JohnTabin.com
Rob Galgano The Great Leap Forward
Justin Nawrocki Musings of a Drunken Monk


Others Who Will Be Blogging from the Convention:

Josh Micah Marshall Talking Points Memo
Matthew YglesiasMatthew Yglesias
Yglesias, Kuttner, Tomasky, Meyerson, Franke-Ruta TAP/American Prospect
Atrios Eschaton
Zoe VanderWolk Gadflyer.com
Cate Read CateRaed.com (delegate)
Karl-Thomas Musselman musselmanforamerica (Texas delegate)
Brian Reich Campaign Web Review
Erik Cornelius Dem Senatorial Campaign Comm. (Convention speech videos will be here)
Ana Marie Cox Wonkette
Dave Barry Dave Barry, of course!
Arianna Huffington Arianna Huffington blog
Jesse BerneyDNC/Kicking Ass blog
Faithful Correspondent BarkBarkWoofWoof (Ohio delegate)


• Hyperlincoln is dedicated to the best in blogging at the 2004 Democratic Convention. David Beckwith (Anonymoses) and I will be keeping you abreast of the best of the Convention blogging information as it comes in.

• Note: The new Convention Bloggers Website is up and running. I noticed an entry there about the 20 disinvited bloggers, a list on which, unfortunately, I wound up.

• Photoblogging Election 2004 was launched to make it easier for convention bloggers to do some of the things that professional journalists' companies do for them: index and archive images and retrieve them quickly for publication. They say they have prepared links to every DNC Convention blogger they know of.

• Politics.Feedster is another Convention blog aggregating resource.

• Technorati has a new website dedicated to covering the bloggers in real-time at the Democratic Convention and the news they will generate. Titled "BlogWatch", it will include CNN.com’s up-to-the-moment review of numerous Web logs covering the convention marks a first for convention coverage using Technorati, the leading monitor of blogs. CNN offers its own convention blog on CNN.com with updates from Candy Crowley on the platform and from CNN anchors, analysts and correspondents, including James Carville and Tucker Carlson, both of Crossfire.
Technorati has a politics-devoted news aggregator for up-to-the-minute blog news.

• There is an open Yahoo Group set up for anyone interested in talking about the convention.

• Hardblogger MSNBC Hardball

• Speaking of convention....Jon Stewart, whose Daily Show will cover the convention in their own (shall we say 'unique and delightful') way, speaks of Conventional wisdom in a conventionally wise way here. And there's nothing funnier than Ed Helms' timid-while-in-your-face challenges of "You're a jerk!" or "Labia! Urethra! Penis, penis, penis... vagina?" to a Boston cop from the "designated free speech zone" in Boston! I keep playing and replaying the (linked) video (titled "Freedom of Opression") and rolling with laughter.

Silly Ralph Nader prayer

Credit: ToothpasteForDinner