Democrats minutes ago nominated Delaware Sen. Joe Biden as the party’s vice

Sen. Joe Biden, D-Delaware

presidential running mate for nominee Barack Obama.

He’s about to take the stage and deliver his acceptance speech.

Will he be the attack dog that many predict he will be for Obama?

Former President Bill Clinton strode onto the stage tonight at the Democratic National Convention in Denver to his familiar campaign tune, “Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow.”

The Democrats went crazy.

No doubt about it. The Democrats love Bill Clinton.

And once again, Clinton proved he can electrify the room. And like his wife, Hillary, did on Tuesday night, he swiftly declared his wholehearted support for nominee Barack Obama. All is forgiven after the nasty primary campaign, or so it would seem in the Pepsi Center tonight.

“Last night, (Hillary Clinton) made it clear she will do everything she possibly can to elect Barack Obama,” Clinton said. “That makes two of us. Actually, that makes 18 million of us.”

Clinton refers, of course, to the 18 million votes cast for his wife in the primary election.

“I want all of you who supported her to vote for Barack Obama in November,” Clinton said.

There’s nothing ambiguous about that statement.

Here’s a video clip of a portion of the welcome the Democrats gave Clinton about an hour ago in the Pepsi Center in Denver.

READ MORE FOR BILL CLINTON’S PREPARED SPEECH AS IT WAS SENT TO THE PRESS: Read the rest of this entry »

California delegates under the age of 30

The California delegation to the Democratic National Convention includes 49 people under the age of 30, the largest contingent of young people in the nation.

Organized by the California Young Democrats, the delegates gathered for a group picture at the California delegate breakfast.

Sen. Hillary Clinton sent her delegates and supporters  a clear and unequivocal message 5 seconds into her speech tonight at the Democratic National Convention: Get behind Barack Obama. It should tamp down at least some of the speculation about the former presidential candidate’s intentions.

“I am here as a proud mother and as a Democrat … and as a Barack Obama support,” said Clinton. (See MORE for the full transcript.)

The crowd jumped to its feet and loudly cheered her, a sign of unity despite the dissatisfaction among some of her fans about how she was treated in the campaign and the appropriate level of respect she deserved at the convention. Some of the Clinton delegates feel the party is gagging them in the name of unity

Her speech came at the end of a relatively dull set of speeches except for what appeared to be an off-script rally from Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who managed to break through the evening’s largely monotonous drill.

Well, I’m headed off to check out the parties. I scored a ticket to a gig at a brewery sponsored by the New Democrats Alliance, whose chairwoman is Rep. Ellen Tauscher of Alamo.

But here’s a quick clip of the crowd reaction to Clinton. You’ll no doubt see endless video of this speech on the TV stations, so I kept it short.

Read more for Clinton’s full speech: Read the rest of this entry »

Nearly every inch of floor in the Pepsi arena in Denver is covered with a body, a camera or a laptop as the moment grows closer for the much-anticipated speech from Sen. Hillary Clinton.

On stage at the moment is Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who is finally starting to rev this crowd up. After last night’s emotional appearance of party icon Sen. Teddy Kennedy, a man fighting brain cancer, and a strong speech from Michelle Obama, the evening feels lackluster.

Schweitzer is going after presumptive GOP nominee John McCain, something critics say the party should have done yesterday. But he’s way over the time limit and the Teleprompter is blank, which suggests that he is off script.

We’ll see if Hillary can transform this antsy arena like Kennedy and Michelle Obama did.

David Seaborg, a Clinton alternate delegate from Walnut Creek and the son of the late Glenn Seaborg, a Nobel Prize winner who discovered plutonium, was told his three submissions to the Democratic Party’s national platform made it into the document.

“I have great news!” said Seaborg Tuesday afternoon when I caught up with him at a reception for Californians at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

The party is scheduled to adopt the 94-page platform this week.

Seaborg has been lobbying for more than a month for three platform planks: (1) strong greenhouse gas emission reduction language; (2) protection of the world’s most biodiverse habitats and (3) nuclear nonproliferation agreements with the international community.

“I have to examine the document to check out the precise wording but I’m very optimistic,” Seaborg said.

Seaborg, who runs a nonprofit for rainforest protection, hopes to use the platform language as leverage in his ongoing lobbying of Congress for federal environmental legislation.

Mothers of East Bay delegates are Ana Marie Bustos Sr. of Oakleyk, left, and Charu Kapre of Hercules. The women were photographed at a delegate welcoming party at the Democratic National Convention on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2008, by Contra Costa Times reporter Lisa Vorderbrueggen, Their daughters are Hillary Clinton delegates Ana Marie Bustos and Kranti Kapre.

Today is the 88th anniversary of women’s suffrage and delegates to the Democratic National Convention celebrated women today with dozens of events.

Click here to read my story in the Contra Costa Times. Pictured on the right are moms of two East Bay delegates; their daughters wanted to share the experience with their mothers.

In a few minutes, Sen. Hillary Clinton, the woman who has gotten closer to the U.S. presidency than any other woman in American history will speak to the delegates on the floor of the convention. Her supporters eagerly await her comments; there has been considerable confusion about how her delegates’ votes will be officially recognized.

Also, click below for a video of Rep. Ellen Tauscher talking about the Day of the Woman. I found her at a reception this afternoon for Californians in downtown Denver.

By Martin G. Reynolds
FROM THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
DENVER _ Those who rose early Monday morning to catch the “Convention Conversations” forum at the Denver Athletic Club were treated to some serious eloquence, passion and good old fashion humor.
On the panel to discuss this very heavy question were such a formidable bunch, I almost had to do a double-take when Denver Post Editor Greg Moore and I sat down with our yogurt and coffee. On the stage were House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), former Virginia Gov. Douglas Wilder, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., television host and journalist Tavis Smiley, and last but not least, Dr. Cornel West, the Princeton professor and best selling author. Read the rest of this entry »

Take a look at a story I helped my colleague San Jose Mercury News reporter Mary Anne Ostrom write about the bloggers’ “Big Tent” at the convention.

It’s literally a tent erected in a parking lot for bloggers denied credentials to the Democratic National Convention. We visited on Monday and the place was packed.

A talented Mercury News designer produced a great video to go with the piece, and I’ve also pasted below links to my Flip video shots of the outside and inside of the tent.

California feminist and women’s rights attorney Gloria Allred is clearly not “getting over it,” as party leaders have asked.

Allred, a Clinton delegate, is wearing a gag at this morning’s California delegation breakfast. Okay, it’s a hotel napkin. She’s protesting the party’s refusal to hold a Clinton delegate meeting, as she has requested. They also won’t let her speak at the breakfast.

“Just because they won’t hold a meeting doesn’t mean I will be silenced,” Allred said.