Convention Day 2 (Tuesday) - Part 2

Tuesday Night
The second night of the convention was a powerful tribute to women and to America's middle and working class. The line up was an amazing list of governors, congressional representatives and senators. I arrived first from my delegation and was the lone Nevadan saying the pledge of allegience. Sitting there bybmyself, I got a bit of attention, and ended up being interviewed by an Indonesian TV news, and then again by the UNLV news webream. The Florida delegatio (a truly fun bunch)also let me play beachball volleyball until my fellow delegates from NV arived.
One of my favorite speeches was Dennis Kusinich who implored us to "wake up America and realize that the nightmare that the republicans have created in terms of our country's relationship to the world, the economy, and in terms of government corruption and criminal behavior is not just a bad dream, but is REAL! He really got the crowd going!! The Senate women -- Barbara Mikulski, Barbara Boxer, May Landreau (LA), Blanche Lincoln(AK), Debbie Stabenow (MI), Maria Cantwell (WA), Claire McCaskill (MO), Amy Kloubichar (MN) -- laid out the "to-do" list and highlighted that President Obama will be the leader who will get those things done. PA governor, Ed Rendell, stated how Obama and Biden will lead us down the road to energy independence. Rep. Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin talked about O is the change we need to ensure the 9 million uninsured and the many millions more under-insured in this country. Rep Xavier Becerra said that all workers should know that "they are in this house tonight," and labor issues and the dem party's issues. " I walk with those who build and those who dig, those who cook and those who clean, those who protect and those who serve. I walk with the workers. And so does Barack Obama!" John Sweeney, Pres. Of the AFL/CIO, said that, "Bush and Cheney have crushed the workers in the name of big-business, destroying the foundation and the hearts of our economy and our country."
Rahm Emanuel talked about the whittling away of the middle class during the republicans' last 8 years and said, "We will forever be in 'mission NOT accomplished'."
We heard storiers from "normal" peole like Katherine Mercano who is, at age 25, supporting her ailing mother and a sister with Cerebral Palsy, who said she is tired overwhelmed and frustrated with a system that says it doesn't have enough $ to help the disabled and she doesn't want to wait anymore for support. She said, "Barack Obama understands the needs of families like mine. Our country will move ahead when we all move ahead together."
The the big names arrived: Janet Napolitano, Karen Sebelius, Ted Strickland, Deval Patrick and Mark Warner.

Gov. Bill Schweitzer of Montana preceded Hillary and got us charged up. HE WAS FIRED UP!!! "What is John McCain? More of the same," was our chorus in a fun call and response. Actor Matthew Modine joined us for that speech!

And then Hillary arrived. Most of you probably saw it. But she was fantastic!! My favorite line: "No way, No how, No McCain!!" She received a tremendous, thunderous welcome and was greeted with thousands of very nice Hillary signs.

Hopefully the media will let it lie now and TALK ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE, like REAL issues!! There was a real sense of unity here tonight (and the signs were fun too!).