California will be well-represented today for the start of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, which climaxes with a speech by Michelle Obama.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, Chair of the 2012 Democratic National Convention Committee, will take part in the “gaveling in” of the permanent chair shortly before 6 p.m. Eastern time. Rep. Barbara Lee is scheduled to speak around 6 p.m. Eastern time, and Rep. Xavier Becerra, from Los Angeles County, is scheduled to speak shortly before 9 p.m. Eastern Time.
The first lady will take the podium at 10 p.m. Eastern Time. Music fans may want to take note that Ledisi, a former Cal student, will be singing sometime between Michelle Obama’s speech and the Jimmy Carter video.
If you have an appetite for more political oratory than the one hour the major networks have devoted to the conventions, you can watch it live on C-SPAN.
Here’s Tuesday night’s schedule at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte:
5 p.m.- 6 p.m. (All times Eastern)
Call to Order
The Honorable Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Chair of the Democratic National Committee
Member of the US House of Representatives, Florida
Invocation
His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas
Bishop of the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Detroit
Presentation of Colors
Disabled American Veterans, The Stanly County Chapter 12 Honor Guard
Pledge of Allegiance
3rd Grade Class, W.R. O’Dell Elementary School
Concord, North Carolina
National Anthem
Amber Riley
Singer/songwriter and ‘Glee’ actress
Remarks
Stephen J. Kerrigan
Chief Executive Officer of the Democratic National Convention Committee
Welcome Video
Presentation of Credentials Committee Report from Co-Chairs
Bishop Vashti McKenzie
First woman elected as bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
The Honorable Julián Castro
Mayor of San Antonio, Texas
Presentation of Rules Committee Report from Co-Chairs
The Honorable Kamala D. Harris
State Attorney General of California
The Honorable Martin O’Malley
Governor of Maryland
Appointment of Convention Officers
Gaveling-in of Permanent Chair
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Chair of the 2012 Democratic National Convention Committee
Mayor of Los Angeles, California
Remarks
The Honorable Steny Hoyer
Parliamentarian of the 2012 Democratic National Committee Convention
Democratic Whip and Member of the US House of Representatives, Maryland
Andrew Tobias
Treasurer of the Democratic National Committee
Alice Germond
Secretary of the Democratic National Committee
Roll Call for Attendance
6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Platform Committee Remarks
The Honorable Barbara Lee
Member of the US House of Representatives, California
Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy (Retired)
First woman to reach rank of three-star general in the US Army
Platform Video and Remarks
The Honorable Cory A. Booker
Mayor of Newark, New Jersey
Remarks
The Honorable Bev Perdue
Governor of North Carolina
American Hero Video: Education
American Voices Remarks
Ryan Case
Remarks
Mary Kay Henry
International President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Remarks from Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
The Honorable Charles Gonzalez
Member of the US House of Representatives, Texas
Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
The Honorable Nydia M. Velázquez
Member of the US House of Representatives, New York
Remarks
The Honorable Pat Quinn
Governor of Illinois
Remarks
Doug Stern
Cincinnati, Ohio Firefighter
Remarks
The Honorable Tim Kaine
Candidate for the US Senate, Virginia
Former Governor of Virginia
Former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee
7 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Remarks
The Honorable Anthony R. Foxx
Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina
The Honorable Harry Reid
Democratic Majority Leader and Member of the US Senate, Nevada
An Economy Built to Last Video: Education
Women of the US House of Representatives
Jimmy Carter Video
Remarks
The Honorable Ken Salazar
Kennedy Family Tribute Video
Remarks
Joe Kennedy III
Candidate for the US House of Representatives, Massachusetts
Live Performance
Ledisi
Singer/songwriter
Remarks
The Honorable Robert Wexler
President of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace
Former Member of the US House of Representatives, Florida
8 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Remarks
The Honorable R.T. Rybak
Mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Honorable Jared Polis
Member of the US House of Representatives, Colorado
Stronger Together Video: Reproductive Choice
American Voices Remarks
Maria Ciano
Remarks
Nancy Keenan
President of the National Abortion Rights Action League – Pro-Choice America (NARAL)
Progress for People Video: American Veterans
American Voices Remarks
Nate Davis
Remarks
The Honorable Tammy Duckworth
Candidate for the US House of Representatives, Illinois
Former Assistant Secretary of the US Department of Veterans Affairs
The Honorable Lincoln Chafee
Governor of Rhode Island
The Honorable James E. Clyburn
Assistant Democratic Leader and Member of the US House of Representatives, South Carolina
Progress for People Video: Health Care
American Voices Remarks
Stacey Lihn
Remarks
The Honorable Xavier Becerra
Democratic Caucus Vice Chair and Member of the US House of Representatives, California
9 p.m. - 10 p.m.
The Honorable Ted Strickland
Former Governor of Ohio
The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius
The Honorable Rahm Emanuel
Mayor of Chicago, Illinois
Former White House Chief of Staff
Remarks
Kal Penn
Actor/Producer
Former Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement
Remarks
Craig Robinson and Maya Soetoro-ng
Brother of Mrs. Obama and Sister of President Obama
Stronger Together Video: Equal Pay
Remarks
Lilly Ledbetter
Women’s equality leader and namesake of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
The Honorable Deval Patrick
Governor of Massachusetts
10 p.m. - 11 p.m.
The Honorable Martin O’Malley
Governor of Maryland
Introduction of Keynote Speaker Julián Castro
Joaquin Castro
Brother of Mayor Julián Castro
Candidate for the US House of Representatives, Texas
Keynote Address
The Honorable Julián Castro
Mayor of San Antonio, Texas
Michelle Obama Video and Remarks
Elaine Brye
Remarks
Michelle Obama
First Lady of the United States
Benediction
Jena Lee Nardella
Founder and Executive Director of Blood: Water Mission
Thankfully, like last week, there is recap of the US Open on Tennis Channel. (Villaraigosa, Seriously? Were Khloe Kardashian *and* Keanu Reeves both unavailable?)
Spent & Approved War-Spending - About $1 trillion of US taxpayers' funds spent or approved for spending through 2011. Lost & Unaccounted for in Iraq - $9 billion of US taxpayers' money and $549.7 milion in spare parts shipped in 2004 to US contractors. Also, per ABC News, 190,000 guns, including 110,000 AK-47 rifles. Lost and Reported Stolen - $6.6 billion of U.S. taxpayers' money earmarked for Iraq reconstruction, reported on June 14, 2011 by Special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction Stuart Bowen who called it "the largest theft of funds in national history." (Source - CBS News) Last known holder of the $6.6 billion lost: the U.S. government.
I fail to see how the president is responsible for something that occurred in 2004.
Gallup reports little to none for the GOP, and I suspect the same for the Democrats. The country is so polarized that most likely to vote have long picked sides, and it has little to do with anything but the (R) or the (D) symbol next to the candidates name. The only thing of note is who's in and who's not. That is, who among the party's own is still a king-maker. There has been one casualty so far, and it has been from the RNC. There was one person more invisible than the imaginary Obama: Alaska Palin. As to Romney's chances, the last 60 days is going to see a massive blitz of money which could easily change this very close race. It is being decided by 2-3 million people in three or four states. Yes, Romney is behind for now. The monthly unemployment figures come out on Friday, a day after Obama's speech. If it is any worse that the last two, well, that convention would look like a bigger joke than it is.
Retroactively. Just like Romney's resignation from Bain.
She/he has also proven himself a liar. She/he will edit his source material to delete any information that might not fully support his chain email theories. She/he has posted the most disgusting racist diatribes while "adopting a persona" of a black person to justify those comments.
Today the Romney camp published this policy brief, which is short on details, but I think could have a big impact on Californians, since a ton of people here are hopelessly underwater and entertaining a visit to "modification failure land" or "strategy default land":http://www.mortgageorb.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.12319 Obama's administration has done a ton of work on foreclosure "prevention" and mortgage modification programs, which sounds great to the ears of many voters, as if foreclosure is the "disease" that must be cured, not imprudent borrowing and lending. Most of the modified mortgages are on a doomed trajectory to default again anyway. The cure rate of loan mods since 2007 is a woeful 25%. You know what that means to elected officials don't you? A Rip Roaring Success!!!
I recommend you stop reading those chain e-mails dude. They tend to be chock full of inaccuracies and quotes out of context like "you didn't build this", et cetera. Instead, check out Politifact here: http://www.politifact.com/ You can find a lot of damning stuff against Democrats there, but it's nicely backed up by research and facts of independent journalists. Except, grandiose Republican claims take a beating too, which is not a little bit entertaining.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/08/americas-fiscal-union
If only both parties would avoid mention of anything during an Executive Branch nominating convention that was not within that Branch's constitutional authority to be involved in. Were that the case, each convention would likely be a lot shorter and, perhaps, far more substantive.
Like Obama in his first appearance, this is a guy who is going to go very far, maybe all the way to the top.
You may want to rethink the URL. As of late they have gotten real sloppy. Here is an example of calling a lie a lie: http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/08/31/13593775-chronicling-mitts-mendacity-vol-xxxii?lite And that was in just one speech at the convention (well, one important speech). 30, count them, 30 times in one speech where Romney either lied or knowingly misinformed the public (this was post 32 of the on-going list of lies told - read them all). And from the "lamestream" supposedly liberal press, silence. Heck, on Sunday almost every one of the talking heads made excuses for Ryan's obvious lies and misinformation. If a politician states a lie that has been debunked and proven false AFTER it was proven to be a lie, why can't the news just open with "politician [name] running for [office] repeated the know and debunked LIE to voters today hoping that they would believe the LIE and vote for him."
Or we can take some pride in the fact that California has its problems but this is where most new industries are born. Despite all the oppressive regulations that moves Carl's Jr. to Tejas, the most venture investments for new technologies are still made in California businesses. Plus the weather is nice. We have nice people (mostly), and will get back to a robust economy once we get past this wretched economy. Yup, we have to address pension liabilities which Brown did make some effort recently, and other problems, but at least some point we were the fifth largest economy in the world. Today we have slipped to tenth. Nah, we can be just like Mississippi. Probably get our own pipelines. No, not the Keystone kind, more like this one: http://bit.ly/Q149Qc Besides Arnie had solved the whole pension issue and everything...