Street scenes from Denver in preparation for big night

By Evan Anderson – Here are few hastily compiled street scenes from Denver as the Iowa delegation prepares to ship out for Invesco:
The Hard Rock Café has been turned into a rolling boulder gathering no moss, but plenty of onlookers. Although Oscar nominee Angela Bassett has been already spotted at the DNC convention, rumors [...]

Anticipation builds for Barack Obama’s big speech

By Evan Anderson – This is the time when some omnipotent voice comes out of the intercoms shouting, “Def con one. Repeat: we are at Def con one.”
The entire lobby of the hotel has been turned into an Ellis Island émigré holding pen as the non-floor-seated delegates mill about anticipating the moment fast approaching [...]

Iowa is where it all started for Barack Obama

By Rod Boshart – By no surprise, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama carried a lopsided majority of Iowa’s delegation in the roll call vote to nominate Obama as the party’s presidential candidate today during the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
Obama garnered 48 or Iowa’s 57 nominating votes, while nine Iowa delegates voted for New York Sen. [...]

Afternoon musings from Denver

By Evan Anderson – “Plant the seeds of change” is what the protestors were yelling at convention-goers. The TV cameras were taking pictures of the protestors. The police were watching the protestors, but the DNC delegates were taking pictures of the swat team police.
“Civil blood” has been shed in Denver, with protestors on the Ped-Mall [...]

Chet chat

By Rod Boshart – Gov. Chet Culver used his three minutes of time to address convention delegates Tuesday by touting Iowa’s renewable energy effort and thanking Americans who have helped in the flood recovery effort. Culver said he looks forward to an Obama-Biden administration energy policy that will usher in 5 million new green-collar jobs [...]

Photos

By Rod Boshart – The Gazette’s Rod Boshart took some photos in Denver on the first official day of the Democratic National Convention.
Below: A street painter applies paint to a mural in downtown Denver on Monday close to the site of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Below: Demonstrators and passers-by engaged in peaceful but sometimes confrontational [...]

An experiment: Live coverage of Barack Obama

By The Gazette – Reporter Jeff Raasch just completed one of two live blogging experiments that appeared on GazetteOnline.com today.
Raasch was in Davenport covering an town hall event with Barak Obama. Here is a replay of the live coverage.
Columnist and blogger Todd Dorman also did an experiment with live blogging. He is in Denver for [...]

Iowa delegates get first taste of convention

By Evan Anderson – Although the stark fields surrounding the Denver International Airport might remind people of Mongolia in the 1965 film, “Doctor Zhivago,” the Democratic Convention is the most colorful scene on the political stage today. DNC volunteers wearing orange shirts greeted the Iowa delegation early Sunday morning with banners and chants happily [...]

Helping launch Obama’s road to the White House a good thing for Iowa delegation

By Rod Boshart – Helping launch the party’s presidential nominee’s road to the White House has its rewards. Iowa’s 57-member delegation is seated in proximity to the rostrum at the Pepsi Center, site for most of the 2008 Democratic National Convention official work and speeches. Other delegations with prime seating locations include Sen. Barack Obama’s [...]

Leach in the house

By Rod Boshart – Former Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Leach has been given a speaking role at the Democratic National Convention. Leach, who represented parts of Eastern Iowa for 30 years, surprised and disappointed Iowa Republicans recently by endorsing Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., for president. Obama officials announced Sunday that Leach had been invited to [...]