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August 27, 2008, 6:01 am
By
Chris Good
Barack Obama and newly chosen running mate Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) will hit the campaign trail together for the first time following the Democratic convention in Denver, taking a bus tour through battleground states where Biden is expected to help the Illinois senator win over white, working-class voters.
The two will leave Denver Friday for Pennsylvania, where they will begin a tour that will also take them to Ohio and Michigan, Obama's campaign announced today. No word on how long the tour will last; the Obama camp says more details are to come.
Pundits have suggested Biden can help Obama in states like these, all of which Obama lost to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) during the Democratic primary, and all of which have large populations of white, working-class voters. Biden, who hails from a white, working-class background, could help Obama with that demographic, particularly in Pennsylvania where he grew up, analysts say.
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August 26, 2008, 8:09 pm
By
Emily Goodin
Seated on the convention floor during Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-N.Y.) speech, in their respective delegations, were Sens. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). Leahy, an avid photographer, snapped pictures of Clinton while Harkin checked his blackberry several times.
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August 26, 2008, 6:36 pm
By
Walter Alarkon
The Briefing Room will be liveblogging the speeches scheduled to be given by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D) at the Democratic convention Tuesday night.
Warner, who is a heavy favorite to win a Senate seat, will take the stage after 9 p.m. ET. He is the convention's keynote speaker, a role played by Barack Obama in 2004.
Clinton is the final speaker of the night. She is scheduled to take the stage some time after 10 p.m. After Obama's wife, Michelle, praised Clinton on Monday for running a historic campaign that helped put "18 million cracks" in the ultimate glass ceiling, everyone will be watching to see what Clinton says about her former rival, Barack Obama.
10:41 p.m.: As a video about Clinton plays in the hall, delegates are being handed white "Hillary" signs. Chelsea Clinton just introduced her mother to a roar from the crowd. She's walking to the podium now, taking her time and waving to the crowd.
10:46 p.m.: Clinton's first line:
"I'm here tonight as a proud mother, as a proud Democrat. As a proud senator from New York. A proud American. And a proud supporter of Barack Obama."
10:47 p.m.: Her second line:
"Whether you voted for me or voted for barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose. We are on the same time, and none of us can afford to sit on the sidelines. This is a fight for the future and it's a fight we must win together. I haven't spent the past 35 years in the trenches, advocating for children, campaigning for universal healthcare, helping parents balance work and family and fighting for women's rights here at home and around the world to see another Republican in the White House squander our promise of a country that really fulfills the hopes of our people. And you haven't worked so hard over the last 18 months or endured the last eight years to suffer through more failed leadership."
"No way, no how, no McCain."
10:53 p.m.:
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August 26, 2008, 6:35 pm
By
Emily Goodin
Standing in a box in the Pepsi Center watching former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D) deliver the keynote speech at the Democratic Convention, a convention goer passed a "unity" sign toward former President Bill Clinton. The former president waved his hand at it and a guest in Clinton's box snatched the sign and put it away.
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August 26, 2008, 6:24 pm
By
Andy Barr
From CNN:
Hillary Clinton will be on hand for Barack Obama's acceptance speech, but according to a source close to former President Bill Clinton, he will not: the source tells CNN that Clinton will not join his wife at Invesco Field Thursday night.
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August 26, 2008, 2:08 pm
By
Andy Barr
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) tells ABC:
"The clips that they have of Joe Biden," said Romney, referring to a McCain attack ad, "are ones in which he questioned Obama's readiness to be president."
"I didn't say that he was not qualified to become president," said Romney, referring to his criticism of McCain. "Republicans in our debates pointed out differences on issues and relative capacity. That's very different from saying that he is not qualified to be president."
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August 26, 2008, 1:35 pm
By
Hill Staff
After Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas) may have been the biggest winner of the Democratic veepstakes.
Even many of Edwards supporters had dismissed his chances of actually being selected for the post. The more cynical said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) might have pushed his name for her own purposes, perhaps feeling slighted by the prominence given to senators by the presidential contest.
Many of those same people were surprised to hear he made the final cut and shocked to read how extensive Edwards's vetting was.
But there's one senior congressional source who called it right all along, who now says Edwards star is shooting upward in Democratic politics.
"He can only come out of this enhanced," the source said. "In politics anything that raises you up out of the masses is good."
Since Biden was picked and Edwards
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August 26, 2008, 1:14 pm
By
Andy Barr
Speaking at a forum put on by Emily's List, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) heaped praise on Michelle Obama.
"Wasn't Michelle Obama terrific last night," Clinton said to loud cheers.
"I know a little bit about the way the White House works and you know if the president isn't exactly on your side, call the first lady. And with Michelle Obama we're going to have someone to answer that phone."
Clinton has been making every effort recently to publicly make nice with the Obama's, reportedly calling Michelle Obama last night to congratulate her on Monday's speech.
When Michelle Obama spoke she thanked Clinton for support throughout the election and for breaking glass ceilings, saying the "days are gone" when a woman could not be president.
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August 26, 2008, 12:30 pm
By
Chris Good
Russia is taking steps to annex breakaway regions of Georgia, John McCain said today after Russia formally
Read more...
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August 26, 2008, 12:10 pm
By
Emily Goodin
ABC announced that "Nightline" will air on Wednesday night a never-before-seen interview that Barack Obama conducted with then-anchor Ted Koppel just hours before Obama gave the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
In the interview Obama said: "I would say that the most important issue of the people are feeling right now is the sense of an America that is separating. That you have more and more opportunity, greater and greater wealth for some, and you have a vast middle class that is shrinking and a working class that is having trouble getting into the middle class. That the opportunities that might have been available to a family of modest means thirty years ago may no longer be available ten years from now."
And Koppel remarked: "That sounds like the John Edwards to America theme."
Obama: "Well you know, I think that John Edwards tapped into to something that is important."
Koppel: "You were quoted in the Chicago Tribune this morning as focusing your attention on the Iraq War. Tell me what you were talking about there. I thought that is what you were going to say when I asked you what the theme was because that is what you told them."
Obama: "Well, you know, the Iraq War is going to be an important issue in this convention, there is no doubt about it. There were people who supported the war and people who opposed the war inside that convention hall. But what people are unified about is that, when we make a decision to go to war, that it should not be ideologically driven, that it should be driven by set of facts and common sense with regards to how we mobilize our country and our national interest. And I think that there is a strong feeling that even among those that supported George Bush
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