Spin Cycle

Spike Lee -- whom the Times Union blog photographed sitting to Suffolk Legis. Vivian Viloria-Fisher's right at the Denver parley -- spoke with Newsday's Liz Moore in the airport en route back to LaGuardia. Some quotes, bound to be found provocative in some circles:

"It was a historic night," he said. "I hope people look at the contrast of the faces what they've seen in Denver versus the faces they are going to see in Minneapolis.

"The faces in Denver were true American faces -- white, black, brown, young, old. Minnesota’s going to look like an Arizona golf club. You know what that’ll look like."

"An Arizona country club. That is the face of Arizona: Leave it to Beaver, Father Knows Best, Howdy Doody-- that's 1950. We’re in the 21st century!

"In 2040, white Americans will be in the minority. I don’t think the GOP has gotten the email yet.

"The most photographed black people in America will be the two black Republicans at the convention. They’re going to get more airtime than John McCain.

"They’ll pull some Negroes off the shelf and stick them out there, but we know what that is. What you saw last night is a new America.

"It was the 45th anniversary of Dr.King's 'I have a Dream' speech.

"It’s not a coincidence.It’s a movement.

"Barack said it last night: McCain doesn’t get it."

Just then, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown walked up to introduce himself to Lee and shake his hand.

"Keep shoveling that snow!" Lee said. "I'm just kidding."

Brown noted that he grew up in Hollis, Queens with Russell Simmons.

They talked about how ...

Continue reading "DNC: Spike speaks, on Obama-McCain" »

Here's a pool report filed on two late-night appearances by the Obamas following the speech at Invesco. Some interesting stuff (Oprah Winfrey react!), especially Obama's caution:

“It’s going to be hard. You’ve been hanging out with Democrats all week. The Republicans are going to have their turn, and they’ll have a whole lot of fun with us. And they will change some minds, and persuade, and then the race is on. We’re going to have to work as hard as we can.”

Here it is:

Nighttime pool report #3 from Anne Kornblut, Washington Post

Highlights: Michelle’s reaction to the speech (“a speech of a lifetime”); Obama’s first comments publicly since (“the Republicans are going to have their turn, and they’ll have a whole lot of fun with us”); and an impromptu avail with Oprah (“I’ve never experienced anything like that”). And, above and beyond all else, a moment with Robert Gibbs (“It’s hard to imagine, honestly, a better four days”).

Newsy bits in bold.

After his acceptance speech at Invesco, Obama made two more late-night stops. He went to a friends and family reception at one end of the stadium – to this, the pool was not invited. Later, Obama and Michelle came upstairs to the club level at Invesco to address the National Finance Committee members, who were holding a reception. He arrived just after 10:40 PM mountain time.

Penny Pritzker, his national finance uberwoman, introduced him.

“What a night! Was that extraordinary? Aren’t you proud to be a Democrat? Aren’t you proud of what your party is doing?” Pritzker said. “That’s it. We have 68 days left, and that means we’re all going to have to work very, very hard so that we can put Barack Obama in the White House.”

Michelle then took the microphone.

“Well, wasn’t this a pretty special night.....

Continue reading "Pool report: Obamas after the speech" »

The cat is out of the bag on McCain's leaked plan to air a new ad Thursday night:

If only for one night (not including its permanent existence on YouTube), John McCain is OK with airing an ad that has a happy message for Barack Obama.

It is a very simple message: “Job well done.”

Understanding the historical significance of a black man accepting a major-party presidential nomination -- especially on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech -- McCain will attempt to be make nice before he performs the widely speculated act of naming his vice president running mate some time Friday to counteract any boost in the polls for Obama.

The ad will run Thursday on national cable television before and after Obama’s address.

McCain says:

"Senator Obama, this is truly a good day for America. Too often the achievements of our opponents go unnoticed.

So I wanted to stop and say, congratulations. How perfect that your nomination would come on this historic day. Tomorrow, we’ll be back at it. But tonight Senator, job well done.”

From Boston Magazine comes word that John Kerry appears positively bored on the campaign trail as he stumps for a fifth term in the U.S. Senate. Kerry, we learn, "radiate(s) a sort of anti-charisma that doesn't repel so much as baffle" as he trudges through places like Lawrence and Framingham.

The writer's thesis is that Kerry, since he was oh-so-close to sitting in the White House, can't bring himself to care about things like a lone housing development in Lowell.

As a political actor, Hillary Clinton has proven she runs circles around Kerry. But it is a fair question to ask how invested she'll be in, say, a highway project in Utica after she's spent the last 18 months campaigning for president. The running storyline has been that she'll inherit the party elder torch from Ted Kennedy, but that seems unlikely given the Clintons' burning ambition to retake the White House and the line of Democratic senators who actually have more seniority than her.

Reid J. Epstein

In the same New York delegation meeting stood two loyal Democrats with starkly different opinions on what may be a big tactical question: whether the Barack Obama campaign should start openly slashing away at Sen. John McCain's role long ago in the collapse of the Lincoln Savings and Loan Association.

The handful of senators known as the "Keating 5" had varying roles in helping the effort of Charles H. Keating Jr. try to get federal regulators off his bank as his S&L neared collapse.

Suffolk Democratic chairman Richard Schaffer says this: "The mortgage foreclosure mess is the S&L scandal of the 2000 decade. We should drag it out front and center. It's almost an instant replay of what the Republicans did in the '80s."

Of course, there are shades of gray, one of which is that Democrats were among the other four in the Keating quintet. But in this season, as attack ads intensify, the facts will be tweaked.

One corporate consultant, a one-time Democrat operative who was in the same room as a guest, talked this down as a strategy. His thinking was that so many voters have become sold on the idea of McCain as a "maverick," it wouldn't resonate.

"They'd buy the idea that he's old, they'd buy the idea that he's with Bush. But with that, they'd just say, 'Huh'? I'm sure it'll get brought up, though," said the guest, who declined to be quoted by name.

If he's right, maybe "Keating 5" becomes just the counter-chant to "Tony Rezko," who was once one of Obama's major contributors and was convicted of fraud and bribery earlier this year.

Amid that question, Rudy Giuliani -- beaten by McCain in the GOP primary -- swung through town yesterday to offer negative counter-spin.

Dan Janison in Denver

Continue reading "DNC: Obama's strategy and the 'Keating 5' scandal" »

Pretty ragged effort by Biden -- he keeps fumbling his lines, the crowd never figures out when to applaud or what to chant, the list of Obama's accomplishments sounds thin, the indictment of McCain is more convoluted than pithy.... But if Obama's wattage has made him an empty-suited celebrity, maybe Biden's stumbles will appeal to Regular People.

You could see how Bill Clinton won the presidency twice and John Kerry lost it once. Clinton was the old pro with the strong moves who could time the cheers with the lines. But in 2004 Kerry gave a nomination speech that even people who voted for him could not sit through.

Still, Kerry this time had strong material: Citing John McCain’s reversals on tax cuts, climate change and immigration, he said: “Are you kidding?… Talk about being for it before you're against it.”

Joe Biden was populist enough but when he said "I'm a hell of a success" you wondered if he'd go too far off script....Barack Obama's Saturday Night Live "surprise" walk-on appearance topped off the slick sentimental feel of the evening. Notable remark: "If I'm not mistaken, Hillary Clinton rocked the house last night."

HIgh praise for Bill as well, or course. "We are fami-l-ee" plays. All you need is the disembodied em-cee voice saying: "This was filmed before a live audience." Tomorrow comes the historic nominee's big stadium appearance at Invesco Field, so we kinda switch from NBC to ESPN mode.

Always the rock star, Bill Clinton gave a resounding speech in support of Barack Obama on Wednesday night at the DNC in Denver.

Just to note the symbolism of what just happened:

Traditionally, Obama's home state of Illinois would put him over the top. Instead, things were arranged so that Hillary's home state -- New York -- would do it. And it wasn't only New York, it was Hillary herself, calling for acclamation, amid a fair amount of confusion about whether that would actually happen.

So, the symbolic unity was pitch perfect. But tonight, it will be up to Bill Clinton to carry it forward -- or, mess it up. Joe Biden's maiden voyage and the sharpness of his attacks on McCain should be the featured event, but Bill has a tendency to upstage. He isn't exactly predictable. He's been given 10 minutes to speak on foreign affairs, but as an ex-president and the spouse of Hillary, he'll probably feel free to say what he wants for as long as he wants.

The problem: Bill is said to harbor special resentments about the way he and Hillary were treated by Obama -- particularly, Obama's failure to pay proper respect to the Clinton administration's accomplaishments and to defend Bill against charges he was playing the race card.

But despite those reservations, what Obama needs from Bill isn't just a re-packaging of Hillary's speech. He needs more. He needs Clinton to counter the impression that he thinks McCain is better prepared to be president -- by going after McCain hard, and by vouching for Obama's readiness to be commander in chief. Hillary didn't. But as an ex-president, Bill's stamp of approval could be even more vital than Hillary's.

Wherever you go around the Pepsi Center, Market Street, the 16th Street Mall and the rest of downtown Denver, there's Obama '08 gear to be purchased. It's capitalism at its finest, with everyone trying to make a buck off someone else's rise to fame.

Have a look at the some of things up for grabs if you're willing to dig into your wallet.

Hillary delegate to Hillary campaign staff member, standing outside the ballroom where Hillary Clinton is to release her delegates:

"They put me under so much pressure this morning."

"Uh, excuse me, who put you under so much pressure?"

She turns and grimaces.

"I'm not saying anything."

Delegate and staff member hug.

New York's Democratic Convention delegation arrived at their daily breakfast Wednesday morning to learn that official balloting for the Democratic presidential nomination would begin at 10 a.m., news that seemed to catch many off guard.

The balloting was done as delegates collected their credentials after breakfast, where they were asked to check off the name of the candidate they favored and sign their name to it. The ballots are supposed to determine the way New York's votes are cast during the official roll call of states tonight.

State party officials were informed of the balloting procedure late Tuesday night, after Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton gave a rousing speech urging Democrats to unite behind her primary season rival, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

The morning's voting means that delegates must decide whom to support before the previously scheduled and highly anticipated meeting with Clinton early Wednesday afternoon, where she was expected to officially "release" them to vote for Obama.

As a result, any effort by her supporters to organize a ceremonial "first ballot" show of support for her candidacy before uniting behind Obama was rendered impossible.

A glance at New York's ballot sheet suggested that Hillary's home-state delegation was leaning toward Obama, but conversations with delegates made clear they were all over the map.

"I'm casting my ballot for Senator Clinton before voting for Senator Obama," said Rep. Charles Rangel of Harlem, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and the man credited with launching Clinton's political career here.

But Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said he thought Clinton wanted him to vote for Obama, judging from her convention speech. "I got a clear message from Hillary last night that it's time to unite behind Barack Obama," he said, "and I am taking that message to the ballot box."

Suffolk County Democratic Chair Rich Schaffer agreed with Silver's analysis, and said he was casting his ballot for Obama

"Maybe we should run a re-tape of what she said yesterday," said Assemb. Denny Farrell, chair of the Assembly's Ways and Means committee.

But former state Democratic chairwoman Judith Hope, an East Hampton resident and strong Clinton backer, admitted she was flummoxed by the turn of events, because she had expected to hear from Clinton today before voting. She stood in the back of the meeting room at the Sheraton here in Denver trying to make up her mind what to do.

I don't know," she said. "I guess I have to decide... It's very hard. She's the first woman. This is a big ask on her part (to vote for Obama). "

That decided her.

"I'm going to vote for her and then I'm going to work my heart out for Obama," she said, breaking into a smile.

Meanwhile, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, who arrived after the start of the breakfast, said he was unaware that balloting had even begun.

- Elizabeth Moore in Denver

Here is the "tribute to Hillary" shown to introduce her speech at the convention:

And here is the speech:

What they're saying at the protest/march by 18 Million Voices, which advocates for women's rights and is celebrating Hillary Clinton's achievements.

Toni Alves, PUMA (Party Unity My A__) member, San Francisco

"I’m marching because of the treatment Hillary received during the primaries. She was treated so unfairly by the media and the DNC,and no one stood up to say anything about it until after they’d asked her to leave. And that was ridiculous. The media totally geared and led this campaign.

"Obama wasn’t elected, he was selected. If you look at all the caucus fraud, you’ll see his delegate lead was only in the red states. …she won the popular vote and she should be the nominee.

"We’re here to represent Hillary Clinton and show her that we’re not going to follow the party line like we’ve always done. Four years ago, we held our noses and voted for Kerry. We didn’t think he was the best candidate. But we’ve always voted democratic. I’ve been a Democrat for 40 years this year, and if Obama is the nominee I’ll vote for McCain.

"I will not support Obama. He’s not qualified. The whole system was totally fraudulent. He claimed to be something before, in the primaries, that was different, that was a new kind of politics, but he’s not. He’s not Washington politics, he’s Chicago-style politics and that’s even worse.

"These people are trying to scare us about Roe v. Wade. Well, you know what? I am beyond my reproductive years. I don’t care. it’s time for these young Obama women who think it’s so cool to support him, they can worry about their own reproductive rights.

We can’t see why so many people can’t see it.

Diane Schrack, Highlands Ranch, Colorado, artist

"One of the basic fundamental platforms of the DNC is against sexism. During the primary race, the DNC was not only silent but in some cases participated in sexism. None of the leadership of the Democratic Party – Howard Dean, Donna Brazile, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid -- none of them came out and said sexism is wrong, don’t do it.

'Because it was OK on the upper level, the national level, it was OK on the local level, too. The DNC is deeply guilty. It’s so frustrating. It makes me want to become an unaffiliated voter. I am a Democrat. My goal is to make Democrats think about what we’re losing here. If we’re going to give up women in this race, who’s next? Who are they going to give up next time?

"Antisemitism? Let’s have a little bit of that. Or next time let’s have a little bit of racism, or maybe have a little bit of gay bashing next time.

"They sacrificed women because they could take their vote for granted, and that is not what Democrats stand for !"

- Elizabeth Moore in Denver

Today's whackadoo video from the goings-on by the general public looking for their 15 minutes of fame at the DNC. These guys got 59 seconds so far.

Photographer Thomas A. Ferrara maximized his floor pass access inside the Pepsi Center and used his video camera to whip up this highlights reel from Monday night at the DNC.

If you're bored, or if you're just really into political voyeurism -- aren't we all? -- here's a little video to brighten your day, compliments of the AP.

You can sit back for a minute or so and watch Barack Obama do exactly what you did last night, watch Michelle Obama's speech. That's right, folks. How many other times in life can you watch a video of someone else watching television and know you were watching that same programming somewhere else. Oh, what a world we live in.

So if you think the TV networks obsessively cut to shots of Joe Biden during last night's speeches, you may want to check out the Delaware papers this week. The News Journal of Wilmington started a Biden Blog (Sample topic: his snazzy ties!) and the dead-tree edition of the paper is running laudatory stories about Biden's stance on the environment and other issues.

But there's nary a word in the News Journal about what may be the most pressing topic for Bidenophiles these days: His obvious hair plugs. Thankfully, the Politico is all over that subject with a survey of stylists and hair surgeons who conclude that, yes, he's had a bit work done up top.

Reid J. Epstein

The protesting had been fairly low-key here in Denver in the early days of DNC week, so much so that the AP ran a story Monday afternoon about how some of the roads leading to the Pepsi Center were re-opened due to low protestor turnout. (Uh oh, protest ratings are down, what will the advertisters say?)

Then came Monday night and some static developed outside the Sheraton Hotel where the New York delegation is staying, along with California and some other big wigs.

Tension grew between the protestors and law enforcement, leading to the use of tear gas. Hotel guests were not allowed into their rooms for a while.

Here's more from Staten Island politics guy Tom Wrobleski who was around the fray.

And here's more from the early Tuesday morning arrests of other protestors.

Enjoy the show.

Despite rumors of tension, she honors Hillary Clinton “who put those 18 million cracks in a glass ceiling so our kids can dream a little bigger and aim a little higher…”

The cheer prompt was “people like Hillary Clinton.”

The big kickdown of her statement that the campaign made her proud of her country for the first time in her adult life….She winds up to the line: “You see, that’s why I love this country.” Big cheers.

She hails those who “kiss their kids good night and head out for the night shift…without disappointment.”

She hails the “military families who say grace each night with an empty seat at the table”: and “service men and women who love this country so much they leave home to defend it.”

She speaks of the cross current of history that brings her here.

The band plays "Isn't She Lovely" as she brings up the girls.

Barack appears on th screen, and says "Now you know why I asked her out so many times even though she said no...You want a persistent president."

She says, "Daddy what city are you in!" He's in Kansas City.

He says through the hookup: "I'll see you guys on Thursday."

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, stricken with brain cancer, came to Denver and addressed the congregation on opening night at the Democratic National Convention.

In case you thought the old Democratic Party has vanished, note that Ted Kennedy was followed at the podium by the Chicago city clerk.

His name is Baez and he started with "How'd you like to follow Ted Kennedy?"

- Dan Janison in Denver

At the New York delegation's Monday breakfast, Hillary Clinton gave the pitch for Barack Obama. Watch Tom Ferrara's video below.

You know it’s a Clinton-o-philic convention when they bring in the folks who made the movie "A Man from Hope."

Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, the longtime friend of the Clintons whose short film introducing Bill Clinton helped send him out of the 1992 convention with a 15-percentage point bump in the polls, has made a much shorter film to introduce the speech that Hillary Clinton hopes will provide a bump for Barack Obama.

"She’s not the nominee – it was kind of in a way more fun to do and a little bit whimsical," said Bloodworth-Thomason, creator of the hit series "Designing Women," who took no fee to make the film and received no direction from Clinton’s campaign .

"It’s a celebration of her life so far….we’re just part of the way through the story," she said, adding that it mentions Obama favorably, and includes snapshots of him.

Liz Moore in Denver

This time, they call it "Right."

It's an independent expenditure television spot that exploits the Obama-Clinton riff. The 30-second spot is airing in major markets in Colorado, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and western Pennsylvania through Sunday, and of course, all across the country via YouTube and political blogs..

For those of you still wondering why so many women were complaining about media treatment of Hillary during the primary season here's a helpful selection prepared by the Women's Media Center.

"(MSNBC commentator) Chris Matthews had better have a bodyguard at this convention," believes Democratic consultant George Arzt. "If you viscerally hate somebody, you shouldn't be on the air."

This is the early frontrunner to receive the nomination for photo of the day.

Sasha Obama grabbed hold of the gavel that will later open the 2008 Democratic National Convention on Monday. Michelle Obama looks on at the Pepsi Center hours before she addresses the DNC in primetime.

(Getty Images)

At her Monday morning news conference at the DNC, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had a few harsh words for all the political journalists who remain fixated on any beef between Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Most of the questions she faced at this presser centered around just that.Perhaps a bit fed up by the line of questioning, Pelosi told reporters:

"You know what? This is like a yesterday room . . . We are going into the future. What did I walk into, a time capsule?"

Wow.

- Mark La Monica in Denver

Clinton at her press conference: "There is no doubt in anyone's mind -- this is Barack Obama's convention as it should be." Press questions take pokes and probes at the uber-obvious narrative: her feelings about having come so far, about how she'll tell her supporters to go over to Obama, about the McCain ad using her statements against the candidate, about rumors of friction between her camp and Obama's.

On the last point: She says there are always "outliers" who say something that the press focuses on, but repeated the joint statement between her Maggie Williams and his David Axelrod proclaiming a unity of working purpose. "I don't think you'd find a more cooperative relationship between two campaigns...after any kind of contested primary season." She says that goes for past political conventions.

"I've done more in the last two months than people in my position have historically done."

So far, at this moment in the Sheraton where the New Yorkers are assembled, it's been "Hillary Rebellion My A**." But then, things are just barely getting underway.

As for the McCain ads, she said .... again she doesn't appreciate the use of her words -- or Sen. Biden's. "There's nothing I can do except speak bout about it and hope people don't give it any credence."

She brought up the point again that in her adult life Democrats have won only three times and "these are hard elections to win," underscoring the need to "push as hard as possible" for the ticket.

Dan Janison in Denver

Before the same old faces from the Empire State, Sen. HIllary Clinton just delivered the windup line as a response to McCain's ad saying she got passed over for VP because she'd told the truth about Barack Obama: "I'm Hillary Clinton -- and I do NOT approve that message!"

She said everyone in the room is united to see Obama elected because they can't stand another four years of a Bush White House, which is what you'd get with John McCain.

She seemed to underscore by declaring a bit louder that she looks forward to visiting the White House when President Obama signs legislation giving "affordable health care for every single American."

She urged supporters to "work as hard for Barack and Joe Biden as you worked for me."

First, she gave a pep speech for increasing the party's Senate majority and shielding the new Democratic administration from GOP obstruction.

"We were not all on one side," in the primary, she said. "But we are now."

And when the Senate majority grows, she said, it will be because of New York Sen. Charles Schumer.

Next she press conferences at the Sheraton where the NY press crew is gathering...

We did a little walkthrough the Pepsi Center as the Dems were setting up and sound-checking and practicing the roll call where every state is "the great and sovereign state of . . ."

The house band played its brand of poli-rock, which is somewhere in between dentist office music and adult contemporary, mixed in with a splash of old-school rhythm & blues. No doubt it will look more majestic on television with all the seats full and political woo-hah that gets the folks all fired up, but take a taste of what it looks like beforehand.

Fewer than half of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s supporters in the presidential primary --just 47 percent --say they definitely will vote for Barack Obama, according to a USA TODAY/Gallup poll out today.

Another 23 percent say they support him but may change their minds before the election.

It’s not hard to find living proof of these numbers.

In Fresno Sunday, where Clinton was seeking to rally United Farm Workers to transfer their allegiance to Obama, the hall was full of Obama placards waved at all the right applause points in her speech.. But the farm workers, who campaigned for Clinton seemed to show more enthusiasm for Hillary personally.

Victorio and Debbie Rojas, who were in the hall yesterday said they had supported her in the primary but were ready to vote Obama, a fellow Democrat who shares their policy goals.

But Sally Alvid, a retired school administrator from Fresno who grew up picking cotton and peaches and marched with Chavez in the 1960s, was still wearing her Hillary tee shirt in the hall yesterday.

Alvid calls herself a "strong Democratic voter," who has walked precincts for candidates for years". She callls Clinton an "incredible woman," but she’s not sure about Obama.

"My son told me, 'He's all flash, Mom,'" she said. "I'm going to really wait and weigh."

Liz Moore in Denver

Cloaked in black bandannas around their heads and faces, this group protested against the Iraq war on their march through downtown Denver toward the Pepsi Center.

"IT’S WAR! THEY HATE EACH OTHER! Hillary’s SHOCKING ATTACK on Michelle Obama"

Hillary Clinton’s former spokesman Howard Wolfson had sounded as if he was chiding the news media for ignoring the scoop in the tabloid National Enquirer, of former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards’ infidelity to his cancer-stricken wife Elizabeth. If it had been picked up sooner, Hillary could’ve won Iowa and been the nominee, he has suggested.

So, Howard, what shall we make of this week’s National Examiner story claiming that Barack Obama’s wife Michelle is the one who "torpedoed Hillary for VP" because Hillary had dissing Michelle’s first-lady talents and because Michelle "thinks the country has had it with all things Clinton."

The two are "clawing at each other’s throats," says the tab. (The sourcing is pretty much what you'd expect).

Meow! For sale in supermarkets everywhere.

- Elizabeth Moore

With thousands of politicos and delegates descending upon convention cities every four years, and thousands over media folks chronicling their every move, some things will, undoubtedly, go awry.

Whether it's the Democrats or the Republicans doesn't matter. A unique moment is a unique moment. It's bipartisan quirkiness at its finest.

Read this list of 9 unconventional moments in political convention history.

It was 1973, and then-Assemb. Arthur "Jerry" Kremer (D-Long Beach) found himself being introduced to a rookie U.S. Senator from Delaware named Joe Biden.

"There was a guy who was promoting him as somebody New Yorkers should know," said Kremer, who left the Assembly in 1990 and is now an attorney and a lobbyist.

The two stayed in touch for the next 35 years, with Kremer speaking to Biden as recently as two weeks ago about his vice presidential prospects. Then, Kremer said, Biden downplayed the chances of him being selected and said he wasn't pining for the position.

"He said, 'I'm not going to ask anybody for it,' but the door was open to him being asked," Kremer said.

The two were close in a way that politicians are with their friends who help raise money. Biden called Kremer when his wife died and called on him when he was in New York. Kremer called Biden at his Delaware home to discuss politics and touted him in columns on his law firm's Web site.

So when word finally came Saturday morning that Biden was Obama's choice, few people were more excited than Kremer, who Federal Election Commission records show gave Biden's 2008 presidential campaign $2,000 and has given his Senate campaigns $2,000 since 2002.

"I haven't felt so good since my last and final election years ago," Kremer said. "I think I got a bigger thrill out of that than almost anything that ever happened to me in politics."

Reid J. Epstein

The strategic, cynical moment all had expected has arrived, where the McCain campaign proclaims that Hillary Clinton -- at least some of whose voters are needed for Arizona senator to win -- has become a good, moderate, martyred Ameriican public official. Let's all sing from the sheet music now: "How dare Obama skip over her for veep!"

To make this work, we must forget, forget, forget. Make sure to throw away the old GOP song book that said: "She's a psycho-lefty witch!" That's so-o-o almost last year, along with 'How do we beat the bitch."

If Obama had tapped Clinton, the chorus would be: "What a wimp!" Another chant left on the editing-room floor. As routed by our Craig Gordon, the ad -- which you might not see in New York since it isn't swing-state territory -- looks like this:

It figures to be one long 96-hour work day this week at the Democratic National Convention here in Denver, which explains why Saturday night was the media party. Sort of the calm before the storm, if you will.

Only, it really wasn't all that calm at Elitch Gardens. It was a carnival atmosphere, and we brought along the video camera to capture some of the sights and sounds on the lighter side of politics. Enjoy the show. We're big fans of the penultimate scene.

- Mark La Monica in Denver

A look at the financial report as of June 2007 for Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Barack Obama's running mate.

Earned income: $185,700.

Honoraria, all donated to charity: $800.

Major assets: Bank accounts and life insurance policies, $19,000-$110,000; three bank accounts held jointly with his wife, $3,000-$45,000.

Major sources of unearned income: Life insurance dividends, $1,000-$2,500.

Major liabilities: Loan against life insurance policies, $15,001-$50,000; lines of credit, $114,002-$300,000; credit union note, less than $10,000.

Narrative: His 2006 income included his $165,200 Senate salary and a $20,500 teaching stipend from Widener University, where he has been an adjunct professor in the law school since 1991.

His wife, Jill, teaches at Delaware Technical and Community College, but Biden is not required to report her salary. Jill Biden’s assets, which include money market funds, real
estate trusts and a pension fund, are worth $40,000-$250,000.

Biden’s honoraria was for an appearance with comedian Bill Maher. He has a contract to write a book and received $112,000, half of his advance, from publisher Random House in 2005.

Word has gone out that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is due to attend the New York delegation breakfast Monday, address an Emily's List reception on Tuesday before her prime-time speaking slot, and hit a health care workers' event on Wednesday.

But Thursday? No word yet where she'll be for the big moment when Obama takes to the stadium in an event to be shared with former Vice President Al Gore. It's an interesting question only because of the close inspection that her level of support for the nominee will receive from all sides, to detect what signals she's sending fans and fundraisers -- especially those among them who say the battle is not over, whatever that may mean to them.

Forget foreign policy. Biden’s religion and working-class roots may prove a plus.Or, at least that seems to be the calculus.

Before the wee-hours announcement, but after many Democratic insiders departed New York for the convention, some party members were fretting about a particular portion of a Zogby Reuters poll last week. The survey found Obama’s support had dropped among U.S. Catholics, to 36 percent from 47 percent just last month.

George Marlin, longtime Conservative Party activist, Nassau resident, and author of a 2004 book "the American Catholic Voter," (illustration from Barnes & Noble) told Spin Cycle on Thursday: "In the primary season Hillary Clinton got a lot of Catholic voters in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. A significant subset of more conservative Catholics voted for Hillary because they did not like Obama. These are pro-gun, pro-life Catholics, shifting to John McCain, a natural shift."

Brian O’Dwyer (photo left), chairman of the city's Emerald Isle Immigration Center -- and the product of a famous city Democratic family -- promptly disagreed. "I don’t think it’s a matter of pro-life or pro-gun. The question on life between Hillary and Obama is one of degree… The difference is, ethnic Catholics think Hillary Clinton is one of them and has paid attention to them over the years. They don’t have that relationship with Obama."

Not that gains are guaranteed with Biden. John Kerry, a Catholic, managed to lose the vote among his co-religionists to George W. Bush four years ago.

Moments after he arrived at the airport here Saturday, U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley, chairman of the Queens Democratic committee, who backed Clinton in the primary, spoke well of the move.

"It doesn’t take rocket science to look at the disparity of the vote in Pennsylvania, and see that Sen. Clinton got 72 percent," Crowley said. "This is a good answer to that, I think and it takes a lot of that off the table."

As for plagiarism, you could say that Obama and strategists are simply addressing the fierce urgency of now – a phrase, by the way, that he’s carefully credited to the late Rev. Martin Luther King.

Never mind that Biden introduced the presidential candidate as Barack America. Face it -- the incumbent president has set the bar pretty high for verbal gaffes. Latest blooper in video below.

Dan Janison in Denver