“Dayhoff Westminster Soundtrack:” Kevin Dayhoff – “Soundtrack Division of Old Silent Movies” - https://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/ combined with “Dayhoff Westminster” – The mindless ramblings of a writer, artist, fire and police chaplain. For art, writing and travel see https://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/
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Text of President Bush's remarks, delivered by satellite TV hookup from the White House to the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, as transcribed by the White House.
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FRED THOMPSON: Thank you. Thank you. (Cheers, applause.) Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. (Cheers, applause continue.) Thank you. Thank you. (Cheers.)
Well, my friends, as has -- thank you very much. As has been mentioned, our thoughts are still with our friends and fellow citizens in the Gulf Coast and our special thanks go to those who have worked so hard to keep them safe. There can be no more important work than that. (Applause.)
But what we're doing at this convention is also important to our country, because we're going to nominate the next president and vice president of the United States of America. (Cheers, applause.)
We do so while taking a different view of our country than that of the other party. Listening to them, you'd think that we were in the middle of a Great Depression -- (laughter) -- that we're down, disrespected, incapable of prevailing against challenges that face us. Now, we know that we have challenges. Always have, always will. But we also know that we live in the freest, strongest, most generous and prosperous nation in the history of the world and we're thankful for that. (Cheers, applause.)
Now, speaking of the vice presidential nominee, what a breath of fresh air Governor Sarah Palin is. (Cheers, applause.) She's from -- she's from a small town with small-town values. But apparently that's not good enough for some of the folks who are out there now, attacking her and her family. Some -- some Washington pundits and middy -- media big shots are at a frenzy over the selection of a woman who has governed rather than just talked a good game on the Sunday talk shows and hit the Washington cocktail circuit. (Cheers, applause.)
I say -- I say give me a tough Alaskan governor who has taken on the political establishment in the largest state of the union and won, over the Beltway business-as-usual crowd any day of the week. (Cheers, applause.)
But it's pretty clear the selection of Governor Palin has got the other side and their friends in the media in a state of panic -- (laughter, shouting) -- and no wonder. She's a courageous, successful reformer who's not afraid to take on the establishment. (Cheers, applause.)
Sound like anybody else we know?
AUDIENCE: Yes! (Cheers, applause.)
THOMPSON: She has run a municipality and she has run a state. And I think I can say without fear of contradiction she is the only nominee in the history of either party who knows how to properly field-dress a moose. (Cheers, applause, laughs.) With the possible exception of Teddy Roosevelt. (Laughter, applause.) Okay.
When she and John McCain get to Washington, they're not going to care how much the alligators get irritated -- they're going to drain that swamp. (Cheers, applause.)
But tonight, my friends, I'd like to talk to you about the remarkable story of John McCain. It's a story about character.
John McCain's character has been tested like no other presidential candidate in the history of this nation. He comes from a military family whose service goes -- to our country goes back to the time of the Revolutionary War. The tradition continues. As I speak, John and Cindy McCain have one son who's just finished his first tour in Iraq and another son -- (cheers, applause) -- going back for his second one on Christmas Day, I understand. (Applause.) And another -- and another son who's putting his country first and attending the Naval Academy. (Cheers, applause.)
Now -- now, we have a number of the McCains in the audience tonight, and I just want you to -- I understand they've been introduced, but I understand -- I want you to understand how proud we are of you and how much we thank you for what you're doing for your country. (Cheers, applause.) Cindy's here with all the children. All the children are here, I believe. (Cheers, applause continue.)
John is also -- also here tonight is John's 96-year-old mother Roberta. (Cheers, applause.) All I got to say is if Miss Roberta had been the McCain captured by the North Vietnamese, they would have surrendered. (Laughter, applause.)
Now, John's father was a bit of a rebel, too. In his first two semesters at the Naval Academy, he managed to earn 333 demerits. (Laughter.) Unfortunately, John later saw that as a record to be beaten. (Laughter.) A rebellious mother and a rebellious father. I guess you can see where this is going. (Laughter.)
In high school and the Naval Academy, John earned a reputation as a troublemaker. But as John points out, he wasn't just a troublemaker; he was the leader of the troublemakers. (Cheers, applause.)
Although -- although loaded with demerits, like his father, John was principled even in rebellion. He never violated the honor code.
However, in flight school in Pensacola, he did drive a Corvette and date a girl who worked in a bar as a(n) exotic dancer under the name of "Marie, the Flame of Florida." (Laugher, cheers.)
Now, the reason I'm telling you these things -- the reason I'm telling you these things is that apparently this mixture of rebellion and honor helped John McCain survive the next chapter in his life.
John McCain was preparing to take off from the USS Forrestal for his sixth mission over Vietnam when a missile from another plane accidentally fired and hit his plane. The flight deck burst into a fireball of jet fuel. John's flight suit caught fire. He was hit by shrapnel. It was a scene of horrible human devastation.
Men sacrificed their lives to save others that day. One kid, who John couldn't identify because he was burned beyond recognition, called out to John to ask if a certain pilot was okay. John replied, yes, he was. The young sailor said, "Thank God," and then he died.
These are the kind of men John McCain served with. These are the men and women John McCain knows and understands and loves. If you want to know who John McCain is, if you want to know what John McCain values, look at the men and women who wear America's uniform today. (Cheers, applause.)
Twenty planes were destroyed. A hundred and thirty-four sailors died.
John himself barely dodged death in the inferno and could've returned to the States with his ship. Instead, he volunteered for combat on another carrier that was undermanned from losing so many pilots. Stepping up. Putting his country first.
Three months later John McCain was a prisoner of war.
On October 26, 1967, on his 23rd mission over North Vietnam, a surface-to-air missile slammed into John's A-4 Skyhawk jet, blowing it out of the sky. When John ejected, part of the plane hit him, breaking his right leg, his right knee, his left arm and right arm in three places.
An angry mob got to him when he fell to the ground. A rifle butt broke his shoulder. A bayonet pierced his ankle and his groin. They took him to the Hanoi Hilton, where he lapsed in and out of consciousness for days. He was offered medical care for his injuries if he would give up military information in return.
John McCain said, "No".
After days of neglect, covered in grime, lying in his own waste in a filthy room, a doctor attempted to set John's right arm without success and without anesthesia. His other broken bones and injuries were not treated. John developed a high fever and dysentery. He weighed barely a hundred pounds. Expecting him to die, his captors placed him in a cell with two other POWs who also expected him to die.
But with their help, John McCain fought on. He persevered. So then they put him in solitary confinement for over two years -- isolation, incredible heat beating on a tin roof, a light bulb in his cell burning 24 hours a day, boarded-up cell windows blocking any breath of fresh air, the oppressive heat causing boils the size of baseballs under his arms, the outside world limited to what he could see through a crack in the door.
We hear a lot of talk about hope these days. John McCain knows about hope. That's all he had.
For propaganda purposes, his captors offered to let him go home. John McCain refused. He refused to leave ahead of men who had been there longer. He refused to abandon his conscience and his honor, even for his freedom. He refused, even though his captors warned him, "It will be very bad for you."
They were right; it was. The guards cracked ribs, broke teeth off at their gums. They cinched a rope around his arms and painfully drew back his shoulders. Over four days, every two to three hours, the beatings resumed. During one especially fierce beating, he fell, again breaking his arm.
John was beaten for communicating with other prisoners. He was beating -- beaten for NOT communicating with so-called peace delegations. He was beaten for not giving information during interrogation.
When his captors wanted the names of other pilots in the squadron, John gave them the name of the offensive line of the Green Bay Packers. (Laughter, applause.)
Whenever John was returned to his cell -- walking if he could, dragged if he couldn't -- as he passed his other fellow POWs, he would often call out to them.
He'd smile and give 'em a thumbs-up.
For five-and-a-half years this went on. John McCain's bones may have been broken, but his spirit never was. (Cheers, applause.)
Now, being a POW certainly doesn't qualify anyone to be president, but it does reveal character. My friends -- (cheers, applause) -- this is the kind of character that civilizations from the beginning of our history have sought in their leaders -- (cheers, applause) -- strength, courage, humility, wisdom, duty, honor.
It's pretty clear there are two questions we'll never have to ask ourselves: "Who is this man?" and "Can we trust this man with the presidency?" (Cheers, applause.)
He's -- he's been to Iraq -- (cheers) -- he's been to Iraq eight times since 2003. He went seeking truth, not publicity. (Scattered laughter and applause.) When he travels abroad, he prefers quietly speaking -- (cheers, applause) -- he prefers quietly speaking to the troops amidst the heat and hardship of their daily lives.
And the same character that marked John McCain's military career has also marked his political career.
This man, John McCain, is not intimidated by what the polls say or by what is politically safe or popular. At a point in time -- (applause) -- when the war in Iraq was going badly and the public lost confidence, John stood up and called for more troops -- and now we're winning. (Cheers, applause, chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!".)
Ronald Reagan -- Ronald Reagan was John McCain's hero, and President Reagan admired John tremendously. But when the president proposed putting U.S. troops in Beirut, John McCain, a freshman congressman, stood up and cast a vote against his hero because he thought the deployment was a mistake. My friends, that is character you can believe in. (Cheers, applause.)
For years, members of Congress, Republican and Democrat alike, have gouged the taxpayer with secret earmark spending. Well, he has never sought an earmark.
I've experienced John's character -- (cheers, applause) -- firsthand. In 1993, when I was thinking of running for the Senate, I went to John for advice. He convinced me I could help make a difference for our country. I managed to win that election, and with Republican control of Congress, we reformed welfare, we balanced the budget, and we began rebuilding our military. (Cheers, applause.)
And what I remember -- and what I remember most about those years is sitting next to John on the Senate floor as he led battle after battle to change the acrimonious, pork-barreling, self-serving ways of Washington.
(Cheers, applause.)
Now the United States Senate has always had more than its share of smooth talkers and big talkers. And obviously it still has. (Laughter, applause.) But while others were talking reform, John McCain led efforts to make reform happen, always pressing, always working for what he believed was right and necessary to restore the people's faith in their government. Confronting when necessary, reaching across the aisle when possible, John personified why we all came to Washington in the first place.
Didn't always set too well with some of his colleagues. Some of those fights were losing efforts. Some were not.
But a man who never quits is never defeated. (Applause.) Because John McCain stood up, his country is better off. And the respect he's given around the world is not because of a teleprompter speech designed to appeal to America's critics abroad -- (cheers, applause) -- no, not that; it's not because of that, but because of decades of clearly demonstrated character and statesmanship.
There has been a time in our nation's history, since we first pledged allegiance to the American flag, when the character, judgment and leadership of our president was more important. (Cheers, applause.) Terrorists, rogue nations developing nuclear weapons, an increasingly belligerent Russia, intensifying competition from China, spending at home that threatens to bankrupt future generations, for decades an expanding government, increasingly wasteful and too often incompetent.
To deal with these challenges, the Democrats present a history- making nominee for president -- history-making in that he's the most liberal, most inexperienced nominee to ever run for president. (Cheers, applause.) Apparently -- apparently they believe that he would match up well with the history-making, Democrat-controlled Congress -- history-making because it's the least accomplished and most unpopular Congress in our nation's history. (Cheers, applause.)
Together, they would take on these urgent challenges with protectionism, higher taxes and an even bigger bureaucracy and a Supreme Court that could be lost to liberalism for a generation. (Cheers, applause.)
AUDIENCE MEMBER: That's right!
THOMPSON: This is not reform and it's certainly not change. It's basically the same old stuff they've been peddling for years. (Cheers, applause.)
America -- America needs a president who understands the nature of the world we live in, a president who feels no need to apologize for the United States of America. (Cheers, applause.) We need a president -- we need a president who understands that you don't make citizens prosperous by making Washington richer -- (cheers, applause) -- and you don't -- and you don't lift an economic downturn by imposing one of the largest tax increases in American history.
(Cheers, applause.)
Now, our opponents tell us not to worry about their tax increases. They tell you they're not going to tax your family. (Laughter.) No, they're just going to tax "businesses." So, unless you buy something from a business, like groceries or clothes or gasoline -- (laughter) -- or unless you get a paycheck from a business, a big business or a small business, don't worry, it's not going to affect you! (Laughter, cheers, applause.) They say they're not going to take any water out of your side of the bucket, just the other side of the bucket! (Laughter.) That's their idea of tax reform.
My friends, we need a leader who stands on principle. We need a -- a president and vice president who will take the federal bureaucracy by the scruff of the neck and give it a good shakin'. (Cheers, applause.) And my friends, we need a president who doesn't think that the protection of the unborn or a newly born baby is above his pay grade. (Extended cheers and applause.) Thank you. (Cheers, applause.) The man who will be that president is John McCain. (Cheers, applause.)
In the days ahead -- in the days ahead at this convention, you will hear much more about what John will do as president -- what he'll do with regard to the economy, on energy, on health care and the environment. It's not my role tonight to explain that vision. It's my role is to hopefully help remind you of the man behind the vision, because tonight our country is calling to all of us to step up and to stand up, and put "country first" with John McCain. (Cheers, applause.)
Tonight we're being called upon to do what is right for our country -- what is right for our country.
Tonight we're being called upon to stand up for a strong military, a mature foreign policy, a free and growing economy, and for the values that bind us together and keep our nation free.
Tonight we're being called upon to step up and stand up with John just as he has stood up for our country. (Cheers, applause.)
Our country is calling. Our country is calling.
Now, John McCain can't raise his arms above his shoulders. He can't salute the flag of the country for which he sacrificed so much. Tonight, as we begin this convention, we stand with him, and we salute him. We salute his character and his courage, his spirit of independence and his drive for reform, his vision to bring security and peace in our time, and continued prosperity for America and all her citizens.
For our own good, our children's, let us celebrate that vision, celebrate that belief, that faith, so we can keep America the greatest country that the world has ever seen.
God bless John McCain and God bless America. (Cheers, applause, chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!".)
Day one of the Republican Convention was supposed to last from 2:30 til 10:00 pm, with a list of speakers from President Bush on down. Everything was changed because of Hurricane Gustov. Republican governors of Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas stayed home to manage the potential damage in their states. They were introduced by First Lady Laura Bush and appeared on closed circuit TV at the convention. Even President Bush and Vice President Chaney went to the Gulf States instead of the convention.
Steele gets moment in spotlight Former Republican Lt. Gov. Michael Steele's planned address at the Republican national Convention this evening provides an opportunity to spotlight a state political figure who helped end a Democratic lock on the Maryland governor's mansion.
The election of Robert Ehrlich as governor and Steele as lieutenant governor in 2002 ended 34 years of Democratic control of that office.
[…]
As a Republican in a heavily democratic state, Steele faces many challenges as he tries to advance through the party ranks. But his work as a partner to Ehrlich, and his work with the party since the 2006 election, put him in a class of up-and-comers that the party would do well to continue to encourage.
Andrew Breitbart, September 1, 2008 at the Republican National Convention Photo by Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net
September 1, 2008
On opening day of the Republican National Convention I took the opportunity to visit the print media news centers. They were large and complicated partitioned beehives of activity with what seemed to be miles of wires everywhere. When I stopped by the Washington Post news center, I found well-known blogger Andrew Breitbart (www.breitbart.com) and his business partner Larry Solov.
Mr. Breitbart was in make-up getting ready for a guest appearance on a Post news video… He was quite friendly and talkative and appeared to having the time of his life.
Tags: Convention, Style, Andrew Breitbart ST. PAUL—His name may sound unfamiliar, but Andrew Breitbart has built a career helping to create the Drudge Report and the Huffington Post, while also overseeing his own news-aggregation site breitbart.com—and becoming prominent in a largely underground movement of conservatives in Hollywood. Next week he plans to launch a new site (www.breitbart.com/bighollywood) that will give voice to this rogue community in the entertainment industry.
[…]
We had just left the National Review party and were headed to the National Journal party. At both events, the Los Angeles-based Mr. Breitbart, who is 39 and the father of four children, was the only person not wearing a blazer. “No matter how hard I try, I don’t fit in at these things.”
So he claims. Before we left, the pundit Jonah Goldberg accused him of being the most popular guy in the room.
At the National Journal party, publisher David Bradley was delighted to finally put a face to the name. “That’s Andrew Breitbart?” he exclaimed. Walking into the Weekly Standard party, a friend from L.A. greeted him. “Have you had a chance to take a shower yet?” joked Steve McEveety, who is Mel Gibson’s producing partner. Read the rest of the article here: Andrew Breitbart Loves a Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy
20080902 The Transom NY Observer Andrew Breitbart
20080901 Andrew Breitbart at the Republican National Convention
Yesterday the New York Times ran a front-page story by Elisabeth Bumiller that was riddled with factual errors. Among them was the assertion by Bumiller that Governor Palin "was a member for two years in the 1990s of the Alaska Independence Party." There was no evidence offered to support this statement, and as this campaign pointed out, it is untrue.
The information in the Times article was based on a statement issued Monday night by Lynette Clark, the party’s chairwoman, who said that Ms. Palin joined the party in 1994 and in 1996 changed her registration to Republican.
On Tuesday night, Ms. Clark said that her initial statement was incorrect and had been based on erroneous information provided by another member of the party whom she declined to identify.
Just to be clear, Bumiller asserted as fact what turns out to have been an "incorrect" statement by a single, unidentified source. Given that the story appeared on the front-page of this country's 'paper of record,' we might be forgiven for expecting a slightly more rigorous standard of reporting, yet Bumiller makes no apologies. Howard Kurtz reports in today's Washington Post:
Elisabeth Bumiller, the lead author of the Times report, said she is "completely confident about the story." As for the campaign's criticism, she said: "This is what they do. It's part of their operation."
She is completely confident in the word of a single source who has since retracted her claims? What kind of operation are the editors at the Times running?
20080902 NYT Bumiller stands story after paper retracts
Gazette reporter Sean Sedam holds court at the convention
September 2, 2008
For much of the convention Gazette Reporter Sean Sedum could be found holding court in the middle of the open-air atrium of the Embassy Suites – Downtown St. Paul.
It is reported that he could often be observed chatting with the ducks which lived in the ponds in the center of the atrium...
In the lower picture Mr. Sedam, lower center, could be seen, in this ducks-eye view from the eighth floor, slaving away at the keyboard – in search of a Wi-Fi signal…
Gazette reporter Sean Sedam holds court at the convention Monday September 1 2008 A day of deference by Sean Sedam Gazette reporter Sean Sedam will be reporting from the Republican National Convention all this week. Check this page regularly for updates.
Posted on the Gazette web site at 9:13 a.m. Sept. 2, 2008
Delegates convened at the Xcel Energy Center for three hours on Monday night [September 1, 2008] forgoing a roll call or primetime speakers in deference to the emergency weather roaring across the Gulf states.
President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard B. Cheney and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger were all bumped from the convention’s first day.
With eyes on Hurricane Gustav, opening day struck the right tone of "humility," said Carmen Amedori, a delegate from Carroll County who was a member of the House of Delegates from 1999 to 2004.
April Rose handles the administrative details for the Maryland delegation at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis St. Paul
September 1, 2008
This is the first national convention I have attended for either party; so perhaps I have nothing with which to compare my current experience here at the Republican National Convention.
Then again, maybe I could draw from experiences from past Maryland Municipal League conferences and other national conferences for my wife’s work. All of which are well organized.
The Republican National Convention and the coordination with the Minneapolis St. Paul city officials, appeared from my level of participation, to go like clockwork.
It was well organized and coordinated and everyone was very nice. There were reports that there were 10,000 volunteers for the event and every one of them was wonderfully pleasant.
I was especially impressed with how well the activities of the Maryland delegation were coordinated and organized. Much of the credit goes to Chris Cavey, Don Murphy, Justin Ready and Jim Pelura – and April Rose, from Carroll County, who seemed to handle the administrative details with extraordinary efficiency.
In the series of pictures above April Rose is handing out credentials and taking care of questions, requests, and other assorted administrative details. It seemed like she was everywhere – perhaps her twin was helping.
20080901 April Rose handles the administrative details
Many of the top-name speakers have cancelled their appearances at the convention due to the storm. President George W. Bush, who was supposed to speak Monday, will not be in attendance. We are told that the business of the day will be conducted on Monday, but we will be out of the Xcel Center by 5 p.m.
[…]
Del. Tony O’Donnell and I head back to Minneapolis for a premier of the movie “An American Carol,” a satire on certain ultra-liberal documentary films.
The main character was a filmmaker named Michael Malone, who was associated with the liberal advocacy group “Mooveahead.org” It starred Jon Voight, Kelsey Grammer and many other high-profile conservative actors, with a guest appearance by Bill O’Reilly. The release date is Oct. 3, and I urge all to make it a blockbuster sending the Hollywood elite a strong message on the possible unintended damage that can be inflicted by making films that strike to the heart of our servicemen and -women while at war.
Carmen Amedori, 52, is a resident of Westminster and was a state delegate representing Carroll County from 1998 to 2004, when she was appointed by then-Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. to serve on the Maryland Parole Commission.
A native of Baltimore and graduate of Villa Julie College, Amedori worked as a paralegal and journalist while raising two daughters, before entering the world of politics.
She was one of the few elected officials in Maryland who supported John McCain when he ran for president in 2000, and was an alternate delegate at that year's convention.
Her backing has not wavered, and this year, Amedori is the Western Maryland regional director for McCain. She has also been cleared to be a surrogate — meaning she has the blessing to speak on McCain’s behalf when called upon.
Art Movies An American Carol
20080901 A Message for Hollywood by Carmen Amedori
Opening Day at the Republican National Convention in the Xcel Center
September 1, 2008 photos by Kevin Dayhoff
On Monday, September 1, 2008, at the Republican National Convention at the Xcel Center in Minneapolis St. Paul in Minnesota, security was tight – but nevertheless, smooth and efficient – getting into the convention…
Once you got inside the Republican National Convention at Xcel Convention Center it was obvious that there 45,000 folks there. It was a veritable beehive of constant activity to the tune of the constant drone of talking…
Inside the convention center - as folks lurched from one stage of exhaustion to another, one of the more popular concessions, just to the inside of one of the main entrances at the beginning of radio row, was the coffee stand.
20080901 Opening Day at the RNC Xcel Convention Center
On opening day, I ran across one of the 10,000 volunteers, who was quite proud of her shoes. Everyone at the convention was extremely nice – even the security and the police officers.
Republican National Convention Breakfast Monday, September 1, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008 by Kevin Dayhoff
Today is the first day of a much more subdued convention than what many of us had anticipated before Hurricane Gustav decided to crash the party.
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Arizona Sen. John McCain essentially cancelled everything except some party – convention parliamentary business.
Most of the Maryland delegation to the Republican National Convention here in Minneapolis St Paul, Minnesota got together early Monday morning for breakfast some presentations and business and events organizational updates.
This was especially important this morning as everything is very fluid…
This morning Maryland state delegate and convention delegate Tony O’Donnell and former Maryland state delegate and convention delegate Carmen Amedori presented an update on discussions and deliberations on the Republican National Party platform.
The platform process was not scripted and was very open. They had a blog which received over 15,000 suggestions, including videos and songs. The process was live on C-span. It was also recorded by court reporters – one was from Maryland.
The platform was reduced to 20,000 words – from 40,000. The prior year is used as the starting point for the subsequent year.
In other news tidbits, several members of the Maryland delegation are veterans of many conventions. For Anne Arundel county executive John Leopold (and about 2 others…) … it is their 8th Republican National Convention.
Although I have not seen her, political activist Phyllis Schlafly is staying in this hotel. I had also heard that political commentator Pat Buchanan is also staying here. I have not seen him either.
Of course, one of the challenges with such a politically charged congregation of over 45,000 folks from all over the country is rumor control and sometimes, getting hard information requires having good connections and lots of gumshoe detective work.
They expect some protestors in the convention hall. The suggested process is to outshout the protestors. Mr. Louis Pope, national committeeman, remembers the last convention in which a woman starting shouting anti-war slogans during President Bush’s speech – the crowd started yelling “4 more years.”
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the vice presidential running mate announced last Friday, has re-invigorated the campaign. $5 million in new donations were received this weekend. MoveOn.org has lots of comments meant to be negative about Sarah Palin. They seem pretty positive to us. Of course, I have followed Governor Palin’s career for a number of years. As a fellow journalist who has also switched back and forth of the keyboard (an elected official whose profession is writing…) one of the very first things that caught my attention is that she has a degree in journalism.
… The assistant minority leader in House of Representatives for Minnesota – Laura Brod, also spoke this morning.
Next stop later in the morning is a luncheon reception at “Circus Juventas:” www.circusjuventas.org.
Caroline Babylon contributed to this article.
20080901 Convention Breakfast Monday, September 1, 2008
Aided by informants planted in protest groups, authorities raided at least six buildings across St. Paul and Minneapolis to stop an "anarchist" plan to disrupt this week's Republican National Convention.
From Friday night through Saturday afternoon, officers surrounded houses, broke down doors, handcuffed scores of people and confiscated suspected tools of civil disobedience.
The show of force was led by the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office in collaboration with the FBI, Minneapolis and St. Paul police, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and other agencies.
But a St. Paul City Council member described it as excessive, while activists, many of whom were detained and then released without charges, called it intimidation designed to quash free speech.
At least five suspected leaders of the RNC Welcoming Committee, a self-described anarchist group, were taken to the Hennepin County jail, and another was being sought, said Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher.
On Saturday afternoon, he displayed a number of the confiscated items: a gun, throwing knives, a bow and arrows, flammable liquids, paint, slingshots, rocks and buckets of urine.
[…]
"This is not the way to start things off," St. Paul City Council Member Dave Thune said Saturday morning. "This is sending the wrong message. Regardless of how you feel about these people ... they had a right to be there."
[…]
Fletcher said the RNC Welcoming Committee is "a criminal enterprise made up of 35 self-described anarchists ... intent on committing criminal acts before and during the Republican National Convention.
"These acts include tactics to blockade and disable delegate buses, breaching venue security and injuring police officers," Fletcher said.
The Minneapolis Convention Center for “A Minnesota Red Carpet Extravaganza” called “Civic Fest”
August 31, 2008 by Kevin Dayhoff
Pictures of the Minneapolis Convention Center event: “A Minnesota Red Carpet Extravaganza” called “Civic Fest,” at the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis St. Paul, Minnesota.
This was a wonderful occasion. Lots of great exhibits and nice people…
20080831 The Minneapolis Convention Center for “A Minnesota Red Carpet Extravaganza” called “Civic Fest”
Shortly after we arrived in St. Paul, one of the fist things we did was travel over to the Minneapolis Convention Center for “A Minnesota Red Carpet Extravaganza” called “Civic Fest.”
I was happy to see the Gazette’s Sean Sedam there. The last time I saw him was at the Tawes annual clambake in Crisfield Maryland.
He said that he is also going to blogging and writing about events this week at the Republican National Convention. Find his coverage here:
With Hurricane Gustav about to slam into the Gulf Coast, the GOP is making drastic changes to the convention, which is slated to start here tomorrow.
John McCain addressed the press via satellite from St. Louis where he is campaigning today and was joined by RNC chairman Mike Duncan and McCain campaign manager Rick Davis. The convention will not be canceled or postponed, but there will be serious changes starting with Day One of the convention. Instead of a whole evening of speakers praising their almost-nominee and hitting Barack Obama tomorrow’s events will be abbreviated. McCain said it was “a time for action” and convention-goers should take off their “Republican hats” and put on their “American hats” to bring the country together while Gustav wreaks havoc on the Gulf coast, “This is a time when we have to do away with our party politics and we have to act as Americans. We have to join with 3 million other Americans on behalf of our fellow citizens. It’s a time for actions.”
Davis said that each day’s convention activities would be announced that day and he did not talk about specifics for later in the week. Tomorrow the convention will open at 3pm central time, but it will only consist of “essential business” which includes electing officers, adopting the Party rules and the Party platform and it is expected to conclude around 5:30 pm.
By Amy Hollyfield Published on Friday, August 29th, 2008 at 06:55 p.m.
SUMMARY: John McCain's surprising choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential nominee gives PolitiFact a fresh face. We start by digging into her resume.
John McCain ended his veepstakes Aug. 29, 2008, by selecting Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. The 44-year-old first-term governor is the mother of five and a far cry from a Washington insider.
"She's exactly who I need. She's exactly who this country needs to help me fight the same old Washington politics of 'Me first and country second,' " McCain said, introducing Palin at a rally in Dayton, Ohio.
McCain could have done us a favor by picking Mitt Romney, whose many attacks on McCain during the Republican presidential primary kept us busy. But we're happy to welcome Palin to the Truth-O-Meter. In Dayton, she introduced herself to the crowd and we got started fact-checking. Here are two claims we checked:
Don Murphy welcomes the Maryland delegation to the RNC
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Shortly after we arrived at the Embassy Suites St. Paul - Downtown (175 East 10th Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States 55101 Tel: 1-651-224-5400 Fax: 1-651-224-0957;)-former Maryland delegate – and chair of the Maryland delegation to the RNC gave us a warm welcome. And a few instructions before we headed over to the Minneapolis Convention Center for activities, touring the vendors and displays, some food and a delegation picture.
20080831 Don Murphy welcomes the Maryland delegation to the RNC
Flying out to St. Paul Minnesota to cover the Republican National Convention
(c) Kevin Dayhoff
3:37 PM EST Sunday August 31 2008
It’s Sunday August 31, 2008 and my wife and I are celebrating our 12th wedding anniversary by flying out to Saint Paul, Minnesota for the Republican National Convention.
That is, of course, if the convention takes place. It appears that Mother Nature may have a say about that… I haven’t had the time to get a weather report today. However all indications are that Hurricane Gustav will making landfall to the west of New Orleans sometime on Monday.
Depending of the strength and severity of the storm and any resulting damage - - it will not be appropriate for presidential candidates to be partying on dry land far from harm’s way.
So, we’ll see.
I’m attempting to work on an airplane and I’m not finding it easy. I swear that it was easier – either years ago or when I was younger. I wonder which?
I’m flying Northwest and when we checked in we discovered that there was a $15.00 per bag fee for our luggage, which took us by surprise. I sure hope that I can later reflect upon the newly initiated luggage fee as an insurance policy so that we don’t land, after a two-hour flight, in Minneapolis St. Paul and our luggage lands in Singapore or Pyongyang, Korea.
Our A319 plane is full. Does “A319” mean that this is an “Airbus?”
Of course. For whatever reason, it seems that whenever my wife and fly anywhere, we always sit behind really important people who simply must recline their seat as far back as possible so that the headrest of the seat ahead of me is resting upon my chin.
Oh joy.
A colleague, who had attended the Democrat National Convention, blogged the event. I’ll be curious if I will be able to do that for the Republican National Convention, in the next several days. A quick review of the schedule reveals only a begrudging moment or two for a minimum amount of sleep and non-stop activity throughout everyday.
And speaking of sleeping; that is how, for now, I will attempt to Zen the remaining hour of this flight.
4:05 PM EST
20080831 Flying to St Paul Minnesota Sunday August 31 2008
At a recent meeting of the Westminster Common Council, it was announced that Councilman Greg Pecoraro will chair another Pennsylvania Avenue initiative, and that Councilwoman Suzanne Albert will serve as vice-chair.
You may recall it was on Sept. 18, 2002, that a previous Pennsylvania Avenue committee announced its findings.
Previously, there had been a number of community-based initiatives to address crime on Pennsylvania Avenue; which had started to become a matter of heightened public discussion in 1999.
One of the immediate impetuses to form the 2002 initiative was the February 2002 groundbreaking for the Carroll Arts Center. At the time, there was enthusiasm to unleash market forces on Pennsylvania Avenue and extend the Westminster business footprint back to the area by encouraging art and cultural venues and businesses.
The 2002 Pennsylvania Avenue initiative resulted in an extensive set of recommendations pertaining to various ways government could stimulate revitalization of this critical area of town. The recommendations addressed public safety, housing and economic development opportunities. It included changing the zoning of the area to open it up to art studios, professional offices, coffee shops, barber shops and beauty parlors and the like.
In short, it aimed to restore the area to what it looked like -- and what made the area of town successful -- before the disastrous November 1979 decision by the then-Westminster mayor and council to rezone this thriving business section of town to strictly residential.
Prior to 1979, Pennsylvania Avenue looked like East Main Street, with a successful mix of residential and business uses of property. Almost 30 years later, East Main is flourishing with art shops, coffee houses, professional offices, and residential housing -- mixed together in an approach that looks like a traditional town in the 1800s and 1900s. It looks like the very recipe of property uses that made Westminster great.
Most, but not all, of the 2002 committee recommendations were adopted. However, the one proposal recognized as the best long-range systemic solution -- economic development -- never materialized.
As a result, since then, even more opportunities have been lost as constraints in water supply have stopped almost all economic development in Westminster. However, if rezoning efforts had been in place, adaptive reuse of properties on Pennsylvania Avenue could have presented wonderful opportunities for Westminster (because a property's existing water allocation could have been transferred).
Providing Pennsylvania Avenue property owners with the opportunities currently available to East Main Street would give owners alternatives in land use that they have been denied since November 1979.
How we treat an area that needs attention says a great deal about who we are as a community. And one of the best solutions to our budget problems is expanding our business footprint and the commercial tax base.
I recently spoke with Pecoraro, who is considered by many as a national authority on urban planning and public policy analysis. He says he has an open mind on the solutions for Pennsylvania Avenue, and emphasized that he wants to hear from citizens and explore any option that may help.
"I've put a great deal of thought into it. I want to build upon our successes; (and) be honest about what did not work," Pecoraro said.
The time has come to take a fresh look at the job creation and business opportunities on Pennsylvania Avenue. After many years, problems persist. It's time to try a different approach. The stakes are high for all of Westminster.
Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. E-mail him at kdayhoff@carr.org.
20080827 WE Economic development will revitalize PA Avenue weked
About 40 years ago, an upstart family with an upstart painting business was visiting Westminster for work. Commissioned by the Westminster Bank and Trust Co. to create three paintings, the artist did his work, then left the city and hasn’t returned.
The artist, Cedric Egeli, painted the scene at Westminster City Hall, McDaniel’s Big Baker Chapel and the Carroll County’s Court House.
And now, Egeli’s work was recently donated to the city and will be prominently displayed at McDaniel College, in the county offices and in City Hall.
Capt. Gerry Frischkorn of the Westminster Police Department discovered the paintings about two weeks ago and he found out they were among the furnishings that were getting replaced at the old Westminster Union bank building on 117 E. Main St.
PNC acquired Mercantile Bank in 2007, which owned Westminster Union, and has since turned the building into a PNC location.
Instead of letting them sit around outside the offices of the building anymore, Frischkorn persuaded the bank to donate them to the city.
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