Lt. Gov. Garamendi Headlines Democratic Rally at UC Davis

On Thursday afternoon, four leaders in Democratic politics in this region and this state came to the UC Davis campus in Freeborn Plaza for a campaign rally. There were approximately 150 students who ended listening to the speeches from these four leaders.

The event was organized by the Davis College Democrats--Don Gibson, the President,;Brandon Craig, the Vice President; and Jack Zwald were some of the many key organizers and also introduced several of the main speakers.

The headliner was Lt. Governor John Garamendi, who is going to be one of the Democratic candidate in 2010 for the Governor. Also there were two legislative candidates in Davis and Yolo County--Mariko Yamada who is running as the Democratic nominee for the 8th Assembly District and Lois Wolk who is running as the Democratic nominee for the 5th Senate District in a heated battled against Republican Greg Aghazarian. Finally, Bill Camp, head of the Sacramento Central Labor Council.

John Garamendi gave an impassioned and fiery speech attacking John McCain, Sarah Palin, the Republicans, talking about education and the state budget.

The Lt. Governor began generally:

"We are one month away from one of the most important elections that we have had in a generation, your generation. This is about you Davis students, this is about your future. It is about how this nation is going to represent itself across the world. Whether we are going to continue with the war in Iraq, whether we are actually going to finally deal with the terrorists that attacked this country, or whether we are going to be diverted on a false war brought to us on false premises, by a false president."

Garamendi then talked about Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin:

"There is a debate tonight. Oh come now. It is important who the Vice President is. You look back on the recent history of this nation and it is common that the Vice President becomes the President. This is about the Presidency. This is about who could become President and tonight we are going to see a defining moment in this election... When a person makes a choice about who they choose to be their successor, which is what happens when you choose the Vice Presidential candidate, you're making a statement about your values as President. You're making a statement about how you perceive this nation's future. There's difference here, Barack Obama made a choice, and he reached back to a very successful, well experienced individual who understands foreign policy, who understands the nature of public policy in the United States, whether it's the economy, social, economic issues, environmental issues, international issues... And he chose Joe Biden. A man with experience in the issues of this nation. A man with experience in the issues of the world. Solid. Knowledgeable. Capable of being President. It tells you about the way in which the next President thinks."

"Now at the Republican Convention, McCain came up with a surprise. You draw your own conclusions here. I drew mine. Experience--limited. Knowledge--watch TV. Go to youtube. It's there to be seen. Ability to debate--we'll find out tonight. Ability to be President... oh no we're not talking about Palin, we're talking about McCain making one of the most fundamental decisions that a President must make. That is to choose somebody who could become President at any moment. This is not an academic exercise, this is not about learning. This is about John McCain and how he thinks. Ultimately it's about governing."

Garamendi then talked about the bailout Bill:

"Wall Street walked away with tens of billions of dollars and left mom and pop in Davis and Stockton with mortgages that they couldn't possibly pay, this is time for a change. This afternoon, Congress will vote on a bailout bill. Fortunately the Democrats stood up to the President, to Secretary of the Treasury Paulson, and said wait a minute, enough already for the high and the mighty. We want this bill to at least have something for the homeowners, for main street, for the men and women out there that are losing their jobs, losing their homes, they did the best they could. It's a much improved bill. It's not the one I would like to see. But it's the one we need... But do not forget the policy that the Republican administration and the Republican congress brought before the American people. They brought a policy that once again took care of their friends at the top.

"Some people want to say this is economic class warfare, and the answer is that's exactly what they have done to the American public is to create an economic class war because they have made the wealthy, wealthier and the poor and the working men and women, poorer. And it is time for a change and we're going to do that."

Garamendi then talked about the California Budget deal.

"Here in California, this is the worst budget in all of my years dating back to 1974. The worst budget ever was signed by the Governor. And in the process of signing it, he made even worse. He took out his veto pen and he took $500 million away from the poor, from the elderly, from the disabled, and from those who depend upon the public sector for their basic health care and indeed their livelihood and lives. It was mean spirited and it was wrong.

"That budget also had another problem, and it's right here on this campus, just to keep pace, with the number of students that come to the campuses of the University of California and inflation, we needed $300 million more. Not to add, not to enhance, not to provide the classes so that you can graduate in four years rather than five or six, but to simply keep pace. The budget is $200 million short of that and of that $100 million that was added, you the students throughout the university campuses, you paid $130 million of that amount of money. It is wrong and I'm telling you we have got to stop it. We must stop it now.

"The great California society and education was built on a free public education at every level, K through 12, the community colleges, the University of California, the State University System, and it is rapidly disappearing because of some wrongheaded policies and total lack of history of California. A free public education no longer exists in California. The taxes that were increased in this budget were minuscule except for one... The single biggest tax increase was a tax on students. It is called a fee indirectly because it is nothing but a very direct tax on students."

"Some of you are studying government, some of you are studying economics, I want you to study a particularly stupid tax. When you tax students you have done something incredibly stupid. President Yudoff, you've listened to me and I want you to listen right now, NO MORE STUDENT FEE INCREASES. Not in this budget. Not in the next budget. And not in the budgets ahead. Because you will deny access to the students who will build the California economy in the future, who will be the teachers, who will be the engineers, who will be the researchers. Stop it! Stop it now! No more tax on students."

"Study the history of California. Study how this state became the 7th wealthiest economy in the world. It was done with the best education system in the world. We are not there today... You cannot do it on the cheap. Starve the education system and you will starve the future of California. And we are well on the way to slow starvation diet today. In 1990, the state, the economy of California, the people of California supported the University of California students to a tune of $15,000 per student. Last year, the people of California, the economy, the seventh largest economy in the world, supported the students at the University of California at a rate of $10,000 per student. A full one-third decrease in the support that the people of California provided to the students who will be the future economy. That is stupid economy policy. That is bad tax policy. And I want every student, on every campus, to rise up and say, enough already. We will not have this anymore, we understand the history of this great state. We know that when the wealth of this great state is spent on the future generations, that economic wealth occurs along with social justice."

Bill Camp was the first speaker. He urged people to put elect Mariko Yamada to the State Assembly and Lois Wolk to the State Senate. He said he was a strong supporter of Mariko Yamada, candidate for the State Assembly, but Lois Wolk is the one now who faces the tough challenge.

"Lois Wolk will be a fighter because she's from Davis. You put her in the State Senate and she'll make sure that everyone that comes in to be a regent respects you and respects your educational opportunity. You want to do something about the misuse of power by Arnold Schwartzenegger and the UC Regents, you get Lois Wolk elected. She's the one who will be your voice and fighter."

Bill Camp told the students that he talks to people in Honduras and all around the world, and everyone is watching this election. He told the students, "It is you who can turn the world around." He emphasized how important this election was to this country and this world. "I beg you to be a part of this Democratic process, to be the champion to lead this nation."

Assembly Candidate Mariko Yamada was introduced by former Davis School Board Candidate and Vice Chair of the Yolo County Democratic Central Committee Bob Schelen as an underdog who won the nomination and a fighter for the values of the underdogs.

Yamada told the crowd:

"It was a very very tough and grueling primary that we came through. Yes, we were the underdogs. But we went direct to the people with our message. It goes to show you that all the money and all the hype in the world, does not replace good old fashioned hard work, effort, and connecting directly with the voters. And that's what this theme is today. Just what brother Bill Camp just said, the whole world is watching us..."

Finally Senate Candidate Lois Wolk addressed the crowd. She attacked her opponent, Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian and Assembly Republicans.

"I am running in the Senate, as you've heard, against someone who won't even mention the fact that he's a Republican. He won't mention his party. He's not proud he's a Republican. He never mentions it and I understand why. In the Assembly, the Republicans and my opponent have opposed some very interesting bills.

They have opposed the successful effort to ban lead from children's candy. Think about that for a minute. The Governor, a Republican, signed that bill.

They have opposed cleaning up the polluted air in the valley. One in four children takes an inhaler to school. Think about that.

They have opposed most recently the effort to clean up the shoddy mortgage broker practices that have been occurring in this state. Think about that in a Senate district that is probably number one in terms of foreclosures.

They and my opponent have opposed flood protection for homeowners in the Central Valley--an area that floods all too commonly.

And they voted against protecting seniors from those whose caregivers would steal their money.

That's why Republicans are running away from being Republicans."

Wolk faces a tough challenge for the Senate seat left open by termed out Senator Mike Machado. It is a district that has a 15 point Democratic advantage, but it is one of just two open and targeted seats by the Republicans who are pumping in millions in support of Assemblyman Aghazarian. Mariko Yamada faces an easier challenge in the heavily Democratic 8th Assembly District that encompasses Yolo and East Solano County.

Lt. Governor John Garamendi announced this summer he will run for the Governorship. He ran back in 1994 but lost to then State Controller Kathleen Brown. Some of the possible opposition are San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome, Los Angeles Mayor and Former Speaker of the Assembly Antonio Villaraigosa, Attorney General and Former Governor Jerry Brown, and possibly State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell. That would be in 2010.

In the meantime, the Presidential race and the legislative races are focal points in this area. Democrats are relying heavily on strong student turnout for Barack Obama and a host of other issues.

---Doug Paul Davis reporting

Vanguard Coverage of the DNC: Night Four

The Vanguard is primarily a blog that covers local politics and local government issues. However, there is no denying the fact that much of the world will be focused on the Democratic National Convention next week. So we have asked Don Gibson, a UC Davis Student who is President of College Democrats and an elected Hillary Clinton Delegate to the Democratic National Convention to write about his experiences at the Democratic Convention in Denver, Colorado.

by Don Gibson

The reason for the late post, I am still coming down from the moon which Obama's speech. This flight is the first free time today from running around to the airport and the after speech celebrations. Blogging from 20,000 feet in the air is a first for me.

To put is simply, it was one of if not the best moment of my life. Being in that stadium, 10 rows away from the next President of the United States, sitting next to the state Democratic leadership, and toping all the energy off with fireworks is hard to even begin to write about.

I was living history. The 80,000 fellow people citizens in the stands and the 4,000 delegates were overcome with a feeling of hope that our nation's problems might be fixed for once in the last decade. The feeling that this man is a true leader came over me and all of my fellow Clinton delegates. We are now in love with Obama. It was everything we expected and more. He helped rally all of us to not only vote but campaign for him this election season.

Obama finally did the bio speech that laid out his upbringing. His family, growing up on government programs such as the GI Bill and food stamps, helped bring him where he is today. He moved to relate his experience with every American. He was packaging himself of those always courted swing voters with his background of strong values and upbringing.

Then he slammed McCain's positions. Telling McCain that he needs to actually go after Osama in Afghanistan as opposed to keeping troops in Iraq; helped alarm voters who think that McCain will keep the people safe. These attacks need to be done and many of us are happy that it is happening. It is scary that a man that actually wants to continue the policies of the Bush Administration has a decent chance of actually winning the White House. The 90% voting record with Bush is what should be in the minds of every undecided voter and ask them whether that judgment is the right leader we need.

Obama staid on message like always while going into policy during the speech which I have though is something he needs to do. Obama will lower taxes for 95% of Americans while McCain will keep Bush's tax cuts which he himself voted against twice. John McCain more of the same and Obama will bring change is the theme of this election. It maybe sticking because John Kerry did not have those slogans everyone knew and he lost.

The standing ovation after Obama's speech had such energy from the floor that I wish they could win an election just by a cheering crowd. Although there weren't any balloons (my only disappointment of the entire convention) the fireworks made everyone go crazy. It even caught Michelle Obama off guard but seeing she jump once the big ones went off. The fireworks were the icing on the cake that made a historical moment end of a bang.

The stadium had acted as if the Broncos were on the goal line, 4th down with 5 seconds left on the clock to score the winning touchdown.

I have yet to hear from a fellow delegate on the floor who was not touched or inspired to work for this man.

Outside after the speech was all over that close to 100,000 people jumped onto the buses and light rail. No one really cared that it took up to three hours in my case to catch a bus. We were in a state of awe and wonder.

Saying that Obama overshadowed all speakers would be true a huge understatement. We had over a dozen retired US Generals come out and tell McCain he has the wrong policy on the war while Obama wants to get the terrorist where they actually are. These people would make for great surrogates. Then the average Americans came out, many of them claiming to be former republicans gave McCain a strong attack that is hard to refute.

The only one who came close to clearing the way was Al Gore's speech. Not allowing our country be destroyed by climate change and owning up to our responsibility for future generations. Thank you Al Gore for speaking to your issue! I want to not have killer heat waves and Napa wine to still be good in 50 years. To think, that he was only 500 votes away from wining the presidency, that amount of campaign work can be done with a few people devoting their weekend to knock on doors or call. The would could have completely changed if my friends and I went out and campaigned. This is why I am in politics. Watching MSNBC or CNN or Fox News all day is fun and all but if you are angry at the current path of our nation, then go and do something about it. I feel bad for the people who say my vote doesn't count. Luckily young people no longer think that. Many of us remember Florida and almost no one my age likes Bush. The young voters, if targeted and reached out by campaigns will not only campaign but vote in a block two-thirds for Democrats.

Being a delegate provides such a status level that I had no clue about it until being there. It does not mean I will change any policy but I did cast one of the votes that was the deciding way in choosing the next nominee for the Democratic Party.

This is why I am proud to be a Democrat. They offer the ability for young activist who can register thousands of voters and change elections, the ability to directly shape the future of our nation. I do not know if the Republicans have 11% of their delegates under the age of 30 but we are representative of all members of the party, not just county chairs.

Thanks to DPD for allowing me to post this even though I may have been out too late parting.

Vanguard Coverage of the DNC: Night Three

And Barack Obama is officially the Democratic nominee for the Democratic Party of the United States of America. Hillary Clinton and the New York delegation proudly asked to nominate Obama by acclamation after half of the states have placed their votes. Today was a great sign that no one in leadership is bitter. Hillary initiated the vote for Obama.

I did vote for Senator Clinton because I was elected by my fellow supporters to vote for her. It was not easy for me to choose. Many other pledged delegates for Clinton ended up voting for Obama. I did not vote in the convention hall but in the registration desk during breakfast.

Behind the scenes there were a few mistakes in the votes. Arkansas which voted for Hillary around 70% placed all of their votes unanimously for Obama. But at least 3 delegates voted for Hillary. California, after the grandiose speech about how great the state is, the party chair, was forced to pass as opposed to voting. Apparently they wanted to get all of the votes in before they placed their mark down.

John Kerry, that boring senator from New England was not there; the candidate that everyone wanted him to be in 2004 came out and tore into John McCain. Kerry's theme was McCain has a reckless foreign policy which will further needlessly harm our troops. If John McCain got elected I am generally fearful that wars with other nations will continue.

Candidate McCain, the new label for McCain, is what is being driven home. With retired generals coming out strong for Obama, it shows that the wanna-be general McCain would lead us down the wrong path. A shocking scene was with Major Duckworth who was shot down in her helicopter gave a powerful and moving speech about Obama's supporting our troops when they are home. It really came full circle when she walked away from the podium showing her two prosthetic legs.

There is no question that party unity is getting done here. Bill Clinton's style of capturing everyone's attention the room and holding it for 20 minutes was at its best that night. He had three minutes of a standing ovation from the crowd as he walked in. This beat Hillary's two minutes of applause. Worries that Bill Clinton's image is tarnished do not seem to hold true because of the delegates going wild when he spoke. He told the arena to "please stop it, please sit down" but all of us would not listen.

Bill Clinton reminded us why we are all in love with him with his speech. With a crowd going crazy, his speech was filled with moments where the crowd would have cheered for minutes straight. He was filled with quotable moments such as "I am here, first, to support Barack Obama" and "the Republicans said I was too young and too inexperienced to be Commander in Chief. Sound familiar?"

Too bad he could not have been elected for a third term.

Biden's cheering entrance helped show that everyone is onboard with this experienced man. Biden as common with most vice presidential candidates is the attack dog and Biden shined at it. He talked pocket book issues that affect every American. The new theme will be "Barack Obama was right, John McCain was wrong" This will resonate with everyone because of the Iraq War and McCain denouncing his legislation that he drafted himself. Democrats will throw back right at McCain changed his policy. It is sad that the "Maverick" has completely changed the policy once that he started running for president. He now votes around 90% of the time with Bush and we all seen where that has taken our nation. Attacks on McCain are beginning to get harsh against him and will ramp up continuously. But we all know that the attacks on Obama will be even harsher because they know that it is one of the few ways that they could win. People maybe are tired of the personal attacks but they have proven to work.

The main stream media did not find the conflict that they were looking for. Out of those PUMA's in the crowd, the media will only interview the one or two in the entire California delegation of 441 delegates who feel that way. I did not see any actions today beyond interviews here and there today. Hillary clearly calmed the radicals down.

On other convention activities, Ariana Huffington spoke to New Democrats Network (NDN) about the new media such as blogs and her online site. I have come to realize through her speech and the way I have been seeing the cameras focus on that 1% that the main stream media has lost its way. It should be about finding the truth not both sides of the story. It is not through the left side of the argument and the right side of the argument that reality is always found in the middle. Sometimes one side is so wrong, they do not even deserve airtime, such as 9-11 conspiracy theorists to one extreme and global warming deniers on the lesser extreme.

Before I forget the California delegation party was at this great museum in Denver where I got to meet CA Secretary of State Debra Bowen !

Vanguard Coverage of the DNC: Night One and Night Two

The Vanguard is primarily a blog that covers local politics and local government issues. However, there is no denying the fact that much of the world will be focused on the Democratic National Convention next week. So we have asked Don Gibson, a UC Davis Student who is President of College Democrats and an elected Hillary Clinton Delegate to the Democratic National Convention to write about his experiences at the Democratic Convention in Denver, Colorado.

Please note: due to technical problems, we were unable to post yesterday's entry, so today we have Monday and Tuesday Night's coverage

Monday Night

Michelle Obama gave one of the best speeches I have ever seen. Her speech about her husband's values was an incredibly honest description of who is he. The best thing about the speech was her style of presenting it. She spoke in a perfect mixture of calmness shielding powerful emotion. The most fun part was when Obama came in over the television link and his kids came out. I am still in a state of amazement on how great that speech was. The only way I could compare it to my universe was like seeing the Oakland Raiders win the Super Bowl in person.

Yesterday's speeches were all about getting to know who Obama is. It is working and I have been learning so much about this man.

The tribute to Edward Kennedy was a historic speech. It is likely to be Kennedy's last convention speech and a powerful statement from him now and his past. Giving every American health care is a passion and Obama is the person who could lead the way in actually doing that. His words wring strong in his passion for public service and his great legislative successes.

Media from all over was at the Pepsi Center and Al Jazera was under a seat of my friend.

The significance of being a delegate is becoming clear to me now and why people spend thousands of dollars for this experience. Sitting next to the states biggest leaders while waving signs all united for a common cause is a powerful feeling. There are only 441 delegates from the biggest state with nearing 40 million people. The rate is near 1 in 100,000 people living in the state. The green floor pass that was given to us is practically a magical ticket that lets you get into all but the most exclusive parts. We are able to avoid security for the Denver Convention Center. It is so important that people do not lose their passes because they are very strict about not replacing lost passes. These passes just look like the run of the mill tickets but they have little sensors within them that are actively scanned when people go into the Pepsi Center. On the rumor mill, they are actively tracking the delegates and where they go, I personally doubt that they are doing that because of the cost and lack of need.

The convention has almost 3 levels of security. The first one is getting onto the charter bus with the police officer. Then after the 45 minute to hour ride, delegates need to go through metal detectors, then before walking in the door of there is a final check before walking in the Pepsi Center. The final is before which section of the stands you go to, you need to show the pass again. There is more then one person I know who is trying to sneak into the good seats but it does not look easy for them.

The protesters are well hidden. At least the ones who want to do marches, I have only seen them once. I heard the police shut down the street my hotel was on because of a intense protest where tear gas was shot but since I rarely can access the internet or watch TV to double check this. The bus ride took along time to get to the Pepsi Center and my assumption is that they wanted us to avoid the protesters outside of the center. They have kept us very isolated between the protesters up until today.

That brings me to PUMA (Party Unity My Ass). There was little visible tension, just one or two unorganized people standing on a corner is what I have been used to seeing. Today at the state delegation breakfast Gloria Allred, who won election to be a delegate, is the person who started trouble.

It first was with people walking into the hall where speeches and breakfast is served. When people were taking the tickets a few of the PUMAs were passing out white ribbon for people to tie around their wrists. It was first told to some people that it was to show support for woman's suffrage but it was really for Gloria's media grab. Out of the 441 delegates there maybe only three that is actively undermining the normal activities. A smart delegate took the literature and tore it up right in front of one of the PUMA! And then a person next to them did the same. Their stunt is saying that they are "gagged" and not giving Hillary a voice even though her name will be on the ballot. The bad thing about this is that as I have been saying all along, the vast majority of activists are on board while only a few people hog all the media which loves controversy.

On the better side of things Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi has been reaching out to the Young Delegates at the convention. He sat down with 25 of us for an hour to talk about what our issues are. He is the only person, that I know of, offering to sit down with all of us while we are at convention.

Tuesday Night

Hillary Clinton just proved today why she inspired millions of Americans. The grand speech she gave reaffirmed the support that she garnered from her years of public service. Before she started speaking today, she had 2 minutes of a standing ovation to her. Her speech would not have brought in every PUMA supporter but it effectually convinced all of the iffy supporters to vote and campaign for Obama. My Mom who supported Obama in the primaries was cheering and clapping watching her rally the crowd. All of the hardcore Clintonites that I personally know were more then wooed over. These people were not only reaffirmed their love for Senator Clinton but were moved beyond the bitterness of the primary. The beauty of it was that she played to her reasons of her supporters while taking in those unsure of the support.

My friend and die hard Clinton supporter John Vigna said "So tonight, Hillary elected Barack Obama". He is right. I do not have any more significant qualms about voting for Senator Obama.

The two other speakers that really stood out to me were Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer. Dennis Kucinich has the spirit of the flaming liberal in all of the delegates there. He speaks to that part of our mind that wants to get out and do huge social change and reform. It is not a view that would win an election across the country but is something that all progressive's have. It helps keep that liberal side of the Democratic Party true to their roots by having a presidential candidate represent that 20% to 30% of the party that wants huge change. It helps keeps the Democrats in touch with their hardcore base. It was by far the most impassioned speech I have seen by the representative from Ohio with emotion and passion flaring through. Governor Schweitzer has the populist style that shined in the crowd of cheering supporters. He by far outshined the keynoter Former Gov. Warner from Virginia. The speech that Schweitzer gave spoke to true American values that resonate in America. He walked all around the podium which helped show his great emotion and passionate speech. In my book, he should have been the keynoter.

Today I was a whip for the California Democratic Delegation. If you noticed in any of the shots, we were the ones in the neon vests. We had the pleasure of directing traffic and telling elected officials that they need to keep moving in the hallway. There was more then one time that I wanted to tell someone that they needed to move but I thought, he or she represents over 600,000 people, I am just going to let everyone else figure it out.

There were over six different sign changes. For the whips on the floor, it hell to figure out what goes when and where. Because of the rapid fire succession of the changes in the signs with the moderate democrats, such as Governor Sebelius of Kansas and Senator Bob Casey Jr. of Pennsylvania, we had to have the right signs waving at the right moments. It did not run smoothly. Many of us were picked up at the last few hours before the start of ceremonies. I had the pleasure of doing whatever needed to be done at the moment such as clearing out the hallway or passing out the latest sign. The whips are what ensure that the choreographed event goes off like it should. I knew what I was supposed to be doing at the convention hall but not the people attending.

There were far too many people who were not elected delegates that snuck in with their spouse or other they of pass. It was also my job to tell them that they should not be doing that. It was tough telling someone "I am sorry that you and your husband have been sitting together for the last 2 hours but elected delegates worked very hard to get here and you are taking their spot." Being a bouncer is not on a career path right now.

Tomorrow Bill Clinton, I have seen him speak 2 times before and have always been awestruck. Then VP candidate Biden will also be speaking. I am looking forward to jokes by him about McCain in the same fashion of Hillary's. Tomorrow I hope all of the PUMA's sleep in and do not cause a ruckus at the roll call vote which may of us are not sure how it will work. I was elected to vote for Hillary and that is what I plan on doing. I do not see anything that will change my vote as of now. Hillary had her light in the sun and the American people listened. Obama may have just won the election because of this amazing woman.

Vanguard Coverage of the DNC: Day Four in Denver

The Vanguard is primarily a blog that covers local politics and local government issues. However, there is no denying the fact that much of the world will be focused on the Democratic National Convention next week. So we have asked Don Gibson, a UC Davis Student who is President of College Democrats and an elected Hillary Clinton Delegate to the Democratic National Convention to write about his experiences at the Democratic Convention in Denver, Colorado. Here is his fourth report.

by DON GIBSON

The convention activities have just begun today. I moved into the Sheraton where its lobby has all of the important people in California and New York walking through. I bumped into Mayor Gavin Newsome, vice chair of the California Democratic Party Alex Rooker, and campaign adviser Bob Mulholland. This is the place where all of the action is happening. Even though the Pepsi Center is what everyone envisions as the epicenter, the Sheraton has such a large amount of energy that the media does not seem to cover. The press is setting up to find the thoughts of delegates here at this hotel.

The media is trying to find controversy. I had two television interviews today, one for KCRA 3 in Sacramento and another for ABC 7 in Los Angeles. Both of the reporters looked for controversy between Clinton and Obama supporters where I had to talk about how to unite the party. They tried to ask leading questions to have me or other delegates to say something like "I want Clinton to be the nominee" or "Obama is unfit to lead". The views of the vast majority of activist are that those are flat wrong. I did learn something about the media today; political talking points don't work for them when you are on TV as a young delegate.

Sponsoring the delegates has become a tradition. An experienced democratic activist told me to bring a spare bag for all of the junk that I will be getting for free. He is right! I got two full conventions bags as I registered to be a delegate. I have received over 50 labeled really random things from different corporations, lobbying groups, and people campaigning for office. There was so much stuff that it covered my entire bed as you can see in the photos. The best thing I got was the wine glass from Lt. Governor John Garamendi. The oddest thing has to be the bobblehead for Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The most useful thing is the USB drive from California Treasure Bill Lockyer. The coolest things to find will be the Obama-Biden buttons and signs but they have yet to be given to us.

Denver's atmosphere is completely changed from just a day ago. The police are not only out in force but they have assault rifles and squads of horse troopers are set up to stop anything from happening.

The protesters are finally out. Two people in pig costumes riding around in a coverable were waving signs saying "Tax Meat!" Other groups were not as light. Hardcore pro-lifers held out signs with pictures of abortions. Not fun to say the least. When I was walking out of subway on the 16th St. mall I was able to see the anarchists march down the outdoor mall. The best thing was that 20 officers walked behind the marchers in full riot gear. People may be afraid that the police are taking too extreme of an approach but they not stopping anyone from expressing their views (that I know of).

There does not seem to be tension between the city's residents and the delegates. People would rant to me or other activists on the light rail but not in a combative fashion. The city tends to have people who want to speak up .

I went to my first totally delegate exclusive event. The Gulf States hosted a reception for the host committee, with great gumbo and live New Orleans musicians to celebrate the revival of New Orleans. They had "Obama Beer" exclusively for the event. It was the first drink to run of all of the bars. It was hosted by Chairman Dean to bring in the thousands of delegates and the open bar kept all of them happy.

Tomorrow young democratic activists and I will be sitting down with John Garamendi to talk policy for an hour. Then have the first event at the Pepsi Center will be fun seeing the first big speakers. I just got offered to be a whip for the floor and I may take up this opportunity to help control the delegation.