Convention stories are coming fast and furious as we get closer to August 25th.Individuals who own businesses and property near the convention’s Pepsi Center location and other sites such as Civic Center Park, where many protesters plan to congregate, should check their insurance policies to see what they would cover – and what might come out of their own pockets. - Colorado Independent- If you're staying at the Howard Johnson's on Federal Blvd... you may want to give them a call.
Heavy smoke from a hotel fire in Denver early this morning resulted in 11 people being taken to local hospitals, including five children - Denver Post- Is the Convention vulnerable to cyber-attacks?
The Democratic National Convention in Denver this month could be the site of a series of attacks — cyber attacks, that is. According to security experts, the event is a perfect occasion for computer hackers to attempt a wide range of break-ins, from accessing delegates' credit card information to cutting off cell phone service in the convention sites, sending out fake news releases and planting porn in an unsuspecting politician's laptop. - Colorado Independent- Denver is allowed to keep fences and pre-set parade routes
The U.S. Secret Service and city of Denver may restrict protesters' access to the Democratic National Convention at the Pepsi Center, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.U.S. District Judge Marcia S. Krieger said that while a designated parade route and fenced-in protest zone may inhibit protesters' ability to express themselves, they do not violate First Amendment rights to free speech. - RMN
- If Tent State can't camp at City Park they have other plansThe Tent State University organizers say they believe they have resolved questions about what to do once the curfew strikes at 11 p.m. at City Park: Pack their belongings and tents and march every night to the Pepsi Center's protest zone. - RMN
- Detroit Mayor and Superdelegate Kwame Kilpatrick is going to spend the night in jail.
A judge on Thursday ordered Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to jail, shocking the city and plunging the leadership of the nation's 11th-largest city into uncertainty. - Detroit News- A new concert has been announced for the Republican convention: The Charlie Daniels Band at The Depot (which is in downtown Minneapolis). Is he older than McCain?
- MSNBC and MySpace announced their convention video winners.
Yesterday The Colorado Independent had a story about the Secret Service denying bikes from the Pepsi Center parking lot.Repeatedly citing the Secret Service and the Denver Police Department as making all security-related mandates, including not allowing delegates, volunteers and gathered media to park a bike within the convention perimeter, organizers said not accommodating leg-powered transportation is the exception to the rule when talking about the true greenness of the event.
This was especially surprising to me considering the Freewheelin' press conference I attended back in May. I figured we'd be seeing bikes all over the city during convention week.
I was able to obtain a convention transportation map from the City of Denver and bikes are definitely in the plans for the week. While you may not be able to park your bike at the Pepsi Center there will be a bike station located just across the street.
As you can see from the map (Click here for a full view) there will be two bike stations near the Convention Center. The one called "Green Central Station" sits at the entrance to the Cherry Creek trail which takes you to the bike station near the Pepsi Center.
Leah Doherty, the CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee, held a press conference today to say that tickets are available for the Thursday August 28th event where Senator Barack Obama will accept the Democratic Party's nomination for President of The United States.
For more information, read the account at DemConWatchBlog, and go here >> BarackObama.com to sign up.
Nair faces two charges of insulting judges on his blog. Each charge carries a jail term of up to one year, a 5,000 Singapore dollar fine (3,676 US) or both.
In the first charge, he is accused of insulting Justice Belinda Ang, who presided over a defamation case where Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew and his son Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong testified against the leader of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party (SDP).
Nair, 58, alleged that Ang was "prostituting herself during the entire proceedings by being nothing more than an employee of Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his son and carrying out their orders," a court document said.
In the second charge, Nair is alleged to have sent an e-mail to Supreme Court Justice Lai Siu Chiu in 2006 saying he has "no shame" and that judges "are selling their souls and their conscience for money," according to a court document.
So The Dark Knight posts still another best-ever. Media By Numbers is reporting that early estimates show Warner Bros' latest Batman installment crossing the $400,031,000 domestic gross milestone yesterday after only 18 days in release. This beats 2004's Shrek 2 and its 43-day sprint to $400 million. Final figures today.
November 19, 2007
Paul G. Kirk, Jr. and Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., co-chairmen of the non-partisan, non-profit Commission on Presidential Debates ("CPD" or "the Commission") today announced dates, sites and formats of three presidential and one vice presidential debates for the 2008 general election. The dates and sites are:
First presidential debate:
Friday, September 26
University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
Vice presidential debate:
Thursday, October 2
Washington University in St. Louis, MO
Second presidential debate:
Tuesday, October 7
Belmont University, Nashville, TN
Third presidential debate:
Wednesday, October 15
Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
The two backup sites are Centre College in Danville, KY and Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC.
The Commission also announced formats for the debates.
All debates will be ninety minutes in length and start at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Each debate will be administered by a single moderator.
The first presidential debate will focus on domestic policy; the third presidential debate will focus on foreign policy.
The second presidential (town meeting format) debate will include any issues raised by members of that audience, and the vice presidential debate will include domestic and foreign policy.
In each debate except the town meeting format, the candidates will be seated at a table with the moderator.
Kirk and Fahrenkopf introduced two format features different from CPD formats of the past. The first change will be incorporated in the first and third presidential debates as well as the vice-presidential debate.
Each of those debates will be divided into 8 ten-minute issue segments; the moderator will introduce each segment with an issue on which each candidate will comment, after which the moderator will facilitate further discussion of the issue, including direct exchange between the candidates, for the balance of that segment. Time will be reserved for closing statements by each of the candidates in each debate.
Kirk and Fahrenkopf noted that this change is aimed at increasing the educational value of the general election debates. "Our mission is to promote voter education. The public deserves to hear and see the candidates offer and defend their positions on the critical issues facing our country in the most thoughtful and in-depth manner that television time constraints will allow. Loosening the constraints within the ninety minutes debate will allow for more serious examination of complicated questions. This change will also open the possibility of the moderator inviting candidates to question each other. We want voters to benefit from as full an explanation of a topic as possible, and we feel certain that the candidates will welcome this change for the same reason."
The second departure from past CPD formats will be the introduction of internet access to the presidential town meeting debate. Questions solicited by Internet will be included with those from citizens on the stage with the candidates.
Kirk and Fahrenkopf said: "The Commission believes that by including questions from Internet participants, we will enhance and expand the effectiveness of the town meeting debate. This technique has been employed in different ways during many of the primary debates. We will continue to learn from its use in the primary season, and we intend to consult with experts in information technology who can help us integrate it into a general election town meeting in a manner consistent with our non-partisan charter."
The Commission also released the 2008 Candidate Selection Criteria which will be used to determine who is invited to participate in the general election debates. In addition to being constitutionally eligible, candidates must appear on a sufficient number of state ballots to have a mathematical chance of winning a majority vote of the electoral college, and have 15% support in national polls before the debates.
The Gallup Organization will advise the CPD in the application of its criteria to polling data as it did in 2000 and 2004. View the 2008 Candidate Selection Criteria.
The co-chairmen noted that moderators for the four debates would be chosen in the summer of 2008.
The CPD was established in 1987 and sponsored all presidential and vice presidential debates in 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004.
As you may know, Senator John McCain made headline today because he suggested that his wife try out to be "Miss Buffalo Chip" before 50,000 bikers at the Sturgis Biker Rally in South Dakota. Here's my video take on it:
As Christians, we are deeply troubled by the John McCain campaign's latest ad entitled "The One.” This ad, which was released on the web last Friday, portrays Senator Obama as some kind of would-be Messiah and implies that those who support him are cultish followers looking for a new Savior.
Even more troubling, many view the ad as a dark attempt to portray Senator Obama as an anti-Christ figure. View the ad here.
Senator McCain,
As fellow Christians, we are deeply troubled by your campaign's latest ad entitled "The One,” which portrays Senator Obama as some kind of would-be Messiah and implies that those who support him are cultish followers looking for a new Savior.
We find it beyond offensive for you to piece together out-of-context video snippets to suggest that Senator Obama is a false Messiah or the anti-Christ, especially in light of Senator Obama’s open and humble confession of Christian faith.
Instead of seeking to inspire false fears, we would prefer you speak more positively about how your own faith would guide you in leading this country.
We trust that this desperate and insulting campaign tactic is not an indication of your true character, and we call on you to repudiate this ad and take it down immediately.
Sincerely,
