If you want to you can get arrested in Denver, but the officers operating near the DNC are restrained, respectful, and calm.

One of the striking impressions as one strolls the areas outside the Colorado Convention Center such as Denver's 16th Street Mall area, is that the law enforcement presence is huge. Officers from numerous agencies are present, sometimes sporting impressive crowd control tools and gear. They are here, prepared, visible, yet generally non-intrusive, and utterly professional in their demeanor.

There have been a number of incidents for them to respond to, such as the one an officer described to me as discovering a package that, upon inspection, he called in to the bomb disposal team, because it "definitely wasnt somebody's lunch." There have been minor challenges for them - debris hurled from above, protesters without proper permits and/or identification (which resulted in the arrest documented here in pictures,) and naturally some plain old unruly behavior.

Yet, as far as I can determine chatting with the men and women arrayed througout the area for the protection of everybody, they are well-prepared for the long shifts, and responding with admirable restraint. I've seen no evidence of disproportionate use of force, just a widespread calming presence that reassures almost everybody. (There are always some who have a beef with enforcement agencies and their agents, and they can be relied on to lean more toward confrontation, naturally.)

If you want to get arrested in Denver, you surely can. Thus far, though, retstraint has been the operational posture of every single officer I've spoken to.

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Upstaging charismatic speakers? Who would YOU want to follow onstage?

As you might imagine, there was a great deal of anticipation regarding Michelle Obama's opening night speech among the people at the Pepsi Center on the night of August 25th. Senator Kennedy had already used Caroline's introduction as a springboard to launch a monumental reiteration of his endorsement - not just of Obama, but of his entire vision and leadership style, likening it to the best memories of JFK, exhorting all to dare to believe in a "New Season Of Hope." Still, the wife of the soon-to-be Democratic nominee was arguably the most anticipated appearance of the evening.

Many of the delegates, and no few of the others in attendance, are at their first national convention. The Obamas have inspired undeniable fascination and loyalty. As you talk to people who have come to Denver for the event, it's clear that part of what they're hoping for is the sort of budding inspiration Mrs. Obama represents for young women, and that will clearly blossom if Michelle and Barack become the next residents of the White House.

Michelle, working forward from her brother's introduction, stepped through her background, and delivered a deft speech touching all the highlights that have formed and informed her values, and those of Barack. She painted a picture of her relationship to Barack, and the harmony of their experiences, values, and aspirations, paying tribute to others who have worked for the betterment of life in the United States, from military families to Senator Hillary Clinton.

"All of us driven by the simple belief that the world as it is just won't do. That we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be. That is the thread that connects our hearts. That is the thread that runs through my journey, and Barack's journey, and so many other improbable journeys that have brought us here tonight, where the current of history meets this new tide of hope."

Michelle Obama describes in her husband's rise a story that can inspire millions, but she never talks about how she herself is also a figure of inspiration, despite at times during the campaign having served as a lightning rod for those who seek to prevent Barack Obama's further ascendancy. We hear about their decision making process, but Michelle remains modestly focused on Barack's story. Yet we all know that this strong, brilliant, successful woman will serve as a role model for millions herself as she continues to exhibit poise and charm amid the disagreeable tactics of those seeking to undermine Obama's run for the Oval Office.

"He knows that the thread that connects us -- our belief in America's promise, our commitment to our children's future -- is strong enough to hold us together as a nation even when we disagree."

But to listen to the people streaming out of the Pepsi center in the wake of her eloquent, effective speech, where comments included numerous metaphors for success, you'd have to realize that every speaker of the night, from those who took the stage early such as MN Senator Amy Klobuchar and Angela Morgan, to Caroline and Ted Kennedy, to even Michelle and Barack himself during his video visit after her speech, was upstaged by Sasha and Malia. Miguel Del Valle, who had to follow Ted Kennedy's speech, must be thanking his lucky stars that he wasn't on following Malia and Sasha. No parent can fail to react to their unrehearsed affection, expressed so candidly, for their father - which tells us more about Barack Obama, perhaps, than all the efforts of those who seek to deliberately shape our opinions of him, pro or con.

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Janet Napolitano - Arizona Governor Interview at DNC Convention

At the DNC Convention, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano gave a small press conference where she talked about the ability of the Western States to bring votes for the Democratic Party as well as issues related to Native Indian Tribal Sovereignty, the selection of Senator Joe Biden as Vice President, energy, and future Super Bowls in Arizona.

Rep. Jim Clyburn On The Clinton Legacy & Black America

At the Yahoo! Politico morning breakfast, I could think of no better person to talk to about the matter of the Clinton Legacy and Black America, than Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina. Clyburn said that the speeches by both Clintons and Senator Obama would define their legacies.

DNC Convention - First Day On The Pepsi Center Floor

Kennedy & Kennedy: bringing down the house

Caroline Kennedy took the stage at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado on the evening of 25 August 2008 to remind those assembled for the Democratic Nominating Convention that the same values that define the Kennedy family resonate in Barack Obama's family, too: Justice, fairness, service and sacrifice, faith, and family. She stressed that we are all in this together, that we all have something to give.

She repeated what some have heard her say before in the context of the campaign, "I've never had someone inspire me the way people tell me my father inspired them. But," she went on in a clear recognition of the pending nomination, "I do now!"

Ms. Kennedy was understated as she tugged at the heart-strings of the crowd, alluding to Ted Kenndedy's "early, courageous stand against the war in Iraq." Her uncle values family, she told them, and, "never missed a first communion, a graduation, or a chance to walk a niece down the aisle." She mentioned, briefly, how his response to the recent surgery had served as a lesson in "dignity, courage, and the power of love."

The crowd was warm, and appreciative, then listened attentively to a video tribute that served segue rattling ovation ted took the Senator Kennedy spoke new season of hope in he renewed his call to that nation we healthcare as fundamental not a privilege."

Kennedy is confident that, when elected as the next President of the U.S., Barack Obama will "close the door on the old politics of race, gender... and straight against gay." He reminded us that as a result of his brother's leadership when he set the moon as a goal for the nation in the early 60s. "We have scaled the heights. I know it. I've seen it. I've lived it. And we can do it again."

This November, Kennedy said, "the torch will be passed to a new generation." He told the delegates, and honored guests of the convention, that, "the work begins anew. The hope rises again, and the dream lives on."

Barack's sister had roused the crowd. Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., had fired them up, Caroline gathered them with calm confidence into the palm of her hand, and Ted Kennedy brought them to a fevered pitch, daring to dream, to hope, to believe in the vision that Barack Obama has for uniting America.

Mental Health of concern to Denver Convention attendees

Chatting with convention goers outside the Colorado Convention Center on Sunday August 25 I met Hope Turlington of Raleigh, North Carolina, who has abundant concerns over federal funding for mental health, both in terms of military veterans, and non-military citizens of the USA. She is distrubed by the prospects for returning Iraq vets dealing with mental stress and trauma as a result of service to this country.

Hope is deeply concerned about the effects of the scheduled "transition/closing" of the Dorothea Dix Mental Hospital. She pointed out that the great North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms has said that "our sick deserve a view from Dix Hill as much as anybody," yet developers are bidding to take that land away - to turn it into a money maker for a private entity at the expense of people suffering from various forms of acute and/or chronic mental illness. De-institutionalization is not a viable treatment protocol for many of the people who have been diagnosed and committed, yet the transition from John Umstead and Dorothea Dix Hospitals to Central Regional Hospital (CRH) began last month (July 2008.) The CRH-Dix Unit will be operational upon the closing of Dorothea Dix Hospital, but Hope fears a downscaling under the guise of the Olmstead decision that will force people out into society who are not able to cope without the support structures serving them today.

She was looking forward to the Health Care forum with Hillary Clinton later in the week, and hoping Elizabeth Edwards would be present as well. The looming upswing in U.S. citizens needing institutional care will place further pressures on the system - which is why any cutback in Raleigh is of overwhelming concern to Hope.

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