Reporting from the Republican National Convention

Next week I will be blogging from the Republican National Convention. Thanks to Blogs for John McCain's Victory, and the RNC I've been granted a press pass to cover the event. As I joked with one person, I'll need go find myself glittery flag apparel, and a straw hat covered with McCain stickers so that I can appear appropriate. None-the-less, it's very exciting to cover this event, and I plan to post frequently at Blogs for John McCain's Victory, Purple People Vote, Blogs4McCain and NH4McCain.

Also, I'd like to ask readers for their input. Is there any part of the convention that you would like to see? Do you have any questions you would like asked? I'll do my best to provide a view of the convention not normally seen in the main stream media, and hope I can provide answers to readers questions. Hope you'll check in frequently, and thank you for visiting/reading.

-Katherine Morrison

Obama Selects Biden

So Senator Biden is the pick; good choice. As mentioned in previous posts during the NH primaries Senator Biden and Senator McCain were the only two candidates to talk about Iraq in detail. They both deserve credit for that. Obviously this is why Biden was picked. Senator Obama needs some help on foreign policy, which he hope he can get from Biden. An interesting wrinkle to this pick is that Senator Biden has said numerous times that Senator Obama is not prepared / not qualified. In fact at his event in New Hampshire at the end of his talk he said (paraphrased), 'If you decide not to vote for me, I hope you choose some one with experience. These are difficult times and we need someone who knows what they're doing.'

I agree. His statement was a pretty clear hat tip to Senator Clinton, who once again got snubbed by the Obama camp by not being vetted, and apparently did not even receiving a courtesy phone call. However, the statement holds just as well for Obama v. McCain. McCain doesn't need a VP who will help him when tested on foreign policy. Don't believe me just listen to Senator Biden...

Will Biden Help Obama With His Homework?

Obama/Biden

So Senator Biden is the pick; good choice. As mentioned in previous posts during the NH primaries Senator Biden and Senator McCain were the only two candidates to talk about Iraq in detail. They both deserve credit for that. Obviously this is why Biden was picked. Senator Obama needs some help on foreign policy, which he hope he can get from Biden. An interesting wrinkle to this pick is that Senator Biden has said numerous times that Senator Obama is not prepared / not qualified. In fact at his event in New Hampshire at the end of his talk he said (paraphrased), 'If you decide not to vote for me, I hope you choose some one with experience. These are difficult times and we need someone who knows what they're doing.'

I agree. His statement was a pretty clear hat tip to Senator Clinton, who once again got snubbed by the Obama camp by not being vetted, and apparently did not even receiving a courtesy phone call. However, the statement holds just as well for Obama v. McCain. McCain doesn't need a VP who will help him when tested on foreign policy. Don't believe me just listen to Senator Biden...

Will Biden Help Obama With His Homework?

The Bill Clinton Convention

Excerpt from Barack Obama's aides worrying over what Bill Clinton will say in his convention speech

The episode has contributed to growing tensions in the Democratic Party before the convention, where some party leaders are exhibiting signs of buyer's remorse about Mr Obama, who has failed to open up a big lead in the opinion polls over Republican John McCain as many had hoped and expected.

Mr Clinton is apparently reluctant to be shackled to a set text and would prefer, in the words of one of his former aides, to "just go out and say what's on his mind".

But that is exactly what has Obama campaign staff on edge, given Mr Clinton's previous off the cuff interventions in the campaign. When he dismissed Mr Obama's campaign as a "fairytale" and compared him to the twice-failed black presidential candidate Jesse Jackson, his words were widely interpreted as racist.

Recently asked whether Mr Obama was qualified to be president, Mr Clinton responded: "You could argue that nobody is qualified to be president." Those familiar with Mr Clinton's views say that his continuing scepticism about Mr Obama is real enough.

A senior Democrat who used to work for Mr Clinton said: "Bill Clinton does not think Barack Obama will be a great president and he doesn't want to say so.

Clinton Dems Not Ready for Unity in Denver

Excerpt from Unity will need to be more than a word in Denver

We'll be hearing the word "unity" next week, but in interviewing delegates and others across the state for the last two weeks, it's more show than substance at the moment and it remains a major challenge for a party with a history of internal turf wars.

Hillary Clinton won the big states that the Democrats will need to win in November, but -- especially with it becoming obvious she's not in the whisper/leaks for vice president on the ticket -- some Clintonians think the Obama forces could do more to reach out to them (and, no, none of them wants to be identified.... yet).

That apparently is not going to happen -- at least in public -- at the Minnesota delegation meetings. Of the 27 speakers given slots, only five endorsed Hillary Clinton during the primaries.

Obama Snubs Hillary

Politico reports in their Hillary Gets Stiffed that Senator Clinton was never vetted as a potential Obama VP.

“She was never vetted,” a Democratic official reported. “She was not asked for a single piece of paper. She and Senator Obama have never had a single conversation about it. How would he know if she’d take it?”

The official also said Clinton never met with Obama’s vetting team of Eric Holder and Caroline Kennedy.

And the official said she was never asked for medical records or for any financial 2008 information about her or former President Bill Clinton. The last information the couple has disclosed about taxes and financial holdings was for 2007.

Not only is this a snub to Senator Clinton and her supporters, but it again raises the question of Senator Obama's honesty. As he stated previously that Senator Clinton would be on anyone's VP shortlist.

1988 Biden Ad: The White House Isn't the Place to Learn How to Deal with International Crisis