The Politicker

The Obama campaign is not giving an inch when it comes to John McCain choosing Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. In a statement released a few minutes ago, there was no warm language about the first female Republican vice presidential nominee, just a straightforward hit. From Obama spokesman Bill Burton:

"Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency. Governor Palin shares John McCain's commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade, the agenda of Big Oil and continuing George Bush's failed economic policies -- that's not the change we need, it's just more of the same.  read more »

Sarah Palin looks like a great pick for John McCain, says Kornacki, but it's also very risky.

John McCain's V.P. pick, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, said the job of running mate is "unproductive" in an interview last month.

She was endorsed by Ted Stevens when she ran for governor.

She's conservative, has only been governor for two years, and is three years younger than Obama.

Here's an op-ed about polar bears Palin wrote for The New York Times last January.

Here's the biographical video shown at Invesco Field before Barack Obama spoke last night.

Al Gore spoke, and said voters face essentially the same choice they did in 2000.

Obama's speech last night took aim at McCain and George W. Bush.

Here's that  read more »

Multiple media outlets are reporting that the Alaska governor, "a self-styled hockey mom and political reformer," will be John McCain's running mate. The official announcement will be at noon in Ohio.

While we're waiting to find out whether this can possibly be true...
Here's what it looked like for the Obama (and Oprah) fans in the box behind section 103 at Invesco Field.

No slave to trends, he.

What kind of day has Tim Pawlenty had? The kind where your value on the Intrade Republican vice-presidential future markets shoots up by more than 50 points -- while your chief opponent's stock plummets by 31. The Minnesota governor is now trading roughly where Joe Biden was just before word of his selection by Barack Obama broke.

As Prepared:

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama

“The American Promise”

Democratic Convention

Thursday, August 28th, 2008

Denver, Colorado

As Prepared for Delivery

To Chairman Dean and my great friend Dick Durbin; and to all my fellow citizens of this great nation;

With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States.

Let me express my thanks to the historic slate of candidates who accompanied me on this journey, and especially the one who traveled the farthest – a champion for working Americans and an inspiration to my daughters and to yours -- Hillary Rodham Clinton. To President Clinton, who last night made the case for change as only he can make it; to Ted Kennedy, who embodies the spirit of service; and to the next Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, I thank you.

 read more »

Barack Obama's campaign not only made its candidate a rock star, but it turned a few ordinary people into minor celebrities.

And here's one.

It's Greg Smith, a Manhattan doorman who donated $25 to Obama's campaign and got a pesonal response from the candidate. That got Smith considerable media attention, including an interview on CNN.

I first met Smith at a party in New York City the night Obama won the Ohio caucus. In the hallway at Invesco Field just now, Smith recalled "I cried like a baby."

Gore just finished, to the most raucous reception so far. Here's the prepared text of his speech:

One of the greatest gifts of our democracy is the opportunity it offers us every four years to change course. It¹s not a guarantee; it¹s only an opportunity. The question facing us is, simply put, will we seize this opportunity for change? That¹s why I came here tonight: to tell you why I feel so strongly that we must seize this opportunity to elect Barack Obama President of the United States. Eight years ago, some said there was not much difference between the nominees of the two major parties and it didn¹t really matter who became president.  read more »