Videos- President Obama stumps for Bennett in Colorado

Denver schools criticized for Martin Luther King Day menu

Oh puhleeze, there is no way there is a person living that is too dense to get how offensive this is.

DENVER, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Denver school officials have issued a public apology for the lunch of greens and fried chicken dished up for students in honor of Martin Luther King.

The offerings, meant to be a "Southern Style" menu reflecting the assassinated civil rights leader's Dixie origins, offended some parents who considered it an offense stereotype of African-Americans.

A statement posted on the Denver Public Schools Web site Tuesday night apologized for what turned out to be a "highly insensitive" move.

(snip)

Lecia Brooks, interim director of the Civil Rights Memorial Center in Alabama, told the newspaper she was sorry to see the tribute paid King by the Denver schools amount to nothing more than a "chicken lunch."

Video- Michelle Obama hosts mentor lunch in Denver

ACLU: Undercover Cops Staged Confrontation Amid DNC

Repeat after me, "2008 not 1968". I just don't get this mindset, I mean, what's so scary about a bunch of DFH's? They don't believe in guns, rarely indulge in physical violence and are usually yelling about peace and love.

DENVER -- The American Civil Liberties Union says undercover police officers posing as protesters staged a violent confrontation with another officer during the Democratic convention in Denver.

The ACLU told The Denver Post it obtained a use-of-force police report that showed the undercover officers pretended to struggle with a police commander so they could be removed from the crowd without blowing their cover.

(snip)

"The actions of the undercover detectives on August 25, 2008, may have had the effect of exacerbating an already 'tense situation,' as their feigned struggle led nearby officers and the public to believe that a commanding officer was being attacked by protestors and that the situation necessitated the use of chemical agents," stated staff attorney Taylor Pendergrass in the letter requesting the investigation.

100,000 Line Up For Downtown Denver Obama Rally

By GottaLaff

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., addresses the crowd at Civic Center Park Sunday. (The Denver Post)

Crowds Stream To Downtown Denver For Obama Rally

Barack Obama is jumping on John McCain's statement that he shares a "common philosophy" with President Bush as evidence that his Republican rival is out of touch.
Speaking to an enormous crowd that filled a Denver park, Obama said McCain finally gave us a little "straight talk." He was referring to McCain's comment during a televised interview Sunday that "of course" he and Bush share the philosophy of the Republican Party.

The Democratic presidential contender said that philosophy amounts to giving more to millionaires and billionaires in hope that it trickles down.

GObama!

So many stories, so little time...

By GottaLaff

Oops: Bloomberg publishes Jobs obit

Apple founder's obit issued accidentally by respected business news wire.

Next:

DENVER ARRESTEES TRICKED INTO PLEADING GUILTY, TOLD THEY FACED 'YEARS': ACLU

The ACLU issued a stinging rebuke to the Denver Police Department Wednesday, alleging that the department may have violated laws and constitutional rights of protesters arrested outside the Democratic National Convention.

In the letter, obtained by RAW STORY, the ACLU revealed that the police refused those arrested access to attorneys. Police did not let detainees use phones unless they posted their own bonds, and even failed to provide shoes, in one case marching a protester into court in bare feet and leg shackles, according the ACLU.

What's more, police are said to have tricked protesters into pleading guilty, by giving them the impression they had to plead guilty in order to post bond. This meant that no one was allowed to make a phone call unless they plead guilty, thus making it impossible for arrestees to even call a lawyer until admitting guilt.

Most ominously, the ACLU letter claims that protesters were told they would be "facing 'years' in jail for a conviction of a single particular charge."

And finally:

HALLIBURTON SUED FOR 'HUMAN TRAFFICKING'
Thirteen Nepali men were recruited and held against their will for thirteen months in a human trafficking scheme engineered and perpetrated by Halliburton and its Jordanian contractor, according to a lawsuit filed yesterday in California federal court.

Now back to O8ama, already in progress!

Pat Buchanan In Denver

Say what you want about the old fart**, but when I fell asleep last night Pat was on the teevee, and when I woke up he was on the teevee. By my count there was about 4 1/2 hours between the two events. For an almost 70 year old man, that's pretty grueling. More Cat pics here.

**and we usually do.

Stevie Wonder to perform at Mile High

BFCE!!!! Personally, I'd go out of my way to see Stevie in concert more than Springsteen.

Stevie Wonder, an Obama favorite, will perform Thursday night at the climax of the Democratic National Convention.

A local paper had reported that Bruce Springsteen would perform, but an Obama aide says the headliner is actually Wonder.

Joe Biden: Superstar

By GottaLaff

An overnight success after 36 years:

Boney’s Smokehouse, a venerable barbecue street vendor in downtown Denver, often has a line at lunch, but a rope line was something new. A Secret Service agent prowled in front of it on Monday just before noon, keeping reporters and camera people at bay beyond the white hemp line.

News was about to made. Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. was coming to eat something. [...]

Mr. Biden was selected last weekend by Senator Barack Obama to be the vice-presidential running mate in Mr. Obama’s bid for the White House, and the celebrity buzz had clearly descended.

“He’s right in front of me! He’s right in front of me!” Max Loeb, 21, shouted into his cell phone. Mr. Loeb, a recent college graduate and American citizen who lives in Toronto, had come to Denver, he said, to cheer for Democrats. “It’s an historic moment,” he said. “There’s a changing of the tide.”

Other people drawn by the crowd and the sight of so many cameras, were more curious about what Mr. Biden ordered for lunch.

“Ribs – that’s the skinny,” said Scott Burnham, a consultant who lives in nearby Golden and works in downtown Denver, as Mr. Biden passed by back to his vehicle.

Mr. Biden didn’t have to wait in line for his food.

Watch out, Joe; before you know it, them Repubs will label you as a celebrity lightweight.

Pictures Of The "Cages" Set Up In Denver For Protesters

Go look. Reminds me of that movie "The Siege".

No Poop For You At The Democratic Convention!!!

Sounds like someone's yard is going to be green, green, green this year!!!

DENVER -- The Denver City Council has passed an ordinance barring protesters from carrying buckets of feces during the Democratic National Convention.

Three protest groups say they've already promised not to toss, smear or spray feces, and they call the new ordinance insulting and excessive.

The council approved the ordinance 12-0 on Monday. It also bars protesters from possessing chains, locks or other materials they could use to create human barricades or cause other disruptions.

Obama's convention crowd: Biggest phone bank ever

Smartest campaign EVER. These people don't let the grass grow under their feet, that's for sure.

DENVER—Those 75,000 Democrats who will pack a football stadium for Barack Obama's convention speech won't be there just to whoop and holler on television. They'll form the world's largest phone bank to boost voter registration -- fired-up supporters using computer targeting the campaign has spent months putting together.

The move to the Invesco Field at Mile High stadium for the convention's final night next month -- at an additional cost of $5 million -- will capture a huge crowd the Obama campaign plans to put to work. They'll be armed with data gleaned through "microtargeting" unregistered voters the campaign believes are ripe to back Obama if pressed to get on board.

"This convention is going to look different and feel different and be different," says Steve Hildebrand, the Obama adviser overseeing the effort, during a recent visit to Denver. "We're here to win an election, not throw a party."

(snip)

Hildebrand said the campaign has identified 55 million unregistered voters across the country, by comparing registration lists with lists of potential voters gleaned by mining consumer databases the same way credit card companies track people's spending. They say their research estimates more than two-thirds would vote for Obama if they were registered and motivated.

Democratic Convention news, Part One

By GottaLaff

Unions get the Dems' vote:

One of the concerns about holding the convention in Denver was that the Pepsi Center was a non-union facility. But the DNC seems to made a significant effort to use union labor at the convention. Here's a list of some of the unions involved:

• IATSE Local 7: The Denver Theatrical Stage Employees Union will handle decorating, display and rigging work, and other tasks it typically performs under contract with the Colorado Convention Center.
• Teamsters Local 17: A Teamsters affiliate will transport some of the heavier freight (requiring forklifts, for instance) to and from the loading docks.
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers: Members will be handling some of the wiring and other work.
• Construction Building and Construction Trades Council: Carpenters under this umbrella group will provide labor for contractors and subcontractors involved with transforming the Pepsi Center.
• UniteHere: This union already had a presence, with about 200 members who work at the Aramark concessions throughout the complex. - Rocky Mountain News

Look for the union label...

Surveillance Cameras To Keep Watch During, Following DNC

By Paddy


First they take away our tailgating, then the city lets the Feds survail the protesters to their hearts content. I'm surprised they're even bothering since we all know that the true DFH's will be inside the convention center.

DENVER -- When the Democratic National Convention rolls into Denver next month, a string of electronic eyes will be tuned in to any problems.

"We're using the cameras in a very targeted way during the convention and potentially after the convention," said Denver City Councilman Doug Linkhart.

(snip)

A Denver police lieutenant in charge of the program would not comment on the number or placement of the cameras, citing security reasons.

"We're able to not only utilize those cameras, but dispatch officers to where we see events occurring,” said Lt. Ernie Martinez.

The cameras will be installed throughout Denver in time for the DNC in August. Federal money will eventually be used to repay the city.

Beer Waste Donated To Democratic Convention

By Paddy


But, but, what about the beer?

DENVER -- Some corporations donate dollars and others donate services. But Molson Coors is donating fuel made mostly out of beer waste to the Democratic National Convention.

The Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee said Wednesday that Molson Coors will donate all the ethanol-gasoline fuel blend for the convention's fleet of flex-fuel vehicles.

(snip)

The ethanol is made from beer lost during packaging or rejected on a quality basis at the company's brewery in Golden. The Denver company began converting it to ethanol in 1996 and today produces about 3 million gallons of ethanol per year.

Molson Coors, one of the world's largest brewers, also will provide beer for some events during the convention.

Thank g-d.