'The Supreme Court cannot pick the next President'
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<<...Al Gore ascending the podium at the convention on Monday night to a rousing standing ovation. The crowd wouldn't let him speak. "In America," he said, "any boy or girl can win the popular vote." This got a laugh, but his next words were deadly serious: The Supreme Court cannot pick the next President, this President cannot pick the next Supreme Court, and it matters who wins these elections. Gore addressed those who voted for Bush in 2000. Did they get what they had wanted? Did they get their compassionate conservatism? He then addressed the Nader folks: Do they still think there is no difference between the candidates? Does the erosion of our civil liberties and our environmental protections bother them? Bush takes it in the chops: Do we want a guy who confused Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda with Iraq? "To those disappointed with the outcome in 2000," he said, "I want you to remember them. I want you to focus them on putting John Kerry in the White House."
The future of the Democratic party in many eyes, Barack Obama, speaking Tuesday night to a rapt audience. He spoke of his diverse roots, the story of his name, and the story of his vision. For the next five days, from Boston to Seattle, every political person I met began our conversation with, "Did you see Obama's speech?" There was a buzz on Wednesday that the convention was "peaking too early," that the energy would crest and dissipate before Kerry got to the podium Thursday night. Barack Obama shook the very ground.
The Take Back the Media conference on Wednesday afternoon at the Royal Sonesta hotel in Cambridge. Ambassador Joseph Wilson, Dennis Kucinich, Barbara Lee, Gary Hart and others were slated to speak to the assembled. Hart from the podium recognized Robin Cooke, the high British official who resigned his position in protest over Blair's support of the Iraq invasion. Cooke, who was in the audience, rose to acknowledge Hart, and the whole room surged to its feet to give him a pounding standing ovation. Ambassador Wilson took the podium, and asked forgiveness from peace advocate Kucinich for "harboring a small wish for violence against a certain journalist." Bob Novak probably had a chill go up his spine...>>
cont. at:
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