When we came in the door, a greeter saw our press passes and grasped my hand for longer than is customary. “We need you,” she said. “We need you.” This unusually personal reception was perhaps apt — it soon became evident that the underlying theme of the event was the invisibility of Native Americans on […]
Politics
Posted inDnc 08
Johnny Five and the bomb squad
After a long day of meetings and protest-following, a police officer informed us that the road to our car was closed. A half a block away, we found a small group of re-routed pedestrians staring across the street — enchanted by an odd little robot that was inspecting a “suspicious package.” The wheeled machine, which […]
Posted inDnc 08
Protest makes waves
There was plenty of hype leading up to the Convention about the potential for big protests. Recreate 68 planned some serious, mischievous action, as did DNC Disruption 08 and other groups. As of Wednesday evening, most of that had fizzled. Protests were generally small and — except for one that snaked down the 16th Street […]
Posted inDnc 08
I fish, I hunt, I vote … Democrat?
The National Wildlife Federation hosted a reception at the posh Curtis hotel in downtown Denver on Wednesday. They called it, I Hunt, I Fish, I Vote Conservation. The whole shindig had a decidedly less liberal feel to it than other DNC events. After all, these were hunters, anglers and the like, who, as Bob Carpenter, […]
Posted inDnc 08
Freegin’, part 2
Yesterday, Andrea and I tried out Freewheelin — a free bike sharing service that helped us traverse downtown. No bus fare, no carbon emissions and no aching feet. We just signed up, selected a bike and rode to our hearts’ content. Faster transportation = more reporting. We also scored free DNC t-shirts, a fanny-pack (!), […]
Posted inDnc 08
Schweitzer on Bloggers, energy and guns
“I wake up at 4 o’clock every morning and read all the blogs,” said Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, surrounded by reporters at the Big Tent Denver on Wednesday morning. “It’s good to see what bloggers look like. And it ain’t a pretty sight.” Though that comment drew a few groans, Schweitzer’s visit to new media […]
Posted inDnc 08
Choirs on the corner
Two groups of singers bumped into each other on the corner of 16th St. and Wynkoop. A barbershop quartet had just sung for Dick Gephardt and a jolly band of Denver locals was singing “Goodnight Bush” (a parody of Goodnight Moon) up and down the mall. We had the good fortune of hearing each of […]
Posted inDnc 08
The many faces of protest at the DNC
From anti-abortion activists to 9/11 conspiracy theorists to Hillary supporters, the convention is hopping with protesters.
Posted inDnc 08
Little consensus among energy experts
One of the near-unanimous take home messages from the Energy and Climate Change panels held at the Denver Performing Arts Complex on Tuesday was this: start pricing carbon emissions as soon as possible. The most important role that government will play as the U.S. moves to new, cleaner energy sources is pricing carbon, whether it’s […]
Posted inDnc 08
Schweitzer speaks!
The West got a fairly prominent place on the Convention agenda Tuesday when Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer spoke just before Hillary Clinton. The Pepsi Center was packed for the event (in anticipation of Clinton). It was so full that many journalists and other credentialed folks actually had to watch both Schweitzer’s and Clinton’s speeches on […]
Posted inDnc 08
Lobbypalooza, Denver ’08
There’s energy in the air here in Denver, and as HCN’s resident youngun, I like to think it’s because of all the fired-up young people – bloggers, protesters, volunteers – who are here to demand progressive change. But there are plenty of folks here who are trying to keep change from happening – especially change […]
Posted inDnc 08
Gratuitous Celebrity (and editor) Photo
Actress and Activist Daryl Hannah with yours truly.
Posted inDnc 08
Freegin’ the Convention
Jack Shafer, of Slate.com, while making his argument that the press should boycott the conventions, wrote: … he may argue that meeting all the important politicos up close at the convention will produce future news dividends. But he’ll pout if you ask him whether the intimacy justifies the expense, which can easily exceed $3,000 per […]
Posted inDnc 08
Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less?
If you’re attending the Democratic National Convention, and you can get past the Stormtrooper-looking police in riot gear, and past the people selling Obama buttons for $3 a pop, and you can keep plugging along even after running across the guy riding his bicycle with a giant flag reading: “You are going to Hell”, or […]
Posted inDnc 08
The Las Vegas of Politics
Denver, this week, feels a bit like Vegas. Okay, the lights aren’t so bright. And I haven’t run into any slot machines, yet. Or, for that matter, giant fountains spewing water into the dry desert air. Still. You know how, along the Vegas strip, there’s guys flipping those little cards at you, emblazoned with pics […]
Posted inDnc 08
The entrepreneurs
A crowd stood at the corner of Blake Street and the 16th Street Mall on Monday, flanking a pushcart overflowing with t-shirts. A painfully cheery young man named Toby wore one that was blazoned with the Qdoba Mexican Grill cartoon cactus. On the front it said “Burritos for Obama.” Other t-shirts offered up quesadillas and […]
Posted inDnc 08
Walking for Obama
This summer, I walked in the Paonia Cherry Days parade on the Fourth of July— past many of my former classmates, teachers and community—carrying a hand-painted “Obama’08” sign. The experience filled me with excitement and determination, not to mention a keen sense of my own vulnerability in this small, mostly Republican community. I spent most […]
Posted inAugust 25, 2008: Hot Wheels
McCain: T.R. or W?
The GOP nominee often invokes Teddy Roosevelt, but his conservation record is closer to a more recent president’s
Posted inDnc 08
WELCOME TO DENVER!
Downtown Denver, Aug. 25, where there are nearly as many journalists as there are riot-gear-clad cops. The High Country News team has just arrived. Stay tuned for more coverage from the Democratic National Convention in Denver.