Illinois Obama and the Temple of Wha?

So, this is what Sen. Barack Obama's people envisioned when they decided to hold their candidate's acceptance speech at Invesco Field rather than at the Pepsi Center where the rest of the DNC is holding its events?

They decided to build a stage set that recreates a Greek or Roman temple. Mr. Obama goes to Washington perhaps?

All that expense and artifice for what? To be seen on a stage that could have been set anywhere so that the nation can take a measure of a man who simply lacks the experience to be President of the US?

That better be one heck of a speech he's preparing to give, because anything less would be a letdown. He can't afford a letdown given that Rasmussen and other polls are indicating that not only has he received no bounce from naming Joe Biden as his running mate, but he hasn't received a bounce during the convention to date. Those are bad signs.

UPDATE:
Ace has more photos of the set being built.

UPDATE:
Hot Air also weighs in on the ego-driven pomposity of the stage set. T

Reflections of Day One at the DNC

Day One of the Democratic National Convention is in the books, and we've already seen the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Well, I should say that bloggers have seen all of the above, since the national media isn't exactly going out of its way to highlight the protesters and rioters who decided to make a stand last night outside convention venues.

The protests and riots have already seen their share of violence. An Albany, NY legislator was among those who got pepper sprayed while police attempted to control the crowds outside one of the delegate hotels, the Sheraton.

It would figure that one of the 1968 protesters, Tom Hayden would be found to give a soundbite claiming that the police overreacted in using pepper spray last night. Police said that they used the pepper spray to break up a crowd of 300 people that were disrupting traffic. About 100 people were arrested last night, including several who were apparently carrying rocks or other objects that could threaten public safety.

Meanwhile, inside the Convention it would appear that the Obamas don't seem to have a problem using their kids as props. Again. Hey, that's their prerogative, but if they use them in the campaign, they become fair game especially when they've said that they wouldn't.


Ted Kennedy looks pretty good and probably was in better shape than he's been in years despite the cancer treatment. Last night was a swan song for him, and given that he's been a part of the DNC for over 40 years, he deserved it. It's also important to keep in mind that Obama was his personal pick and he moved behind the scenes to make sure that Obama got the nomination over Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Hope and change will not come easily to the DNC as the protesters took to the streets and back room deals are already underway to thwart a floor vote. Obama's people want to prevent a floor vote that might prove disastrous and highlight the serious fractures between the two camps.

Meanwhile, Obama is trying to block ads highlighting his ties to Bill Ayers and the Weather Underground terrorists. Never mind that everything in the ads is true, accurate, and verifiable. He doesn't want people to know that he associates with terrorists and considered them mainstream.

Show Stopper

With the Democratic National Convention beginning today and running through Thursday night, all eyes are on Denver. We're passing out the popcorn to see who exactly does what, and whether the Clinton folks will cast aside their differences with the Obama campaign and engage in party unity.

However, for me, I suspect that the lasting image of the Convention will be what is likely to be the swan song and farewell convention appearance for Sen. Ted Kennedy who is suffering from brain cancer. Whether you like or dislike the man, he's been an icon of the Democratic party for more than 40 years and the stunning news of his collapse and diagnosis with cancer sent shock waves through the halls of Congress and Massachusetts.

Kennedy had been a strong backer of the Obama campaign, and to watch Obama gain the nomination would be a lasting mark on Kennedy's record.

So, while others will focus on the other speakers, I think that Kennedy's appearance will overshadow all else.

In the Hole

The Democratic Party Convention in Denver is still in trouble. It hasn't met its financial targets, and is $10 million short.

The host committee is as much as $10 million short in fundraising, and financial difficulties have forced it to cancel two dozen parties for delegates. Denver officials are scrambling to deal with the logistical challenges of Barack Obama's acceptance speech being held at an outdoor stadium instead of in the arena where the rest of the convention will take place. Even special daisies that the city bred partly to show off for the convention are failing to sprout.

Criticism has been so harsh that this month the host committee felt compelled to issue a news release defending its much-mocked catering guidelines, which recommend organic produce and color-coordinated meals and discourage fried food.

"It's an embarrassment, particularly for the political class," said Floyd Ciruli, a former chairman of the state Democratic Party who is now an independent pollster unaffiliated with the convention effort. "At this point, everybody's thinking about the burdens rather than the benefits."

Local political leaders and the host committee insist everything is fine, and that any bumps along the way will be overshadowed by the attention showered on the city next month.

"That's a little bit of white noise around the perimeter," said Mayor John Hickenlooper. "Did we ever dream we'd have a candidate of this historic magnitude? Did we ever dream we'd have a candidate who'd make his acceptance speech in front of 80,000 people and have to turn away another 80,000?"

The Denver Mayor thinks everything will turn out okay, but he probably figures that the taxpayers will bail him out. After all, he was pushing for taxpayers to subsidize the DNC driving habits until that was outed at a City Council meeting.

The committee was short $10 million (25% of the total it expected), and now refuses to comment about the situation, which suggests that it is no better now than a month ago. Even with all the support Obama gets, it isn't translating into money for the convention.

The huge ego of Obama is causing serious headaches, and Hickenlooper thinks that this is okay. Obama, instead of giving his acceptance speech at the Pepsi Center arena, it will be given at Invesco Field, where Denver Broncos play football. It's an additional cost and nightmare for all those planning the event and covering it for the media.

Denver Giving DNC Gas Tax Breaks

Ah, the appearance of impropriety. Or illegality.

The City of Denver, which is hosting the Democratic National Convention next month was apparently providing DNC committee members with the ability to fill their gas tanks on taxpayer dime - by letting them skip paying state and federal gas taxes.

The practice, which began four months ago, may have ended hours after its disclosure. An aide to Mayor John Hickenlooper released a statement Tuesday evening saying that Denver 2008 Host Committee members would pay market prices for fuel and would also be liable for all applicable taxes.

However, Public Works spokeswoman Christine Downs told City Council members just hours before that host committee members were fueling up at the city pumps. The city does not pay taxes on the fuel for its fleet, and Downs said the host committee would not either.

The disclosure brought immediate scrutiny. Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said the practice "would seem" to be illegal and referred the matter to the state Department of Revenue.

Nonprofits, such as the host committee, are subject to state and federal gasoline taxes, according to the Department of Revenue.

The issue arose during the regular weekly meeting of Hickenlooper and City Council members. Downs requested authorization for a contract so the Public Works Department could be reimbursed by the host committee for use of "fueling facilities, fuel and car washes."

Downs said the contract with the host committee started in March and that $9,700 in fuel and services had been purchased from the city so far. But the committee has yet to be billed. The city anticipates $466,125 in total revenues from the contract, Downs said.

City Councilman Charlie Brown raised the question of whether the host committee would be paying fuel taxes, and Downs said it wouldn't.

"There's something there that just doesn't seem right to me because, in a sense, you're saying then that the officials who pass the laws are not willing to live by them," said Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz.

Hickenlooper said the practice isn't unique to Denver.

"I do know for a fact that they're doing the same exact thing in Minneapolis," Hickenlooper said, referring to the city that along with St. Paul is hosting the Republican National Convention.

The mayor's office is trying to play this off as though the RNC was getting a similar break, but the RNC is paying the tax on fuel just as any other taxpayer.

Nice.

So, what was the excuse given for the DNC using the city's tax-free gas pumps?

Wait for it:

The host committee, which is responsible for raising money to put on the convention, is using the city's pumps "for safety and security reasons," Lopez said.

"We know the gas is not tainted," he said. "We use it as a safety and security measure."

Oh really? Are you telling me that Denver residents are putting themselves in jeopardy by filling up at any of the privately owned gas stations? How many tainted gas stations have been found in the City? You would think that such news would get wider play in Denver, but a search of news for Denver and tainted gas found no records.

Lame.

First the DNC was toying with the idea of cutting the convention short because it couldn't make it's budget, and now we're finding that they've been shortchanging the state by not paying taxes on fuel purchases.

Lovely.