Lindsley reports on Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention.

Today started out again with a 7 am breakfast. Senator Mark Pryor spoke to the delegation about how he supported Hillary but he now is backing Obama. Afterward there was a delegate meeting to inform the delegates how the voting would take place today, which was for delegates to check the candidate of their choice and sign the roll call ballot. Next, there was a 30-minute conference call of Third-District delegates with the press. Then we headed off to our various caucuses.

After the caucuses from 11-1, there was a meeting of the Clinton Campaign for Clinton to meet with her delegates. The Clinton delegate meeting was high energy. Hillary said that she released her delegates and then stated 'let me tell you what that means', and told the crowd that some delegates told her that they wanted to vote for her because they promised their constituency that they would do that and they wanted to fulfill their promise and some told her they wanted to vote for Obama to demonstrate to people the idea of unity. She said that she would be voting today to back Senator Barack Obama during her state's roll call vote, but she wanted her delegates to do what was in their hearts and what they felt they needed to do. After that, all the delegates at the convention made their way to the Pepsi Center for the day's events. The roll call was one of the first items of the afternoon. I, along with 7 other Hillary Delegates, cast our votes for Senator Hillary Clinton, 37 were cast for Senator Barack Obama, and Senator Vic Snyder and Congressman Marion Berry were absent (Vic is expecting triplets). I was pleased to vote as I promised at the State Convention in Little Rock and for the state that had the largest margin for Hillary in nation.

When it came to Arkansas, Rebecca Gwatney gave the roll call presentation. There was a script, but it was replaced and at the last minute, with Rep. Steve Harrelson stating that the second page of her notes were being written as she was delivering her first page of notes. Here is the speech given:

'This is Rebecca Gwatney, on behalfof the Great State of Arkansas, the adopted home of Senator Hillary RodhamClinton, the state that provided her with her largest margin of 70% inthe 2008 Democratic primary and a state with an admiration for theClintons that is unmatched throughout this country. I am proudtonight to follow Senator Clinton's call for unity and to unite behindSen. Barack Obama and elect him as the next president of the United States.'

Then the audience applauded and the moderator announced 'Arkansas casts 47 votes for Barack Obama.'

The last sentence of the speech that Rebecca was going to state was, ' Arkansas casts 37 votes for Senator Barack Obama and 8 for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton'; however, the mic was cut off and the last sentence was not included.

The highlights of the evening were the speeches of Bill Clinton and Joe Biden, each receiving a rousing applause, particularly Clinton. The applause before Clinton's speech seemed to go on for 5 minutes. He stated that his job was to be the warm-up act for Biden, and he accomplished that goal completely. He did not leave the press any room for misinterpreting his comments and stated his support for Obama loud and clear. He began with a first sentence stating that he is honored to be here tonight to support Barack Obama, and he expressed his love for Joe Biden. I found the following statements particularly excellent:

'Hillary told us in no uncertain terms that she'll do everything she can to elect Barack Obama. That makes two of us. Actually that makes 18 million of us - because, like Hillary, I wantall of you who supported her to vote for Barack Obama in November.'

'The American Dream is under siege at home, and America's leadership in the world has been weakened.'

'Middle class and low-income Americans are hurting, with incomesdeclining; job losses, poverty and inequality rising; mortgageforeclosures and credit card debt increasing; health care coveragedisappearing; and a big spike in the cost of food, utilities, andgasoline.Our position in the world has been weakened by too muchunilateralism and too little cooperation; a perilous dependence onimported oil; a refusal to lead on global warming; a growingindebtedness and a dependence on foreign lenders; a severely burdenedmilitary; a backsliding on global non-proliferation and arms controlagreements; and a failure to consistently use the power of diplomacy.'


Bill Clinton also left no room for the press to logically assert that he doesn't think Obama will make a strong President or that he is ready to lead on day one, stating to the excited and unified crowd of the Convention:

'Everything I learned in my eight years as President and in the workI've done since, in America and across the globe, has convinced me thatBarack Obama is the man for this job. He has a remarkable ability to inspire people, to raise our hopesand rally us to high purpose. He has the intelligence and curiosityevery successful President needs. His policies on the economy, taxes,health care and energy are far superior to the Republican alternatives.He has shown a clear grasp of our foreign policy and national securitychallenges, and a firm commitment to repair our badly strainedmilitary. His family heritage and life experiences have given him aunique capacity to lead our increasingly diverse nation and to restoreour leadership in an ever more interdependent world. The long, hardprimary tested and strengthened him. And in his first presidentialdecision, the selection of a running mate, he hit it out of the park. With Joe Biden's experience and wisdom, supporting Barack Obama'sproven understanding, insight, and good instincts, America will havethe national security leadership we need. Barack Obama is ready to lead America and restore Americanleadership in the world. Ready to preserve, protect, and defend theConstitution of the United States. Barack Obama is ready to bePresident of the United States. He will work for an America with more partners and feweradversaries. He will rebuild our frayed alliances and revitalize theinternational institutions which help to share the costs of the world'sproblems and to leverage our power and influence. He will put us backin the forefront of the world's fight to reduce nuclear, chemical, andbiological weapons and to stop global warming. He will continue andenhance our nation's global leadership in an area in which I am deeplyinvolved, the fight against AIDS, TB and malaria, including a renewalof the battle against HIV/AIDS here at home. He will choose diplomacyfirst and military force as a last resort. But in a world troubled byterror; by trafficking in weapons, drugs and people; by human rightsabuses; by other threats to our security, our interests, and ourvalues, when he cannot convert adversaries into partners, he will standup to them. Barack Obama also will not allow the world's problems to obscure itsopportunities. Everywhere, in rich and poor countries alike,hardworking people need good jobs; secure, affordable healthcare, food,and energy; quality education for their children; and economicallybeneficial ways to fight global warming. These challenges cry out forAmerican ideas and American innovation. When Barack Obama unleashesthem, America will save lives, win new allies, open new markets, andcreate new jobs for our people. Most important, Barack Obama knows that America cannot be strongabroad unless we are strong at home. People the world over have alwaysbeen more impressed by the power of our example than by the example ofour power.'

The press has been unjustly harsh on spinning Bill Clinton's words, and Bill set the record straight tonight and effectively flipped the assertions of democratic opponents into realities. And in his appraisal of McCain, he stated, 'They took us from record surpluses to an exploding national debt;from over 22 million new jobs down to 5 million; from an increase inworking family incomes of $7,500 to a decline of more than $2,000; fromalmost 8 million Americans moving out of poverty to more than 5 and ahalf million falling into poverty - and millions more losing theirhealth insurance. Now, in spite of all the evidence, their candidate is promising moreof the same: More tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans that will swellthe deficit, increase inequality, and weaken the economy. Moreband-aids for health care that will enrich insurance companies,impoverish families and increase the number of uninsured. More going italone in the world, instead of building the shared responsibilities andshared opportunities necessary to advance our security and restore ourinfluence. They actually want us to reward them for the last eight years bygiving them four more. Let's send them a message that will echo fromthe Rockies all across America: Thanks, but no thanks. In this case,the third time is not the charm.' The crowd roared!

Joe Biden was also excellent. He let the nation know him better, and he spoke with strength and grace, with the charm that his smile possesses. Biden told the excited crowd that now is the time for Senator Obama. I particularly loved the following realities that Biden stated, 'I've never seen a time when Washington has watched so many peopleget knocked down without doing anything to help them get back up.Almost every night, I take the train home to Wilmington, sometimes verylate. As I look out the window at the homes we pass, I can almost hearwhat they're talking about at the kitchen table after they put the kidsto bed. Like millions of Americans, they're asking questions as profound asthey are ordinary. Questions they never thought they would have to ask:* Should mom move in with us now that dad is gone?
* Fifty, sixty, seventy dollars to fill up the car?
* Winter's coming. How we gonna pay the heating bills?
* Another year and no raise?
* Did you hear the company may be cutting our health care?
* Now, we owe more on the house than it's worth. How are we going to send the kids to college?
* How are we gonna be able to retire?
That's the America that George Bush has left us, and that's thefuture John McCain will give us. These are not isolated discussionsamong families down on their luck. These are common stories amongmiddle-class people who worked hard and played by the rules on thepromise that their tomorrows would be better than their yesterdays. That promise is the bedrock of America. It defines who we are as apeople. And now it's in jeopardy. I know it. You know it. But JohnMcCain doesn't get it.' And the following brought the crowd to cheers and tears, 'That's how you come to believe, to the very core of your being, thatwork is more than a paycheck. It's dignity. It's respect. It's aboutwhether you can look your children in the eye and say: we're going tobe ok.' Moreover, Biden stated realities of McCain that needed to be voiced at the Convention: 'John sided with President Bush 95 percent of the time. Give me abreak. When John McCain proposes $200 billion in new tax breaks forcorporate America, $1 billion alone for just eight of the largestcompanies, but no relief for 100 million American families, that's notchange; that's more of the same. Even today, as oil companies post the biggest profits in history--ahalf trillion dollars in the last five years--he wants to give themanother $4 billion in tax breaks. But he voted time and again againstincentives for renewable energy: solar, wind, biofuels. That's notchange; that's more of the same. Millions of jobs have left our shores, yet John continues to supporttax breaks for corporations that send them there. That's not change;that's more of the same. He voted 19 times against raising the minimum wage. For people whoare struggling just to get to the next day, that's not change; that'smore of the same. And when he says he will continue to spend $10 billion a month inIraq when Iraq is sitting on a surplus of nearly $80 billion, that'snot change; that's more of the same. The choice in this election is clear. These times require more thana good soldier; they require a wise leader, a leader who can deliverchange--the change everybody knows we need.'
Thurmond Metcalf of Benton County and I have been seatmates throughout the convention, front row of course! We call ourselves Arkansas Cheerleaders. Thurmond and I have been also enjoying the time spent with the Minnesota delegates in front of us, and our visits with their Senator, Amy Klobuchar, who stops to talk to us when she visits her delegation each evening. During Biden's speech, Thurmond and learned from a friend of ours in the Minnesota delegation that Barack was on his way to the convention center. Our friend learned this because he received a text message from someone who saw a motorcade heading toward the center and boom, two minutes later Obama appeared on stage.

Sen. Barack Obama, the Democrats' presidential nominee, took the stage at the Democratic National Convention, marking his first in-person appearance at the event.

Barack began by stating, 'I think the convention's gone pretty well so far -- what do you think?' The crowd, which earlier made him the first African-American candidate to lead a major party White House ticket, cheered in a roaring tone that almost shook the hall. Everyone was on their feet and waiving signs and American flags. Seeing that I have to be at today's breakfast in a couple of hours, I'll go ahead and attach some pictures from today's (I mean yesterday's) events:





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