It’s been an adventure. I wish I could say that entirely in the positive sense of the word, but it’s definitely a good thing that I was here. There are a lot of comments I could make, but I’m tired. And I walked more yesterday than I have since the Step It Up walk. Ouch.

It should be said that as amazing as the show was inside (and by “amazing” in this post, I’m referring to my amazement that nothing went wrong), the logistics outside were horrific, and there were a lot of angry people walking for hours and miles to get in, or being funneled out exits way to small to accommodate gazillions of people. The crowd I was with actually pushed over the temporary fencing and made their own way out, and in true bleeding-heart liberal style, many lingered for a while to help the elderly or unsteady climb over the concrete barrier to exploit the hole created in the fence line and (thankfully) escape.

I staggered around after my own escape and got lost, wandering through a very large housing project. I was hoping to catch up with fellow Vermonters as I’d felt a bit cut off from them in the evenings, what with the logistics of taking the bus out to the place I stayed Tuesday and Wednesday nights – the condemned home of a medical marijuana growing renter who was in the process of being evicted (and who’d just had most of his plants stolen), and for whom I had to knock with a secret code to be allowed entry so he’d know I wasn’t the cops. More on that later… or not.

So I caught up with some of the younger delegate set at the hotel the delegation had been staying at, but… er, well… the phrase “fifth wheel” comes to mind, so I quickly set off in search of more suitable downtime environments, finding bloggers JD Ryan and Philip Baruth  having drinks with Senator Shumlin. I settled in, and I think it was the most relaxed I’ve been all week.

So a collection of videos follow below the fold, but first here’s Stevie Wonder and dancing Vermont legislators from Mile High Stadium…

Here’s a particularly effective street theater demonstration from Iraq Veterans Against the War. Unfortunately, I didn’t video the best part – where they “roughed up” a faux detainee, but this should give you the flavor.

Here’s a sense of some of the sheer scale of what was up, including the logistic nightmare of getting in out of the stadium (including the aforementioned downed fence and mass escape at the end).

Here’s the reaction of some of the Vermont delegation to Obama’s appearance on the stage, as well as some comments afterwards.

…and in a final reminder that Vermont is the Rodney Dangerfield of states, here’s a screen capture from an MSNBC slideshow of the night. Note the description below the picture…

1). She’s a creationist.

2). She’s under investigation for abuse of power.

3). What?  That’s not enough?

This pick is the Harriet Myers of VP selections.  This is absolutely hilarious.

Sarah Palin, Committed to all Americans:  

Larry Kudlow of CNBC’s “Kudlow & Co.” asked her about the possibility of becoming McCain ticket mate.

Palin replied: “[A]s for that V.P. talk all the time, I’ll tell you, I still can’t answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the V.P. does every day? I’m used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration. We want to make sure that that V.P .slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that we’re trying to accomplish up here for the rest of the U.S., before I can even start addressing that question.”

Backed by Ted Stevens.

Being compared to another inexperienced VP pick.

Seems like a shallow, panic pick to me, designed to get attention, obviously.

is definitely not saying yes …….

The New York Times in an editorial today titled Fish to Slaughter states “Entergy is eager to renew its reactor licenses, which expire in 2013 and 2015. That means that regulatory agencies can require the company to do the right thing.”

Enexus /Entergy’s spin-off shell if SEC approved will own five aging nuclear plants in NY,Vt,and Ma .. Note should be taken of the contrast in tone New York state takes dealing with this corporation . New York state has worked to force Entergy to adhere to financial agreements and environmental rules that have been previously made. It is an attitude seldom seen here in Vermont as Gov.Douglas demurs to the New Orleans based utilities demands with a nod and veto.Short sighted fear of losing “low” rates and a general sympathy for all things corporate is guiding Douglas. Any demand such as long term guarantees on the decommissioning funds are seen by a fearful Gov.Douglas as a threat to our current rates . Enexus leveraged financial scheme that is bringing it into being sounds worthy of Enron’s creative arrangements. If the new company Enexus, like a spoiled child granted all it’s previous wishes comes to Gov .Jim Douglas to renegotiate the existing power contract terms “low” rates how will he say no ? Last week the paper carried another example of the different treatment Entergy gets .

In New York ,Entergy’s proposal was disclosed this year in securities filings, which laid out a new holding company called Enexus that would include nuclear plants in New York and Vermont. In a clause in one of those filings, Entergy claimed that Enexus would not have to live up to the revenue-sharing agreement between Entergy and New York.

Under the existing agreement, Entergy is supposed to pay New York up to $72 million annually through 2014, and state officials had expected to receive the full amount. The money is due to go to the State Power Authority, which provides low-cost electricity to businesses and municipalities and administers various programs like replacing coal furnaces in public schools and providing energy-efficient refrigerators to public-housing residents.

Following negotiations in recent weeks with the Power Authority, which was threatening legal action, Entergy backed off from arguably the most controversial part of its spin-off proposal – at least in the minds of New York officials.

In Vermont, the other state where the law requires state regulators to sign off on the spin-off, lawmakers passed a bill earlier this year calling for the Public Service Board to require Entergy to make additional financial guarantees to a decommissioning fund before approving the spin-off. But Gov. Jim Douglas vetoed the measure, saying Entergy might raise electric rates after its current contract expires in 2012.

Gov.Douglas  may find himself re-negotiating sooner rather than later .This view on Entergy’s plans and prospects from Zacks Investment “Anticipated rate increases, a relatively strong balance sheet and decent earnings visibility at the Entergy Nuclear business are some of the company’s attractive investment features.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08…

http://www.chron.com/disp/stor…

Funny thing …

“Asian alliance rebuffs Russian effort to gain support for its actions“, blared the page 3 headline in today’s (08/29/08) Times Argus.

The article began

China and several Central Asian nations rebuffed Russia’s hopes of international support for its actions in Georgia, issuing a statement Thursday denouncing the use of force and calling for the respect of every country’s territorial integrity.

A joint declaration from the six-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization also offered some support for Russia’s “active role in promoting peace” following a cease-fire, but overall it appeared to increase Moscow’s international isolation.

But WAIT!

“

Russia wins backing from China“, shouted the headline for News.com.au (Fox affilitiated I believe).

RUSSIA today won support from China and Central Asian states in its standoff with the West over the Georgia conflict as the European Union said it was weighing sanctions against Moscow.

Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev said he hoped the “united position” of a summit of Central Asian nations would “serve as a serious signal to those who try to turn black into white.”

Dammit, now I gotta figger it out for myself.

This is the new voice of the Democratic party:

I’m sort of amazed.

This is it. The last slide show from the Democratic National Convention. Included are photos from yesterday’s Progressive Democrats of America conference and the main event at Invesco Field. Obama’s speech was amazing. I don’t know how the GOP can actually respond to this. They’re toast as far as I’m concerned.

Hope you enjoyed the coverage. I’ll have a final recap sometime soon. It was fun out here. It really was.

– Christian

Crossposted at Docudharma.

SO many things going on. I didn’t get a chance to submit these last night because I was too damn exhausted. As I was heading home last night, I came across a biker stand off with police at 15th and Blake Streets in Denver. One guy got hauled off and arrested but the picture I took came out all fuzzy. It was one of those spur of the moment photographs that just didn’t come out right when you needed it to.

I’m including these photos because the Democratic National Conference is more than just a dog & pony show. Political conventions have always been about protests, overreactive police force, etc. These photos capture some of the things that took place. When I left the bikers were chanting “The whole world is watching! The whole world is watching!” Activists never get credit for the actions they do. That’s why they belong here.

As always….. more to come.

I just got done watching Obama's speech and I think it was better than his convention speech four years ago.

I think he did what he needed to do in several respects. First, he came out strong against McCain, which he needs to do. Second, he fleshed out the substance of his proposals, including more investment in renewable and alternative energy, more investment in education and early childhood education, and he made clear that he will cut taxes for 95% of the population.

The one thing he didn't say was, as Dahlia points out, what he's going to do to restore the Constitutional rights that Bush has attacked for eight years.

Still, he really got the crowd going, and a lot of his argument emphasized the strengths of this country, and what we have that sets us apart and holds us together.

In all, I thought it was a strong speech.

From the Boston Globe:

 MONTPELIER, Vt.—For years a division of the Vermont Department of Public Safety failed to enforce the state's building codes by relying on voluntary compliance by landlords, a practice that in some cases forced tenants from their homes, a judge has ruled.

In the latest chapter in the long-running legal case, Franklin County Superior Court Judge Ben Joseph issued a summary judgment in favor of Vermont tenants, represented by Vermont Legal Aid, ordering the department to come up with a plan to enforce the building codes as intended by the Legislature.

Vermont Legal Aid has been suing the state since 1982 on behalf of low-income tenants, because the facts show, and the Superior Court has now ruled, that even though the state has a legal obligation to enforce building codes, the state has sat back and done nothing except to kick tenants out of their homes.

Finally, after a trip to the Supreme Court and back, we have a ruling that the state must take action and start enforcing the codes that should have been enforced all along. 

As the article points out, the next step is to see if the Douglas Administration will comply with its obligations and start standing up for tenants' rights.