DNC

A moment in history

Below are Karin's final comments on the Democratic National Convention:

Democrats or Republicans, independents or never declared, you have to aggree that last night was... a moment. Part rally, party rock concert, what happened inside INVESCO Field made its mark in history. The Mile High Stadium was lit up for the world to see.

For four days, Democrats came together in hopes of making the rest of the country see what they see. They leave Denver energized.

At the same time, Republicans are about to embark on their own journey in St. Paul. And with a new name on the ticket, they too intend to make history.

Convention adjourned

For Karin, Bill, and me, it's now one down, one to go. As police helicopters continue to buzz overhead, the 45th Democratic National Convention now stands adjourned. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gaveled it to a close after Barack Obama accepted his party's nomination for president before a capacity crowd of more than 75,000 people at INVESCO Field here in Denver.

The thousands of delegates who gathered here from across the country, including those from Berks County and the Lehigh Valley, will now return to their homes and work over the next nine weeks toward a Democratic victory in November.

As for us, we get to go home, too, if only for a day. And only after we file a couple more stories for tomorrow. We're scheduled to fly out tomorrow morning. With the time difference between here and Pennsylvania, we'll land in Philly around 4:15. Then we'll be back at the airport early Sunday morning for our flight to the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

Obama: "I accept..."

Before a capacity crowd gathered inside INVESCO Field here in Denver, Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for president of the United States. Karin and Bill are inside the stadium right now, capturing images of his speech and gathering reaction to it. The Pennsylvania delegation, led by Governor Ed Rendell and PA party chair T.J. Rooney of the Lehigh Valley, is positioned on the field, just to Obama's left.

Across the street from the Pepsi Center, within sight of the stadium, hundreds of people are gathered outside the CNN Grill, watching the speech on large TVs. At times, they're applauding Obama's words right along with the large crowd inside the stadium.

What Obama's going to say

We're still a little more than an hour away from seeing Barack Obama walk up to the podium before more than 75,000 people at INVESCO Field to accept the Democrats' nomination for president. A short time ago, his campaign e-mailed us excerpts of his speech, so I'll share some of them with you.

"Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren't well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to.

"It is that promise that has always set this country apart that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well.

"It is why I stand here tonight.  Because for two hundred and thirty two years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women, students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors -- found the courage to keep it alive.

"We meet at one of those defining moments -- a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened once more.

"Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less.  More of you have lost your homes and more are watching your home values plummet.  More of you have cars you can't afford to drive, credit card bills you can't afford to pay and tuition that is beyond your reach.

"These challenges are not all of government's making.  But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed presidency of George W. Bush."

Ghost town

What a difference a day makes. With the venue for tonight's speech by Barack Obama moved over to INVESCO Field, much of what has been the hub of activity over the past three days is now cleared out. We no longer have to pass through a security checkpoint to get to our workspace, which will be a big help later tonight when it comes time to packing up all our equipment for St. Paul. The Secret Service has moved all its operations over to the stadium, which is about a 10 minute walk from the Pepsi Center. Most people, however, are lining up to ride buses over there. We'll be going over later this evening, as it gets closer for Obama to take the stage.