Staff writer Erica Curless reports from Sandpoint the Idaho GOP has a new leader and a new direction on how to vote in primaries, the result of a dramatic convention that revealed the division of the party and perhaps a straying from the GOP establishmentIn…
Betsy Russell reports from Boise that the Democrats have ended their convention on a good note.Read about it at Eye on Boise by clicking here.
Washington Democrats haven't adjourned, but most of the delegates are filing out of the hall.One speaker left....
Washington Democrats may be getting tired of the back and forth of convention politicking.The platform was introduced, and a motion was made to adopt it by acclamation.Seconded.Passed overwhelmingly.On to resolutions.Time elapsed: 2 minutes.
Erica Curless reports from Sandpoint that the Idaho GOP Convention just approved the slate of delegates to the national convention, including the six Ron Paul delegates and alternates.The list of delegates is already posted on HBO.The only addition is the four electors who are John…
...and they're going to discuss Charter Amendments.
Erica Curless reports from Sandpoint that Republicans just narrowly voted to change their party rules and open the GOP primary, a reverse in course that shows the division within the party about the controversial issue.The recommendation passed by just seven votes and now will go…
Convention chair orders a lunch break until 1:45 p.m.
U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott managed to mess up a few things in his speech, most notably the date of the election."It's not over until 8 o'clock on the Eighth of November," he said.Actually, by that time, the election will have been over for four days.…
There's discussion over changing the order of the future discussion of the Charter Amendments, which delegates are supposed to debate after lunch.The convention is still operating with its temporary chair, because one must accept the rules and schedule before it can move on to the…
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Erica Curless reports from Sandpoint on some sound and fury over delegates:Delegate John Ferris of Benewah County let it rip on new Shoshone County Chairman Bill Dire after the meeting to reinstate the District 2 delegates."Thanks for destroying District 2," Ferris said angrily, loud enough…
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, of Minnesota, being introduced as the keynote speaker of the convention.State Chairman Dwight Pelz recounts great Democrats from Minnesota. "From Gene McCarthy to Paul Wellstone." Then he pauses."What about Hubert Humphrey? Who writes these notes?"
Gov. Chris Gregoire compares Barack Obama to John Kennedy, says she told her daughter she believes Obama is her generation's JFK.She Hillary Clinton's historic run and tells delegates "Today is the day we stand proud and tall" to support Obama.Washington state is doing better than…
Sen. Patty Murray tells delegates there's 143 days until the election "and we can't afford to waste a single one."She gets cheers when she says they can change the country and take it back, and the expected boos when she mentions George Bush or GOP…
The convention opens, as do all conventions, with an invocation, the presentation of the flag, the National Anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance.The color guard is courtesy of the local Naval Reserve Unit.National Anthem courtesy of Julia Keefe, who also sang the song when the…
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