Police in Riot Gear

Last night protesters met police in full-on riot gear. They blocked off nearly all the streets surrounding the Xcel Energy Center. Here's a video showing you what the blockade looked like. Moments later, the police sprayed tear gas into the crowd.



Cross posted at Pushback.

The Effect of the 1960s

Today at the Minnesota state capitol, people have gathered for concerts, yoga, and registering to vote. The Ripple Effect, which could better be described as Hippie Fest '08, put an emphasis on ending the war and enacting a leftist Middle East policy. One of the performers asked attendees to recycle properly and then asked for anyone to yell if they wanted to end the war. A second performer was excited to see Palestinian scarves in the audience. The smell of incense was strong, and you could even see some attendees creating a sculpture out of flowers (see below).

It was almost surprising to see such a collection of college-aged young people in dreadlocks cheering to "give peace a chance" after living inside the Beltway for two years. The kind of youth participation I typically see is more of the button-down, get-a-job-at-an-activist-organization kind. But the appearance of this brand of anti-war liberals should be of comfort to those like Tom Friedman , who say that we're all too quiet and spend too much time online. It seems like a mistake to take a group of office-working DC activists for the whole of the generation. Clearly the protest kind of activism born in the 1960s still exists.



Cross posted at Pushback.

Palin Draws Down

Apparently the controversy over Bristol's pregnancy has earned her a rating of 59 percent of US Weekly online readers thinking that Sarah Palin should step down as vice presidential nominee. Palin, who was scheduled to appear at Phillis Schlafy's Party for Life event at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown St. Paul, decided she wouldn't appear after all.

Covering the RNC

Sorry to have not posted recently. I've been busy flying from Denver to DC and then to Minneapolis to cover the Republican National Convention. Already the tone is very different. After cutting back on events the last couple of days, the Republicans, at least in my personal interactions (perhaps because they know about the Center for American Progress, my employer) seem to be more on the defensive than the Democrats were last week. Minnesota Public Radio has already devoted several segments to the question of Sarah Palin's viability as a vice presidential candidate. I'll be reporting more over at Pushback, but in the meantime, here's a rather humorous logo to entertain you.

The Problem with Choosing Sarah Palin

Today’s theme at the convention is “Who is John McCain?” The question has become more or less abandoned recently. Over the last several days, gallons of ink–digital and otherwise–has been spilled over McCain’s vice presidential pick. Because Sarah Palin was relatively unknown in the national scene, reporters and bloggers have been spending a great deal of time trying to uncover her political history. Already, the minor scandals Troopergate and Babygate have bubbled up. Conservatives went on the defensive almost immediately trying to assure everyone that Palin has enough experience to be the vice presidential nominee.

By choosing someone with a relatively unknown past, the national attention has dropped from the top of the ticket to the bottom of it. Already Palin’s garnering louder cheers than McCain from some conservative groups. Although she brings energy to the ticket, especially from religious conservative voters, she has also energized the left because of her socially conservative positions. With such a controversial figure on the ticket, the debate has become more about Palin than the differences between the two parties.

It’s too early to say if this is going to be a lasting narrative in the campaign or a blip around the Republican National Convention. But it may be difficult to focus the campaign on the top of the ticket, even if the theme tonight is getting to know McCain.

Cross posted at Pushback.

Youth Delegates at the RNC

Spencer Rice is delegate from New York. He believes he's the second youngest delegate, having just turned 18 in May. He hopes to go to Annapolis like John McCain.



Cross posted at Pushback.

Young Republicans Hear From Huckabee, Voinovich

Yesterday at the Young Republicans luncheon at the Hard Rock Cafe (full disclosure: Campus Progress Action co-sponsored the event) a group of roughly 25 young people gathered to listen to Sen. Voinovich from Ohio, Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, and the Student PIRGs to talk about get-out-the-vote efforts. "I really believe in grassroots politics," Voinovich said to the young people with a hearing aid in his ear.

The event was designed to talk about the youth vote, but for the most part, it noted more about some leaders in the Republican party. Voinovich pointed out that he had become a Republican because he believed in "balancing budgets and paying down debts," and noted that the country's deficit has gone up 40 percent since 2001 -- during a Republican administration. It was the kind of thing you might hear from a Blue Dog Democrat.

When speakers mentioned presidential nominee John McCain the Young Republicans cheered, but when they mentioned vice presidential nominee the Young Republicans cheered louder. Although Huckabee noticed that McCain was his "second choice" for president, he endorsed him. He also spoke of respect for Palin for carrying through with her pregnancy even after she discovered that her baby would be born with Down's syndrome. Very few people choose to carry through with such a pregnancy after discovering such a challenge. "Then we find out who's really pro-life," he said.

Cross posted at Pushback.