Here is a Capitol Annex post with links to video of the convention.

Here is another post with links to some speech MP3s and some interviews I did.

x-posted from annatopia
from the startle-gram:
convention hotel has ties to famous democrat
dems urged to mix it up with GOP
excitement, delegates overflowing
candidate promises “a new… revolution”
democratic convention begins in fort worth
texas democrats feeling unwelcome in fort worth (this was about the hotel fiasco)
dems hope convention spurs revival

from the morning snooze:
convention notes: dems have online advantage (about the bloggers)
democrats off to convention feeling ambitious
some democrats looking to build faith-based message
democrats’ statewide slate: a dream deferred? (this is why i HATE the snooze - fucking right wing belo rag!)
radnofsky entreats democrats to show courage
bell’s speech leaves out immigration
democratic nominee bell urges unity
convention notes: missed out on the dems’ fanfare
dems primed but still struggle
quick take

and here’s the google news feed for the convention, where you can find links from the statewide corporate media

you know, it strikes me - especially after reading the dallas fuckin’ morning snooze - that what i said our sd caucus is completely applicable: we are still being defined by republicans and we have got to change that. i’ll expand on those thoughts later, but i just wanted to mention that since the snooze basically bashed the entire convention.

x-posted from annatopia:

a few batches, via flickr tag:

thursday june 8
drining liberally paddy’s reds

friday june 9
texas democratic veterans caucus
wes clark media event & convention speech
bloggers “caucus” at flying saucer

check out the whole dem convention tag for everything else, including pics from the floor, some candidates, some officeholders, and some bloggers.

if you were there and posted pictures, please drop a comment in this thread so i can link it up.

well folks, it seems that the nominations committee isn’t the only one that got railroaded today.

similar things are happening on Resolutions…  with all due respect to the committee chair, he was forced on us by the current party leadership.  and while we’re trying our best to stick to the rules, the way we are conducting business is MESSED UP.  apparently the resolutions passed at the senate district conventions were “vetted” by the SDEC.  the way it was put to us was that any resolution that was passed by 7 SDs takes precendence and was put into a packet for the committee.  most of those resolutions are good, but many important resolutions (which were passed by WELL OVER 7 DELEGATIONS) were left out of the paket.  for example, impeachment and withdrawal from iraq, censuring the president, etc etc.  the RED MEAT.  we are trying to work our way through the packet and it’s slow going.  we do have all the other resolutions, and several of us on the committee are going to do our best to ensure that the RED MEAT gets to the floor.

in fact, it’s been so contentious in there that i am holding in my hot little hand all the resolutions we’ve passed already.  only five folks on committee have served before, and put simply us newbies don’t have full confidence or trust in those running the committee at the moment.  i say this with a caveat - i respect the job our committee chair’s trying to do, but it seems to me that he’s not being consistent.  for example, the rules say that if a resolution didn’t pass through an SD or the recent SDEC meeting, it cannot be considered.  yet the committee chair allowed someone to just walk into the meeting and introduce another resolution.  chaos ensued.  as a compromise, i offered a motion to suspend the rules and consider it just to get it over with and move on, and we did.

but that doesn’t bode well for the rest of the afternoon.  this is not good, folks.  we are tryin’ to crash the gates and the powers that be are putting up a brick wall.  but we will not be swayed.  if it’s the last thing i do today, i am going to make sure the rest of the day is conducted by the rules and in accordance with the feelings of the majority of the committee and our consituents.

-annatopia

Cross posted at Common Sense

Our group has garnered a little attention.

This morning’s Morning News‘ convention notes mention a few of us by name.

A bloc of political bloggers

FORT WORTH – It doesn’t take a computer genius to figure out why Texas bloggers have a better view of the action at the Democratic convention than they did last week at the GOP gathering San Antonio. The state’s most prominent political bloggers tend to lean to the left politically, so it’s no huge surprise that they have a bona fide “bloggers’ alley” at the Fort Worth Convention Center.

Two years ago, that was unheard of. But sites like In the Pink Texas and Burnt Orange Report in Austin, Common Sense in Waco, Off The Kuff and Greg’s Opinion in Houston, and Annatopia in Fort Worth are making waves in the Democratic Party – and even, occasionally, making news in political circles.

In Fort Worth, the bloggers got media passes and a seat right next to the stage during the main events. Nate Nance, who writes the humorous and left-leaning Common Sense blog, seemed impressed with the setup. “I’m just surprised we even got credentials,” he said.

Greg says I’m easily impressed.

um… i think we’re going to blow the roof off the saucer tonight. i was running around earlier today handing out fliers and visiting booths, and many people already knew about the caucus. shoot, MOST of the people i talked to knew about the party. i am seriously beginning to wonder if we might fill up the entire venue… yes!!!
remember, join us after the convention convenes for the evening… it’ll be the party everyone’s talking about tomorrow.

-annatopia

Cross posted at Common Sense

We went to the Wesley Clark press conference and had to rush to get to the floor for his opening speech tonight. These are amazing seats, we’re in front of the regular press and we have tables.

We’re getting quite a spiel about how great President Wes Clark would have been. Lot’s of red meat for the party faithful on this opening night. Anna and I got our pictures taken with him, that was amazing.

And Clark takes the stage…

Cross-posted at Common Sense

I just left a press conference with Chris Bell filled with all kinds of media personalities. I saw my drinking buddy Karen Brooks, I saw W. Gardner Selby and I saw the biggest hunk in all of Texas media - Wayne Slater!

I haven’t been able to blog this convention the way I wanted. It’s been all going to and fro; always another caucus to attend. Just finding a spare minute to sit in the press room and start writing anything, anything at all, has been very hard. But I have found the time to talk to you wonderful people.

I must say, I’ve got a bad feeling about this convention. Just looking around you would think that the only person running for TDP Chair is Boyd Richie. Signs, signs everywhere and I can’t walk through a doorway without someone trying to stick me with a pin or a sticker with Boyd Richie’s name on it. What happened to all the people that were committed Maxey delegates?

Where are all the Maxey people? I’ve seen a handful with homemade signs wandering around, nothing serious. We’re going to have to get something together before tomorrow night if we’re going to succeed. I’ll work my mojo to find out what is going on for you.

Don’t forget: Bloggers Caucus party tonight! Flying Saucer, 111 E. 4th Street downtown Fort Worth. Just five blocks north of the convention center. I got an assurance that if he arrives in Fort Worth tonight, superstar Chet Edwards may attend.