Democrats

DENVER--Political conventions nowadays are as much about capitalism as they are about politics.

AT&T vendors here pass out Chapstick and cup cozies with the company's logo. Delegates wander around in CNN caps. Lanyards for official credentials sport a Qwest logo. Coca Cola tote bags are carried into the Pepsi Center, while entrepreneurs hand out free samples (or sometimes try to sell them).

The Big Tent, where bloggers are spending most of their time, has become a veritable trade show of tech-oriented products and businesses.

Kary and Gerhard Rivera are Denver locals--they're both spouses and business partners--who … Read more

When Barack Obama announced he was going to release the name of his vice presidential pick via text message, he affirmed that this method of communication is no longer relegated to teenagers, but has penetrated the mainstream. According to Nielsen research, 2.9 million people received the text, even though the mainstream media announced Joe Biden's name well before it was even sent.

Texting's popularity has certainly been evident at the Democratic National Convention. Even the most unlikely of delegates have whipped out their cell phones and proudly described the text messaging protocols their states are using to … Read more

DENVER--Google is taking advantage of the presence of innumerable state and federal bureaucrats attending the Democratic convention to engage in some old-fashioned product pitchmanship.

Vivek Kundra, the chief technology officer for the District of Columbia's government, was on hand here on Wednesday to explain how he has used Google applications to facilitate the online work of more than 38,000 D.C. employees. He related the story of how he interviewed for his job on the morning of September 11, 2001, and quickly learned how critical it was to upgrade the city's bureaucracy.

"All of our assets … Read more

DENVER--Technology companies are here at the Democratic convention this week to highlight more than just their new products--they're pushing an agenda as well.

The Consumer Electronics Association, a lobbying firm that represents 2,200 technology companies such as Microsoft, Sony, and Hitachi, brought its 28-state "America Wins with Trade" bus tour to Denver this week to convince Democrats that free trade benefits the tech industry, as well as consumers. Groups with opposing views are taking a high profile at the convention, however, and the conflicting interests in the party are apparent from its mixed messages on … Read more

The second night of the Democratic National Convention could have been a flashpoint as Hillary Clinton took to the stage.

Many observers had wondered whether Clinton, the chief rival to Barack Obama during the primary season earlier this year, would use her prime-time speech to further her own ambitions more than to support Obama, who is set to become the official Democratic presidential nominee later this week at the convention.

But in the end, Clinton delivered a solid message of support for Obama.

For a full recap of the night, check out this CBS News video (runtime: 37:12) with … Read more

Clean-tech venture capitalist Nancy Floyd spoke at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, saying Barack Obama's energy proposals would make the U.S. economy more competitive.

The speech by Floyd, founder and managing director at Nth Power, is a sign that clean energy and the environment are high-profile issues in this year's presidential campaign. Indeed, Hilary Clinton used her speech to tout "green collar" jobs.

Floyd has been doing energy investing for decades and often called on policy-makers to support the domestic renewable energy business.

In her talk, she took the same tack, arguing that Spain, … Read more

DENVER--During the primary campaign, Hillary Clinton lashed out at her rival, saying she was the only candidate with the right plan "to create 5 million new, green collar jobs." She dismissed Barack Obama thusly: "My opponent doesn't have much experience creating jobs at all."

Through his Web site, Obama responded that he had a better plan to create "5 million green collar jobs."

On Tuesday evening here at the Democratic convention, the Democrats' intra-party dispute over who had the best plan to create "5 million green collar jobs" officially ended. In … Read more

DENVER--If you want to find bloggers here at the Democratic convention, don't look inside the Pepsi Center, an island of concrete surrounded by fences, barriers, checkpoints, and heavily armed police in helmets and black uniforms.

Many have camped out in a more welcoming place: the so-called Big Tent, located a few blocks outside the security perimeter where bloggers can pay $100 for a place to work for the week. There are free smoothies and massages downstairs (thanks to Google) and free lectures upstairs (courtesy of left-leaning activists hoping to rally the faithful).

It is true that the Democratic National … Read more

The Democratic National Convention kicked off Monday night in Denver as thousands of delegates gathered to celebrate their political party and prepare to nominate their presidential ticket.

A highlight of the first day included a tribute to long-serving Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, as well as an unscheduled appearance on the stage by Kennedy, who is battling brain cancer.

The headline speaker for the evening was Michelle Obama, wife of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Katie Couric of CBS News offers a recap of the day in this 45-minute video: