Democracy Now! Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Today's Headlines

• Report: Four Arrested in Connection to Plot to Kill Obama
• Michelle Obama & Ted Kennedy Help Open Democratic National Convention
• Denver Police Arrests 91 Protesters
• Minnesota Police Arrest NYC Video Activists
• McCain Adviser Lobbied to Allow People on Terror Watch Lists Buy Gun
• Russia Formally Recognizes Independence of Breakaway Georgian Regions
• 350 Workers Detained in Mississippi Immigration Raid
• Ex-Pakistan PM Pulls Out of Coalition Gov’t
• Pentagon Considers Expanding Operations in Pakistan
• Oxfam: Black Evacuees from New Orleans Continue to Face Weak Job Prospects
• 12 States Sue EPA Over Oil Refineries Emissions

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  Michelle Obama Delivers Keynote Address on Opening Day of Democratic Convention

  The Democrats opened their four-day convention on Monday with thousands of delegates, party elders and lobbyists flooding the halls of the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver. Headlining the opening day was Michelle Obama, who delivered the final address of the night before a cheering crowd on the convention floor. We play highlights and speak with Salim Muwakkil, senior editor of In These Times. [includes rush transcript]

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  Jeremy Scahill Grills Democratic Lawmakers on the War, Obama's Foreign Policy Team and the Corporate Money Behind the Big Show

  As the Democrats gather under a massive banner proclaiming that change is on the way, serious questions abound about some of the key issues that have brought protesters here to Denver. We sent Democracy Now! correspondent Jeremy Scahill into the Pepsi Center to ask Senators Carl Levin, Charles Rangel, Reps. Maxine Waters, Dennis Kucinich and others the questions the corporate media is failing to ask, from the war in Iraq and Obama’s foreign policy team to impeachment and the death penalty. [includes rush transcript–partial]

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  Denver Police Arrest 91, Fire Pepper Spray & Pepper Balls at Protesters

  As the Democrats celebrated inside the Pepsi Center on the opening day of the convention, outside on the streets police pepper-sprayed protesters and rounded up dozens of them in mass arrests near Civic Center Park. [includes rush transcript]

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  As Democratic Convention Kicks Off, Massive Security Presence Clamps Down on Dissent in Denver

  The 2008 Democratic National Convention kicked off Monday at the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver. We play highlights of the speeches from the convention floor, and we take a look at the massive security presence in the streets of the city with Eileen Clancy of I-Witness Video, who has been closely monitoring the protests in the streets. [includes rush transcript–partial]

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  Former U.S. Senator Jean Carnahan and Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan on the 2008 Race, Their Role As Convention Delegates & Voter Registration

  As we continue our coverage of the 2008 Democratic National Convention, I am joined now by two Democratic delegates from Missouri who also come from one of the state"s most storied political families. Former Senator Jean Carnahan served in Congress from 2001 to 2002. I am also joined by Jean Carnahan’s daughter, Robin Carnahan. She is Missouri’s Secretary of State, where she has focused on voter and consumer rights.

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  Iraq Veterans Against the War Descends on Denver to Call on Democrats to Endorse True Antiwar Platform

  On Monday, IVAW delivered a letter to Senator Barack Obama’s DNC campaign headquarters asking that he endorse the organization’s three main points: The immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces from Iraq; Full and adequate health care and benefits to all returning service members and veterans; and Reparations made to the Iraqi people for the destruction caused by the U.S. war and occupation. This weekend here in Denver, Amy Goodman caught up with IVAW member Sgt. Matthis Chiroux, who served in the US Army for five years and a few months ago publicly refused to deploy to Iraq, subjecting him to risk of prosecution.