Kucinich urges unity with Washington delegation

Teresa Heinz Kerry

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Most read articles Most e-mailed articles

Related stories Clinton leads anti-Bush chorus at convention A peek inside GOP's war room in Boston Veterans playing key role for Kerry in Boston Punchy keynote lines no guarantee of fame Scheduled speakers

"All over the city they're already saying, 'Don't you Democrats disagree on the war?' The media wants to split this party. But you know what? We're not splitting," Kucinich said.

"When it comes to November 2, there is only one opinion and that is elect John Kerry president of the United States," Kucinich roared.

Adam Smith to speak at 5:27 p.m., to be exact

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Tacoma, addresses the convention today at 5:27 p.m., a precise schedule that will be amazing if it holds up into the second day of the convention. He's been given about four minutes.

Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington speaks tomorrow afternoon. She has been an outspoken critic of the Bush administration's energy policy, led the fight in the Senate against the Republican energy bill and has been hitting hard on Enron's alleged wrongdoing in the Northwest energy markets.

Sid Snyder a delegate for fourth convention

Sid Snyder, 77, the former state Senate majority leader, began yesterday as an alternate but by showtime had moved up to delegate to fill an absent seat. It's his fourth convention, dating back to 1968, when he was on the rules committee for the Chicago convention.

In 1972 he was a delegate and his son, Sid Jr., was an alternate. This year Snyder's grandson, Sid Jr.'s 19-year-old son, Whitney, is here as a convention page.

Edwards rests voice for tomorrow's speech

John Edwards did some last-minute work on his convention speech yesterday in Raleigh, N.C., but he wasn't shouting any practice applause lines. He was resting a raspy voice strained by nearly three weeks of nonstop campaigning.
 
The North Carolina senator flies to Boston today and will speak tomorrow night at the convention where he will be nominated as John Kerry's vice-presidential running mate.

Concerns about his voice prompted campaign officials to postpone an afternoon speech that had been scheduled for the North Carolina Agriculture and Technology State University in Greensboro, N.C.

Everclear front man an Oregon delegate

Oregon's coolest delegate actually lives in Washington state, at least part time. Art Alexakis, front man of the Portland band Everclear, has been spending time south of Seattle as he and band members prepare for a fall tour.

This is Alexakis' first foray into presidential politics.

"I'm just really excited to be part of the process and part of the team," he said on the convention floor last night. "The more people that come in here the better it is."

Dean frees delegates, urges they back Kerry

Howard Dean formally released the 201 delegates who supported his failed presidential bid and urged them yesterday to vote for John Kerry at this week's Democratic National Convention.

He said the ultimate decision rests with the delegates, but he asked them at a private meeting to drop any rogue campaigns on his behalf.

"I have released my delegates," Dean said after the meeting. "I've asked them all to vote for the Kerry-Edwards ticket."

Many of the delegates leaving the hotel ballroom said they had been enthusiastic supporters of the former Vermont governor but were united behind Kerry and his running mate, John Edwards.

Kerry defends his wife over "shove it" remark

In a week when John Kerry has urged Democratic followers to stay upbeat and positive, he was forced to defend someone close to home yesterday for straying off-message — his wife — who told a conservative journalist Sunday to "shove it."

Kerry said he didn't have a problem with Teresa Heinz Kerry's comment to the writer for a conservative Pittsburgh newspaper who had pressed Heinz Kerry to elaborate on her earlier complaint about "un-American" tactics in politics.

"I think my wife speaks her mind appropriately," Kerry said during a stop in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on his trek to his nominating convention.

Other Democrats, including Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, closed ranks around Kerry's wife, the millionaire heiress who has a reputation for outspokenness. Heinz Kerry is to address the convention tonight.

"A lot of Americans are going to say, 'Good for you, you go, girl,' and that's certainly how I feel about it," Clinton said.

Pentagon positioned in case of emergency

The Pentagon has quietly positioned air, land and sea forces in and around Boston in an unprecedented level of military support for a national political convention, a military spokesman said yesterday.

Most of the security visible on the streets of Boston is state and local police. Michael Kucharek, a spokesman for U.S. Northern Command, said the military's main role is behind-the-scenes coordination and preparation to respond to a major emergency.

Kucharek said he could not disclose numbers or other details of the military presence in Boston. He said it includes representatives of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard — both active duty and National Guard.

Judge blocks protests at house

A federal judge in Boston refused yesterday to let anti-abortion groups demonstrate in front of Sen. John Kerry's Boston townhouse.

"I'm not going to second-guess the Secret Service's idea of how they feel they need to protect a presidential candidate," U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton said.

The groups had filed a lawsuit contending the city improperly revoked their permits to demonstrate. Operation Rescue and several other anti-abortion groups had planned to pray and lay roses outside Kerry's Beacon Hill home during the Democratic National Convention. Kerry supports abortion rights.

Seattle Times staff writer David Postman contributed to this report.