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Dean basks in lovefest with state's delegation

Former presidential candidate Howard Dean was showered with love yesterday when he visited Washington state delegates to the Democratic National Convention — and he loved them right back.

"You were all so good to me," said Dean, former governor of Vermont. "There are a lot of hardworking people here. You're wonderful."

Washington has more Dean delegates than any other state — 29 out of 95 delegates. Dean has released his delegates so they can nominate and support Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry.

Washington delegates also heard King County Executive Ron Sims, who is running for governor. Sims, who is vying with Attorney General Christine Gregoire for the Democratic nomination, was invited to the podium on the spur of the moment and gave a fiery speech.

"I grew up in an era when Democrats led. We were not a shy party," Sims said. "We've got to be a Democratic party again that gives voice to the voiceless. ... America waits for us. Our state waits for us."

Cantwell touts Kerry's policy on fuel options

BOSTON — Sen. John Kerry would help America reduce its dependence on foreign oil if he is elected president, Sen. Maria Cantwell told delegates yesterday.

Cantwell, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, was tapped to give a brief speech on Kerry's energy policy.

The Democratic senator touted Kerry's support for alternative fuels such as wind energy, which she said would help the United States wean itself off foreign oil. The development of alternative fuels also could help create jobs, she said.
 
Cantwell compared Kerry's commitment to alternative fuel technology with President Kennedy's efforts to land a man on the moon.

"This Massachusetts senator is going to lead our generation of Americans to energy independence," she said.

Kerry takes boat tour with Vietnam vets

Sen. John Kerry prepared yesterday for his big night with a slow boat ride past the city that launched his political career and now hosts his nomination for president.

Accompanied by fellow Vietnam veterans, Kerry rode a boat from the airport to a rally on the Charlestown docks, pointing out notable Boston sites — including the FleetCenter, where he will formally accept the Democratic presidential nomination tonight.

"I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to my opportunity ... to share with you and all of America a vision for how we are going to make this country stronger at home and respected in the world," said Kerry, echoing the twin themes of this week's Democratic convention.

Dean bobble heads become door prizes

Some items that haven't been big sellers at the Democratic convention have ended up as door prizes.

Washington state party Chairman Paul Berendt gave away bobble-head dolls of Howard Dean and "Bush Lied" T-shirts to delegates attending a state delegation breakfast. If you can't unload that stuff here in Boston, where would it sell?

Concert, fireworks delayed until tonight

More false notes have sounded for the Boston Pops concert that Sen. John Kerry had envisioned as a thank you to the convention's host city.

Bad weather forced organizers to delay yesterday's concert and fireworks until tonight.

The Pops and James Taylor are to perform on the University of Massachusetts-Boston campus near the John F. Kennedy presidential library. Organizers expected about 20,000 ticket-holders to attend.

Problems have plagued the event from the beginning.

Kerry had hoped for a massive show at the Esplanade along the Charles River — the site of Boston's annual Fourth of July celebration. But the state refused to issue a permit for the concert, saying the crowd could cause major security concerns.

Rapper Chuck D pushes blacks to vote

Chuck D of the rap group Public Enemy — whose songs "Fight the Power" and "Don't Believe the Hype" provided a political voice for black America in the late 1980s and early '90s — is now speaking about the importance of getting blacks to the voting booths in November.

The rapper, who was on the convention floor yesterday, is working with Air America radio.

He said flashy voter-registration drives aren't enough to ensure higher turnout: "It has turned into one big party ... but it's very important now to nail down the election day."

Having to speak over singer John Mellencamp's sound check, Chuck D added that black Americans "can't just talk about ourselves and have anything pointed out to us. We have to be able to point at the issues and the agenda and the right people that handle those issues and agendas."

Nader tries to attend as a journalist

Ralph Nader the journalist won't be crashing the Democrats' party in Boston.

Nader, running for president as an independent, asked Democratic officials on Tuesday for media credentials to get into the FleetCenter.

"We didn't get a response, not surprisingly," said Nader campaign spokesman Kevin Zeese.

Nader is not exactly on the Democrats' A-list of approved guests. He contended in a letter that he qualifies for a press pass because he's written dozens of syndicated columns published in newspapers around the world.

"My intent would be to cover the corporate and commercial participation in the Democratic convention," he wrote.

But Nader also might have tried to complain in person about Democrat-supported lawyers who have entangled his campaign in costly legal fights to get on ballots.

A convention spokeswoman did not return a call seeking comment, but most journalists had to apply for credentials months ago.

Brother critical of Reagan's speech

Unimpressed with Ron Reagan's plea for stem-cell research was his brother, Michael Reagan, who referred to the convention speech as a "disservice."

Michael Reagan said no one in the Reagan family is surprised that the Ronald and Nancy's youngest child would be at the Democratic convention because he has never really supported Republicans.

"The disservice that's really being done here is there's this belief that embryonic stem-cell research is not going on," the conservative radio host said yesterday on CBS' "The Early Show."

Bush approved sharply restricted federal funding for such research, allowing it only for stem cells created before Aug. 9, 2001. Sen. John Kerry has pledged to overturn those restrictions if elected president.

"If you're going to be used by the Democrats then understand why you're being used," Michael Reagan said. "You're being used because you're Ronald Reagan. You've got the same name as our father."

Asked whether he had spoken to his brother about his speech at the Democratic convention, Michael Reagan told Fox, "No, I really haven't talked to him. Ron doesn't talk to many people in the family."

Quotable

Humorist Dave Barry , who is writing about the Democratic National Convention at Boston's FleetCenter, had this to say about the venue:

"For security reasons, the space between Fleet and Center has been removed."

Rickey Cole, head of the Democratic Party in Mississippi, sees nothing wrong with letting corporations pay for many of the parties and foodfests that delegates are attending this week in Boston.

"If you can't drink a man's liquor, eat his food, kiss his wife and vote against him anyway, you don't have any business in politics," Cole said.