On Politics / David Postman
Gov. Locke tells delegates of better life family sought

By David Postman
Times chief political reporter

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Locke's parents emigrated from China in search of a better life, Locke said. He suggested, without ever mentioning President Bush, that the sort of social and economic rise his family experienced can't happen under the current administration.

"We found an America where reaching the middle class was within everyone's grasp, where every generation could go farther than the generation before," Locke said in his early evening address. "We found a land respected and admired all over the world. That's the real America. That's the real America our families came in search of and aspired to."

Star power

From on high in the FleetCenter convention hall, it's easy to tell when a celebrity has come in. A huge knot of reporters and star-seeking delegates instantly forms, with the reporters leaning in to catch a possibly useful quote and the delegates trying to do that difficult dance of taking their own picture — arm outstretched — while they lean in to get the star in the shot, too.

It happens certainly with the likes of actor Ben Affleck or activist filmmaker Michael Moore, the real sex symbols of the Democratic Party. It happens with the wonk equivalents — say, Clinton strategist James Carville.

But the rules are different when it is political commentator Sean "P. Diddy" Combs. The hip-hop mogul was in the hall yesterday morning to do interviews for his subtle voter-outreach program, "Vote or Die."

But there'd be no snapshots while Combs sat for interviews. "That's rude," his large bodyguard said. And no leaning in to pick up stray quotes. "That's rude."

One young female security guard rushed up the steps to take a cellphone photo. Nope, not polite, either. She waited, though, and got an autograph and a nice, posed P. Diddy to send to her friends. And it came just in time, as she appeared about to faint, hand fluttering over her chest and tears welling up. Really. As if it was a Democrat finding Michael Moore.

Combs was in early. Not so for Outkast star Andre 3000. He pulled one of the largest crowds of the day when he arrived in the afternoon with TV producer and liberal icon Norman Lear and the Declaration of Independence.

Andre 3000, real name Andre Benjamin, was dressed in his trademark style of wild plaids, a bow tie and a hat.
 
They were there to do some filming for an HBO special related to a youth voter-registration drive Lear started around a traveling exhibit of the rare 1776 copy of the declaration he bought at auction. He and a partner paid $8.14 million for it.

"I don't collect such things," said Lear, producer of hit TV shows including "All in the Family" and "Maude." "I have no wall to put it on. I wouldn't care to. I knew it should travel."

As the copy toured the country, Lear said he was moved by the sight of young people lining up for hours "just to get a couple of moments with it."

He decided to make the declaration the centerpiece of a voter-registration drive he named Declare Yourself. It includes a spoken-word and music tour of college campuses and a Web site where people in 50 states can download voter-registration information. There will be a televised get-out-the-vote concert.

David Postman: 360-943-9882 or dpostman@seattletimes.com