3rd Day at the 2012 Democratic Convention

It's 2:30am and I have to get up in 3 hours :-). Long day including breakfast meeting, getting credentials, going back to our hotel and going uptown to the Convention Center.

At our breakfast meeting, notable speakers were, Agriculture Secty Tom Vilsaik, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who is also DNC Chairwoman, Rob McCord, Pa State Treasurer, Kathleen Kane, Candidate for PA Auditor General, and Jim Burn, PA Democratic State Committee Chairman, just to name a few.

The most poignant comment at the breakfast was from Secretary Vilsik, when he discussed one major difference between President Obama & Mitt Romney; the disparity is simple. Obama Supports keeping Medicare in the present form that it is, and Mitt Romney wants to destroy it !!!

After getting our credentials for the day, I headed back to our hotel with the intent of going uptown to the convention center, returning back to our hotel to freshen up before the long evening event of gavelling the convention to order. Best laid out plans, usually have problems. Because of security issues, we had a transportation issue, where our Bus could not gain access close to the Convention Center, whereby we had to disenbark and walk 2-1/2 miles to it , on a very Hot & Muggy day :-). Therefore, I decided to stay for about an hour and a half there, grab some lunch and then head back to the Hotel before going back. Unfortunately, when we attempted to get a bus back to the Hotel, demonstrators apparently caused the busses to be unable to get to us, and had no choice, but to stay at the Convention Center; oh well, it would be business casual instead of business attire for the evening :-)

At that point, since I found out at 1:30 that I would be able to gain access to the Arena for the Convention, I choose to stake out a good seat where our delegation was located. Went through security checkpoints, took a short light rail ride and entered the Arena by 2pm. It was amazing to see the layout of the Center and the phenominal location of the Pa Delegation relevant to the Podium.

The evening's program didn't actually start till 6pm. Amber Riley, who is a cast member of "GLEE", sang the National Anthem, and boy did she belt it out of the Arena; goosebumps. Many dignataries and speakers throughtout the night. Most Notable, Cory Booker, DeVal Patrick, the Mayor of San Antonio, President Jimmy Carter (via Video) and of course 1st Lady Michelle Obama. A heartfelt and phenomical speech that had the audience spellbound, and cheering throughout it. Hopefully, most of you got to hear it. I will try to upload it from youtube later.

I have attahed a number of photos, and will try to upload some video fom my camera. There are many more photos taken, but because of time constraints will have to wait till I get back home.

Well only 2- 1/2 hours of sleep before the alarm goes off. CYA tomorrow.

Frank S. Burstein, Delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Convention

Download the movie

Download the movie