Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention
The poignant moments of political conventions happen on the worlds’ stage in the big hall. Tonight was another such moment as Senator Hillary Clinton dramatically and emphatically squelched rumors of her defection with an enthusiastic affirmation of Senator Barrack Obama in the context of her speech celebrating women’s achievement.
The exuberant feeling on the DNC floor in the Pennsylvania delegation was universally electric, in part because of two of the warm up acts on Senator Clinton’s under card: Governor Rendell and Senator Casey. Senator Casey gave the speech of his life, really rallying the assemblage and causing the entire hall to chant his refrain of “4 more months”.
Following the events at the Pepsi Center, at the invitation of the Deputy Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representative, Josh Shapiro of Montgomery County, we went to a great party hosted by the “Rising Stars of the Democratic Party” which is a group of about a dozen influential young elected officials from various states. At the party was Montgomery County Commissioner and Delegate Joe Hoeffel for whom Representative Shapiro was Chief of Staff when Commissioner Hoeffel served in the United States Congress. I also met another of the Rising Stars, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
Next was a spectacular party for the Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Florida Delegations at INVESCO Field, the football stadium where Barrack Obama will speak on Thursday. After remarks by the state Governors of the invited delegations, we were treated to remarks from both Senator Clinton and President Clinton. In the more intimate setting of the stadium's Club Lounge luxury box area, Senator Clinton was just as elegant and embracing as in the convention hall and President Clinton spoke with the ingratiating charisma that hallmarked his Presidency.
While waiting in the Clinton's exit path to buttonhole and congratulate them both on their evening’s remarks, a nice woman from the New York delegation told me that she had grown up in Philadelphia and asked if I would introduce her to Governor Rendell. It turns out that she is the daughter of deceased Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Ethan Allen Doty, a legend who served almost forty years on the bench. The Governor, with his own hallmark charisma, charmed her with several stories of cases that he tried in front of Judge Doty when the Governor was an Assistant District Attorney. It’s a small world. And, I had a “non-political celebrity” spotting: the actress and former West Wing star Mellissa Fitzgerald, who is also the daughter of former Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice James Fitzgerald.
Earlier in the day, the morning’s delegation breakfast featured a speech by State Auditor General Jack Wagner and a speech by State Treasurer Robin Weissmann of Bucks County who is here with her husband, Philadelphia lawyer and Governor Rendell confidant Ken Jarin, and with her son, Alex, who staffed the other night's DGA event at Erlich Gardens. After his speech, General Wagner said that he is working too hard on his re-election campaign to focus on whether or not he will be a candidate for Governor in 2010, but he is thinking about the possibility.
During this morning’s speeches, Nether Providence Township Democratic Party Chairman David Landau enjoyed a plate of eggs at the same table with me. As a result of his fundraising efforts for the Obama Campaign, David is an Honored Guest of the campaign attending the DNC proceedings each evening.
Another Delaware County connection in Denver is Eleanor Dezzi, President of The Dezzi Group, a political and business consulting business, and a former leader in Philadelphia’s 21st ward, who is here with her husband, Al. Not only did the Dezzi family live for a few years in Landsdowne in the 1970s but much of Al’s family is from Delaware County, and their son, Jamie, is married to a cousin of Delaware County Council Member Christine Fizzano Cannon – it’s the kind of bi-partisan partnership that Senator Obama and other Democrats seek to advance in Washington.
Later in the day, with transportation to events in town continuing to be problematic from the Pennsylvania delegation’s suburban hotel, Delaware County Delegate Richard Sestak and I were the fortunate recipients of a ride into town from Montgomery County Delegate Barbara Schiffrin of Wynnewood. Barbara and her husband, well known lawyer Richard Schiffrin who recently stepped down from heading the Radnor based law firm Schiffrin & Barroway, are major financial backers of Democratic candidates in Pennsylvania and across the country. Also joining us in the ride for a lively and, given the latter events of the day, timely discussion of women in politics were State Senator and Delegate Connie Williams who represents the 17th District in Radnor and Haverford townships, and Delegate Leslie Miller, of Bryn Mawr, who in addition to her well known efforts in support for many Democratic candidates is the former General Counsel of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
More tomorrow.
The exuberant feeling on the DNC floor in the Pennsylvania delegation was universally electric, in part because of two of the warm up acts on Senator Clinton’s under card: Governor Rendell and Senator Casey. Senator Casey gave the speech of his life, really rallying the assemblage and causing the entire hall to chant his refrain of “4 more months”.
Following the events at the Pepsi Center, at the invitation of the Deputy Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representative, Josh Shapiro of Montgomery County, we went to a great party hosted by the “Rising Stars of the Democratic Party” which is a group of about a dozen influential young elected officials from various states. At the party was Montgomery County Commissioner and Delegate Joe Hoeffel for whom Representative Shapiro was Chief of Staff when Commissioner Hoeffel served in the United States Congress. I also met another of the Rising Stars, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
Next was a spectacular party for the Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Florida Delegations at INVESCO Field, the football stadium where Barrack Obama will speak on Thursday. After remarks by the state Governors of the invited delegations, we were treated to remarks from both Senator Clinton and President Clinton. In the more intimate setting of the stadium's Club Lounge luxury box area, Senator Clinton was just as elegant and embracing as in the convention hall and President Clinton spoke with the ingratiating charisma that hallmarked his Presidency.
While waiting in the Clinton's exit path to buttonhole and congratulate them both on their evening’s remarks, a nice woman from the New York delegation told me that she had grown up in Philadelphia and asked if I would introduce her to Governor Rendell. It turns out that she is the daughter of deceased Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Ethan Allen Doty, a legend who served almost forty years on the bench. The Governor, with his own hallmark charisma, charmed her with several stories of cases that he tried in front of Judge Doty when the Governor was an Assistant District Attorney. It’s a small world. And, I had a “non-political celebrity” spotting: the actress and former West Wing star Mellissa Fitzgerald, who is also the daughter of former Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice James Fitzgerald.
Earlier in the day, the morning’s delegation breakfast featured a speech by State Auditor General Jack Wagner and a speech by State Treasurer Robin Weissmann of Bucks County who is here with her husband, Philadelphia lawyer and Governor Rendell confidant Ken Jarin, and with her son, Alex, who staffed the other night's DGA event at Erlich Gardens. After his speech, General Wagner said that he is working too hard on his re-election campaign to focus on whether or not he will be a candidate for Governor in 2010, but he is thinking about the possibility.
During this morning’s speeches, Nether Providence Township Democratic Party Chairman David Landau enjoyed a plate of eggs at the same table with me. As a result of his fundraising efforts for the Obama Campaign, David is an Honored Guest of the campaign attending the DNC proceedings each evening.
Another Delaware County connection in Denver is Eleanor Dezzi, President of The Dezzi Group, a political and business consulting business, and a former leader in Philadelphia’s 21st ward, who is here with her husband, Al. Not only did the Dezzi family live for a few years in Landsdowne in the 1970s but much of Al’s family is from Delaware County, and their son, Jamie, is married to a cousin of Delaware County Council Member Christine Fizzano Cannon – it’s the kind of bi-partisan partnership that Senator Obama and other Democrats seek to advance in Washington.
Later in the day, with transportation to events in town continuing to be problematic from the Pennsylvania delegation’s suburban hotel, Delaware County Delegate Richard Sestak and I were the fortunate recipients of a ride into town from Montgomery County Delegate Barbara Schiffrin of Wynnewood. Barbara and her husband, well known lawyer Richard Schiffrin who recently stepped down from heading the Radnor based law firm Schiffrin & Barroway, are major financial backers of Democratic candidates in Pennsylvania and across the country. Also joining us in the ride for a lively and, given the latter events of the day, timely discussion of women in politics were State Senator and Delegate Connie Williams who represents the 17th District in Radnor and Haverford townships, and Delegate Leslie Miller, of Bryn Mawr, who in addition to her well known efforts in support for many Democratic candidates is the former General Counsel of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
More tomorrow.
posted by Gerald Lawrence at
6:20 AM
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