Denver Trip 2008: Picture-mania

CONVENTION HAS STARTED! this post is just going to be a lot of random, out of order pictures!

This would have been cooler if I had posted these on Friday, when I saw the Pepsi Center...you've probably seen it on tv by now, but here are some pics of our tour before it was finished. Here is the view from outside on the street

Walking from the corridor into the Pepsi Center

Walking in to see all the lights and podium

From the 200-level seating, Missouri delegation section. Illinois and Iowa are both up front on the floor, and behind/above us are a lot of tv crews

Newspaper/ radio sit in the stair-like platform on the left,you can see the ring of some tv studios in the background

Things are crazy downtown- these first few pics are from when a couple of the guys and I got caught in a big anti-abortion protest. Things got pretty tense, but nothing happened, just a lot of yelling. There are police/secret service/SWAT teams EVERYWHERE...literally. Look up on a building, there will be a couple on the roof. Go in a resteraunt and there will be a few cops on break eating. They ride horses, segways, SUV's, motorcycles, on foot, bike...everything.
A long row of cops on horses

Even the horses get riot gear!

Group of bike cops

You can see in this picture (this was when we got to the corner and were trying to cross the street) that one has a video camera- there is one about every half block taping everything going on, I assume so that if something happens they have a record.

This is also trying to cross the street, I don't know if you can tell but some have sandbag guns and those long sticks they use to hit people.

These next few are from this morning, I tagged along with my friend Mitch to the hotel where the Iowans are staying to help work front desk, give directions, etc.
Here I am with Iowa Governor Chet Culver- he gave a speech at the Iowa breakfast and speaks today at the Pepsi Center too

Here's me with long-time Iowa Senator Tom Harkin (I went to the Harkin Steak Fry last year and saw him speak there too...I'll probably go again this year because he's up for reelection. (He'll probably win in a landslide))

Here's me with Representative Dave Lobesak...really nice guy, I think the Iowa students are going to breakfast with him tomorrow

Told you this was jumpy...these next two are from Friday again, from the newspeople that stopped and interviewed some of our group. Here is John getting interviewed

Here is some of the people I was with and the cameraman (right) and reporter (black shirt to the right of me)

More backtracking, here are a couple of the more recent speakers:
Colorado Governor Bill Ritter answering questions

CSPAN panel

Howard Dean (former Presidential Candidate, currently the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee)

Ed Rendell, current Governor of Pennsylvania (big Clinton supporter, talked a lot about what it will take to get Hillary voters to swing to Obama)

We also had Pat Williams, a former Congressman from Montana come and talk, but I guess I forgot to get a picture of him

Back to Friday night- Here's a picture of me, Hana (goes to George Washington Univ. and interns for Senator Kennedy...side note-even she didn't know he would show up in Denver yesterday!), and Ashley at the Rockies game. Yes, I wore a Cubs shirt