Convention Blog

A quick note on the "green" convention. 

All over the convention site, and our work space, there are different trash cans for different kinds of trash.  It's all part of the massive effort recycling effort here.  The Democrats touted that this would be the "greenest" convention ever. And tonight, I saw first hand how many people it takes to be that "green".

There are probably hundreds of people who are working day and night, sorting through the recycling.  They have to check that recyclable material is actually going into the recycling bins.  So they weed through every bag.  Can you imagine how much trash that is? 

The DNC says this system would prevent 85% of the trash from going to a landfill.  And now I see how they make sure that's true. 

Alot of man power.

--Jaimee Rashbaum

Before I left for Denver, several people told me I would witness history. Then, when we arrived, some said you are watching history being made.  Of course, I understood the importance of this candidacy.  Of course, I knew that this was a big week.  But today- I KNOW I saw history in the making.  

The roll call of the states was pretty early in the afternoon here.  Each state announces the number of votes for each candidate.  They go in alphabetical order.  And historically, the parties have saved the state of the nominee to be the last... the one to give the candidates enough votes to become the nominee.  But tonight, Senator Obama's state of Illinois was second to last.  The state of New York was the final one to announce its votes.  Hillary Clinton asked the hall full of Democrats to stop the roll call, and accept Barack Obama as the nominee by acclamation.  The crowd went crazy. 

Some were screaming. Others were crying.  I stood in our sky box, and the tears welled up in my eyes.  The moment was overwhelming.

I saw the first African-American man become the nominee for a major party.  I will always have

that piece of history in my memory.  I KNOW I witnessed history tonight.

--Jaimee Rahbaum

It was a fantastic day in Denver on Tuesday. That speech that Hillary Clinton gave was the best I've seen her give throughout this campaign season.  She was passionate, excited, and I thought very genuine.  The room was electric. 

Our entire team of reporters, producers, photographers - all stopped and watched and listened.  And I could just feel the energy.  More than any moment before then.  It was noisy, and yet - there seemed to be a calm quiet when she spoke at points.  And let me tell you - the Florida delegation still loves Hillary. 

Before she took to the podium, I went on to the floor to do some interviews. It was probably the highlight of my trip so far. Let me also just note - there's no doubt the people who are running this convention and this party want Florida to know we are important to them. 

Florida has a prime spot on the floor. Front row seats - literally - to the action.  And the party big-wigs are stopping by too. Our cameras were rolling when party leader Terry McAuliffe was chatting with our delegates, shaking hands, and greeting them.

Anyway,  as I walked and talked to more delegates - almost all were wearing Hillary buttons and stickers.  Many we spoke to say they needed to hear from her how they should move forward.  Their loyalty is still strong, and while none here said they would vote for McCain, some I spoke to from Florida, and other states as well, just had a bit of sadness in their voices and their faces, when they spoke of voting for Barack Obama.  The question is can they move forward now?  I spoke to one older delegate from Miami. He was dressed in red, white and blue, and wearing Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton stickers. I asked him if the Democrats can win Florida. He said, "It's not can they win, it's will they win. And the answer is yes."  We will see come November.

--Jaimee Rashbaum

The convention has begun, and I never before knew the value of a parking pass... until now. I spent my morning hustling around downtown Denver. We picked up an interview with the governor of Maryland, then got some video of the governor of Massachussetts, and then another interview with some delegates from Pennsylvania. Then it was time to head back to the Pepsi Center/media area to get those interviews back to the CBS stations in those markets. Sounds like no big deal, right? We were literally 10 minutes away. But without a parking pass, those 10 minutes turn into 45 minutes very quickly! We even tried parking at a McDonalds nearby, but decided against it. It's not worth risking getting towed, right? So we parked back in Doral and walked! (At least it felt that way.)

Once inside though, this place is awesome. As I worked, I also watched. The excitement is running through the place. People of every ages, every background, every state. It feels like it looks on TV: energized. I noticed alot of families there today. Moms and dads were carrying their little children around. Many of the kids were holding signs or American flags. It's amazing to feel and witness it all, whether you support Barack Obama or not.

And then came Ted Kennedy. I actually was not in the convention hall at the time - I was back at the work site, but the historic and emotional power of it resonated there, as I am sure it did back at home.

By the way, ever wonder what people eat at these things? There are restaurant stands -one after another- of every type of food you can want. It's like a basketball game, but with much better choices.

Tomorrow - a big day: Hillary Clinton speaks. It should be interesting to hear that speech, and see the reaction on the floor. I'll keep you posted from Denver.

--Jaimee Rashbaum

What a day! The convention hasn't even started, and I'm exhausted! After a 2-hour delay on the runway at FLL (leaky toilet on the plane), I arrived in Denver around noon local time. I met up with the other members of my team, and we headed to our hotel. We unloaded our luggage and headed off to the Pepsi Center.

It's no easy feat getting inside to the media tents. We waited outside for another member of the CBS team to bring out some credentials. Those allow us to get into the gate. So with gear in tow, we finally had our passes. Then the screening begins. First, the gear. Cameras, tripods, lights, computers, purses, everything - is checked by the Secret Service and bomb-sniffing dogs. Then, we go through security, leaving everything outside for the dogs. Once we clear the metal detectors, and the dogs clear the bags, we can go back outside the gates to pick up our stuff. It's surprisingly hot during the day. Very strong sun, so by the time we actually got to our workspace, we were sweating. From there, the hours flew by.

The Pepsi Center is awesome - the set-up, and lights, and music -it's all so exciting. It's amazing how a basketball arena is transformed like that. We had some technical difficulties with some of the live reporting for the 10 o'clock news in Chicago, but otherwise, everything went off without a hitch. Everyone has been incredibly friendly. Even the police officers and federal agents wave and stop to chat. It's alot of work, but so far, I'm learning and meeting a lot of interesting people.

Tomorrow, Michelle Obama tours the arena with her daughters. Look for that and I will write more about the sites and sounds here on cbs4.com.

The day is finally here. The day I depart for Denver. I've been given an opportunity of a lifetime. I'm on my way to the Democratic National Convention to work for several CBS stations. I've been preparing and thinking and planning for weeks. And now it's here.

Right now, I'm sitting at the Fort Lauderdale airport. Surprisingly, there aren't many people who "appear" to be DNC-bound. No red, white and blue caps or t-shirts. No Obama shirts either. Up until yesterday, this was a work venture. It is a great opportunity to do something different than I normally do. (produce the 6pm newscast) I was looking forward to meeting and working with journalists from around the country. And then the hoopla around the VP selection hit. For 24 hours, we waited and watched and wondered. My husband and I watched cable news most of the day yesterday, as I packed. And that's when it really hit me. I am about to witness history. It doesn't matter whether you are a Democrat, a Republican, a Barack Obama fan or a Joe Biden fan. This election is the biggest news in years, and I get to see, in person, one important part of that story. I can't wait to get there. I'll try and write as often as I can for cbs4.com - and share my view from Denver. (I've never been there- will I have trouble breathing?) Also, look for Michael Williams' political reports and live interviews starting tomorrow on CBS4.

Time to get in line to board the flight.
Wish me luck!