Convention Morning, Day 2

11:06 AM - Q&A has begun. I don't have time to follow it as I'm on the floor.

10:55 AM - Steve Kelley is finishing up his speech. Both he and Lourey gave excellent ones. The first ballot should be coming up soon. I guess it is going to be done roll-call style by county unit. The Kelley people are very loud. He's done.

10:26 AM - Ole Savior is done and Tina Liebling, a State Representative of Rochester is up. She is talking about the problems that Minnesota faces and that Becky Lourey is the best candidate to provide the strong leadership that we need. She's a great speaker.

10:18 AM - Ole Savior is now speaking. No one introduced him. I'm not going to post everything that he says.

10:15 AM - Starting to talk about his accomplishments as a AG. Crowd is not that excited right now. He's finished. Pretty loud now. Cheers of "We want Mike."

10:11 AM - "Minnesota can't take four more years of Tim Pawlenty's rudderless leadership." Says that no one should be barred from college for cost, new technologies like stem cell research and broadband to prevent outsourcing. Won't bash public schools and will give them the tools to teach our kids. We deal with problems today instead of putting them off into the future. Now talking about the war, saying we should be devoting more resources to those returning home.

10:06 AM - He's starting by talking about the Mayo Clinic, and now the University of Minnesota. Missed a bit from a phone call. He's talking about the high cost of higher education. Now about his courage. Just said "he won't abide by the status quo".

10:02 AM - The ACORN PAC chairwoman is speaking to do the second introduction. She's asking who was there to help with medical bills. Another guy's now speaking, but I didn't get who it was. Connie Bernardy, an assistant majority leader in the House, is seconding the nomination. "Mike Hatch will reignite Minnesota's progressive spirit." Patty Fritz, another DFL House member is also seconding. The Hatch daughter (Elizabeth) is now introducing her father. He's up.

10:02 AM - One of the Hatch daughters just introduced her dad. Here we go.

9:56 AM - The order of the speakers was drawn. It will go Mike Hatch, Ole Savior, Becky Lourey, Steve Kelley. I will have to leave before Kelley's speech is over to get to the floor.

9:56 AM - Steve Kelley has been nominated. A lot of Kelley signs, but not as many as either Becky Lourey or Mike Hatch signs. The Call's "Let the Day Begin" is playing. Rude Mike Hatch supporters are again holding up their signs, but I don't see any Becky Lourey signs. Chants of "Kelley, Kelley" are coming from the floor but they're not that loud.

9:51 AM - Becky Lourey has just been nominated. It's loud and there are a lot of Becky Lourey and Lourey/Baylor signs being waved, as well as a few rude Mike Hatch and Steve Kelley supporters waving their signs. It's very loud in here. Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop" is playing.

9:45 AM - Mike Hatch was just nominated. He literally has a marching band up there. I'm in the Lourey war room now, returning to the nest for power.

9:30 AM - Back on the floor with my delegation. Governor nominations have been opened, Ole Savior has just been nominated.

9:25 AM - He's done. This is as loud as the room has been besides Amy Klobuchar's endorsement last night. People here love the guy.

9:24 AM - He has mentioned "high crimes and misdemeanors". I can't hear at the moment, but is he talking about impeachment? Oops, just called for censure. Loud applause. Mentioned that Pres. Bush will be in office for the next two and a half years, to boos from the audience.

9:22 AM - Feingold says he'd be different, that he'd protect America under the law.

9:22 AM - "Last I checked, the bill of rights was not repealed on 9/11". "No need to break the laws of this country to protect us from those who would hurt us."

9:19 AM - Feingold is getting another standing ovation. People here love him.

9:19 AM - Now on to foreign issues and the administration's failure on terrorism, Al Qaeda, and Iraq. Reiterates his opposition vote to the Iraq war.

9:15 AM - Feingold voted against NCLB, says we should be bold, says we shouldn't be teaching to the test, we should be fixing things and take a bold stand on education. Now talking about the FMA and his opposition to it.

9:14 AM - "We should talk like Paul Wellstone" and talk about health care for every American.

9:13 AM - We already have bold ideas, but we have to start expressing them boldly.

9:13 AM - "We will not win this November by default. We will not win this year by trying to run out the clock. If we do, people will percieve us Democrats as weak and full of fear."

9:12 AM - Being in the majority isn't enough, we have to do things the right way once we're there.

9:10 AM - Russ says he'll help us keep Mark Dayton's seat and reclaim Norm Coleman's.

9:09 AM - Russ says they've always admired our DFL party in Wisconsin.

9:05 AM - We've just been called to order. The place is packed.

9:01 AM - I'm in the blogger's nest now. Mr. Brodkorb and REW/Robin Marty are here. No other bloggers so far. Unfortunately, there's no power at all available on the floor so I'll be booking it up and down here to the floor to vote once the balloting starts.

8:34 AM - Just now leaving for the Civic Center. Russ Feingold's speech is at 9, followed by the time certain governor's endorsement at 9:45.