Posted by Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown on Aug 29, 2008 at 11:23 am
I’m back in Maryland
and I’m ready to get to work. Barack Obama has shared his vision for a new
future with America
and it is a future that we can all believe in.
His speech last night in front of 90,000 supporters was, in
every sense, historic. As I sat with the Maryland
delegation, on the 45th anniversary of Dr. King’s ‘I Have a Dream
Speech,’ this campaign and what it represents became very real. Barack’s speech
was about something much bigger than him or our party – it was a speech about
the United States of America.
And it brought the City of Denver, the State of Colorado, the American
Mountain West and the entire nation to their feet. I can’t wait to sit down
with my kids, Rebecca and Jonathan, to tell them about it and I’m certain that
when I have grandchildren, I’ll tell them about it, too.
This week, Democrats and Barack Obama have made the case
that our party possesses the leadership that is required during difficult
times. Our party’s leaders get it. We understand that both Democrat and
Republican families are struggling to keep their gas tanks filled. We
understand that Republicans and Democrats have lost jobs and health insurance.
And we understand that the men and women fighting in Iraq
and Afghanistan
are Americans first.
Barack was right last night. John McCain just doesn’t know.
And what John McCain doesn’t know hurts working Americans. We need a President
and Vice President who are ready to lead on Day One. We need a President and
Vice President who have the judgment to steer us toward a New American Dream,
as well as the open-mindedness to know that good ideas are good ideas no matter
who thought of them first.
And during troubling, instable global times, we need a
President and Vice President who have the experience to sit comfortably with
foreign leaders as well as average Americans.
America
is ready for change – that’s the greatest lesson I took from my time in Denver. Americans of all
races, creeds, gender and sexual orientation have met the next President of the
United States
and his name is Barack Obama.
Thank you so much for joining me in Denver. I’m glad to be home and can’t wait to
see you on the streets working to elect my law school classmate and our
neighbor to the east.
Posted by Governor Martin O'Malley on Aug 28, 2008 at 05:38 pm
This has truly been a historic week in Denver that will culminate with Senator Barack Obama accepting the Democratic nomination for President of the United States tonight while millions watch across our nation and around the world.
The Democratic Party has always been a powerful, progressive force for America's working families, and tonight when Senator Obama accepts his party's nomination our Democratic Party will once again make history.
http://www.martinomalley.com/history
Barack Obama has challenged us all, regardless of our race, our class, or our place in this world, to join something much larger than ourselves. He prefers an America that strengthens and grows our middle class and our family-owned businesses, and he believes in an America that is a force of hope, healing, and freedom in our world.
As Marylanders, and as Americans, we're all united in our belief that our tomorrows can indeed be better than our today, and we invite all Marylanders to be a part of this defining moment in our shared history.
http://www.martinomalley.com/history
Posted by Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown on Aug 28, 2008 at 11:00 am
What a night! It’s been 12 hours since Barack joined Joe
Biden on stage at the Pepsi
Center, but folks are
still fired up.
I said yesterday that Hillary set the stage for President
Clinton and our next Vice President and I was right. Bill Clinton and Joe Biden hit all the right notes tonight. Bill
Clinton gave one of the most inspired speeches of anyone’s lifetime. His strong
endorsement of Barack Obama’s leadership brought the Pepsi Center to a new high.
Joe Biden had a tough act to follow, but he nailed it. His
inspiring story is the American Dream. He's a father and grandfather and a public servant who has not been changed by Washington - but he'll undoubtedly change Washington as Barack's partner.
The most touching moment of the night, though, was the
tribute to America's veterans - especially the young men and women returning today from Iraq and Afghanistan. Our party is the party that stands for veterans and
military families. We created the GI Bill. We’ve fought to increase military
pay. And when John McCain opposed a new GI Bill for a new generation of
American heroes, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and the Democratic Party fought to
give our troops the support they deserve.
Under President Obama and Vice President Biden, America will
keep her promise to veterans and military families. It was a great honor to
have had the opportunity to sit on the DNC Platform Drafting Committee and over
the past three days, we have seen that platform – including our support for the
brave men and women serving in uniform – articulated more clearly and with more
passion than ever before.
We’re all gearing up for Barack’s acceptance speech tonight
at Mile High Stadium. So far, every day has topped the day before so I’m
looking forward to being a part of something truly historic.
There are watch parties across Maryland for tonight’s speech. I hope you’re
able to make it to one and make history of your own.
Posted by Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown on Aug 27, 2008 at 01:07 pm
I’d like to thank everyone for their heartfelt condolences
during this difficult time in my family’s lives. As you may know, my cousin was
murdered on Sunday. I was already in Denver
when I got the news and flew home on the first flight I could to be with my
family. The outpouring of support from friends and neighbors across Maryland has given all
of us a great deal of strength.
While my family grieves the loss of Cathy, they also told me
to go back to Denver
and help make history – and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.
I rejoined the Maryland
delegation last night at the Pepsi
Center about an hour
before Hillary took the stage and it was great to be surrounded with so many
close friends. And wasn’t Hillary great? Her enthusiastic endorsement of Barack
showed us that Democrats truly are united by the values we share. We’re fired
up.
She set tonight’s stage for Bill Clinton and Joe Biden. Folks
out here in Denver
are feeling even more united behind Barack Obama than ever before.
The Convention’s energy carried itself into the night. Doug
Gansler’s party at Gumbo’s was a celebration of the bright future we are all
fighting for. Bobby Kennedy, Jr. addressed the crowd and said what we all know:
four years of McCain will be four more years of the last eight.
I’m off to the Colorado
Convention Center shortly and the Pepsi Center
after that. I’ll check in again soon.
Posted by Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown on Aug 24, 2008 at 05:33 pm
Just landed and all I can say is, “Wow, Denver is a beautiful city!” As I got off the plane and entered the
terminal at Denver
International Airport,
the excitement was palpable. Not only
because of the teeming folks moving about the terminal but also because of the
numerous smiling Democratic volunteers offering assistance to those of us
arriving.
Folks have been buzzing about Joe Biden since I got to the
airport in Baltimore,
and why shouldn’t they? Did you see that rally? What a speech! Democrats (and
Independents… and even some Republicans) are fired up about Team Obama-Biden.
I’m writing from my hotel room at the Renaissance Hotel
staring a long way out at the Rockies and Downtown Denver and as I checked in,
I had the opportunity to meet some of our Democratic friends from Massachusetts and the
Stonewall Democrats. It doesn’t surprise me that two of the bluest states in the
nation have found themselves the farthest from the epicenter of the Convention.
(And it’s my understanding that we’ll being joining Governor Patrick and his
fellow Massachusetts delegates in the
nosebleeds at the Pepsi
Center.) Regardless of where we are, this is going to be exciting from any distance and I'm thrilled to be here to be a part of history.
On my trip from the airport to the hotel, I couldn’t help
but think about all of the historic, memorable events that are going to unfold
this week; the first event being the unveiling of the Democratic platform. I was so proud to serve on the drafting committee
and to ensure that it contained language that would promote all Americans,
especially our veterans.
I’m also thinking about the great speeches that we are going
to hear starting with Michelle Obama tomorrow night. I’m sure that my fellow Harvard Law School
alum is going to set just the right tone to kick-start the convention. My
friend Senator Clinton is also scheduled to speak Tuesday night, marking the 88th
anniversary of the 21st Amendment.
I’m off to reconnect with old friends and attend receptions
with Democrats from across Maryland
and across the country, including one here hosted by Rep. Cummings.
I’m happy that you will be joining the Governor and me
behind the scenes during the course of this week. I’ll be in touch.
Posted by Governor Martin O'Malley on Aug 23, 2008 at 02:17 pm
I want to congratulate Senator Obama on his selection of Senator Biden as his Vice Presidential nominee. In addition to the tremendous foreign policy credentials that Senator Biden brings to the Democratic ticket, he also has a deep knowledge of the issues important to families in Maryland and the Delmarva Peninsula.
In Maryland, Senator Biden will be a critical ally and partner working with Senator Obama, the next President of the United States, as we work to restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay and expand opportunity for our families.
Senator Biden is a friend and colleague and I look forward to working with him in the months and years ahead to move our State and our Nation forward.
Posted by Governor Martin O'Malley on Aug 21, 2008 at 10:06 am
Welcome to our special Democratic National Convention web site -- a project we've been working on to bring you closer to Denver and make you feel like you've got an all-access credential.
In addition to daily caucus and reception schedules, and exclusive blog posts from myself and Lt. Governor Brown, we'll upload exclusive videos to our new YouTube channel every day. They'll give you an in-depth look at what it's like to be a delegate to one of the most exciting conventions in a generation.
By subscribing to our new Twitter feed, you'll stay up-to-the-minute with text messages that we'll send throughout the convention. We'll send information about delegation events, the most exciting news from the convention floor, and other behind-the-scenes information you won't be able to get anywhere else.
We'll also be uploading exclusive photos from the convention floor and other Maryland delegation activities to our new Flickr account throughout each day.
At this year's convention, we share two humbling responsibilities. The first is to renew the timeless values that unite us and have made our party a powerful and progressive force for America's working families. The second is to choose the kind of strong leader that it will take to pick up the pieces of these disastrous last eight years and move us all forward again.
Senator Obama prefers an America that strengthens and grows our middle class and our family owned businesses. He believes in an America that is a force of hope, healing and freedom in our world; and Senator Obama has the intelligence, integrity and passion to make it so.
This is a defining moment in our shared history and we want you to be a part of it.
In a year that will likely be remembered as one of the most important in American history, it is truly an honor for Lt. Governor Brown and myself to join with Congressman Cummings, Attorney General Gansler and the entire Maryland Delegation to represent our great state and help Senator Barack Obama become the next President of the United States.
The effects of the nation's economic hardship are hitting Maryland hard. We're fighting every day to protect Maryland’s families during these tough economic times. We’re also working every day to make sure that government and its programs work for people.
