Convention's Focus: All-American Obama

Also apologizes for serial gaffes, praises Michelle Obama

(NEWSER) - An emotional Joe Biden gave thanks to delegates from his home state of Delaware at the Democratic National Convention today, the New York Times reports. At a private breakfast, Biden said his vice-presidential nod “pales in comparison to the honor I’ve had representing you.” He also apologized for his loose tongue over the years, and said he couldn’t have made it “without you guys.” More»

Clinton to speak on anniversary of women's suffrage

(NEWSER) - Michelle Obama will take center stage the first night of the Democratic National Convention, the Denver Post reports, while Hillary Clinton will headline the next, speaking on the 88th anniversary of US women’s suffrage. “This year's Democratic Convention is the story of people from across the country who believe it is time for change,” said Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a convention co-chair. More»

And yes, there's a Sarah Palin character

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama's 2008 campaign is the subject of Hope!, a musical set to premiere Jan. 17 in Frankfurt. The production features musical-theater versions of the major players: Michelle, Hillary—looking quite young—John McCain and even Sarah Palin, who sings a solo surrounded by scantily clad dancers. Writer and composer Randall Hutchins, who is American, tells Der Spiegel he got the idea for the production "right at the start of Obama's electoral campaign. I found the atmosphere exciting and that was my inspiration." More»

(NEWSER) - Mark Hosenball of Newsweek was at Woodstock, and not only did he not have a good time, but he can’t quite figure out how we’ve “transformed a chaotic mudfest into an epic pageant of peace and love.” Hosenball reminisces about the “massive, teeming, squalid mess” and its “traffic jams, torrential rain, reeking portable johns, barely edible food, and sprawling, disorganized crowds.” He can’t even really remember what acts he saw. More»

Michelle Obama Says It's All In The Family

(NEWSER) - Michelle Obama's journey from the South Side of Chicago to the White House has been avidly documented, but Carol Felsenthal of Chicago magazine highlights the consistency of her role, driven by a burning desire to do good, but also to achieve security for her family. She resisted her husband's political ambitions for years, Felsenathal notes, but when he set his sights on the Oval Office, "she realized that she needed to get on board," a close friend says. More»