record number of new Dems in Lancaster County PA

Thanks to intensive voter registration, support for Obama, and Republican dissatisfaction with their party, we've posted over 100,000 Democrats in once-red Lancaster County. It's now almost 1.7 to 1 instead of the old 3:1. This is where the action is - largest percentage growth of ANY county in PA. And, it will count in November. See www.lancasterdems.com for details. Also, if you're anywhere in the area, come to Lancaster for a big rally at 2 pm on Oct 4th - details on the website! We have the Republicans on the run.

McCain and Palin coming to town

BOTH will be in Lancaster on Tuesday - tickets required - through the R office, of course, don't want any tough, unrehearsed questions, do they? This is going to be a battleground.

OBAMA in Lancaster

On Thursday Obama pulled a historic crowd of 15,000 to Buchanan Park, next to F&M's campus. This very Repub area is changing fast.....

on the air

Here in the Lancaster Democratic Campaign Office with the Rick Smith Show live on WHYL960 AM! Rick and Don LeVasseur are talking with candidates Bruce Slater (PA-16), Jose Urdaneta (PA Senate 13), Daniel Stephenson (PA House 98) plus Greg Paulson and me. Live and lively words about our campaigns and the conventions, especially about the concerns of working people. At the convention, all the Democrats were talking about these issues - jobs, healthcare, taking care of our vets, education, but did you hear any of that from the Republicans? No.

Democratic Convention observations

This is a long post reflecting the Democratic Convention week and the trip home - would like to hear from others who experienced the week and/or AMTRAK travel!

Arrived home Monday night, 24 hours late, having missed a connection in Chicago. AMTRAK put me up at a hotel and I had time for lunch on Sunday with friends from my days in Illinois (in the 60s). Overall, the trip on AMTRAK pleased me - great people work for them, at least west of Harrisburg - and they make the old cars livable. Customer service folks did the best they could to keep me moving east! I do bring home an enhanced desire to fund AMTRAK! GO BIDEN.

Reflecting on the Convention itself, I observed the following:

1 - The leaders of the Democratic party impressed me with their commitment to issues, their passion to help others, and their ability to put their thoughts into words. Beyond that, the thousands of people there represented a diverse country and did so in what I call an interactively diverse way. Confident, articulate women and minorities showed their stuff at the podium every night.
2 - Outside the hall there was indeed a form of segregation - by event invitation - with bigwigs getting special attention in terms of parties, transportation flexibility, and access.
3 - In general there was an enormous display of good humor in crowds, lines, and downtime, and an overwhelmingly friendly welcome from the Colorado hosts. Heavy security was evident, especially for major venues, but it was generally unobtrusive. I saw mimimal protests; the only raucous group I saw interferring with a program was in the Unconventional Women forum when a few dozen women spoke out against Nancy Pelosi. She took on the issues they raised, and I think was masterful in taking charge, which is what she has to do in her day job!
4 - The extensive "other" convention had excellent programs and speakers on issues; in the first days I could attend but later it became impossible logistically. Many of the sessions emphasized the "greenness" of the convention and Denver itself. Riding the light rail system and seeing the bicycle arrangements was a daily reminder of how focused they were on environmental issues.
5 - A wide range of groups held events and influenced the platform, but in general the convention focused on the candidates and on defeating McCain. Hillary and Obama supporters rallied together.

Here today, gone tomorrow - by early Friday morning the press was gone as were the security details, the road blocks, the vendors - and the delegates and friends scattered to work on the election just weeks away. Quickly Denver turned to its "Taste of Colorado" festival. My train didn't leave till evening, so I spent some time researching for the book I'm writing called "Dear Coach, Letters Home from WW II"; I visited Wings Over the Mountain, a museum at Lowry Air Force Base to see in person the place where letters were written by Elizabethtown's Lt. Paul F. Leicht in November of 1942 to my father and his coach, Ira R. Herr.