Day 2 in Denver

Tuesday morning ...
The second day of political conventions begins with a breakfast in which bleary-eyed reporters and delegates realize they're not nearly as young as they once were and staying up until 2 a.m. and then getting to an 8:30 a.m. breakfast isn't as easy as it was in college.

Steve Rauschenberger sighting
An Animal Farm operative spotted Steve Rauschenberger, former Elgin Republican state senator, on a flight to Denver this weekend. I got in touch with him this morning. Turns out he came in for a screening of an Obama documentary: Hype – The Obama Effect.
Find out more about the documentary here

Here's a clip, which includes Rauschenberger and fellow former Republican state Sen. Patrick O'Malley.

After the screening, Rauschenberger said he left Denver.
“I was getting hives, all that Democratic exhuberence,” he said.

Foster Funny
U.S. Rep. Bill Foster was among the members of Congress talking to Illinois delegates this morning. Here's how the newest member of the Illinois Congressional corp introduced himself:
"My name is Bill Foster, but actually it's not really Bill Foster. It turns out my legal name is not Bill Foster but George William Foster. The difficulty is if you try running for Congress as 'George W. anything' you're in major trouble.
So I'm just Bill Foster."

If we could stop fighting for a minute, someone wants to give a unity speech
The Illinois delegation breakfast featured continued calls for unity, including one from Senate President Emil Jones Jr. who also got in a dig on the media.
“We wont' let the media dictate who our next president will be,” Jones said. I'm guessing he means the White House president rather than his successor in the Illinois Senate. Jones is not seeking another term.
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley also urged Democrats to leave the conflicts and outside issues in Springfield for the week.

Are we there yet?
Illinois delegates' first-day reviews of the convention logistics were not exactly glowing. When a bus ride from the hotel to the Pepsi Center (which you can see from the hotel) takes 90 minutes, patience quickly evaporates. Then, there's a significant hike to get into the center's limited access gates and a thorough pat down by security.
“Next time ... I'll bring my lunch,” Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White said of the bus ride.
On tap
Lots of parties coming up today/tonight. Alexi Giannoulias hosts a delegate reception after tonight's convention session. Gov. Rod Blagojevich hosts a reception for Tammy Duckworth. And there's a reception this evening honoring Mayor Daley. Plus, there's a litany of other events, happy hours and forums.
Yes, there's even a convention tonight. Hillary Clinton is speaking.

Convention Flashback
Chicago, 1996: Harry Caray leads delegates in singing “Take me out to the ballgame.”
Bill Clinton accepts the Democratic nomination for a second time declaring: “Hope is back in America, and we are on the right track to the 21st century.”
“Tonight, let us resolve to build a bridge t the 21st century, to meet our challenges, protect our basic values and prepare our people for the future.”

That same day, Clinton campaign adviser Dick Morris resigned after a tabloid reported he had a long affair with a prostitute.