and greeted Bernie delegates at the gate immediately outside the Wells Fargo Center. Bernie delegates uniformly found the display to be deeply inspirational, carrying with it a sense of awesome responsibility since we were on the "inside."
That was on Day One of the convention -- clearly, not the photo the DNC wanted in circulation. By Day Two, as you can see below, the DNC changed the optics near the security entrance. Security relocated the "free speech zone" back 50 yards on Day Two, and by Day Three and Day Four, "free speech" was corralled far across the street, in FDR Park.
Wanting to understand these developments, I scanned the papers and asked security personnel if some incident had prompted the rollback of free speech rights. I was told there were no causes or reasons for such a development. Just a rollback of rights in the City of Brotherly Love which escaped the attention of the MSM.
Chevron and the "Free Lunch"
After enduring a 10-minute infomercial by DNC lunch sponsor, Chevron, does anyone seriously question why HRC and corporatized Dems rejected a national Fracking ban in the Democratic Party Platform? For the first time since Watergate-era reforms, both majors are now fully funded by corporate sponsors -- all of whom have business before the federal government. The theme of the lunch? Diversity, diversity, diversity. Problem is, despite hiring more minorities in lower-level working positions, the board is still dominated by white, male, economic elites. Corporate ideology carried the DNC convention for those willing and able to see it.
BILL CLINTON ENTERS, I WALK OUT
Thank you, Bill -- the best "retail politician" in my adult lifetime. Thanks, Bill, for the DLC, NAFTA, FCC, Crime Omnibus Bill, Welfare-to-Work, and thanks for ending Glass-Steagall, for lying to the nation, for undermining Al Gore's 2000 presidential run, and for thoroughly corporatizing the Democratic Party. Thank you!
Broken Media: CHRIS MATTHEWS CHANGES THE SUBJECT
On Saturday mid-afternoon, July23rd, I participated in the "Climate Emergency March and Rally," from City Hall to Independence Hall. Upon reaching Independence Hall, after ten city blocks in 98 degree heat and 100% humidity (making it feel 110), I peeled back to rendezvous with organizing colleagues at the Downtown Marriott. Fortunately, for the purpose of relating this story, I took a wrong turn, south, at 12th and Market. Had I correctly gone straight ahead, I never would have run into MSNBC's Chris Matthews. Fortuitously, too, I was wearing my Philadelphia Phillies hat to match Matthews' own head cover. As I came up on Matthews and his walking partner, I asked if I might take his picture. He graciously complied and then we proceeded to chat for 25 minutes.
Along the course of our discussion, I asked him what he thought of the latest WikiLeaks documents, indicating a 'smoking gun' link of collusion between Debbie Wasserman Schulz's DNC and Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign. Matthews said, "They [the leaks] only confirm what we already knew." I then asked him, "So then why didn't you cover the story when you 'knew' it?" He ducked my question and promptly pivoted to PA politics.
Broken Media (Continued)
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