Posted by: Bruce Braley on 8/27/2008

Day 4.  Today started with a great turnout at the Iowa Delegation breakfast, where we welcomed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as our keynote speaker.  Speaker Pelosi took time from her hectic schedule, where she is the Permanent Chair of the Democratic National Convention, in addition to her official duties as Speaker of the House. 

 Speaker Pelosi began by expressing her concern for the people of who have been devastated by the tornados and by the historic flooding we have faced.  She declared her support for additional disaster assistance funding and promised to work with the delegation to see that additional funding is approved in September.  She also talked about her upcoming trip to , and spoke to Congressman Loebsack, Congressman Boswell and I about her schedule on that date.

 She also thanked for showcasing all of the great Democratic candidates in the January caucuses, and called on us to leave the Convention in unity and work for change by electing Barack Obama to be our next President.

 We were also fortunate to hear from Senator Dick Durbin from , and had the honor of introducing Barack Obama to a national audience for the first time at the Democratic Convention in I had the great pleasure of sharing the podium with Senator Durbin on Memorial Day in 2007 at the located on the grounds of the Rock Island Arsenal.

 I also had the pleasure of appearing with Senator Durbin this morning at the Food Bank of the Rockies for a “Send Hunger Packing” event hosted by ’s Second Harvest.  Senator Durbin was the captain of our Congressional team packing food for delivery to food banks around   The team we competed against was captained by actor Ben Affleck, and included Maria Menounos from Access Hollywood, Actress Alicia Witt (Vanilla Sky), and actor Justin Bartha (National Treasure films).

 As a member of the Hunger Caucus, I was honored to take part in this event.  When the tornado and flooding devastated the First District of Iowa, I saw trucks from America’s Second Harvest and the Northeast Iowa Food Bank delivering food to people in need.  My cousin, George Braley, is a Senior Vice President of Public Policy for ’s Second Harvest, which is soon changing its name to “Feeding America.”  September is Hunger Action Month, and I encourage everyone to join me in supporting the food banks that serve the people of , particularly in the wake of the huge demands placed on food banks due to our recent natural disasters.

 Last night’s Convention was electrifying.  Former Virginia Governor Mark Warner got things rolling with the keynote speech, and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer had the roaring with his no-holds-barred populist message.  The video tribute to Senator Hillary Clinton was very moving, and she closed the evening with a speech that many people agreed was one of the best she has ever given.  Her call for unity was clear, her support for Barack Obama was unequivocal, and she challenged Democrats everywhere to remember that we have been fighting for the principles that define our party, not simply the person who will be our nominee.

 After the convention, I attended a reception honoring Senator Harkin for his work on the Farm Bill along with Tom and Ruth and Dave and Terri Loebsack.  I then went to the Iowa Delegation reception hosted by Marcia and John Frew and Verizon at the Rialto Café.

 Tonight will be the final night at the before moving to INVESCO Field for Senator Obama’s highly-anticipated acceptance speech.  It should be another exciting evening, with speeches by Former President Bill Clinton, Vice Presidential Nominee Joe Biden, and the formal balloting to nominate our candidates.

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Posted by: Bruce Braley on 8/26/2008

Day 3.  Last night the Convention officially kicked off with a great welcoming speech by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who set the tone for the convention with a call to unity and a call to action to elect Barack Obama as our next President.

Another highlight was when Senator Tom Harkin began his introduction of my former Congressman, Jim Leach, using American Sign Language.  My son, Paul, is studying ASL at West High School this year, and Senator Harkin has been the leading champion for Americans with disabilities.

 One of my favorite “Obama” moments came during a candidate forum in during the summer of 2007.  I received word that Senator Obama would like to speak with me in an RV behind the Hall at Hawkeye Downs.  As we were talking in the RV, his cell phone rang and he looked at it and said, “I’m sorry, Bruce, but I really have to take this call, it’s my daughter Malia.”  I assured him that her call was more important than our visit, and I got to eavesdrop as he had a charming conversation with his daughter.  When he hung up the phone, he said, “I’m sorry.  She’s going to the Beyonce concert tonight and she couldn’t wait to tell me about it.”  I don’t know about you, but I want a President who understands that making family a priority is the best way to keep in touch with why you wanted to be President in the first place.

For many people, the highlight of the first night was the moving video tribute to Senator Edward Kennedy, and his surprise appearance at the convention where he reminded everyone of the causes that have defined our party and brought common purpose to our diverse Democrats throughout his long career in public service.  I hope that his inspiring message will bring healing where needed and inspire Democrats across the country to come together to for change.

After the convention, I ran into ABC newsman Harry Smith (Good Morning America).  I introduced myself by telling Harry that one of my high school football teammates (Sam DeVilder) played with him on the Central College National Championship football team in 1974.  We had a good visit about and how people were coping with the flooding and tornados.  Harry is one of those rare people who come across as warm and genuine in person as he does on television.