From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy
McCain taped an interview with Jay Leno this afternoon, which will air later this evening on The Tonight Show. Per a conference call provided for members of the press to listen in on the interview, McCain told a couple of new jokes, and had some very kind words for Hillary Clinton -- although nothing too new.

In an apparent reference to a joke that Leno made in the monologue, McCain came out and thanked the host for mentioning his "heroism" in saving Washington.

"A lot of people think I shouldn't have, in fact a lot of people," McCain said. "Also, you forgot to mention when I warned the people about the British coming."

The two spoke briefly about McCain's birthday this week and the number of jokes made about McCain's age. "We were gonna have a cake, but the fire marshal said, that many candles!" Leno said.

"I've got one," McCain joked. "My Social Security number is eight."

The two spoke about how McCain's relationship with Sen. Joe Biden has gotten much worse since the senator from Delaware was announced as Obama's running mate, but McCain said that he was a friend of Biden's and respected him. Repeating his mantra that he is underdog, McCain said that his opponent's choice of running mates should not effect his own.

"You've got to find somebody who you know shares your principles, your values and your priorities," McCain said. "It really shouldn't be affected by anything else. Really, it shouldn't be."

After a commercial break, Leno asked about the use of negative ads in recent months and why they work, but McCain refused to admit that his recent ads have been negative. Instead, he said that the tone of the campaign would have improved if Obama had agreed to join him in town hall meetings.

In reference to his new ads that reference Hillary Clinton, McCain had nothing but kind words for the former Democratic candidate. Even when asked if he might pick Clinton as his running mate, McCain just said he has "nothing but respect for Sen. Clinton."

From NBC's Bill Hatfield
DENVER -- If Obama wins this November, he may want to send thank-you cards to the nation's Democratic governors for laying the groundwork for his victory.

That, at least, was today's message from the top three members of the Democratic Governors Association -- West Virginia's Joe Manchin, Montana's Brian Schweitzer, and Maryland's Martin O'Malley. The governors met with reporters today to offer bullish assessments of Democratic governors' races in 2008, as well as in 2010. But they spent much of the news conference arguing that they helped paved the way for Obama, linking their styles of bipartisan, problem-solving governance to Illinois Democrat's prospects in November.

Manchin, the DGA chair, tied the Democratic governors' expanded ranks since 2000 to Obama's strong performance in reliably Republican states. "Who would have thought in 2004 or 2000 that a Democrat would be competitive in Montana ... or Colorado?" Manchin observed. Schweitzer agreed, declaring that governors can move elections. "If Ted Strickland had been governor of Ohio four years ago, George Bush wouldn't be president of the United States right now."

Schweitzer, who is up for reelection in the fall and enjoys high approval ratings, linked his performance as governor to Obama's competitive showing against McCain in Montana polls. He emphasized problem-solving governance that crosses party lines, pointing to his own selection of a Republican as lieutenant governor. Schweitzer also applauded Obama for being in touch with Montanans. Tomorrow marks Obama's fifth visit to the state, Schweitzer proudly noted.

Manchin, also facing reelection in November, was more realistic about Obama's chances in West Virginia. Obama was trounced by Hillary Clinton in the state primary, and now runs behind McCain in state polls.  Despite that, Manchin insisted "we are in play" in November, although many analysts wouldn't agree with that assessment. Obama's hurdle, he said, is that West Virginians aren't as familiar with him as they should be. "West Virginians have to know you," Manchin said, pointing to Bill Clinton's comfort level with the state's blue-collar voters during his two terms in office.

The governors were asked whether McCain's potential choice of a Republican governor -- Mitt Romney or Tim Pawlenty, for instance -- might give McCain's ticket an edge in executive experience over the all-Senate Obama-Biden ticket. Schweitzer joked, "I'd sure have to worry if McCain picked another white guy as his vice president." All three governors believed Joe Biden would be a tremendous boost for Obama.

Manchin, Schweitzer, and O'Malley then outlined the governor's races they believed to be most important this fall. They proclaimed confidence in Democrats' chances in New Hampshire, Washington, Delaware, North Carolina, and Missouri -- along with Manchin's and Schweitzer's own reelection efforts. Manchin said Vermont could be a "squeaker," and said the Utah and North Dakota races were particular challenges. 

Finance chair O'Malley reported the DGA was on track to reach its fundraising goal of $20 million for 2008, with $16 million on hand. The DGA considers the 2010 cycle a "critical juncture," O'Malley said, because of the opportunity for state governors to influence congressional and legislative redistricting efforts which occur every 10 years.

From NBC's Mark Murray
The Obama campaign has released the excerpts of Michelle Obama's speech tonight.

"But each of us also comes here tonight by way of our own improbable journey. I come here tonight as a sister, blessed with a brother who is my mentor, my protector and my lifelong friend. I come here as a wife who loves my husband and believes he will be an extraordinary president. I come here as a Mom whose girls are the heart of my heart and the center of my world - they're the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night. Their future - and all our children's future - is my stake in this election.

"And I come here as a daughter - raised on the South Side of Chicago by a father who was a blue collar city worker, and a mother who stayed at home with my brother and me. My mother's love has always been a sustaining force for our family, and one of my greatest joys is seeing her integrity, her compassion, and her intelligence reflected in my own daughters."

More: "And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you're going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them, and even if you don't agree with them."

"And Barack and I set out to build lives guided by these values, and pass them on to the next generation. Because we want our children - and all children in this nation - to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them."

"And in the end, after all that's happened these past 19 months, the Barack Obama I know today is the same man I fell in love with 19 years ago. He's the same man who drove me and our new baby daughter home from the hospital ten years ago this summer, inching along at a snail's pace, peering anxiously at us in the rearview mirror, feeling the whole weight of her future in his hands, determined to give her everything he'd struggled so hard for himself, determined to give her what he never had: the affirming embrace of a father's love."

From NBC's Mark Murray
DENVER -- Chatting this morning with about two dozen political reporters here, comedian Jon Stewart cracked plenty of jokes.

On the reporters in the room: "It is very difficult to fake what you do."

On which candidate would be the better source of laughs for the next four to eight years: "Mr. T."

And on which candidate is funnier: "Neither," he answered. "You know who makes me laugh? Chris Rock. But I don't want him as president."

Yet not everything was a joking matter for Stewart, whose Daily Show is here covering the Democratic convention and will report on the GOP one in Minnesota next week.

In his roundtable with reporters, he criticized the way the presidential race has been covered, especially on 24-hour cable news. He said cable had dumbed-down politics, comparing it to gerbils racing on a wheel. He even drew upon the Steinbeck story "Of Mice and Men" to emphasize that point.

"'Hey, Lenny, why don't you be the leader?'"

For example, Stewart said the press has gone overboard asking if Obama is too arrogant (how can we know the answer to that? Stewart replied.) Or whether McCain is too old (McCain isn't Wilford Brimley, he observed).

Stewart even argued that if Franklin Roosevelt were running for president today, he'd be painted as an elitist and news analysts would ask: "Can he bowl?"

So which networks did he consider the worst? "They are all pretty bad," he said before citing FOX News as perhaps the best of the bunch because it knows what it is doing. "They are an appendage of the Republican Party," he added. "Barack Obama could cure cancer, and they would paint it as an economic disaster."

Stewart also talked about the presidential race and candidates. On whether comedians like found it difficult to make fun of Obama: "I think that there will be plenty of jokes to be had."

On joking about McCain's age: "It is already trite." He later said of the Arizona senator, "We are having to introduce him to 20-year-olds who are smoking out of apple bongs."

And on which candidate -- McCain or Obama -- would make the better president: "I think they would both be decent presidents," he said, arguing that both would govern in a "far less imperious" manner that George Bush has.

From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones
DAVENPORT, Iowa -- As the Democratic convention kicked off in Denver on Monday, Barack Obama told a group of undecided voters that he and Joe Biden understood the problems of ordinary Americans.

It's an argument that we can expect to see more of this week and in the closing months of the election, as the pair try to show they will do more to help hard-working and middle-class families than will John McCain. Today's event with about 250 people was billed as a "One Nation" town hall -- the same theme of opening night in Denver tonight.

Obama talked about Biden's foreign policy expertise and his work on the 1994 crime bill, but said the most important thing about him was that he never forgot where he came from.

"He's from a working-class family, that he still takes the train back every night to Delaware to spend it with his family," he said. "Joe Biden understands what you're going through because he's gone through it."

He went on to stress the humble beginnings of he and his wife Michelle.

"It was only six years ago when Michelle and I were still living in a small overcrowded condo without a garage, so we had to scrape the ice off the car windows and were still in debt for our student loans and hadn't really figured out how we were gonna pay for our two daughters' college educations," he said. "That's how we grew up. We went to school on scholarships."

The senator continued to refine his argument against McCain as a continuation of the Bush administration and someone who doesn't have plans to help ordinary Americans because he "doesn't get" their problems and argued it was time for America to try something new.

"Most people don't really think John McCain's gonna shake things up. The real argument the Republicans are making is Obama is risky," he said. "What I'm going to work my heart out to do over the next 70 days is to say to people the biggest risk is just doing the same, old things and thinking somehow we're going to get a different result, thinking we're going to get this country back on track."

After speaking for about 25 minutes about his own tax proposals and plans for health care, improving schools, reducing energy independence, creating jobs and rebuilding infrastructure, he took questions on issues ranging from how to deal with the crisis facing Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to immigration to how to deal with Israel's concerns about Iran's quest for nuclear weapons.

He talked about his support for giving the administration the authority to infuse more capital into Fannie and Freddie or potentially to have a government takeover of the entities, but he stressed that the companies' investors, who had made profits from risky decisions should not be protected.

"If their stock tanks, that's not my problem. They were making money on the up side; they should take a hit on the down side," he said. "CEOs I have no sympathy for them, so I don't want them still taking out bonuses. The heads of these two companies took out $30 million in salaries and bonuses last year at a time when they're losing money and they're expecting taxpayers to bail them out. That's unacceptable."

There was a funny moment when a small-business owner in the crowd told him she was a supporter, but that her husband was on the fence. Obama called the man at work and spoke briefly with him before going on to talk about the need to help small businesses provide health care for their employees and get more access to financing.

From NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli
DENVER, Colo. -- Joe Biden promised to "give them hell" as he made his first public appearance in the Mile High City.
 
Obama's VP pick greeted a crowd outside of Boney's Smokehouse in Writer's Square, fielding words of encouragement from Obama supporters but also questions about who he was from surprised local residents.
 
"I'm running with Obama!" he enthusiastically told one woman.

As he continued working the crowd, another woman said, "Go get 'em, Joseph."

He replied, "We're going to give them the devil!"

As staff tried to control a growing crowd and aggressive members of the press, Biden calmly worked his way to the small hut to get a pulled pork sandwich. One reporter asked Biden if he was surprised that Obama picked him.

"I was pleased," he said. "I was pleased."

Another reporter tried to work in a longer question about Biden's past statements praising the presumptive Republican nominee. Biden didn't acknowledge it, and continued shaking hands, along with his son, Beau, wife, Jill, and brother, Jim.

On his way back through what was a growing mass of people, Biden encountered Ann Kuster, a New Hampshire delegate for Obama. Kuster said the two shared a laugh about his own presidential bid, when she told him that was she one of the leaders of Obama's campaign in the Granite State.

"He said, 'I can't believe I'm giving you a hug when you weren't with me,'" Kuster said. "'Where were you,' that's what he said."

Kuster, who also lead the Women for Obama coalition, said she also told the presumptive VP nominee that the party was fired up about his selection and ready to come together.

" I think Biden's going to bring people on board," Kuster said, acknowledging concerns that not all Clinton backers have come together behind Obama. "Hillary is with us now, Bill Clinton is with us now, and we're all going to be united by the end of the week."

From NBC's Katie Primm
There are hundreds of DC insiders wandering the streets of Denver today before attending the first night of the convention -- senators, governors, delegates, and even Abe Lincoln. Well, a Lincoln impersonator with a full beard and stovepipe hat to complete the costume.

Honest Abe, like many visitors this week, had a cause to push -- a voting voice in Congress. Washington, D.C., does not have a voting member in Congress. DC's non-voting representative in the House, Eleanor Holmes Norton, will be giving one of Tuesday afternoon's speeches asking again for the District to be granted that vote.

There are four other non-voting members of Congress -- America Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. D.C. has been allowed three votes in the Electoral College since 1961 with the passage of the 23rd amendment.

Streets of swag
Obama '08 buttons and shirts may be collectors' items years from now for convention attendees, but there is no shortage of them on street corners this week in downtown Denver. Vendors have set up tables and carts all around the perimeter of the Pepsi Center hoping to sell their wares.

Obama paraphernalia is a popular seller and the most cost-effective. Hillary Clinton merchandise is being sold at most stands for double the cost.

And the DNC doesn't have a monopoly on the goods either. Most vendors are stocked with elephants and McCain buttons as well. However, some vendors showed off those stashes from under their tables and only bring them out upon request in a town now occupied by Democrats.

From NBC's Katie Primm
For many states that don't get covered in-depth during the campaign season, their moment in the sun with the country's attention is the convention and each state would like prominent placement on the Pepsi Center floor and near the stage.

Colorado, the host state, and Illinois, home of Barack Obama, are front and center on the floor -- best seats in the house.

For the rest of the open floor seats, any number of factors could come into play. A strong Democratic state, New York, has a place on the floor; it can't hurt to placate some Hillary Clinton supporters as well.

A battleground state, Ohio, also has a floor position. Perhaps trying to win over disgruntled primary voters (see the reinstatement of their full delegate votes), some of whom never saw the candidates during the five-month primary season, Florida and Michigan also have coveted spots.

During set up in the Pepsi Center on Friday and Saturday, the Delaware delegation was more than a dozen rows back in the stands, off the floor and all the way to the side. Yesterday Delaware moved up front next to Illinois in honor of VP pick, Sen. Joe Biden, who is expected to be in attendance at the convention before his speech on Wednesday night.

And who took Delaware's original place up and in the corner? Delegates from American Samoa (no electoral votes) and, perennial small-state competitor, Rhode Island (four electoral votes).

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
DENVER, Colo. -- Hillary Clinton said all the right things at a breakfast meeting of the New York delegation here.

She unequivocally said she is behind Barack Obama and urged her home-state delegation to wholeheartedly do the same. 

She also made it a point to respond to the Republican National Committee using her own primary words against her in TV ads.
 
"Let me state what I think about those ads... I'm Hillary Clinton and I do not approve that message," she said to big applause and a standing ovation at her home-state's delegation breakfast meeting.

"Make no mistake. We are united. We are united for change. Of course, we are Democrats, so it may take -- a while. We're not the fall-in line party. We are diverse...many voices, but make no mistake we are united."

She encouraged supporters to phone bank for Obama and do everything they can to make him "the next president of the United States."

She said she had a "clear purpose -- to come out of here ready to elect Barack Obama president of the United States."

She also said her supporters -- many of whom in attendance waved signs that read, "Hillary Made History" -- had "every reason to elect Barack." She then ticked off reasons after reason on the issues.

"We have so much work to do," she said. None of that will happen if John McCain is in the White House. We cannot afford for more years of George W. Bush's policies. And make no mistake, that's what you'll get with John McCain."

At a news conference after the event, when pressed if there was the potential to upstage Obama this week, she said, "There is no doubt in anyone's mind that this is Barack Obama's convention, as it should be. We are trying to bring everyone together with the same level of commitment that I feel."

Asked what more she could do to help assure that Clinton voters would coalesce behind Obama, she said, "I don't know. …  I'm doing everything I possibly can do… I think we have made a strong case."

Pressed again on whether she was giving a full-hearted endorsement, and whether her supporters would be, she said, "It would have been the same way if Barack Obama had won, and we'd be fighting for the unity of our party."

New York City Councilman John Liu, who is a Clinton pledged delegate defended Clinton and said those of her supporters who were holding out would eventually come around.

"For months, she's been dogged by questions of whether she's doing enough," Liu said. "What more can she possibly say? She's made it clear."

Clinton has said she will cast her vote on first ballot for Obama, and Liu said he will do that as well.

"We don't have top-down rule in this party," Liu said, adding that even though suggestions are made, not everyone seamlessly falls in line. Liu added that there were "two superstars" in the primary, but "Not we have one superstar nominee. ... People will realize that this election is a choice between Bush, part two or Barack Obama. There is no question in my mind, they will be for Barack Obama." 

Clinton's case for Obama to Democrats centers on exactly that premise.

"Electing John McCain would be a mistake for our country," she said. "Anyone who voted for me has so much more in common with Barack Obama."

Asked if she wants to run again for president, as implied by Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, she said, "I never said that."

She called losing to Obama "disappointing" and noted that she is "moved" when supporters show their "love" for her, to her, but she insists she's committed to doing everything she can to help Obama become president.

"I am working as hard as I can to elect Barack Obama," she said, adding that it would be one of the "worst outcomes I can personally imagine" if John McCain and the Republicans win the presidency again.

On the RNC ads, she said, "I said strongly I don't approve that message… my name or my words being used." But "there's nothing I can do about it except speak out against it."

From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy
PHOENIX, AZ -- At his wife's high school alma mater today, McCain made a push for the youth vote with an endorsement from Puerto Rican Reggaeton star Daddy Yankee, whose real name is Ramon Ayala. The campaign called a "press conference" in the Central High School library where Yankee -- who McCain called Ramon -- announced his support for McCain.

"I'm here endorsing Sen. McCain because I believe in his ideas and his proposal to lead this nation," he said, as high school girls swooned on a riser behind him. "And like I said before, he's been a fighter for the Hispanic community and I know that me personally, I choose him as the best candidate because he's a fighter for the immigration issue. So for me he's the best guy to lead this nation."

Yankee is most famous for his song "Gasolina," which translates to "gasoline" -- but has nothing to do with offshore drilling or McCain's energy policy mantra "drill here, drill now."

A rough translation of the song's chorus, "A ella le gusta la gasoline -- dame mas gasoline," shows that Yankee might be singing about a different kind of "gasoline" than McCain talks about on the stump. The singer proclaims, "My babe doesn't stop from hanging out because she likes gasoline," to which a female singer echoes, "give me more gasoline."

Although the campaign told the press corps that today's event was going to be a "press conference," it turns out that the only members of the media who might have had the opportunity to ask McCain questions were reporters from the school's paper. As McCain and Yankee shook hands following the endorsement, students were funneled towards the musician by the senator, receiving a quick, "Sup, papa" or "How you doin' lady?" as they shook Yankee's hand.

The only reference McCain made to the convention beginning in Denver tonight was a vague compliment directed towards his opponent.

"This is a tough presidential campaign we're in," McCain said. "I have a very honorable opponent, and one who will receive the nomination of his party this week in Denver. And I look forward to the last couple months of the campaign with him."

McCain has not spoken to the press since August 13 in Birmingham, MI -- the day his wife sprained her wrist at a fundraiser.

From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann
DENVER -- With mere hours to go before her address to the Democratic National Convention tonight, Michelle Obama was not planning on taking any questions. But during this morning's walkthrough in front of the podium where she will speak tonight, a few reporters sent the softballs sailing anyway.

"Michelle, do you have any words for the Swedish women?" asked a thickly accented Scandinavian voice from amidst the gaggle of reporters assembled to watch Mrs. Obama's practice run. "They really admire you!"

As handlers on the floor harshly whispered their reminders that Mrs. Obama would not be taking questions from the press gathered on the convention floor, the aspiring first lady seemed caught off guard. "Tell them thank you," she responded politely.

With one question fielded, more were shouted out. "Are you excited about tonight?" yelled one reporter. 

Asked by another, "Is it a harmonious convention?" the senator's wife responded with a firm nod. "Yes, it is.

Mrs. Obama passed on other inquiries about the content of tonight much-awaited address, choosing instead to stand squarely in front of the podium and purposefully survey the hall that has slowly filled with press types and visitors throughout the morning.  Daughter Sasha, age 7, stuck close by her mother, at one point reaching up to smack the convention gavel down. When the resulting reverberation boomed throughout the room, she giggled, "I didn't know it was going to be so loud!"

Mrs. Obama was accompanied on the practice run by both daughters, as well as by brother Craig Robinson, who will introduce her tonight.

From NBC's Mark Murray
As we first reported on Friday night, the Republican National Committee is going to be airing a new TV ad in Colorado, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. And now we know what the subject is: Hillary Clinton's tough words during the primaries that elevated McCain and diminished Obama by saying that all he brings to the table is an antiwar speech he gave in 2002.

Unlike the McCain camp ads on Hillary and that Hillary supporter now backing McCain, we know for sure this is a significant buy.

In response, Clinton gave these remarks today: "Every one of us could stand up and recite all the reasons why we must elect Barack. The Supreme Court is at stake; our educational system needs the right kind of change. We've got to become energy independent; we have to create millions of new green collar jobs. We've got so much work to do around the world."

"None of that will happen if John McCain is in the White House.  I just want to make it absolutely clear we cannot afford four more years of George W. Bush's failed policies in America and that's what we would get with John McCain."

"Now I understand that the McCain campaign is running ads trying to divide us and let me state what I think about their tactics and these ads: I am Hillary Clinton and I do not approve that message."

Script of the RNC ad:
ANNCR: Who has the experience to govern our nation?
Sen. Clinton: "Senator McCain will bring a lifetime of experience to the campaign. I will bring a lifetime of experience. And Senator Obama will bring a speech he gave in 2002." (Source: CNN 3/8/08)
ANNCR: Barack Obama. He gives a great speech. But Americans must ask ourselves: should we elect the most inexperienced presidential candidate of our times? Or was she right? The Republican National Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising."

From NBC's Mark Murray
In a spoof of the classic song "What A Wonderful World" ("Don't know much about history..."), the Obama campaign has a new TV ad mocking McCain for once saying that "economics is not something I've understood as well as I should."

Per the campaign, the ad will air on national cable and in battleground states beginning today.

[Youtube:2X9LypdiQFo]

Script:
I'm not up on the economy
Don't know much about industry.
Really can't explain the price of gas,
Or what has happened to the middle class.
But I know that one and one is two.
And if I could be just like you
What a wonderful world this would be.

McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds responds, "Barack Obama has proposed raising taxes on small businesses and America's working families during an economic downturn. You don't have to 'know much' to understand that Barack Obama's plans to raise taxes will hurt an already struggling economy. And it's particularly revealing that the Obama campaign feels forced to cast flimsy attack ads during his own convention."

Of course, the McCain camp and RNC are running TV ads during Obama's convention. And once again, Obama's tax plan raises taxes only on families that make more than $250,000 a year, and it provides a bigger tax cut than McCain's does to those making less than that amount.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
DENVER -- We're about to start an historical two-week convention bonanza -- it's sort of the opening ceremonies of the political Olympics, as we called it last week. Both parties have never attempted to hold their conventions so late. They've gone back-to-back before, but never this late in the process. When McCain gives his acceptance speech in St. Paul, Obama and McCain will have fewer than 60 days to win over voters. While modern conventions have become known for their lack of news, these two could be noteworthy because of 1) the historical nature of Obama's candidacy; 2) the fact that the Clintons will be playing second fiddle (and treated that way) for the first time since '88, causing the potential for drama this week; 3) the very real threat McCain could name a pro-choice running mate, causing Republican delegates to attempt an actual floor flight in St. Paul; and 4) the uncomfortable nature of the GOP convo dealing with an unpopular president; not since '68 and has there been a party so worried about the negative impact of an outgoing president. Ready. Set. Go.

*** Obama's three challenges: The candidate has to do three things with this convention, which arguably might be one too many items on his agenda. One, he needs to fill in the gaps of his biography for the largest audience of voters who haven't yet tuned into the race. Two, he needs to take on McCain more forcefully; there's no doubt the Republicans will use their St. Paul airtime to go after Obama -- big time. Obama chief strategist David Axelrod has made it clear he thought Kerry made a mistake four years ago by ignoring Bush. And three, Obama needs to unify the party. All three agenda items are doable by themselves, but can all three be done in a four-day period? It's a big challenge.

*** What PUMA-on-the-Street interviews might not tell you: Speaking of that last challenge… With so many of Hillary Clinton's most ardent supporters in Denver, is the political press corps here in danger of over-hyping Obama's problem with Hillary backers? Yes, our most recent NBC/WSJ poll showed that Obama has yet to win some of them over, and that (in part) explains why he hasn't pulled away from McCain. But a brand-new Washington Post/ABC poll also had Obama getting more Clinton support than he's ever received since she dropped out of the race back in June. No doubt Obama still has some work to do, and he has two-plus months -- including this convention -- to make the sale. But the point we're trying to make is that perhaps the Dem Party is more unified than PUMA-on-the-street interviews might suggest. Indeed, today's New York Times/CBS poll of Dem convention delegates probably has it right: 60% of Hillary's delegates enthusiastically support Obama, 31% support him with reservations or because he's the nominee, and 5% don't support him at all. But the Clinton folks will have an impact on the media narrative this week. In fact, they already they have -- see Ed Rendell at the media confab yesterday and today's Politico piece by Harris and Allen.

*** What to watch for tonight: Things could start off with a bang. Tonight's primetime speaker is Michelle Obama, who will be tasked to sell her husband to the public. She was one of Obama's best surrogates during the Dem primaries, but Republicans and even some Democrats believe she won't sell with swing voters. So definitely pay attention to her remarks. Also on tap for tonight is a video tribute to Ted Kennedy, but NBC's Ann Curry reported on TODAY that Kennedy is in Denver and might make an appearance at the convention. That could be a nice moment for the Democrats that has nothing to do with Obama or Clinton. Two other speakers to watch tonight: former GOP Rep. Jim Leach of Iowa and Sen. Claire McCaskill, who might have been the single-best surrogate Obama had during the primaries. By the way, where are the Olympians? Didn't the Dems find any Gold medalist to trot out?
 
*** What if Obama loses? In the latest issue of Newsweek, Slate editor Jacob Weisberg raises a provocative point that's likely to drive the conservative blogosphere bonkers: An Obama loss -- especially in this anti-GOP climate -- will reflect poorly on America, so he believes. "If Obama loses, our children will grow up thinking of equal opportunity as a myth," he writes. "His defeat would say that when handed a perfect opportunity to put the worst part of our history behind us, we chose not to. In this event, the world's judgment will be severe and inescapable: the United States had its day, but in the end couldn't put its own self-interest ahead of its crazy irrationality over race." We know this reflects what many in the opinion corps of the left are thinking, but it's the exact WRONG message Democrats should send in campaigning for Obama. In fact, it's this line of thinking that has the McCain campaign believing the press is against them -- and that has rallied the establishment conservatives around McCain, even as they are holding their noses about the GOP nominee. To put it simply, people don't want to be told that casting a vote for the other guy makes us bad. This is how Democrats blow elections, when they talk down to voters, and if the McCain campaign can tap into any resentment that builds over being told that history somehow demands the country elect Obama, we in the press will discover a new silent majority. Of course, McCain doesn't want to win this way, because if he only wins based on backlash, then he may have trouble governing. 

*** Today's convention schedule: Monday's convention theme is "One Nation," and it will include stories about Obama's life. Some of the more notable speakers: Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former President Jimmy Carter (via video), Obama sister Maya Soetoro-Ng, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., former GOP Rep. Jim Leach, and Sen. Claire McCaskill. The primetime speaker in the 11:00 pm ET hour is Michelle Obama. Barack Obama himself will make a video appearance from Kansas City that's tied to his wife's speech.

*** The RNC's response: Carly Fiorina, former Democratic Rep. Tim Penny, and former Wisconsin Hillary Clinton delegate Debra Bartoshevich hold a press conference at the RNC's Denver headquarters to highlight McCain's support among Democrats and independents. The presser takes place at noon ET. Bartoshevich, in fact, is featured in a brand-new McCain TV ad. See below for more on that.

*** Also in Denver: The Democratic state delegations hold their meetings beginning at 9:00 am ET… The Obama camp and the Dem convention hold a press briefing at the Colorado Convention Center at 11:15 am ET… The Democratic Governors Association has a media roundtable at the Colorado Convention Center at 1:00 pm ET… And Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar, and others hold a briefing at 4:00 pm ET on the West and what they consider McCain's vulnerabilities in the region.

*** On the trail: McCain begins his day with a press conference in Phoenix, then heads to a fundraiser in Sacramento, and finally travels to Los Angeles to tape the Tonight Show and raise money. Obama holds a town hall in Davenport, IA.
 
Countdown to GOP convention: 7 days
Countdown to Election Day 2008: 71 days
Countdown to Inauguration Day 2009: 148 days
 
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The Obama campaign and convention officials held a briefing yesterday with NBC News to discuss the convention and what to expect. Some highlights:
-- The convention will try to drive home two points: 1) that this is a "serious moment" for the United States and 2) that there are two difference directions where Obama and McCain want to take the country
-- The Obama and Clinton camps are working out the mechanics of Wednesday's roll-call vote, which will begin at 5:00 pm ET. Said one Obama adviser: "We have a high degree of confidence of how the roll-call vote" will work.
-- The 76,000 people who will fill Invesco Field on Thursday night will be expected to do much more than listen to Obama's speech. They will be texting their friends to get them to watch and get involved; they will get their friends to sign up for the campaign's email alerts; and they will be working the phones.
-- After the convention, Obama and Biden will leave on a tour of Industrial Midwest states.

Regarding that first point, the New York Times writes: "Mr. Obama's aides said they had learned from what they described as the mistake of the 2004 Democratic convention - when aides to Senator John Kerry's campaign sought to forbid convention speakers from going after President Bush - and would use their time to draw contrasts with Senator John McCain, particularly on the economy and his opposition to abortion rights. 'The stakes of this election will be made very clear,' said David Axelrod, Mr. Obama's chief strategist. 'We are going to define the choice.'"

"At the same time, acknowledging persistent unease with Mr. Obama among a significant segment of voters, his aides said they would use speeches and presentations during the next four days, including having Al Gore introduce Mr. Obama for his acceptance speech Thursday night, to offer a fuller biography and a more detailed plan of what he would do as president."

So how divided is the Democratic Party? Maybe not as much as you think, according to this New York Times/CBS poll. "More than half of the delegates that Mrs. Clinton won in the primaries now say they are enthusiastic supporters of Mr. Obama, and they also believe he will win the presidential election in November, the poll found. Three in 10 say they support Mr. Obama but have reservations about him or they support him only because he is the party's nominee. Five percent say they do not support him yet."

And/but the Washington Post reports, "[T]he most important events of the first days of the convention will center on Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and her supporters. The senator from New York won 18 million votes in her nomination battle with Obama, and the enthusiastic support of her followers is critical to Obama's hopes of winning in November. She will speak Tuesday night, but her message at events behind the scenes may be just as important."

"In an important shift, Democratic officials confirmed Sunday that Clinton will release her delegates to Obama at a reception on Wednesday. Clinton's gesture has the potential to reduce the appearance of friction while reinforcing her status as one of the party's most formidable power brokers." This story also had the news about Obama and Bill Clinton talking last week, on the same day Obama offered Biden the No.2 slot. But Obama apparently did NOT tell Clinton about his pick.

Speaking of Bill Clinton, Politico's Harris (one of best biographers of Bill out there) Allen report that the former president is upset about his speech topic. He wants to speak on the economy but the topic Wednesday night is national security. "The former president is disappointed, associates said, because he is eager to speak about the economy and more broadly about Democratic ideas - emphasizing the contrast between the Bush years and his own record in the 1990s. This is an especially sore point for Bill Clinton, people close to him say, because among many grievances he has about the campaign Obama waged against his wife is a belief that the candidate poor-mouthed the political and policy successes of his two terms."

"Some senior Democrats close to Obama, meanwhile, made clear in not-for-attribution comments that they were equally irked at the Clinton operation. Nearly three months after Hillary Clinton conceded defeat in the nomination contest, these Obama partisans complained, her team continues to act like she and Bill Clinton hold leverage."

Bloomberg News on what Michelle Obama needs to do tonight. "After tapping veteran Democratic strategist Stephanie Cutter as her chief of staff in June, Michelle Obama, 44, has softened her image by appearing on television programs such as 'The View.' Going into this week's convention, she is on the covers of Essence and Ebony magazines. 'Her first job on Monday night is to reintroduce herself to the country and to the world because she's never had a larger audience,' said Myra Gutin, a communications professor at Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, and author of a book about first ladies. 'The second task is to introduce her husband to the audience in a way in which she knows him and perhaps we don't.'"

The AP also previews Michelle Obama's speech today. "If part of her function has been to reveal the husband and dad side of the man addressing the masses, she also needs to show she's just a woman, just an American, just a patriot…  In the primaries, she was dubbed 'the Closer' for her ability to persuade the undecided voters walking in to come on board before walking out. Now she's the opener, the first-night star called upon to testify about her husband's vision and values, and perhaps settle some doubts about herself."

Might Ted Kennedy show up? Despite his illness, "the senator has recently told people that he has a speech written for the convention and that he badly wants to come, pending a final medical consultation," the Boston Globe reports. "Buzz has built among Massachusetts politicos that Kennedy would come, and yesterday a Bay State Democrat close to the family confirmed that Kennedy has decided to travel to Denver, probably for an opening-night address."

And live at Red Rocks… Like a man with the pressure off, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine enthusiastically introduced the marquis act of the night -- and who this east coast reporter most wanted to see -- Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds at Red Rocks in Colorado, a special place for Dave Matthews fans.

"Raise your hand if you know how many homes you own… You can't make this stuff up," an ebullient Kaine said, donning jeans and an airy, short-sleeve button down shirt, looking every bit the backyard dad. Kaine went on to sing the praises of Obama and passionately tick off the reasons he got involved with the Obama campaign.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA-8, Elected June 1987, 10th term)
-- Highest ranking female in government ever
-- A Baltimore native and child of the Baltimore Democratic machine before going West and settling in San Francisco. Her father, Thomas D'Alesandro Jr., served in the House from 1939 to 1947 and was mayor of Baltimore for 12 years. Her brother, who shares his father's name, was also mayor of Baltimore 20 years later, from 1967 to 1971.
-- Met her husband at Trinity College in Washington, D.C. He became a real estate investor in San Francisco.
-- In 1976, Pelosi returned to Maryland to run Jerry Brown's presidential primary campaign. (Incidentally, in 1992, Brown was the last failed presidential candidate to have his name placed in a roll call vote in either party.)
 
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO, Elected 2006)
-- An early and ardent endorser of Obama; has since been one of his most effective surrogates.
-- A 4th-generation Missourian
-- Waited tables for six years as she worked her way through college and law school at the University of Missouri.
-- Clerked for the Missouri Court of Appeals in Kansas City and then got a job as an assistant prosecutor in Kansas City. In 1993, she became the first female prosecutor in Jackson County (Kansas City).
-- In 2006, she became the first woman elected to the United States Senate from Missouri.

Maya Soetoro-Ng (Obama's half-sister. They share a mother. Her father was Indonesian.)
-- Soetoro-Ng, 36, cites Obama as a father figure, as her parents divorced when she was just 9.
-- Holds a Ph.D. in comparative education from the University of Hawaii.
-- Teaches 9th grade world cultures and 11th grade U.S. history and the constitution at an all-girls school in Honolulu. She's married to Konrad Ng, a Chinese-Canadian. They have one daughter, Suhaila, who was 2 in Sept. 2007.
-- One of the four bumper stickers on her car reads, "1-20-09. End of an Error." One other is a "Women for Obama" sticker.
-- Said their mother would wake them up in the middle of the night -- to look at the moon.
-- On religion, she says, "Philosophically, I would say that I am Buddhist."
-- Asked what effect their mother's "wanderlust" had on Obama, she said, "Maybe part of the reason he was so attracted to Chicago and his wife, Michelle, was that sense of rootedness. He elected to make a choice, whereas Mom sort of wandered through the world collecting treasures."
Said their mother used to joke that Obama would be the first black president.
-- She said, Obama "was always good at winning arguments through very diplomatic ways, right. He would make you feel apologetic for losing an argument."

Aboard her plane en route to Israel today, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had positive words for Obama's new running mate, NBC's Libby Leist reports. Despite his often-harsh criticism of the Bush Administration's foreign policy, Rice called Biden "a very fine statesman" and "a true patriot. "She said she would not comment on the "politics" of the selection, but told reporters: "I've known him for a long time. He's been a really very supportive committee chair and before that ranking chair for the State Department and for our diplomatic efforts."

Per the New York Times, the Obama camp has two tasks for Biden: to campaign in the Industrial Midwest and to whack McCain. "[C]ampaign advisers said Sunday that they were certain Mr. Biden would spend considerable time campaigning through Election Day in four swing states: Florida, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania." More: "A task for Mr. Biden, the advisers said, will be to doggedly portray the presumptive Republican nominee … as a handmaiden for President Bush who would continue his policies. In the words of one adviser, Mr. Biden can be an artful critic because he knows 'chapter and verse' about Mr. McCain's Senate votes and controversial positions after serving with him for two decades." 

If you want proof as to why the Obama campaign thought waiting until the very last minute to name a VP, look no further than this other New York Times story about Biden's lobbyist son.  Imagine how high up the media food chain this story would be if this weren't the first day of the convention?  "During the years that … Biden was helping the credit card industry win passage of a law making it harder for consumers to file for bankruptcy protection, his son had a consulting agreement that lasted five years with one of the largest companies pushing for the changes, aides to Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign acknowledged Sunday… Campaign officials acknowledged that the connection between the Bidens and MBNA, the enormous financial services company then based in their home state of Delaware, was one of the most sensitive issues they examined while vetting the senator for a spot on the ticket."

The New York Times' Bill Kristol believes the Biden pick does "complicate" McCain's selection process (though he does quote from McCain folks saying they believe it was a pick of  "weakness."). He dismisses both Pawlenty (will not match up well with Biden) and Romney (thank you house gaffe), and ends up making the conservative case for Lieberman.

"A Lieberman pick should help with ticket splitters. But can such a ticket hold the support of pro-lifers, conservatives and Republicans? If you're conscientiously pro-life, you will have reservations about a pro-abortion-rights V.P. If you're a proud conservative, Lieberman hasn't been one. If you're a loyal Republican, you'd much prefer someone from within the ranks. But if you're pro-life, conservative and/or Republican, you certainly don't want Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid running the country. If a McCain-Lieberman ticket is the best way to thwart that prospect, you could probably learn to live with it - even perhaps to like it."

El Rushbo, what say you?

The Boston Globe points out: "Thus, the McCain campaign has raised the question: Would McCain want to pick a vice presidential candidate who was perhaps his toughest critic in the primaries, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney?… If McCain picks Romney, the Democrats doubtless would remind voters of the McCain-Romney feud."

"Obama's choice of Joe Biden as a running mate sets the bar for John McCain," the AP writes. "The Republican could use his own pugnacious No. 2 to deliver attack lines and a solid debate performance."

The McCain camp says it's up with a new TV ad -- to air in "key states" (read: it's not in the campaign's battleground rotation) -- that features Debra Bartoshevich, an ex-Hillary delegate who was stripped of her delegate status after saying she would vote for McCain. I'm a proud Hillary Clinton Democrat," Bartoshevich says in it. "She had the experience and judgment to be president. Now, in a first for me, I'm supporting a Republican, John McCain. I respect his maverick and independent streak, and now he's the one with the experience and judgment. A lot of Democrats will vote McCain. It's okay, really!" 
 
"McCain found himself the center of attention at his church in Phoenix yesterday, watching himself on a giant-screen television talking about his 'greatest moral failure,' which he said was the collapse of his first marriage… McCain sat next to his second wife, Cindy, as he watched the interview during the services at North Phoenix Baptist Church, where the Rev. Dan Yeary described the exchange as a 'seminal moment' in the presidential campaign."

Lots of news organizations kicked off convention week with Obama retrospectives. Bloomberg News looks at Obama's "coolness" what he needs to do. "For the Illinois senator, cool can be complicated. It helps him maintain composure as he bursts through the barriers of race and politics; it also creates about him an aura of detachment. It fuels his boldness as well as his caution, the inspiration and the calculation, the intelligence and the ambition that will make him this week the first black presidential nominee of a major U.S. party."

More: "Obama so far has picked his battles carefully, choosing most often to focus on winning converts. 'One of the dangers here is that in the effort to constantly adjust his position, people then begin to wonder where his bottom line is,'' says Leon  Panetta, President Clinton's former chief of staff. 'He's got to show that he's got a bottom line and that he's willing to fight for it.'"

Also, check out this endorsement to someone who came from the Jim Baker world. 'I've been in meetings with at least three different presidents,' says Dennis Ross, the former Middle East envoy for Presidents George H.W. Bush and Clinton. 'He wasn't just up to the level, he was superior.'"

Politico's Roger Simon has a tour de force of a behind-the-scenes, how-did-it-happen? piece on the Dem primary. It opens with some great nuggets about how close Clinton came to hiring Axelrod and Hildebrand.

The Boston Globe profiles Obama and focuses on his days at Occidental College in California. "Oxy, as it is affectionately known, nurtured his transformation. He started playing basketball less so he could read and study more. After shying away from activism early in his college career, he joined an antiapartheid campaign. He came to terms with his identity, eventually ditching his nickname, Barry, and embracing Barack. And then, yearning for a bigger stage, he engineered a transfer to Columbia."

Talk about the biggest speech of his life! NBC/NJ's Athena Jones observes. Obama arrived at a downtown Chicago hotel to work on his convention speech at about 7:12 pm CST, and he did not depart until 1:54 am CST, That's nearly seven hours, in case you're counting. It was the third night in a row that he has spent several hours at this hotel working on his speech.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
The Republican National Committee is taking advantage of the scenery, one might say.

Making its presence felt in Denver, the Mile High City and site of the Democratic National Convention, the Republican National Committee has crafted a new slogan to greet the Democratic presumptive nominee: "A Mile High, An Inch Deep."

That slogan is the kicker to hundreds of posters in the newly minted Republican National Committee headquarters at Denver. The poster, which actually - unlike that fake Obama-Bayh bumper sticker - looks like it could have been created by the Obama campaign.

A Warhol-esque Obama image stands smiling amid the Rockies, stars coming off his finger tip. But right below the Rockies in large font: "Not Ready 08." Below it, "A mile high, an inch deep." And on the side, as if to measure Obama's import, a ruler amounting to 1" -- though the Obama figure is actually about six inches high on the poster.

In tandem with the slogan, the RNC has launched a Web site: www.NotReady08.com, and will be holding daily press conferences with prominent Republicans, including Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and Tim Pawlenty.

The effort is another attempt define Obama - to dismiss him as a star/celebrity, who is not qualified to be president.

The Republican headquarters, about a mile from the Pepsi Center where the Democratic Convention is being held, is covered in the red, white and blue Obama posters as well as signs that read, " 'It can't be on-the-job training' -- Joe Biden." Ironically, the business neighboring the RNC building has several pro-Obama signs in its windows.

Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan showed a small group of reporters this afternoon through the building, including a "war room" with eight televisions with various news channels on and a table with space for about eight opposition researchers waiting to pounce on any perceived gaffe. Or to correct, as RNC Communications Director Danny Diaz put it, "Distortions" by Obama "on his record - or lack of record," he jeered.

Obama has "arguably the thinnest resume of anyone running for president" in recent memory, Duncan said later. "He showed that with his pick of Biden…."

Duncan smiled when asked if he welcomes the Democrats' roll call vote with Clinton. It was like red meat.

It's the "symbolism," Duncan said, emphasizing it doesn't matter how many votes Clinton gets. The last time a losing primary candidate was on the roll call at a party's national convention was 1992 when Jerry Brown and Paul Tsongas were entered their names into nomination. The last time the Republicans have had one was 1976.

Duncan pushed the Clinton storyline, saying, "There's some buyer's remorse there. There are a significant number [of Democrats] that want Hillary Clinton. Typically when parties are split, the other one wins."

From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann
DENVER, Colo. -- The last time 82-year-old Ann Hadfield attended the Democratic National Convention, she was in disguise.

The year was 1936.

Then the 10-year-old daughter of a Democratic state representative from Delaware, Hadfield wanted to see what all the fuss was about in Philadephia, where Franklin D.  Roosevelt was poised to accept his party's nomination as its nominee. The trouble was that her dad was short one of the three extra seats he wanted in the first row of history; he hoped to bring along Hadfield, her 8-year-old sister, and their 11-year-old cousin to watch the goings-on.

They pulled it off. 

"We had just been in a play at school," Hadfield recalls. So her enterprising dad dressed the children in their theatrical costumes -- as old-time Quaker kids.

The trick worked like a charm. Organizers whisked the kids to the center of the action, no questions asked.

"They thought we were a part of the show!" Hadfield laughs.

Ann doesn't remember much about the Philadelphia adventure except for the clandestine arrival. But she says that this year isn't all that different from '36. Then, Roosevelt swept to victory in an era when Americans clamored for change. Now, "there's also so much that needs to be done," Hadfield exclaims purposefully. 

And, she adds while waiting to greet Michelle Obama on the tarmac of the airport here -- proudly showing off the Obama pins that adorn her paisley blazer -- Democrats have picked the right guy to get it done.

Ann doesn't remember much about her first convention, aside from the clandestine entry as an incognito kid. But it makes a darn good story to tell her fellow Pennsylvania delegates, who she'll join for the first time as an official attendee - 72 years after her first convention appearance.

Only this time, she'll probably need a credential.

From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones
EAU CLAIRE, WI -- Obama told a crowd of supporters at a BBQ here today that the Democratic convention, which begins tomorrow in Denver, would show that he is just like them and understands their concerns.

He also declared his introduction of running mate Joe Biden a success. "We're going to be going to the convention this week, and if you're paying attention, you'll have a sense of who I am," he told a crowd of about 300 people at Rod and Gun Park.

"My wife Michelle speaks tomorrow night and you'll have a sense of who she is, and what our values are, and how we're raising our kids. And I think what you'll conclude is he's sort of like us. He comes from a middle-class background. He went to school on scholarships; he had to pay off student loans; he and his wife had to worry about child care; we had to figure out, you know, how to start a college fund for their kids."

Obama used the same lines against McCain he has used all week -- making references to a McCain adviser's remarks about America being a "nation of whiners," bringing up the Arizona senator's quip during the Saddleback Forum about $5 million being "rich," and his inability to remember the number of homes he owns -- to paint him as out of touch. He said Democrats would look out for middle-class concerns, not Republicans.

"When you don't know how many homes you have and you define being wealthy as having $5 million, then what that tells me is that you just don't get what's going on with people's everyday lives -- the folks who are making $20,000 a year or $40,000 a year or $60,000 a year, that are trying to get their kid into college, or trying to pay their health-care premiums at the end of every month," he said to rising cheers and applause. "That's who I'm fighting for. That's what built America, that middle class. This election is about you."

He spoke briefly about his announcement Saturday that Biden, a six-term senator and foreign policy expert, would be his running mate. "We had a great day yesterday when I had the honor of introducing my selection as running mate, the person who I believe will be the next and one of the greatest vice presidents in the history of the US, Joe Biden."

At one point Obama sought to assure people that he would not take away their guns. "I saw signs coming in saying, "He's gonna take away your guns," even though I have repeatedly said I support strongly the 2nd Amendment and the legal right to bear arms," he said, referring to several people who were out on the road leading to the event holding McCain signs and signs reading "No hunting Obama."

From NBC's Mark Murray
Clinton spokeswoman Kathleen Strand issued this statement regarding the McCain TV ad, which includes quotes from Hillary whacking Obama during the primary season.

"Hillary Clinton's support of Barack Obama is clear. She has said repeatedly that Barack Obama and she share a commitment to changing the direction of the country, getting us out of Iraq, and expanding access to health care. John McCain doesn't. It's interesting how those remarks didn't make it into his ad."

From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann
DENVER -- Michelle Obama, accompanied by daughters Malia and Sasha, touched down in Denver this afternoon. Upon arrival at the airport, the aspiring First Lady was greeted by Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter and First Lady Jeannie Ritter. Also awaiting her on the tarmac was a group of supporters made up of Colorado service group members and first-time delegates to the Democratic convention.

Mrs. Obama was also accompanied by her mother, 71-year-old Marian Robinson.

Michelle wore a white button-down blouse, black capri pants, and red flat shoes. Malia and Sasha dutifully greeted supporters with the group, sticking close to mom and grandma.

Mrs. Obama received lengthy hugs from the supporters assembled to greet her, including from 82-year-old Ann Hadfield, a first-time delegate from Pennsylvania.

The Obama family spent about 15 minutes greeting the supporters under a hot blue sky before piling in to the motorcade.

From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones
EAU CLAIRE, WI -- Obama spoke for about a minute and a half on tarmac here today, but did not take questions. 

As the plane engines roared, the senator talked about Biden's strengths and about looking forward to his wife's convention speech and how he's still working on his own.

On Biden: "I just wanted to say I am thrilled with Joe Biden as my VP, the conversations we've been having the last couple of days make me absolutely convinced he's the right man for the job. He's got the passion to lift up middle-class Americans ... hasn't forgotten his working class roots. He's got the expertise that will make him a great counselor on international crises that may come up. More importantly, I think he can help shape a long-term strategy to make America more secure and move us out of the disastrous economic and foreign policy that have characterized the last eight years."

On the Democratic convention: "I am very excited about the convention. I can't wait to hear Michelle speak tomorrow. I will tell you that I did get a little preview of the video they did of her, and she was extraordinary. And I think you guys will enjoy it very much. And I'm still tooling around with my speech a little bit. It may not be as good as the other headliners the first three nights, but hopefully it'll make clear the choice that the American people are gonna face in November."

The last time the traveling press were able to ask questions of the senator was Aug. 7, on a flight from Minneapolis to Chicago, the day before he departed for a week-long vacation in Hawaii.