I arrived at Los Angeles airport on Sunday with other delegates from different parts of the country. I was thinking that I was ahead of time since the convention started on Monday, but parties had been going on since Thursday.

  A welcoming party for the press took place on Saturday which I missed. In Los Angles, the Democratic Convention signs were everywhere from the airport to downtown. I was assigned the Crowne Plaza hotel near the airport which housed the delegates from the state of Virginia. Everywhere in Los Angeles were the signs of the Democratic Convention including welcoming signs to the delegates.

Inside the hotel lobby were different people from the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) directing people to the registration desk, giving out convention newspapers to the conventioneers including the journalists. All the way to downtown from the airport were decorations welcoming the delegates to Los Angeles. Many shops were closed because of the planned demonstrations and many roads which led to downtown were blocked with police officers in every corner and every block around the convention.

The press schedule for each day was very hectic and I do not think any sane person would want to cover all the events happening during the convention. There were so many activities and events happening during this convention. Activities and events stretched from the Los Angeles Convention Center to the Staples Center where the convention actually took place to different hotels with news briefings and conferences in different locations around the downtown area. I restricted my coverage to the convention area and a few other events off site.

At 8 am. the press bus took us from the hotel to the Staples Center which is about 20 miles from the airport area where our hotel is located. By the time the bus got closer to the convention center the presence of police officers were everywhere around downtown as if they never slept. Most of them were ready in their full riot gear. Daily press briefings by Vice President Algore's team took place at the convention center next door to the Staples center every morning at 9 am. During this time, the press was briefed about the program for the day and what we were to expect from different speeches on the convention floor. The press briefing was usually conducted by Tad Devine, Al Gore's Senior Campaign Strategist, Julie Green, the communication director, Sarah A Bianchi, Deputy Issue Director and also Health Care Adviser to Vice President Al Gore, and some others. Usually the press conference would take from 45 minutes to one hour everyday.

At 10am, all daily press passes would expire and it was time to renew press passes at the Marriott Hotel about 10 to 15 blocks from the convention center. Once the press pass was renewed it was time to follow the daily news activities taking place at the different hotels and locations. Inside the convention center were different news stands for many news organizations. The media lounge was located in the same building where food  and drinks were provided for the media. There was a media filling station for computer and PC users to send news update to their respective news organizations. Inside the filling room were about 50 computer monitors with very friendly attendants to help with any computer problems. Many of the journalists in this very large room worked with their portable laptops. They were able to work because they were able to plug their computer to telephone lines already provided for the media use. At this filling station were many television monitors where anyone at this location could clearly see what was happening inside the convention hall as well as tracking Vice President Al Gore's campaign before he arrived at the convention.

During the week of the Convention, the staff of the DNCC, Al Gore's daughters, delegates, guests, and members of the communities worked with the local Los Angeles meal distribution to distribute food to the homeless at the Westminister Senior Citizens Center. This in part was in fulfillment of DNCC's commitment to public service and its obligation to the city of Los Angeles. In all, the DNCC contributed over 620 hours of community service to the city of Los Angeles.

Joe Lockhart gave a White House press briefing at the St. Regis Hotel, Los Angeles on Monday, August 14. He briefed the press what was included in President Clinton's speech for Monday evening at the convention. The President's  primary focus would be on the prosperity of the social and economic progress of the  past eight years. He would stress that it did not happen by accident but by careful and hard work  with his Vice President Al Gore. He was also planning to show how every group in America including women, African Americans, Hispanic Americans and many other ethnic groups have shared in the prosperity leaving no one behind.

Delegates usually start arriving at the Staples Center after 12 noon. The convention floor there after was usually fired up from 2 pm everyday starting with different speeches from different states including governors and senators. The tempo of the convention started to rise from 5 pm to the crescendo of the prime time speakers. On Monday, there were many speakers like any other day, but the spotlights were on the First Lady, Hillary Clinton and President Clinton who both fired up the convention with powerful ignition and enthusiasm. Many people were wondering whether such a fiery opening would out-shine Al Gore as the man running for the presidency.

Terry McAuliffe: However, prior to the prime time speeches of President Clinton and Mrs. Clinton, there were other speeches with very noticeable messages. Terry McAuliffe said on Monday at the opening of the Democratic Convention after welcoming everyone to Los Angeles, "But for Democrats, some things never change. We will always fight for the people, not the powerful. We will stand up for equal opportunity for all instead of special privileges for the few."   She referred to the Republican convention as a sham and a shell game because they were unable to stand up to the special interest of big companies. She emphasized one theme being echoed throughout the convention that, "We're going to say no to division and yes to unity ....... Democrats are always fighting for people's interest and the Democratic Party took the lead in knocking down barriers."

Barbara Boxer based her speech on three themes: Hope, Fairness, and Prosperity. She indicated everybody should be given equal opportunity to achieve in America.  She defined leadership as meaning that the President should stand up  and fight for ALL Americans, and not just the privileged few. And wise investment in people will lay a groundwork for a prosperous America.

She reminded us of the time in 1992 before President Clinton took office that, " deficits were as high as the eye could see. Unemployment was soaring. Crime was way up and optimism was way down. They had their chance and they failed. We had our chance and we led, it took Democrats to set things right."  She indicated that deficit was 290 billion dollars in 1992 after Reagan's Republican administration, the largest in US history. The deficit was turned to a surplus by the Clinton and Gore administration. Towards the end of her speech she reemphasized the Democrats theme that, "Ours is the party of diversity."

Dennis Archer said that the international agreements by the Clinton-Gore team have opened new doors to American products. Example was cited of Detroit's Empowerment Zone and how it has attracted an estimated 6 billion dollars in new investment and created over 10,000 new jobs.. Dennis Archer said, "Urban areas don't want to relive the 12 years of neglect and indifference we endured under Ronald Reagan and George Bush."

Hillary Clinton came into the convention hall as the audience exploded into a giant applause, singing, chanting and waving banners. It took a while before she was able to make the audience quiet before she started her speech. The entire hall was very jubilant to see her and much more excited than at the United Center in Chicago during the 1996 Democratic Convention.

She started her speech by thanking different people for their various contributions and leadership. Mrs. Clinton told the audience that Americans can continue the progress by electing Al Gore and Lieberman as the next President and Vice President of the United States.  She said, "Bill Clinton and Al Gore have put people first." She outlined some of what she did herself including that of the administration. She told the convention about her struggle and work to help foster children where she worked with a bipartisan coalition to help double the number of foster children adopted. Her theme was, "Leave no child behind." and "The stakes in November are biggest for the littlest among us." Mrs. Clinton expressed her dismay for gun violence against children, and urged the Congress to pass common sense gun safety laws that will keep guns out of the hands of children and criminals. She supports the raising of the minimum wage, guaranteeing equal pay for equal work and affordable health insurance. In her final echo she said, "It's time to protect the next generation by using our budget surplus to pay down the national debt, save Social Security, modernize Medicare with a prescription drug benefit and provide targeted tax cuts to the families who need them most."

President Clinton came into the hall with a very powerful and cheering response from the convention hall. The delegates were very happy to see him and his speech was the grand finale of the Monday evening. After the audience calm down, President Clinton thanked America for supporting the "New" Democratic agenda which has taken the country to new heights of prosperity, progress and peace. He reminded the people how the nation got to this point prior to his administration when the economy was in trouble, society was divided and the political system was paralyzed. Ten million people were out of work, the deficit was $290 billion and rising. After 12 years of the Republican rule, the federal debt had quadrupled, imposing a crushing burden on the economy.

President Clinton clearly stated that he ran for President  to change the future for people and as a result proposed a new economic strategy which got rid of the deficit and reduced interest rates. The economic plan was rejected by the Republican Congress saying that it would increase deficit and lead the nation to recession. Instead, America experienced the greatest prosperity and the longest economic expansion in history since 1835. He quoted Harry Truman's old saying, "If you want to live like a Republican, you should vote for the Democrats."

There is more hope in American today said President Clinton because of the Family and Medical Leave Act, cut crime by adding more than 100,000 police officers and a ban on assault weapons. America became more secure because of advances in health care and cleaner environment.

President Clinton said, "America is freer because we are closer to our dreams --- celebrating our diversity, affirming our common humanity, opposing all forms of bigotry from church burnings to racial profiling, to murderous hate crimes." The nation is more secure because of America's leadership for peace, freedom and prosperity in the world. He also reminded the nation that America is the best equipped and most effective fighting force in the world.

After stating all the achievements of his administration he made some very clear distinctions about what brought about the social and economic prosperity. He said, "America's success was not by a matter of chance; it was a matter of choice." He repeatedly emphasized the fact that America is more diverse and more united.

President Clinton warned America not to spend the projected surplus like the Republican wanted to do with big tax cuts leaving nothing for education, Medicare and Social Security. He urged the nation not to spent the projected surplus on tax cuts for the rich.

He also made a very passionate plea with the people by referring to what happened during the administration that followed after the Lyndon Johnson era. The next election (Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford's administrations 1969 to 1977) took America on a far different direction on a more divisive course. He indicated that within months after such an election, the longest economic expansion in history ended. With great enthusiasm President Clinton said he had waited 30 years to see America's prosperity again and build future for our children. "I have lived long enough to know that  opportunity must be seized or it will be lost," said President Clinton.

He closed his speech with a climatic end by saying,"My fellow American, the future of our country is in your hands. You must think hard, feel deeply and choose wisely by electing Al Gore and Lieberman as the next President and Vice President."

"Remember, keep putting people first. Keep building those bridges. And don't stop thinking about tomorrow."

The convention hall exploded in a giant applause, singing and dancing. President Clinton actually stole the night with his remarkable speech which fired up the convention to a new height.