Greetings folks. Apologies for the thin reporting. I have been deeply embedded in the heart and major arteries of the Democratic National Convention and have been run ragged.

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper hosts a reception at his brewery in downtown Denver Monday night after the first day of the Democratic Convention.

Joe Biden‘s selection as Vice President doubles the chances that Senator Chuck Hagel will be selected as Barack Obama’s Secretary of State, which this writer considers positively. Joe Biden was a key partner with many NGOs and this blog in stopping John Bolton’s confirmation as US Ambassador to the United Nations.

The Liberal Lion Returns — Senator Kennedy, who turbo-charged Sen. Obama’s bid for the Democratic nomination with his endorsement in January, has been out of the public spotlight with a malignant brain tumor, is reportedly scheduled to speak on the opening night of the Democratic convention.

DENVER — Despite optimistic forecasts with Ken Pollack and Michael O’Hanlon in their latest Foreign Affairs piece, Stephen Biddle seems to be parting ways and concluding that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government has no intention of folding in the Sunni Awakening Councils into the Iraqi military.

August 24 – 29 (Sunday-Friday) Denver — Democratic National Convention Steve Clemons, Sameer Lalwani, Brian Till, Daniel Levy, Rebecca Abou-Chedid, Steve Coll (only August 26-27) August 29 – September 1 (Friday – Monday) Boston — American Political Science Association Annual Meeting Steve Clemons September 1 – September 4 (Monday – Thursday) Minneapolis/St.

I have already commented about AP Washington Bureau Chief Ron Fournier’s edgy attack on the Obama-Biden ticket. I’m not going to add more at this point from my end. But from others a lot is stirring.

Part of the social contract with both the Obama and McCain media teams is that we respect the embargo times on speeches and material they send our way. But damn, this is hurting me today.

I’ve not been all that excited about the McCain “I don’t know how many houses I’ve got” gaffe. I know others who aren’t tuned into such details and they’d make fine national leaders.

I have the privilege of moderating a book salon forum today over at FireDogLake with New Yorker Washington correspondent Jane Mayer on her best selling book, The Dark Side: The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals. This is an online forum.