Advertisement

Convention notebook: Massacres at Pulse nightclub and Charleston church; Tim Kaine ;and Chelsea Clinton

 
During the third day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia , on Wednesday, Angela Bassett speaks about the massacre at Charleston's Emanuel AME Church in which nine people were killed. [Mark J. Terrill | Associated Press]
During the third day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia , on Wednesday, Angela Bassett speaks about the massacre at Charleston's Emanuel AME Church in which nine people were killed. [Mark J. Terrill | Associated Press]
Published July 28, 2016

'It takes about five minutes for a church bell to ring 49 times'

Perhaps the most raw moment of the Democratic National Convention came Wednesday night when a woman from Polk City stepped up to the lectern.

"It takes about five minutes for a church bell to ring 49 times," Christine Leinonen said as she began to weep. "I know this because last month, my son, Christopher, and his boyfriend, Juan, and 47 others were murdered at a club in Orlando."

Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center fell silent. On the convention floor, a Florida delegate waved a rainbow flag.

Her only child, who was known as Drew, liked Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, Leinonen said. That's why she came to the convention to speak on his behalf and advocate for Clinton and her support for gun control.

"The weapon that murdered my son fires 30 rounds in one minute," Leinonen said.

Even before Leinonen finished speaking, thousands of delegates rose to give her a standing ovation.

She concluded with a hug from two Pulse survivors — Brandon Wolf and Jose Arraigada — who then walked her off stage.

They wrapped their arms around each other.

Bassett stresses need for gun control

Continuing the theme about the need for more gun control was another Florida woman: Angela Bassett, who grew up in St. Petersburg.

The actor, who graduated from Boca Ciega High School, talked about the shooting at Charleston's Emanuel AME Church in which nine people were killed.

"They were gathered to pray," Bassett began. "He walked in. An outsider, a stranger. And they welcomed him. But then, he opened fire. He stole their lives."

After saying the names of all nine victims, Bassett continued, "Since the massacre at Charleston's Emanuel AME Church, more lives have been destroyed by gun violence, and hatred still threatens to tear us apart. After Charleston, Hillary Clinton challenged all of us to turn our grief into action. We have to do that."

Bassett said she had visited Charleston this year, "and I can tell you that the city's soul is on fire. That soul burns with resilience. It fuels their resistance. It brought down the Confederate flag, and it brings the Charleston community closer together every day."

She ended by introducing two survivors of the church shooting, Felecia Sanders and Polly Sheppard.

This politician can play some bluegrass

He carries multiple harmonicas in his briefcase. He has played with members of the Dave Matthews Band and the Grateful Dead. And he has been known to show up unannounced at bluegrass jamborees around his home state, Virginia, simply looking to jam.

Meet Tim Kaine, vice-presidential candidate, senator, former governor — and mouth organist.

Hopping up and down the 330-mile Crooked Road that winds through the heart of bluegrass country in Virginia, he has memorized dozens of standards like Will the Circle Be Unbroken and Man of Constant Sorrow, along with newer songs like Wagon Wheel.

"He's comfortable on stage," said Woody Crenshaw, the former owner of the Floyd Country Store, about an hour's drive southwest of Roanoke, Va., where Kaine has performed numerous times. "He has a feel for the old-time music of these mountains."

Kaine has made music an important part of his political life. He has often "sat in" at bluegrass open jam sessions while campaigning and in office. He had a bluegrass band, No Speed Limit, play his inauguration as governor in 2006 (and he hopped onto the stage for a few songs, naturally).

Kaine first picked up the harmonica around seventh grade, inspired by a friend who had been bringing his harmonica around and belting out some melody lines.

"So one summer I made it my goal that I was going to learn to play the harmonica," Kaine said in a 2005 interview.

He practiced at home as much as he could, but given the loud and sometimes discordant sounds that emanate from a beginner's harmonica, he would save his parents' ears and sanity and head out of the house to practice.

"The elementary school I attended was about five blocks from my house," Kaine said. "So then I would walk up to the playground of this elementary school after dinner, and I would sit on the swings or walk around the playground playing the harmonica until I learned how to play it."

Kaine surprises at Florida breakfast

Florida Democratic convention delegates were straggling into the Marriott ballroom for breakfast Wednesday morning when vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine slipped into the room with his wife, Anne. A lot of delegates hadn't even arrived yet, but those who had were thrilled.

"This election is about whether we're going to build a community of inclusion and respect, that beloved community that Dr. King talked about. Or whether it's going to be okay to trash somebody if they're disabled, to make fun of someone if they're Mexican American or Latinos, whether they're a new immigrant, or a Latina governor or a federal judge. To Donald Trump, everybody's second class," Kaine said. "We don't believe in second class. We believe everybody's first class, and that's what this election is all about."

He recounted his pre-politics background working in Honduras and as a civil rights advocate.

"I thought I was going to do that my whole life. But then I got mad at my city council. That was eight races and 22 years ago. I'm 8 and 0 folks, 8 and 0. Let me be candid, I've never won by much. But let me give you some career advice: If you're barely likable enough, politics is a good profession."

Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook made a surprise appearance next, talking up the need to elect Democrats up and down the ticket.

"We're not running the Hillary Clinton campaign in Florida, we're running the coordinated campaign in Florida. We have hundreds of staffers, dozens of offices open," he said. "President Obama won Florida by less than 1 percent. It's going to be close and we're going to win it on the ground by turning people out."

Governor: Get ahead of emails

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe urged the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign to get ahead of any potentially damaging emails that WikiLeaks' founder has vowed to make public.

McAuliffe, a former DNC chairman and a longtime friend and fundraiser for former President Bill Clinton and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, told the audience at a McClatchy's America breakfast at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday that if he were still running the committee, he and his staff would be examining emails to get ahead of any damaging messages.

"What I would do if I were chair of the party — and I assume they've started the process — I hope they're going through every email they have. . Get on top of it. Let's go back and look at it. And if there are a lot of emails that are inappropriate, start the process of firing people immediately, rebuilding the party."

Chelsea pushes for passage of Equality Act

Four hundred delegates and LGBT activists on Wednesday fully embraced Hillary Clinton's record on gay rights, referring to her as the one and only choice to build on the historic gains of the past few years. If they every had any doubts about her commitment to gay rights, no one was saying.

Sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign Fund and the Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute, the event at the Democratic Convention honored LGBT delegates and elected officials, who took turns slamming the Trump-Pence ticket.

LGBT delegates make up 11.5 percent of all delegates at the DNC this year, a record number. Thursday night, the first transgender person ever will speak at the convention.

Chelsea Clinton – who has been stumping in support of gay rights – was the star attraction at the lunch. She made a strong case that her mother must be elected to guarantee that the LGBT community continued equality. She also urged attendees to vote for down ballot gay and transgender candidates

"We need to ensure that we can elect people that share our values so that my mom can pass the Equality Act, and so that my mom can federally ban conversion therapy," Clinton said.

Clinton and others slammed Republicans for supporting conversion therapy in the RNC platform — a controversial program aimed at converting young homosexuals to heterosexuals.

"Who would do that?" thundered Rep Mark Takano, a gay congressman from California. "To think what it does to a 13-, 14-, 15-year-old who is subjected to that!"

"A horrible person!" someone shouted back.

"Donald Trump and Mike Pence in the blink of an eye, could undo everything we have accomplished in last four years," Takano added.

Scott will lead Trump super PAC

Florida Gov. Rick Scott will serve as national chairman for Rebuilding America, a super PAC supporting Donald Trump.

The group made the announcement Wednesday night via Twitter. Scott spoke last week at the Republican National Convention.

Youngest Bush will vote Libertarian

The youngest brother of former President George W. Bush and one-time presidential hopeful Jeb Bush says he won't be voting Republican come November.

Rather, he says he is going to vote for Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson, former governor of New Mexico.

On Wednesday in an interview with a Washington, D.C., radio program, Marvin Bush said he's supporting the Libertarian cause.

"I'm voting Libertarian, 100 percent, these two guys — and nobody knows about them, people think it is sort of a wasted vote — but, both Gary Johnson and Bill Weld were each successful, two-term governors who balanced their budgets," Bush said. Weld is a former governor of Massachusetts.