NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

Senator Hillary Clinton is speaking right now and she just said, "...and the territories." I will write later about why, other than this being the way that Guam is mentioned and included in this great big Democratic tent, that this is interesting. Otro fino'-ta: Earlier in the evening her old campaign shark Terry McAuliffe came by the Guam Delegation on the floor and yelled at us "I Love Guam!" The Guam delegates, mainly the Hillary supporters swooned, because like Hillary, Terry has also visited Guam. (for clarification, in this photo Terry Mcauliffe is posing with Alaskan delegates not Guam ones)

I briefly met one elected official this afternoon, who had spent several years of her life in Okinawa. I introduced myself as the blogger from Guam. She mentioned having always wanted to visit Guam but never having the chance too. I took this opportunity to discuss the impending military buildup there, and mentioned specifically the several thousand Marines which will be transfered from Okinawa to Guam. At first her face went ashen and she said oh no, how terrible. She didn't elaborate on this and so I can only guess why she seemed to feel it was terrible. Was it because of some simple image of a small paradise island being overrun by eager young Marines? Or was it something tied to her own time in Okinawa? After this brief pause, she quickly sobered up and said that it would probably be for the best.

I was finally able to meet Aaron Silverstein from the Colorado blog Squarestate.net who I first came across on the blog Guam Loves Jason Rosenberg . I had no idea that I could even apply as a blogger to attend the Democratic National Convention, and it was Aaron who first let me know about it. I posted this morning about a painting that I'm planning on giving Aaron to show my appreciation for his help, and actually when I met a random blogger from Pennslyvania today, and introduced myself as a Guam blogger, he immediately said, "yeah, you made a watercolor painting for Howard Dean!" Not exactly, but close enough. Speaking of Aaron Silverstein and Howard Dean being confused with each other. At the blogger's Tailgate today, Howard Dean spoke at length with those attending, and enjoyed some watermelon and corn while doing so. Obviously in a hurry to go to yet another event, he left his plate and his finished food on the table. Goldy, a Washington blogger from Horse&#

I just finished up a lovely interview with Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton from Washington D.C. I saw her, her staff and most of her delegation all wearing buttons or shirts that said "DC Statehood" and "No Taxation Without Representation." I stopped someone wearing one of those shirts, asking if I talk to them about their movement, and thankfully enough I happened to stop Congresswoman Norton's chief of staff. Amongst the territories, Washington D.C. is like the Alpha Male or Bulaka , because of her privileged status, as the only one whose constiuents pay Federal income taxes, and whose geographical region houses the center of American power. I know plenty of Norton and her positions because of this relationship. Most other Americans probably know her from her ongoing fued with Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report.

Today was another machalapon day. More wrong directions, running around lost and misinformation by DNC folks, Pepsi Center employees and other volunteers on where I need to go and where I can go. I eventually made it to the Bloggers' Tailgate '08 this afternoon but not after running around for a while, being misdirected to just about every section of the Pepsi Center. Fortunately, I had a partner in being lost and eventually finding the party. I met Sara, who is the state blogger from Kentucky and part of the blog Blue Grass Roots . I told her that she was the first blogger I'd ever met from Kentucky, and she said the same in terms of Guam. She asked if there was much blogging on Guam and if I had any competition in getting accepted into the State (and Territory) Blogger Corps. I said, sadly no, there is not much blogging on Guam, at least not blogged that's politically motivated or inspired. This wasn't the case with her, as her blog had beaten out a much larger

Just go this from Al Franken's Senate campaign. I'll be posting more substantive things later today once I get to the Pepsi Center. ********************** Dear Michael, I'm grabbing a quick minute in between events here at the Democratic National Convention to bring you some good news. That energy, that enthusiasm, that excitement that's been giving us all hope that this November, we'll really be able to change our country is exploding this week in Denver. The energy is here – big time. And it will spread from coast to coast. Everyone I meet is fired up and ready to work hard every day to elect Barack Obama. But everyone also knows that President Obama will need a working majority in the Senate to help him carry out his agenda of real change. That's where I come in. And that, in turn, is where you come in. CAN YOU MAKE A CONTRIBUTION OF $25, $50, OR $100 TODAY TO HELP ME HELP BARACK OBAMA CHANGE THIS COUNTRY? With Barack Obama and Joe Biden at the top o

I was just looking over the schedule of speakers for tonight and Congressman Steny Hoyer is speaking. I ran into Steny Hoyer last night, while walking in front of the Hyatt in Denver. He was in a big Hyrid SUV, it stopped in front of me and Secret Service immediately rush out, one of them coming up to me and placing a large white hand in my face, and told me to stop. Hoyer and one of his aides stepped out. I felt sorry for the aide, he was carrying a stack of papers as tall as his toro. As Hoyer passed by me, seeing a large Secret Service hand in my face, looked over and tipped his head slightly, saying "Sorry for that."

Yesterday was a confusing and crazy day. Interviews were difficult to come by and when I was able to speak to politicians about Guam issues or Pacific Islander issues, their answers were generic or banal. Internet was also an issue, as I had trouble nearly all day finding reliable internet as I shuffled around from DNC event to DNC event all around downtown Denver. Today looks to be alot better. I woke up this morning to find in my email inbox a wonderful email from one of the blogger media people, letting us know that we can request spots on "podium roundtalble interviews." As speakers at the convention step off the stage and into the sea of media and delegates they will have a blogger/press roundtable waiting for them where we can ask a question or two. You can only request three a day from the list of speakers. I'm sure most bloggers would go after a spot speaking to the bigger name folks from today's schedule. For me, I'm just trying to find people who can sp

From The Pacific News Center: