DENVER (AP) – Michelle Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be the featured first-night speakers at the Democratic National Convention, which also will include a videotaped message from Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy.
Michelle Obama will be introduced by her brother, Craig Robinson, a former basketball star at Princeton and now coach at Oregon State, on the first night on Aug. 25. Barack Obama’s half sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, also will have a role at the convention.
Other opening night speakers include Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, an early Obama supporter, organizers said Tuesday.
Pelosi will be recognized for helping lead the Democratic Party back to power in Congress, said organizer Jenny Backus. “She was in the vanguard of the movement. She recruited a generation of young leaders,” Backus said.
Opening night will also feature a tribute to Kennedy, who has taped a five-minute video to air during the party gathering. Kennedy suffered a seizure at his Hyannisport, Mass., house on May 17 and was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. He underwent surgery and recently completed a six-week course of chemotherapy and radiation.
The opening night theme is “One Nation.” The Aug. 26 theme is “Renewing America’s Promise” with a speech by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
On Aug. 27, the theme is “Securing America’s Future” with an acceptance speech by Obama’s still-unannounced vice presidential candidate.
The theme for Aug. 28, the night Obama formally accepts the nomination at the Denver Broncos’ football stadium, is “Change You Can Believe In.” Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter will be among speakers that night.
Other convention speakers will be announced over the next two weeks.
The Democratic National Convention Committee said Tuesday it will issue daily convention webcasts under the theme “Countdown to America’s Future.” The 15-minute segments will air daily at 4:30 p.m. EDT from Aug. 24 through Aug. 28 on DemConvention.com, Comcast’s Video On Demand, and via satellite. A final program will air at 9 a.m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 29.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.