Democratic National Convention

U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy said late Tuesday night that Americans embraced Democratic president-elect Barack Obama's call for change.

"Today, Americans spoke loud and clear and demanded change by electing Barack Obama as our next President," the Hyannis Port Democrat said in a statement. "They understood his vision of a fairer and more just America and embraced it. They heard his call for a new generation of Americans to participate in government and were inspired. They believed that change is possible and voted to be part of America's future."

Kennedy, who watched the election returns from his house in Washington, D.C., endorsed Obama during the presidential primary, lending credibility to the Illinois Democrat. Kennedy also gave an emotional speech at the Democratic National Convention this year, just a short time after undergoing surgery to remove a malignant brain tumor.

Former Gov. Mitt Romney knew he wasn't going to be Republican nominee John McCain's running mate a month ago, Newsweek reported Tuesday.

So, how did Romney know when the media and the pundits continue to say he was on McCain's shortlist? Turns out Romney's appearance at the Democratic National Convention in Denver was the giveaway.

Newsweek reported that only a few days his mid-July interview with McCain vetter A.B. Culvahouse, Romney learned that the McCain campaign was dispatching him to Denver.

"I was told by my own staff beforehand they McCain wouldn't send his VP to the Denver convention," Romney told Newsweek. "So when I found out I was going, I said, ‘OK, that makes sense.'"

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - As the Massachusetts Republican delegation congregated for the first time for the Republican National Convention this morning in the midst of what is becoming a highly partisan and increasingly personal presidential race something unexpected happened: they gave the Democratic National Convention high marks.

"Even though I am a supporter of John McCain," said Doug2008 DNC Convention Bennett, a Boston delegate, "I think they did a great job."

State Rep. Robert Hargraves (R-Groton) said the convention was "well orchestrated" and Kevin Jourdain, a delegate from Holyoke said it was "well organized."

"Seemed like they did what they needed to do," Jourdain added.

Check back next week to view my Convention Sketchpads from the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis.

Former Mass. governor and presidential nominee Michael Dukakis: Getty Images PhotoFormer Mass. governor and Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis awaits Barack Obama's speech Thursday at the Democratic National Convention.

DENVER -- Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin called on the Massachusetts Democratic Delegation Thursday to work to ensure presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama wins in November.

“I don’t think it’s too much to say that we are an exporter of political talent and I don’t think it’s too much to say that I am looking at that political talent right now,” Galvin (D-Brighton) said. “You are going to be called upon to do something for this ticket and I hope that you will.”

Galvin also talked about the 2000 Florida recount and said that states must work early to make sure there aren’t ballot issues on Election Day. He said the GOP has consistently taken advantage of voting loopholes to suppress the vote.

DENVER -- State Sen. Dianne Wilkerson said this week that her campaign organization is strong and dismissed a recent internal poll released by challenger Sonia Chang-Diaz that showed Wilkerson trailing by a significant margin.

State Sen. Dianne Wilkerson (D-Boston)In an interview after the Massachusetts delegation breakfast Wednesday, Wilkerson (D-Boston) told PolitickerMA.com that her campaign is "fast at work." Since she left to attend the convention, the campaign "hasn't missed a beat" and she has spent two hours a day on the phone with her organization making sure she is up to speed on any new developments.

In particular, Wilkerson said her campaign is "counting heads" and "counting our vote."

DENVER – U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Newton) told PolitickerMA.com today he thought Sen. John Kerry’s Wednesday evening convention speech praising Barack Obama was better than the one he gave four years ago when he was seeking the White House.

“John Kerry gave a very good speech last night,” said Frank. “John Kerry gave a speech last night that was better than the one he gave at his own convention.”

“He was more animated, it was funnier,” Frank added.

The 14-term congressman also said Kerry was effective in driving the point home in his speech, which heavily targeted Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Boston) addresses the DNC Convention in Denver: Getty Images PhotoU.S. Sen. John Kerry wrote all of his Wednesday primetime speech and the Obama campaign didn't vet it, PolitickerMA.com has learned.

Brigid O'Rourke, a spokeswoman for Kerry (D-Boston), told PolitickerMA.com Thursday that Kerry wrote the speech in its entirety and that there were no ghostwriters involved in the process. She also said that the speech was not vetted by Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama or his campaign team. The speech only had to adhere to a time limit, O'Rourke said, and it was submitted directly to the teleprompter team.