We had a great Cajun lunch at Gumbo’s in downtown Denver Monday afternoon – and then it was off to the Pepsi Center for the first time.  The security around the entire Convention is extremely tight.  We’ve seen more SWAT teams and riot gear in two days than we have in our entire lives, and it’s a bit unsettling.  Thankfully, these guys are doing a lot of watching and not much else, which is good for everyone.

The Convention is such a once-in-a-lifetime event that I almost feel guilty reveling in it too much.  But, trust me, there is nothing like being on the floor of the Democratic Convention – especially this Convention! It’s the kind of political dream that you never really think could come true.

Here we are outside:

Gabby and I arrived at the Pepsi Center around 4:30 p.m. CDT – just in time to run into Wade and get our first dose of all the excitement.  We watched Rob Riggle and Wyatt Cenac from The Daily Show tape a segment about fried foods.  Then, we arrived on the floor.

It’s absolutely gorgeous!

Just like in Toledo, Gabby spread her magnetic energy all over the floor.  She danced up a storm (you got competition when we get back, Molly!) during the musical moments, and she got herself on the big screen for the whole Convention to see. While she was up on the screen, Linda Mansour put her “Arab American Democrat” sign up too. I was watching the screen and I thought, “Who is doing that to Gabby?!”  I totally forgot that Linda was literally two feet away from me.  These moments are all great – but sometimes they’re a bit surreal.

For those who watched the coverage last night, you know that Monday was everything that it was supposed to be.  The tribute to Ted Kennedy was so moving – and while the talking heads made noise all day about whether he could even make it to the Convention – he was as lively and dynamic as ever!  We’ll see you on the Senate floor in January, Ted!

Ted was so good, I made a quick video of his introduction on the floor.  As you can see, it was just mayhem!

And Michelle – what can I say?  She was amazing!!  For me, it was the little touches in her speech that really stood out.  The part about Barack inching the car home after the birth of Malia really shows what a great father and a great person he is.  Michelle and I come from two totally different worlds, but our story is the same.  That’s powerful stuff!  And as you can imagine, the rest of the Covention felt exactly the same way.

Look at all the Michelle signs!

After the Convention finished, Gabby and I spent some time talking with people before we made it back to the busses.  She’s being interviewed by the nationally syndicated Tavis Smiley radio show as a young delegate – and we’ll have more on that later.

But, before the night wrapped up, I met one of my newest heros:  San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. Mayor Newsom has done more for equal marriage in California than anybody by the California Supreme Court.  He’s got movie-star looks, which should come in handy in his potential run for Governor of California in 2010.

And like any good political supporter, I told him I’d send him some money!