Democratic National Convention

Otep: Powerful and Vicious

On a chilly January afternoon in West Hollywood, the heavily tattooed singer Otep Shamaya can't hide her excitement for the release of Hydra, her band Otep's sixth studio album, out today. In the testosterone-fueled genres of aggressive rock and heavy metal, it's not easy to be a lesbian singer, but ... More >>

Villaraigosa Changes Democratic Platform to Include God, Jerusalem

When L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa accepted chair duties at the Democratic National Convention, he probably didn't realize it would turn into an actual hot seat. A few gavels here, a nice speech there and -- boom -- you have a new job in the Obama White House. Not so fast:

California Democratic Drunks Make a Scene at DNC in Charlotte

Props to our California delegates who made drunken fools of themselves in Charlotte even before the Democratic National Convention started there today. While Mitt Romney's prom had Clint Eastwood lecturing an empty chair in Tampa last week, the Golden State's own Dems were prepping for Obama's seco ... More >>

Nearly One Out of Every Ten Delegates Will Be Gay at Democratic National Convention

Guess Alfred Kinsey -- the famous sex researcher who said approximately one out of every ten people is gay -- was right... The National Stonewall Democrats, an LGBT political organization, announced today that 8.15 percent of the delegates at next week's Democratic National Convention in North Caro ... More >>

Villaraigosa Wants to be Governor of California

As mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa gets a D. Maybe a C. Blame constant multimillion-dollar deficits, a do-nothing City Council, the specter of municipal bankruptcy, corruption in Building and Safety, increased taxation through parking and traffic tickets, and the worst roads in America. ... More >>

Occupy LA Campers' Old City Hall Park Reopens Without Them

Updated at the bottom with news that the park's fence will remain. First posted at 6:09 a.m. As City Hall's lawn reopens to the public today for the first time since the Occupy LA encampment was uprooted in a November raid by the LAPD, organizers said they'll return for their regular "general assem ... More >>

State Republican Leaders Get in Bed With ... Villaraigosa (!?) in Bid For Post-Miramonte Teacher Reform

Strange bedfellows have arisen from the Miramonte Elementary School sex abuse scandal in which two teachers face charges for lewd conduct and a slew of allegations have hit educators at other area campuses. L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who once vowed to take over the L.A. school district and wh ... More >>

Villaraigosa Wants Democratic Presidential Platform to Embrace Same Sex Marriage

You can almost hear the sound of regret coming from the White House. Only a few weeks after President Obama's party leaders named Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as the high profile chair of the Democratic National Convention, the L.A. leader said something that Obama and the party faithful might not ha ... More >>

Villaraigosa's Washington Aspirations Noted by New York Times

If you're a lame-duck mayor who has pretty much accomplished only disappointment in Los Angeles, we wouldn't blame you for wanting out. And it's clear to just about anyone within earshot of Antonio Villaraigosa that he's been angling for a job in President Obama's cabinet. As the newly appointed ch ... More >>

Rowlands, Forster and Sid: Your Weekly Movie To-Do List

Raves: How Do You Get L.A. Politicians to Get Behind Parties and Ecstasy? Here's How ...

Caesar Sebastian / InsomniacRavers at 'EDC.'​It was a day of magical thinking Wednesday at the L.A. Coliseum, where officials essentially said yes to another edition of a two-day rave that saw 60 mostly drug-related arrests, more than 200 medical emergencies and the ecstasy-related death of a ... More >>

Rocking the Rhetoric at the DNC: Coachella for C-Span Junkies

With notes on Harry Reid — the unknown poet of the political speechwriting?

Seeking the Rage: Among the Protesters at the Democratic National Convention

The group Recreate '68 tries to ignite the passion of another generation

Election '08: Not Quite Recreating '68

I made my way to Civic Center Park, near the state capitol building in Denver, around midday on Tuesday, hoping to find signs of dissident life to add a bit of hot blood to what had been so far a rather anemic Democratic National Convention. It was the morning after a confrontation between police an ... More >>

Election '08: Penetrating the Matrix

The Pepsi Center, where much of the Democratic National Convention is going down, is situated in an area of Denver called Lo-Do (lower downtown). It's one of those loft-conversion, yuppie makeovers that Los Angeles is hoping like hell will happen in downtown LA, especially around Staples Center. It ... More >>

No Face Time in Denver for Villaraigosa

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, according to the LA Times, may be the "Latino point man" for Barack Obama's presidential campaign, but when he arrives in Denver late this week for the Democratic National Convention, he will not have a prominent TV slot as a speaker.

Tanks for the Message

Today Echo Park’s Clothing of the American Mind is monitoring the vote

Blogotics As Usual

Wannabe presidents flood cyber convention

Rossmore Glamour

The Other Texan

Dan Rather’s Evening News exit

Resoluter Than Kerry

Why Democrats shouldn’t panic — yet

The Fox Convention

Watching with O’Reilly and Kristol et al.

Shovin’ It

Democrats, Hardballers and Class Warriors

Capture the Flag

John Kerry and the Democrats reclaim patriotism

Corporate Conventions

How millions of dollars will buy influence in New York and Boston

The Boston Braying Party

The Democratic Convention misses the point

Brave Newsom World

Gay Marriage Mania

The Democrats Do L.A.

The 2000 national convention had everything except the next president

A Leg In the Crowd

LAPD baton-twirling acts at the Democratic Convention

Manic Monday

Raging against the Establishment

Rage and the LAPD

Ruling keeps alive protesters’ lawsuit in aftermath of Democratic Convention

Flag Days

A new generation prepares for war

All You Need Is Weed

Tales of serendipity and Lennon

Keeping the Peace

LAPD really knows how to sock it to ’em

Press Comes to Shove

An uncivil war erupts among journalists

The Greenberg Factor

How Al Gore figured out what this election is about. How W. didn’t

About That Money

The caravan moves on, but someone forgot to pay the bill

The Fashion Police

The Shadowers

Out of the forest of convention(al) punditry came the British and the snide: Hitchens, Cockburn, Vidal and Hitchens again, and again.

Shoot the Messenger

ACLU lawsuit says LAPD targeted reporters

Dancing for the DNC

Things to do in L.A. when you’re delegating (or not)

LAPD Secrets

Judge refused to keep you from reading this convention plan

Anarcho Syndicalist

No Public Displays

Council to protesters: Demonstrate, if you must, at home

Bad Call

Mayor Dick makes spirited call to ol’ Hal

No Airport Rescue

Northwest flouts council effort to save jobs

The First Amendment, LAPD Style

Cops push politics to the sidelines at DNC

Ignoring the Protesters

U’wa’s next stop — Democratic Convention

After Seattle

Free-trade protests coming soon to a city near you

Trouble in Union City

Fast-food workers at Staples Center want a deal before Democrats arrive