9:00 BBC Newshour Newshour is the BBC's flagship news program, specializing in bringing listeners not only the facts, but also the in-depth analysis and commentary behind the headlines.
10:00 On Point On Point unites distinct and provocative voices with passionate discussion as it confronts the stories that are at the center of what is important in the world today.
Despite concerns about overwhelmed polling places as record numbers of voters are expected to cast ballots, no major problems have been reported in Cuyahoga County.  Long lines greeted many poll workers this morning, but the volume dropped considerably during the afternoon. Elections director Jane Platten credits the 270,000 early voters for easing congestion today. But she expects long lines to form this evening before voting wraps up at 7:30.
Platten says anyone still line when the polls officially close will be allowed to vote.
Voting was slowing down late this morning at polling places in Akron and Cleveland. And despite a few glitches, most elections officials say the day has gone smoothly.
Cuyahoga County elections chief Jane Platten said expanded early voting in Ohio may have relieved the pressure and problems in Cuyahoga today. At a press conference, she said as much as 30 percent of the county's voters may have cast ballots before today. What problems cropped up today were quickly resolved, she added.
Turnout was heavy early this morning throughout northeast Ohio. Parking lots were packed and waits to vote stretched up to an hour. But the traffic tailed off late this morning.
Early voters obviously got the message on the presidential race. Asked why they voted how they voted, backers of Barack Obama say the country needs change, especially when it comes to the economy and international relations. Those who back John McCain say experience is what matters. Also cited as reasons for presidential votes: anti-abortion, education, healthcare, war and balance of power.
Among those standing just outside the 100-foot mark at some polling places in Ohio are representatives of the payday-lending industry. They're trying to get Ohioans to vote against a 28 percent a year cap on interest rates on industry loans. The workers say they aren't allowed to comment to the press, referring all questions to their public affairs departments.
Early voting seems to have done what it was designed to do -- take the pressure off the polls on voting day. Polling locations throughout Northeast Ohio were reporting steady voting today and waits of up to an hour when the polls opened at 6:30 a.m. But most voters say they ran into only small snafus, and expected even longer waits.
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner says calm and steady has been the rule across the state. Among the exceptions: One polling place in northwest Canton didn't have electronic voting machines in place when the polls opened. Voters had the option of waiting or taking out paper ballots, but it took a while for pollworkers to realize the paper ballots were two pages long. By 7 a.m., the problems were straigtened out.
Few of the estimated 100,000 people gathered in Cleveland to see Barack Obama (and Bruce Springsteen) got within viewing distance. But that wasn't for lack of trying. Michael Naught was first in the west side line, but had to get there at 6 a.m. to claim the honor. Gary Hoffer and Nicole Spears were just starting out from Sandusky then and didn't claim their spot until after 7 a.m. They all did that knowing their first glimpse of Obama was at least nine hours away. And not minding a bit
Jo Ann Davidson's job this week was to put together the logistics of a convention that involved 45-thousand people and ended with the nomination of John McCain and Sarah Palin for U.S. president and vice president.
In a previous political life, Davidson was speaker of the Ohio House. She talked with Ohio reporters Thursday about expectations for women in politics. To hear exerpts, click below.
There may be plenty of real emotion behind those standing O's at political conventions. But the props are often supplied and their displays are stage-managed. Even the hand-made-looking posters are often supplied by event organizers. But it appears that the odd hats really are a labor of love.
Here are exerpts released by the McCain campaign of John McCain's accceptance speech tonight.
On running mate Alaska Governor Sarah Palin:
"I'm very proud to have introduced our next Vice President to the country. But I can't wait until I introduce her to Washington. And let me offer an advance warning to the old, big spending, do nothing, me first, country second Washington crowd: change is coming."
On solving problems in Washington:
"The constant partisan rancor that stops us from solving these problems isn’t a cause, it’s a symptom. It’s what happens when people go to Washington to work for themselves and not you.
Again and again, I’ve worked with members of both parties to fix problems that need to be fixed. That’s how I will govern as President. I will reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again. I have that record and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not."
On love of country:
"I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else’s. I loved it not just for the many comforts of life here. I loved it for its decency; for its faith in the wisdom, justice and goodness of its people. I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for. I was never the same again. I wasn’t my own man anymore. I was my country’s."
Former Rep. Rob Portman didn't have a Sean Hannity. So Ohio GOP Chairman Bob Bennett came right out and said it this morning. Portman is running for governor in 2010.
Kacich sponsored yesterday's Ohio delegate breakfast featuring the Fox TV host, Hannity. And Hannity used the stage to push Kasich's candidacy for governor. And Kacich acknowledged afterwards he's strongly leaning toward a run against Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland.
Not so fast.
Portman sponsored today's breakfast and besides the pitch by Bennett, he also got backing from Joe Lieberman, the former Democratic senator who spoke at this morning's breakfast. Portman was President Bush's budget director, the U.S. trade representative and congressman from Cincinnati. He had been considered for running mate by John McCain.
Buses bringing Ohio's Republican conventioners back from St. Paul to Minneapolis tonight had to stop a couple blocks from the Radisson Plaza hotel. ...
I started to write this just before I heard shouts outside the hotel, ran down to see what was going on, and was forced with a crowd of mostly young people away from the hotel by police. Mounted police, bike patrols, and officers in full riot gear moved in when a crowd leaving a Rage Against the Machine concert (one block away at the Target Center) started chanting anti-war slogans and marching down the center of the street. One officer said I'd been given plenty of opportunity to go back to my hotel and I should have stopped interviewing those in the crowd.
Tear gas lingered over several blocks. Mounted and bike patrols divided the crowd in two, forcing them away from the downtown hotels where many of the delegates are staying. The convention has been dogged by a series of street protests -- some violent and some not -- all week. An armored vehicle is parked in front of the hotel, as are troops with riot shields. Police sirens continue throughout the night.
Sarah Palin's speech tonight is even more anticipated than John McCain's speech tomorrow night. Delegates are still getting used to her (some still call her Sarah Payton, Sarah Patacki or "the woman") but they're determined to embrace her and celebrate what they've heard about her.
Here are some exerpts from her speech released by the Republican national Committee:
On her experience as a public servant:
"I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town. I was just your average hockey mom, and signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids’ public education better. When I ran for city council, I didn’t need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and knew their families, too. Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown. And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities."
On why she is going to Washington, D.C.:
"I’m not a member of the permanent political establishment. And I’ve learned quickly, these past few days, that if you’re not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone. But here’s a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I’m not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I’m going to Washington to serve the people of this country."
On energy policies that the McCain-Palin administration will implement:
"Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America’s energy problems - as if we all didn’t know that already. But the fact that drilling won’t solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all. Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we’re going to lay more pipelines...build more nuclear plants...create jobs with clean coal...and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources. We need American energy resources, brought to you by American ingenuity, and produced by American workers."
On John McCain:
"Here’s how I look at the choice Americans face in this election. In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change."
Remember former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell? The guy on the fast national track for the GOP? The guy who Ted Strickland trounced in the 2006 gubernatorial race?
If appearance has anything to do with it, no one here remembers him. Though he's in town, Blackwell's been absent from all Ohio GOP events. Asked where he's been, Ohio GOP spokesman John McClelland said simply: "I have nothing to do with Ken Blackwell."
Ohio political observers have been struck by the relatively cordial relationship between Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and the Republican dominated Legislature. Expect that to change. Former Congressman John Kasich and Fox News host Sean Hannity lauched some strong salvos at Strickland today, and mildly chided their own party legislative leaders for cooperating with him.
Kasich all but announced he's running for governor, and his non-announcement blasted Ohio's taxes, poverty rate and business climate.
Former Congressman and current Fox TV host John Kasich came close this morning to announcing he's running for governor. And fellow Fox host Sean Hannity pledged $10,000 to his not-yet campaign.
Kasich sponsored the Ohio delegation breakfast this morning at which Hannity was the featured speaker. The first hint of an announcement came in Kasich's direct criticism of popular Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland as a caretaker governor and his more muted criticism of Republican legislative leaders for working with him. Then Hannity took the stand, took more shots at the condition of Ohio under Strickland's leadership and called to Kasich across the room to run for governor. He then pledged to put up the most money the law allows to help Kasich do it.
After the breakfast, Kasich acknowledged he's thinking hard about running, but says he won't make a formal announcement until late next year. Meanwhile, he and his scheduler are gathering dates and names for GOP gatherings around the state.
GOP Chairman Bob Bennett says other names mentioned for governor include Cincinnati Congressman Rob Portman and Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted.
Change is the theme of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. But the Republicans in Minnesota have adapted and adopted it as their own. For all that their party has held the White House for eight years, Republicans talk about John McCain as a needed reformer. Ask what they like about his running mate, Sarah Palin, and it's a toss up what you'll hear first: reformer or pro-lifer. And a couple delegates sheepishly acknowledged they were happier to see Laura Bush in person on the stage at the Xcel center than George Bush.
Still, for all the talk of a need for change, one member of the old guard is held in high regard. Karl Rove got a standing ovation from many on the convention floor tonight, and a warm welcome from the Ohio delegation at its breakfast this morning. That's where he gave a speech praising Sarah Palin as... a reformer
Barack Obama may be painted as a celebrity, but the GOP answers with its own celeb tonight. Former Senator, former presidential candidate and former-and-current actor Fred Thompson takes the stage tonight. Here are some exerpts the GOP has provided:
On John McCain's qualifications to be president:
"This is the kind of character that civilizations from the beginning of history have sought in their leaders. Strength. Courage. Humility. Wisdom. Duty. Honor. It's pretty clear there are two questions we will never have to ask ourselves, 'Who is this man?' and 'Can we trust this man with the presidency?'"
On John McCain's dedication to doing what is right – not what is popular:
"He has been to Iraq eight times since 2003. He went seeking truth, not publicity. When he travels abroad, he prefers quietly speaking to the troops amidst the heat and hardship of their daily lives. And the same character that marked John McCain's military career has also marked his political career. This man, John McCain, is not intimidated by what the polls say or by what is politically safe or popular."
On John McCain's commitment to taking real action to reform Washington:
"But while others were talking reform, John McCain led the effort to make reform happen – always pressing, always moving for what he believed was right and necessary to restore the people's faith in their government. Confronting when necessary, reaching across the aisle when possible, John personified why we came to Washington in the first place."
On John McCain's ability to restore integrity to our government:
"My role is to help remind you of the man behind the vision. Because tonight our country is calling to all of us to step up, stand up, and put 'Country First' with John McCain. Tonight we are being called upon to do what is right for our country."
Karl Rove walks fast, says he and John McCain got over the hurts of 2000 by campaigning together in 2004, and says Ohio will make it three in a row as the crucial state in the presidential election. Rove entertained the Ohio delegation at this morning's breakfast with a blend of funny stories and the story of Bud Day, a Vietnam vet from South Dakota who says John McCain saved his life. But Rove wasn't taking questions from reporters on any issue -- not Sarah Palin, not even on how the GOP plans to win Ohio. As he waited for the elevator doors at the Radisson Plaza hotel to close, Rove did give a one-word answer to the question: Did he campaign to keep Joe Lieberman off the ticket with John McCain? "No."
Protests are escalating in St. Paul. But top security keeps them some two blocks from the Xcel Energy Center. So even an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 marchers had little impact. Still, police are out in full riot gear.
Karl Rove moved up on the Ohio delegate agenda today. He'll be speaking at this morning's breakfast instead of Sean Hannity. Rove has been President Bush's political adviser. And while vilified by many, he's still revered by most GOP delegates as the political genius who engineered the win for Republicans in Ohio -- and the nation -- in 2004.
Also up for this morning is Michael Parkinson, a board member with the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease. The partnership includes the Cleveland Clinic, AIDS task force of Greater Cleveland, and the Ohio State Alliance of YMCAs. Chronic diseases, including caner, diabetes, heart disease and stoke, cause seven of every 10 deaths inthe U.S., according to the Center for Disease Control. Parkinson says they also account for nearly three quarters of the $2 trillion the U.S. spends on healthcare.
On a bus ride from downtown Minneapolis to St. Paul, one Republican delegate repeated the conventional wisdom about Democratic and Republican conventions. The Democrats run on pure passion, the Republicans on great organization. But this week's been one for turning conventional wisdom on its head.
After all, GOP presidential candidate John McCain has picked a 44-year-old woman as his running mate, and now the great debate (great, at least in some bloggers' minds) is on over whether her 17-year-old, unmarried daughter's pregnancy makes that a liability. (Karl Rove says no.)
In another part of this parallel universe, the elevator that most media must travel to get down to the Xcel convention floor got stuck (with passengers inside), and passengers had to be kept from the other elevator next door so the repair guy could do his job.
And when delegates left the Xcel center after a surprise, and enthusiastically welcomed visit by Laura Bush and Cindy McCain, they ran into protesters -- not the antiwar protesters whose march largely fizzled, but a couple dozen backers of GOP candidate Ron Paul chanting his name. (A few of the delegates chanted "John McCain" back, but most just stared.)
Nobody but photographers and security were closer than the Ohio delegation when First Lady Laura Bush and Cindy McCain took the stage at the Xcel Center Monday afternoon. Ohio is front and center, besting even two other key swing states -- Pennsylvania and Colorado -- for the best seats in the house.
Anyone who still wonders how key Ohio is to Republican hopes this fall need only look at the lineup for the Ohio GOP breakfasts this week. Right now, it's almost-a-veep-nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty for today; tomorrow comes Frank Donatelli, an adviser to Ronald Reagan and deputy chairman of the Republican National Committee; and bombastic conservative TV personality Sean Hannity is up for Wednesday. Up on Thursday, Bush political guru Karl Rove and GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney.
Though the GOP cancelled its big on-camera events, the private events go on, including a river boat cruise for Ohio delegates hosted by Sen. George Voinovich Sunday night.
Ohio delegates to the GOP national convention came with two names on their lips, Sara and Gustav. One many celebrated. The other many feared. And sure enough, Hurricane Gustav's collision course with New Orleans cut into the celebratory spirit that many delegates said they were feeling when their all-but-certain presidential nominee, John McCain, named Alaska Gov. Sara Palin last week as his running mate. Despite the more subdued mood of the convention and its delegates, people like Margaret McGervey still celebrated Palin's selection as a sign of strength and hope for her granddaughters -- and for the antiabortion cause to regain strength as an important issue for America.
Among the northeast Ohioans in Minneapolis is Valeria McPherson, an inner-city Cleveland delegate since the years of Ronald Reagan. She remains a big fan of George Bush, knows she'll be a big fan of John McCain, has never voted for a Democrat for president and trusts Republicans to view their word as their bond. But Valeria McPherson's long partisan pattern didn't matter when it came to one race:  Stephanie Tubbs Jones, the Democratic congresswoman who died suddenly two weeks ago. "We were very close. I was always with her, even though I'm a Republican and she's a Democrat," says McPherson. The two first met when McPherson was a bailiff in Cleveland Municipal Court and Tubbs Jones joined the court.
Civics lesson
Even the party that supports gun rights has some limits when it comes to its own party. A sign at the Minneapolis Convention Center warns "Civicfest bans guns in these premises."
Unless Hurricane Gustav continues to disrupt the convention through Wednesday morning, the U.N.L. Drill and Dance Performing Arts Team will perform for John McCain Wednesday. The precision drill team gave the Ohio delegation a sneak -- make that a booming -- preview Sunday night when they marched alongside the buses loading up outside the Radisson Plaza Hotel.
I've now been to three national political conventions ... the 2000 RNC in Philadelphia, the 2004 RNC in New York and Denver's DNC. One thing all share is confusion over security ... things like where can you can go with the press pass you're issued. The confusion usually results from the hundreds of well-meaning but poorly trained volunteers helping to run a huge event. Constantly changing security concerns also contribute. I spent some time down on the floor of Invesco Field Thursday. Over a couple of hours, various security personnel told me the same paperwork was either right -- or wrong -- to be on the floor. Delegates have special passes too. One delegate, I don't remember from what state, returned the designated seating area where he, his wife and daughter had been allowed access earlier. The person checking passes said he could not go back in because he had the wrong credentials for that area, even though he and his family were granted access a few minutes earlier. He phoned his wife to tell her he wouldn't be coming back.
Ohio was well represented at the DNC last night at the Pepsi Center...both physically and in spirit.
Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and Cleveland Congressman Dennis Kucinich gave speeches.
There was also a tribute to Cleveland Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, who died suddenly last week.
Rode the elevator with former New York Mayor and former Republican presidential candidate
Rudy Giuliani a the Pepsi Center. He hasn't switched parties, he was appearing on one of the many networknews progrms broadcasting from the convention.
While there's plenty of activity in all parts of an arena during a political convention between the media, delegates and hundreds of support staffers, the floor generates the most excitement...
Getting The convention floor ready for the night's activities
Ohio' Ted Strickland giving his floor speech Tuesday night.
Like all state parties, Ohio's Democratic delegation started its day with a breakfast at its hotel. State party Chairman Chris Redfern laid out the days' agenda and thanked everyone for attending Sunday's welcoming reception. He announced that Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, who died suddenly last week, will be honored at Thursday's breakfast. The overriding agenda for today, and most of the week, is defining ways to help Barack Obama win the White House. Including delegates, Redfern says nearly 600 Ohioans are in Denver for the convention.
Hotels in the Denver area are booked solid, meaning delegates, staffers and media, are lodging as far away as Boulder, which is 30-plus miles from downtown Denver. My bus ride from the Best Western Boulder Inn is over an hour if you include the half-hour walk from the hotel to the bus stop.
Like most national political conventions, the real show is on the streets of the host city:
Ohio's Delegation started arriving at the Curtis Hotel in downtown Denver today. Several receptions are scheduled over the next few days, and Ohio Governor Ted Strickland will give a floor speech Tuesday afternoon
Several Ohio delegates left Cleveland Hopkins Airport this morning on the same flight I was on. While waiting at the gate there were some surprised expressions when former Ohio Attorney General Mark Dann got in line for the flight. He was going to Denver, but only to catch a connecting flight to another destination. Dann resigned earlier this year after admitting to an affair with a staffer.
