DNC is underway. Paul Ryan visits Utah. 63 days to the election.
Happy Wednesday. Michelle Obama was the talk of the town last night, raking in almost double the tweets-per-minute as Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney did during his convention acceptance speech. [Politico] Without ever saying the GOP nominee's name, the first lady not-so-subtly jabbed at Romney's wealth in an attempt to portray her husband as the man who can connect with middle-class Americans. [LATimes] [Fox]
Topping the news: Vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan will host a fundraiser at Utah Valley University today where donors are expected to contribute between $1,000 and $25,000 per plate. [ABC4]
-> Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff accidentally informed the media of his knee surgery, thanks to a "Reply all" flub. [Trib]
-> The Utah Legislature is considering using crowd-sourcing as a way to answer GRAMA requests. [UtahPolicy]
Tweet of the day: from @RealClearScott: "If anyone at the DNC needs a chewable toothbrush, the dispensary in the press file men's room sells them."
Happy Birthday: to gun rights advocate Clark Aposhian.
Democratic National Convention: Julian Castro, mayor of San Antonio and the first Latino to give the DNC keynote speech, painted Romney as anti-women's rights, anti-gay rights and inconsistent on the creation of accessible health care. [Fox] [Politico] [HuffPo]
-> Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley reiterated the night's "Forward" theme, insisting that a Romney presidency would be a step in the wrong direction. [BaltimoreSun]
-> Actor and former White House staffer Kal Penn encouraged viewers to use the hashtag "#sexyface" when tweeting about his convention performance last night. [LATimes] [Fox]
-> Tonight, Obama is entrusting former President Bill Clinton to convince persuadable voters that Obama is the man to turn this economy around. [WaPost]
-> Four years ago, the Democratic Party platform stated that "Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israel," a claim that has since been removed. [CNN] [APviaWaPost] "God" didn't make the cut, either. [CBN]
-> Lily Eskelsen, vice president of the National Education Association, intimates to Utah delegates that Mia Love is a "crazy person." [Trib]
-> Obama says his acceptance speech will be a "distant second" in quality behind his wife's, whom he called the "star" of the Obama family. [USAToday]
-> During the Iowa delegation's Tuesday morning breakfast meeting, Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin announced that Clint Eastwood, as "an old angry white man spewing incoherent nonsense," is a perfect symbol of the Republican tea party. [Politico] [DMRegister]
-> National debt surpassed $16 trillion on the convention's first day. [ABCNews] [WSJ] [HuffPo]
-> In a training session for Jewish Democrats, Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said that the Israeli ambassador to the United States called Republicans "dangerous" to the Middle Eastern nation. [LATimes] Schultz denies it. [Politico]
-> Democrats say their Republican criticism will be limited to "substance-based" remarks. [LATimes]
-> New GOP video features Cherokees insulted by Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren's unsupported claim to be part-Cherokee. [BostonHerald] Opponent Scott Brown launches an anti-Warren website. [Globe]
-> Former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist receives heat from Florida Republicans after endorsing Obama and securing a speaking slot at the DNC. [CNN]
-> The 15-1/2 ton Obama sand sculpture sustained no critical injuries from the weekend rain. [UPI]
2012 watch: Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan compared Obama to former President Jimmy Carter, asking: "If we fired Jimmy Carter then, why would we rehire Barack Obama now?" [LATimes]
-> The addition of Constitution Party candidate Virgil Goode to the Virginia presidential ballot might draw voters that otherwise would have leaned Romney. [WSJ]
-> Quoting a recent Rolling Stones article, Vice President Joe Biden wrongly claimed that Romney's Bain dealings "cost the government and American taxpayers $10 million." [WaPost]
In other news: Republican attorney general candidate John Swallow has raised approximately $1.23 million, over 25 times that of his Democratic opponent. [Trib]
-> Provo's City Council voted 4-3 last night to reject a proposal requiring The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to provide a conditional use permit for proposed high-rise structures of their new Missionary Training Center. [Trib]
Where are they?
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-- Thomas Burr and Betsy Blanchard
Twitter.com/thomaswburr and Twitter.com/betsyblanchard