Jim Leach, Obama Supporter And Former GOP Congressman, Will Address Democratic Convention

Washington Post:

DENVER -- Just as the Republican Convention will showcase Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats have found their own former party rival to deliver a prime-time speech here at the Democratic National Convention: Jim Leach, the former GOP congressman from Iowa who has endorsed Barack Obama for president.

Leach is scheduled to speak at 10 p.m. ET Monday, the opening night of the convention, according to a copy of the official lineup of convention speakers obtained by The Sleuth. He's sandwiched somewhere between Michelle Obama's brother, Craig Robinson, and Caroline Kennedy, who will be delivering a tribute to her ailing uncle, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), who has brain cancer.

Leach, 65, made a surprise announcement on Aug. 12 that he was crossing party lines to endorse Obama, saying, "This is simply not a time for politics as usual." On that day, he and former GOP senator Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, among others, announced the formation of Republicans for Obama.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[loax]

Any and all support is welcome.

[Coinyer101]

and they snubbed my man clark for a republican?this campaign is making one mistake after another.wh­at is wrong with them?

[sociocanuck]

What's a mistake to you, may not to be to others. Opinions other than yours (or mine) being tolerated and respected are what keeps a democracy from collapsing into a one-party system. Note, though, even in those systems that support is not always 100% (far from it).

[Coinyer101]

i agree,but,i would have rather heard clark's opinions ,with all the conflict going on.

[gladys46]

Got to win ... avoiding unnecessary internal distractions! MSM needs only minutia to make explosive! Not minimizing Clark at all, I really appreciate him ... but, we just gotta win this thing!!

[RJII]

I want Hagel to show up

[Heavenhelpusall]

There is not a red America or a blue America, but one United States of America.

[Last-LiberalRepublicans]

THAT'S The Spirit!!!

[robotfog]

that kind of talk will get you exiled. [/kidding]

[GoodGuysandBadGuys]

jim leach authored a bill to end logging in the national forests.

one of the rare occasions where a republican does a good thing.

[GoodGuysandBadGuys]

end COMMERICAL logging in national forests. I guess I should be specific.

[JadedAggie]

Yeah I was going to say that you do need some logging in order to keep the forest from going up like they did in California. If there is one huge mistake the Sierra Club makes it is that they take things way over the top and set up a situation where a forest fire takes out thousands of acres rather than only a couple hundred.

[mamacat]

This is good. It harks back to a time when party affiliation was more about principle, and not about who was the most corrupt.

[nellie]

But Leach is a FORMER congressman. Lieberman is a sitting senator who caucuses with the Democrats. There's a big difference. Now if Hagel shows up, that's newsworthy.

[jupitor]

Jealouse nellie? I blog at republican­sforobama! because I'm one of those republicans and it is newsworthy and exciteing to watch ALL americans finally pull together.

[Coinyer101]

nellie doesnt get it. she thinks the obama movement is all about democrats,and democrats ,only. she thinks we should all agree with everything the dems. say. As an independent supporter of barack,we must understand that some democrats are no better than the lo-life's that disgust us ,from the right ,either. just goes to show you how hard the task of unifying our nation, for change, has a very long way to go.she's only concerned about winning,not how we win.our man BO has a lot of hard work to do,even inside his own party.

[isis]

Leach is one of the few Republicans I ever voted for back when I did not have a chosen party yet..

[hmmmmmer]

Hmmmmmm, think the Clinton supports and PUMA will egg him when he speaks, boo or something that will get things started on the first night and build to the end of the convention. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. No matter I am sure the talking points the minute his speech is over will be about any distraction.

Bet Republicans won't boo Joe, they will probably give him a 10 minute standing ovation.

[dudervision]

I believe they'll surprise us in part because it looks like there numbers are so small that the rest of the convention delegates will shut them down. Even Hillary has set up a group to deal with these McCain supporters dressed as Democrats. Let's all pray we can come out of this thing united enough to win in November. If not, God have mercy on us all. I fear McCain will be so bad that we'll actually miss Bush!

[harriscrl3]

Love it now the Retughs can Keep Joe Liberman.

Carol

[PJay1]

Love it when that happens!

I'm kind of hoping Lincoln Chafee will be there too.

[JackND]

Michelle's brother gets a speaking spot too?

[Liberoservative]

Yah.... that is kind of odd.... even if he is a great coach

[jeffp26]

Mr. Leach should avoid hunting with his old pal Cheney in the future.

[Diatom]

IMHO there is no place for a Republican to address the Democratic Convention. I don't want listen to someone representing a neo-con party that has been systematically destroying our country.

[Optimist]

Jim Leach does not represent that party; he is a "former" Republican.

[filo]

...the way Joe LIEberman is a "former" Democrat?

[DebM]

Is he not entitled to a change of heart, to seeing the error of his ways? The man is a FORMER Republican Congressman. To me, he holds a lot more sway than a Lieberman who is truly a wolf in sheep's clothing. He pretends to be a pseudo-Democrat while increasingly embracing the "me, me, me GOP". He's just too much of a coward to admit it.

[CindyM2008]

We have a big tent. As far as I am concerned, he is welcome.
Thank you Mr. Leach!!!!

[steeler5]

IMHO the Democratic big tent is a welcome spot for people of all walks of life......­.... but you better think alike.

[Pogopaws]

There are all kinds of republicans, just as there are all kinds of Democrats (saints preserve us from the lingering blue dogs!). Being from VT, where Jim Jeffords was a repub for years until he saw the light, I would say the dems can and should embrace one and all who will the support O bama/ B iden ticket. Hell, at least he's not holding out for a cathartic moment like some Dems.