Jimmy Carter

The Democratic National Convention will be called to order at 5:00 PM EST today, with a theme of "One Nation."  Featured speakers include Michelle Obama, U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill.), former President Jimmy Carter, and Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, who will introduce a tribute to her uncle, U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.). 

In the teaser for her upcoming book, publisher Random House has audio portions of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi talking about getting Jerry Brown to participate in Maryland's 1976 presidential primary -- what she calls the "pivotal" action in her life's arc from "homemaker to House Speaker." She even gives a shout out to the vaunted machine of then-Baltimore County Exec. Ted Venetoulis.

Former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele at Sen. John McCain's speech this morning in Annapolis
ANNAPOLIS- Speaking today before a sparse crowd of media, staff, and supporters, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) recounted his days as a young student at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Acknowledging that his “four years at the Naval Academy were not notable for exemplary virtue or academic achievement but, rather, for the impressive catalogue of demerits I managed to accumulate,” McCain said Annapolis “holds a special place in my life.”

The state capital was where the senator’s military career began more than five decades ago; he graduated from the Naval Academy in 1958.

As to the Mikulski Commission’s legacy, its recommendations to the DNC were to lessen the influence of primaries in the presidential nominating process.

Michael CryorGOP Uncertain Of Turnout

With no clear frontrunner after a month of voting and four contested elections, Maryland Democrats believe their primary will not only be relevant to the party’s eventual nominee, but set new records for turnout.

Yesterday, State Chair Michael Cryor predicted “one million Maryland Democrats will go to the polls on February 12th.”

Maryland has held presidential primaries since the Progressive era in 1912. The largest turnout for a state Democratic primary was in 1976, with 592,000 ballots cast in California Gov. Jerry Brown’s stunning victory over Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter.