Tippecanoe County Democrats —

Three area Democrats will represent Tippecanoe County at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. David Sanders will be representing the Indiana 4th District as a national delegate for Barack Obama. State Representative Sheila Klinker will be an alternate at-large national delegate for Hillary Clinton. And West Lafayette City Councilman Paul Roales will travel to Denver to serve as a page for this historic event. Congratulations to all!

From the Indiana Obama Campaign

Dear Friend --

This spring, we introduced an exciting new program called the Obama Organizing Fellowship.

The program will be a crucial part of our strategy in Indiana , and we've decided to expand it here. To make that happen, we need more people to join us.

Barack asked us to create this program because he sees his time as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago as the transformative experience of his career.

Now he wants to share that kind of opportunity with you.

The Obama Organizing Fellows program will train a new generation of leaders -- not only to help us win this election, but to help strengthen our democracy in communities across the country.

Perhaps nominee for governor Jill Long Thompson put the feeling of Saturday's party convention best in her keynote address: "The unified voice of the 1.2 million Hoosiers who cast a Democratic ballot for change on May 6th speaks volumes. Hoosiers want a new direction for our state." About 1,700 Indiana Democrats in attendance seemed to agree--enthusiastically. The main business of the day was to make candidates into party nominees. So now Jill Long Thompson is the nominee for governor, state Rep. Dennie Oxley, D-English, is the nominee for Lt. Governor; Indianapolis attorney Linda Pence is the nominee for attorney general; and Richard Wood, superintendent of the Tippecanoe School Corp., is the nominee for state schools superintendent.

Some humorous jabs were taken in the process. Dennie Oxley observed that Gov. Daniels paints the economy in rosy terms, calling Indiana an island of growth surrounded by states whose economies are stagnant. Quipped Oxley, "He's the governor of an island all right, only the island is Fantasy Island." And there was a moment of eloquence from Dr. Wood: "It is morally correct and economically sound to do all that is reasonable to build good children in the present rather than trying to repair adults in the future."

You can read more about the state Democratic convention in this article from the Journal and Courier, and here is the Indy Star's coverage, and the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette has this to say.

In formal events on Wednesday, Richard Wood announced his intention to run for State Superintendent of Public Instruction on the Democratic ticket. One announcement was held at the Tippecanoe County courthouse and a second was in Indianapolis, where he was joined by gubernatorial candidate, Jill Long Thompson. Wood said, "The quality of life in this state, our economic stability in this state, is dependent upon us having strong schools. That is going to attract industry. That is going to maintain industry. That is going to allow our children to grow up in a friendly and pleasant society that is going to encourage them to stay here and raise their children in our state." You can read about Wood's announcement here.

Fourth District Congressional candidate Nels Ackerson today called for an investigation into the Department of Veterans Affairs' practice of testing dangerous experimental drugs on war veterans in exchange for small cash payments.

"Congress stood idly by while our government experimented on the men and women who've fought for our country and our freedom," Ackerson said. "It's an absolute outrage."

A recent Washington Times investigation revealed that hundreds of veterans participated in a government program that paid them a small monthly stipend in exchange for taking drugs with severe side effects like psychosis and suicidal behavior.

At least one of the experiments specifically targeted veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. One veteran involved in that experiment referred to himself as "a lab rat for $30 per month."

Ackerson said he was appalled and expressed disappointment that Congressman Steve Buyer, the ranking Republican on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, did nothing to oppose the experimental testing.

Retiring Tippecanoe County School Corporation superintendent Richard Wood has announced that he is interested in another superintendent job--the of state superintendent of public instruction. It is expected that he will not face any opposition for the nomination at Saturday's state party convention. Wood was at the helm of Tippecanoe County schools for 19 years. The state superintendent directs the Department of Education and chairs the State Board of Education. Here is the J&C article on Wood's announcement, and here is coverage from the Chicago Tribune.

Jill Long Thompson announced today that her choice as a running mate is Dennie Oxley, a state representative since 1998. Oxley is from English, deep in Southern Indiana where Thompson won only six counties in the May primary. She describes Oxley as the "perfect fit" as her Lt. Governor. She noted that Oxley had broad experience with economic development and "he understands the role education plays in growing our economy." Oxley cannot run for re-election to his House seat if he appears on the ballot as Lt. Governor. Thompson's choice of Oxley will be confirmed at Saturday's state Democratic convention. You can read more about Thompson's selection of Oxley here.