DNC BLOG: Ritter talks about 'American spirit'

4:44 p.m. DeGette: "We need to protect a woman's right to choose. ... We must stop talking about ending this war in Iraq and just do it!"

4:28 p.m. Ritter: "In the west we have a spirit that is the American spirit."

3:40 p.m. Scene from stands: woman shading herself from beating sun with coat over her head, busily typing on Blackberry.

3:31 p.m. Still not a cloud over Invesco-Mile High.

3:13 p.m. We're under way. Bluegrass band Yonder Mountain String Band.

3:10 p.m. They have American flags clustered around the field, ready to be deployed to delegates for waving. U2 on the loudspeakers again

2:33 p.m. Gazette snags seats in south stands, section 133. We have a good view of stage, over the heads of CNN and other networks down on the field with delegates. Electronic signs: "Obama-Biden For the Change We Need." Loudspeakers playing U2 earlier; now "Born in the USA"

2:23 p.m. Invesco stands beginning to fill. Workers still putting final touches on the stage backdrop that some Republicans are calling "Temple Obama" because of its columns.

1:31 p.m. Less than seven hours before the Obama speech is scheduled to start. No sign of any clouds threatening rain. No obvious signs of anyone praying for rain, at least not around here.

12:58 p.m. Just walked into Invesco. It took 20 minutes from Larimer and Speer. The general admission line is already very long. They're handing out bottles of water to those in line.

Noon Sheryl Crow warming up now. Gore and Ritter just checked out the stage.

11:30 a.m. Gazette photographer Christian Murdock says Stevie Wonder went onstage at Invesco to warm up for tonight's performance. He will be singing a new song he wrote for the occasion.

11:15 Pelosi's advice to aspiring politicians. "Politics is not for the faint of heart, it's a very rough-and-tumble business...But it's worth it and it is needed. If people are trying to take you down that means you're being effective.
"Don't agonize. Organize."

11:10 a.m. Protesters outside Convention Center: "A vote for Obama is a vote for dead children."

11:08 a.m. Group of women outside Convention Center with shirts that say: "abortion hurts women."

11:00 a.m. Audience member asks Pelosi, What piece of legislation is your top priority? She says SCHIP, the Children's Health Insurance Program."The President said we can't afford it. But 40 days in Iraq would pay for it...that really is immoral."

10:58 a.m. Pelosi: "My parents did not raise me to be Speaker of the House, they raised me to be holy, they raised me to be good. That's what they would be proud of."

10:56 a.m. Rep. Nancy Pelosi is plugging her book "Know Your Power" at a booksigning event at the Grand Hyatt's Grand Ballroom. There are about 100 people watching her tell personal stories and answer questions. The book is 26 bucks a pop.

10:55 a.m. MLK 3rd bumps into me before posing for a photo in front of me. Then I wound up in a photo with Spike Lee (OK, I was just standing behind him). Now fleeing the celebrity scene.

10:53 Spike Lee is here.

10:48 a.m. MLK's son, Martin Luther King 3rd speaks: "Dad and mother are smiling and looking down on us." "We will take a gigantic leap when Obama becomes president, but we all have to roll up our sleeves and ensure that his dream can be fulfilled."

"The work is not done yet."

10:18 a.m. Angela Bassett is introducing Danny Glover at Creative Coalition event.

10:12 a.m. Paterson urges greater support for the arts

10:10 a.m. He's helping to celebrate the 45th anniversary of MLK's March on Washington.

10:08 a.m. NY Gov. David Paterson is at Earl's.

9 a.m. Well, it's official: Some of Denver's downtown workers are sick and tired of this whole convention business. Two workers walking south on Glenarm this morning were complaining bitterly about the crowds and the hassles, using the words "sucks" and "retarded" quite liberally.

8:48 a.m. All quiet outside the Westin, Obama's home away from home this morning. Plenty of police around here.

8:43 a.m. Small plane circling downtown with a banner trailing behind. I think it says "Obama bin Laden," but I can't be sure. Have asked photographer Christian Murdock to keep an eye on the sky.

8:10 a.m. Celeb update 2: radio folks are saying Stevie Wonder, Dave Matthews and Sheryl Crow will be among those performing tonight at Invesco (Obama, playing to the local crowd, called it Mile High last night).. Doors open at 1 p.m., so there will be partying for hours and hours before Obama's speech. I-25 will be closed between 5-9 p.m.

7:30 a.m. Celebrity encounter update: Just learned that the actress who lunged past me for the coffee pot at Earl's yesterday was Zooey Deschanel. While that still doesn't mean anything to me, a quick Google search informs me that she was in "Almost Famous" and "All the Real Girls." All I can tell you is she really needed that cup of coffee!