Hey, I'm liveblogging from the convention. Check out the two posts below for background, and some live updates from earlier.

10 AM: Conventions about to start

Me and the governor this morning:

All the buzz today seems to be about healthcare. Groups in support of a single payer system are heavily mobilized, handing out fliers and holding up signs everywhere.

10:17 AM: Today is the 65th anniversary of D-Day.

10:25 AM: We start the proceedings with a cell phone connection to Baghdad. Huge applause. Also, huge applause when Ted Kennedy was mentioned and for the veterans onstage.

10:55 AM: Just saw another student from Newton South, Ben Chesler. He was at the Youth Convention. David Plouffe gave the youth there a private speech before he speaks to us at regular convention.

11:04 AM: Tim Murray just introduced Governor Patrick. He had a rock star introduction with loud music and spotlights.

11:11 AM: Gov: “Everyone gay or straight comes before the government as equal” and he used the phrase “marriage equality.”

11:15 AM: Governor Patrick says ethics need to be improved in the state. Campaign and gift loopholes need to be closed. No more special perks. And these changes need to be made NOW, for this generation of state employees. He also directly called out the transportation agencies, saying that they’re mismanaged and that what’s been going on undermines the state’s agenda. “Reforms need to come first, before increased revenue.”

Governor Patrick told an anecdote about his recent visit to Brockton High School, and a nice story about a group of students that organized to help kids in Brockton with special needs.

Bob Haynes:

11:26 AM: Bob Haynes (AFL-CIO) is up next. He came up on stage and kicked ass. He had everyone standing in about a minute. He shouted “The bankers, the bastards and the bureaucrats get rich off our backs!” to much applause. Definitely the most passionate speech so far.

11:35 AM: Roll call begins! This is exciting!

Mayor Cohen, Setti Warren, Ken Parker, and Ruth Balsar are all delegates, and on the roll call list. None are present. I don't think Coletti is here either; I haven't seen him.

12:15 PM: Linda Green, co-chair of the Ward 8 Democratic City Committee had this to say about Deval's speech earlier: "I strongly related to that story [about special needs students in Brockton]. I was so touched by the students' responses. It was an innovative, homegrown, responsive approach to supporting kids with special needs. It really resonated with me."

12:52 PM: The delegates are here today to vote on the party platform. There are seven amendments to the current platform, and a motion to revert to the old platform with only one amendment. The people who are supporting the amendments are pretty pissed off that if the motion passes their amendments won’t even be considered. The guy representing the equal parent’s rights group and amendment came up onstage and started yelling about the messy situation with the two platforms and made a motion to suspend the rules and allow the amendments to be considered (I think this is a father’s custody rights thing – the group’s been all over today trying to convince delegates to support them).

1:04 PM: They’re trying to figure out a way to accommodate the amendments into both platforms. Party chairman John Walsh says that it’s only possible to do that once the motion to switch to the old platform has been dealt with.

John Walsh:

1:14 PM: John Walsh just asked the delegates to vote by asking people to shout out "Aye" or "No" to decide if the motion to go to an old platform should be passed. He decided that the No's won. There was a big uproar throughout the room, so he decided to let there be a re-vote. After some more shouting he announced the Aye's victorious.

1:20 PM: David Plouffe! Plouffe, President Obama's campaign manager, stresses the community elements of Obama’s campaign, and how the only way to make change, like with healthcare reform and energy reform, is a grass-roots movement. This is the time for our leaders and for us “to rise to the moment... change the course of this country and make it strong for decades to come.”

Plouffe spoke in length about Governor Patrick and his work with his last campaign for governor. “Three years ago, I was as cynical as you were... but this person, Deval Patrick, is someone really special. He is a unique leader.”

He railed against pundits and thirty second sound bites. He talked about how President Barack Obama and Governor Patrick are a rare kind of politician: they “really believe in people.”

The main point of his speech was that this is “our moment,” and whatever we do now, when it comes to energy, the environment, and health care will have lasting effects for decades.

2 PM: This is probably going to be my last post for the day. If you want to read the amendments to this year's platform, the massdems site would be the place to look. If you want to hear more young voices in Newton, a group of seniors at South have a blog called Starboard Broadside that deals with political issues, so check it out. Also, the father's rights amendment I mentioned earlier was defeated decisively.