{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Paul Stanley","provider_url":"http:\/\/www.paulstanley.org\/blog","author_name":"Paul Stanley","author_url":"http:\/\/www.paulstanley.org\/blog\/author\/paul-stanley\/","title":"Democratic National Convention Officially Convenes - Paul Stanley","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"wSVDkdQdq2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.paulstanley.org\/blog\/2012\/09\/04\/democratic-national-convention-officially-convenes\/\">Democratic National Convention Officially Convenes<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"http:\/\/www.paulstanley.org\/blog\/2012\/09\/04\/democratic-national-convention-officially-convenes\/embed\/#?secret=wSVDkdQdq2\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Democratic National Convention Officially Convenes&#8221; &#8212; Paul Stanley\" data-secret=\"wSVDkdQdq2\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=http:\/\/www.paulstanley.org\/blog\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n","description":"The 2012 Democratic National Convention is now underway in Charlotte, N.C. and delegates appear ready to hear from a number of senior elected officials and party leaders prior to President Obama accepting his party\u2019s nomination for a second term. I began the day by attending an event sponsored by the Mecklenburg County Republican Party where Congressman Tim Scott from South Carolina and Georgia Commissioner Ashley Bell formally introduced the Black Leadership Council \u2013 an effort to increase black support for Mitt Romney. It was interesting to note that Commissioner Bell\u2019s wife was an Obama delegate at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. He was a Romney delegate from Georgia in Tampa last week. I\u2019ll include more details from the event in a separate article. After arriving at the convention hall, I sat in on the LGBT Caucus meeting where Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told a packed room that if Romney is elected, \u201ca big tide will wash away LGBT rights.\u201d She also said Obamacare was the most significant healthcare program for LGBT Americans. When another speaker asked the group if they were better off than they were four years ago, they stood in unison and applauded. [...]"}