Kicking off the day before the DNC was Ariana Huffington's "Shadow Convention" — an alternative convention held "in the shadows" of both the GOP convention in Philly and the DNC, in which the certain key issues (most notably the disastrous "War on Drugs," as well as that tiresome old subject of "Campaign Finance Reform") are addressed in a noisier, more direct manner by various experts on the subject, as well as a number of frustrated politicians. Also on the bill were several comedic commentators (Bill Maher, Harry Shearer, Al Franken, etc.), to both liven things up and generate more media interest in this funky "rebel" con.

This is the same Ms. Huffington whose then-closeted gay husband ran a losing 30 million dollar senate campaign in California a few years back, and who has since reinvented herself as a left-wing populist (though she still looks and talks just like Ivana Trump). She served as a fairly amusing MC for this event, and any injection of humor was much appreciated, since most of the guest speakers came off like insufferable, self-righteous preachers!

One of the more personable speakers, Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI), was at least honest enough to admit that "soft money" isn't merely bribery but also EXTORTION on the part of his fellow lawmakers, most of whom were busy shaking down the entertainment industry while he spoke. Feingold also was willing to state the inevitable conclusion of all this "campaign finance" talk by proposing that EVERY candidate running for congress should have his entire campaign paid for by tax dollars. That sounds like completely unworkable insanity to me, yet the rest of the crowd LOVED that proposal. Free Money gets a big hand every time!