In the spirit of the Democratic Convention, C-SPAN last night ran a series of past Democratic Conventions from Truman to Kerry. It was mostly a wonderful trip down memory lane.  One of my favorite moments traveling down the road was seeing Barbara Jordan as the keynote speaker. She was the first African American woman to keynote the Democratic Convention. In her speech she left specific challenges, instructions if you will,  for all citizens and public servants alike. She challenged citizens to hold public servants accountable and public servants to be accountable for their actions. She called this "national community." I barely remember her during the Watergate hearings but her voice during this crisis is forever locked in my memory.

My memory of the1988 Democratic Convention in Atlanta surrounds the pity pronounces of Ann Richards. She was (at the time) the State Treasurer of Texas. Even though she gave the keynote speech she was so funny. I loved her Texas twang. I remember two of her most famous lines: "Poor ol' George Bush (41), he can't help it, he was born with a silver foot in his mouth." I liked her because she was folksy.  She reminded the audience of listening to FDR on the radio in her humble west Texas abode when she was growing up which for me confirmed her down-to-earthiness. The second Ann Richards line that made an indelible mark on me is "that dog won't hunt." She was gracious during her speech and paid tribute to her fellow Texan Barbara Jordan.

I miss you Ann Richards and Barbara Jordan!