Democrats in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Washington, Ohio, Missouri and Florida plan to hold press conferences over the next several days to highlight the importance of a substantive discussion on issues affecting all Americans -- national security, homeland security and veterans' issues; education; environment and energy policies; the economy; health care; and equal opportunity for all.

Low-wage jobs have gone offshore. We need to innovate to stay competitive.

Any Democratic statement of core beliefs about the importance of families must include all our families, gay and straight. Our party has a long tradition of leading the charge on important questions of justice.

Well, we think the convention is a great opportunity for people to learn more about John Kerry and John Edwards,

[Jeanne Shaheen, governor 1997-2003, noted,] Anyone who has spent time in New Hampshire has an emotional tie to the state ... but what I appreciated when I was governor was the people, and I believe they are what made a difference in getting the peace treaty negotiations done. ... It's been the people — their independence, self-reliance and imagination. It's all possible in New Hampshire.

You can't replace these guys. You can't overstate what they mean to the party, politically and policy-wise.