Bill Richardson

The Democratic Party of Oregon was saddened by the news that Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean will step down from his post in the beginning of 2009, as reported by Politico.com.

According to the report, Dean plans to honor his commitment of serving a single term as party chair. During his tenure, Dean saw the Democratic Party earn two of its biggest wins in the 2006 and 2008 elections.

Check back next week to view my Convention Sketchpads from the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis.

The fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention will be called to order at 5:00 PM EST on Thursday, with a theme of "Change You Can Believe In."

The final day's events will take place at INVESCO Field at Mile High, where over 70,000 people are expected to attend.

Featured speakers will include Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D), former Vermont Gov. and Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean (D), New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D), U.S. Rep. and U.S. Senate candidate Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D), former Vice President Al Gore (D) and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D).

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), the Democratic presidential nominee, is scheduled to address the convention at 10 p.m. EST.

The full schedule is below.

The third day of the Democratic National Convention will be called to order at 5:00 PM EST on Wednesday, with a theme of "Securing America's Future."

The day will begin with the nominating process for President, including nominating speeches for U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.), followed by a roll call vote.

The headline speaker will be vice presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.).

Featured speakers will include President Bill Clinton (D), U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Gov. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.), U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), U.S. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.).

The full schedule is below.

PORTLAND- Sen. Barack Obama’s speech responding to Rev. Wright’s comments on race seems to have made up the minds of a number of Oregonians, and a Governor from New Mexico.

As Gov. Bill Richardson took the stage with Sen. Barack Obama, the crowd stood and would not quiet (or sit) down.

Richardson, heavily wooed by both campaigns, made his out-of- New Mexico-Obama debut to a shoulder to shoulder Portland audience.

New Mexico Governor and former Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson will endorse Barack Obama at a 9:30 AM rally in Portland today.

“The 1990’s were a decade of peace and prosperity because of the competent and enlightened leadership of the Clinton administration, but it is now time for a new generation of leadership to lead America forward,” Richardson wrote in an email to supporters.