Almighty God - let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven:

Give us a reverence for all life. Give us a compassion for the most vulnerable among us – the babies, the children, the poor, the sick, the enslaved, the persecuted…for all of those who have been left out of the advantaged world. Give us a zeal to clean the environment we have polluted while we create an economy where everyone who can work can have a job.

Help us to honor those who defend our country by working harder and smarter for peace. Help us to counter those that incite fear and hatred by becoming people who are informed and respectful, and are known for principles and projects that aim higher than our own group’s benefit.

Guide Barack Obama and all of our leaders to be agents of your will and recipients of your wisdom. And grant that all of us citizens will continually do our part to contribute to the common good by loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.

Now, I interrupt this prayer for a closing instruction: because we are gathered in a country that continues to welcome people of all faiths, let us personalize this prayer by closing according to our own tradition. On the count of three, end your prayer as you would usually do…one, two, three __________ (“in Jesus name”) AMEN!

Let’s go out and change the world for good!

Looking out at this crowd and feeling the energy, I can tell you this: We are making history.

I am here tonight not just as the governor of Virginia who knows the people of my state need a better partner in White House, not just as a Democrat who is tired of politics as usual, but most importantly as an American who wants to see American values guiding our country again.

For eight years we’ve seen what happens when a president lets Washington values become more important than American values. Gas prices skyrocket when the White House lets oil companies call the shots. Our children are left behind when an administration cares more about sound bites than sound schools. And middle-class families are left to fend for themselves to save their jobs, their homes, and their grasp on the American dream.

Maybe for John McCain the American dream means seven houses—and if that’s your America, John McCain is your candidate. But for the rest of us, the American dream means one home—in a safe neighborhood, with good schools and good health care and a little money left over every month to go out for dinner and save for the future.

Does that seem like too much to ask? John McCain thinks it is.

He’ll keep answering to the special interests and Washington lobbyists—we’re ready for leadership that answers to us. And the leader who will deliver the change we need is Barack Obama.

Now folks, it won’t be easy. Change never is. And if we are to succeed, we’ll need a little extra something. The Gospel of Matthew says, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to the mountain ‘move mountain’ and it will move.” My life-long faith deepened when I traveled to Honduras to work with Catholic missionaries after my first year in law school.

Hay algunos Latinos aqui? Estamos unidos, verdad?

I learned from a great mentor there, Brother Jim O’Leary, that faith is about more than words or doctrine—it’s about action. And that led me to spend my life in public service. While I was learning how to put my faith into action in Honduras, Barack Obama was doing the same thing on the streets of South Side Chicago—empowering people to rebuild their communities and reclaim their lives after the steel plants closed down.

Joe Biden has also spent his lifetime putting faith into action—overcoming unspeakable tragedy in his personal life, and as a U.S. Senator making our world safer, our air cleaner, and protecting women from crimes of violence.

For Barack Obama, for Joe Biden, for me, for all of us, the principles of faith call us to service.

With faith in the American dream, we strive for better schools, economic justice, and smarter foreign policies because we believe in the God-given principles of equality, freedom, and opportunity. With faith in each other, we work for a common-sense approach to politics that focuses on results, not partisan division, because we recognize that we’re all in this together.

Aren’t we all tired of a Washington that doesn’t have any faith in us? Fellow delegates, fellow Democrats, and fellow Americans, now is the time to let our faith guide us to action once again.

We need to put our faith into action—to elect a president who will put middle-class Americans first again and reward companies who create jobs in America instead of shipping them overseas.

We need to put our faith into action—to elect a president who will end our dangerous dependence on foreign oil and invest in green-collar, clean-energy jobs right here at home.

We need to put our faith into action—to elect a president who will invest in our students, teachers and schools, and make college affordable once again for every American family.

We need to put our faith into action—to elect a president who will responsibly end the war in Iraq, give our veterans and their families the support they need, and reinvigorate our military to face the challenges ahead.

If we put our faith into action, we can move mountains.

We can move the mountains of negativity and division and gridlock.

We can move the mountains of special interests and business as usual.

We can move the mountains of hopelessness that surround too many of our people and communities.

Does anybody here have a little faith tonight? Is anybody here ready to move those mountains?

Starting right here in the Mile High City, we will put our faith into action; we will reject the failed policies of George Bush and John McCain; we will elect Barack Obama our next president.

In the words of the gospel hymn—“move mountain.”

Say it with me—“move mountain.”

Say it with me again—“move mountain.”

Mountain, get out of our way!

To this task, we pledge our hands, our hearts, our devoted service.
We pray this day, for the safety of the valiant men and women of our armed forces
And for the recovery of body and mind of those who have been injured.
And to the families of those who have fallen, in service to our country,
We say, in the traditional Hebrew phrase:
Zichronam livrocha:
May their memory be for an everlasting blessing.

Grant your spirit to these proceedings,
To the delegates gathered here tonight,
And to the millions of viewers and listeners, that they may be stirred to work for a better world.

We pray for America,
That it may ever be a light unto the nations,
A beacon of freedom,
Human rights,
And economic opportunity; the protector of this precious Earth,
Which you have entrusted to our care;
The guardian of Dr. King's dream of equality for all,
Proclaimed 45 years ago this day.

As this election proceeds,
May your name be invoked only to inspire and unify our nation,
But never to divide it.
In that spirit,
We ask your blessing on all the leaders and public servants of our nation,
Of whatever political party,
That they may lead wisely and, with civility, work together for the common good.

And we ask especially that you be with that mighty guardian of the contemporary American conscience, Edward Kennedy.
We ask that you send your blessing on Joseph Biden.

And now, on this historic day, upon Barack Obama,
As he is charged with such urgent responsibilities as candidate for the highest political office in our nation.
Guide him that he may ever be a champion for justice.
These things we ask of you, eternal God, in the light of renewed hope.

May we go forward with confidence,
Inspired by America’s wondrous achievements,
Undaunted by the challenges before us,
Secure in the knowledge that we can be the shapers of a brighter future,
Committed that the torch of hope shall pass from hand to hand,
From heart to heart,
Until the radiance of peace and righteousness for all God's children shines to the ends of the earth.

Amen.

Almighty God, the giver of all that is good and true and noble, we bow our heads before you in thanksgiving for bringing us together at this Democratic National Convention. We offer thanks to you for the great gift of liberty and for the privilege of being residents and citizens of a nation that is called to be a model of justice, peace and the rule of law.

As we give thanks for these blessings, we humbly beseech you, Lord, to remember all of those who have given their lives in defense of these ideals over the course of our nation's history, so that through their sacrifices we may partake of the fruits of freedom which we enjoy today.

Guide the work of all the delegates who have assembled here as they vigorously promote the institutions of our democracy. Remember, Lord, your servants who will be nominated as candidates for the highest offices of our land. Bless them and grant them strength and wisdom, as they work for our nation and for its great mission among the nations of the earth.

Let them be guided by your merciful hand, and thus contribute to the peace, prosperity and security of our country and our world. For you are the source of these great blessings, and to you belong glory and thanksgiving, now and forever and ever.

Amen.

Let us pray.

God of every nation, we give our prayer in gratitude for the blessings bestowed upon us as we close this evening’s convention. We give our gratitude to you for the legacy of this nation that our mothers and fathers created and sustained. We cherish freedom and liberty, welcome immigrants, embrace diversity, and savor justice and peace.

God of every voice, we hear a call for a new day. A new day that equals economic opportunities given to widows and orphans. A new day that the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. We hear your call for this nation to wake up to a voice that longs for leadership to be relevant to a new day.

God of justice in times of change, grant wisdom for Senator Barack Obama and Senator Joe Biden. May they together lead in continuing the legacy of freedom and liberty. May they lead in bringing sacred change by creating a community that celebrates diversity and difference, that demands justice for all and that seeks peace, not war or violence.

God of grace, grant your blessing on all the delegates and leaders who join in the convention to carry out the responsibility to select nominees to the highest offices of this nation. By your spirit give them grace to listen and grace to speak. Help them to discern where you are leading this country.

God of new creation, now may the new leadership of this country trumpet a new day for this nation and the world so that our young people shall see visions, and our old ones dream dreams.

So that we sing a new song: “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

God of hope, we lift up our voice to pray for a vision-filled future for this country. May we build a bridge of harmony among all God’s people. May the work of this convention provide hope for all people of God in the nation.

This we pray in the name of the one who is life eternal.

Amen.

On this day as we gather to renew America's promise, we are keenly aware of the challenges American families are facing. God, people are being hit hard by the economic downturn, the energy crisis and rising food costs, the mortgage mayhem, as well as the absence of affordable housing and healthcare. Parents desire and deserve to be able to give their children quality and affordable education from pre-school through college.

Times are tough; people are struggling; some have lost hope. We know, God, that this is not your perfect will for any of your people. It is your desire that all people have these basic human needs met. It is your desire that all would prosper and be in good health. It is your desire that everyone would be treated with dignity and respect.

As a nation and as a party, we are at a crucial time. We have an opportunity to not only make history, but to bring about change we can all believe in and restore hope to the hearts of women and men. Unite us as a party, oh God. Let us be one in this common purpose, to renew our promise so that we might live out our creed to be one nation under god, with liberty and justice for all.

In your strong and mighty name, we pray. Amen.

Today, I am a 39 year old wife and mother of three children. I work part-time from home. I can't even say this experience is like a dream coming true, because I've never allowed myself to dream so big! I am here today because of Senator Obama.

I first heard of him when my pastor gave me his "Call to Renewal" speech to read. I saw common beliefs, and I wanted to learn more. I read The Audacity of Hope. It was simple and straight-forward, with no political game-playing, just bringing people together so real changes can be made that affect the everyday lives of people like me.

When Senator Obama announced he would run for president, I was thrilled and, for the first time in my life, I decided to get involved. Living in Iowa, we had the opportunity to attend many events and to meet Senator Obama, Michelle and their family. We learned that they are very down-to-earth, genuine people who truly understand our point of view.

When I listened to Senator Obama speak, my children stood next to me, and I understand what he means when he talks about the "fierce urgency of now." If not now, what will our country look like in four or eight years? What will my children's future hold? During the course of this campaign, I have been involved like never before. I am a precinct captain. I go door to door, talking to my neighbors about Senator Obama. I donate money, and I had the opportunity in May to introduce Senator Obama in front of a great Des Moines, Iowa crowd.

Yes, Senator Obama inspired me with his words, but he then motivated me with his good, solid plans for action. He convinced me that I was an important part of making these plans happen. He convinced me that my voice does matter. In fact, he was so convincing that I've decided to go back to college, finish my bachelor's degree and pursue something that I'm now very passionate about– public service!

I am convinced that Barack Obama is the best choice for President of the United States. He has the judgment, compassion, intelligence, perseverance and experience needed to be the next leader of our country.

“We offer Pope Benedict XVI the warmest welcome as he arrives in the United Statestoday. In anticipation of your historic journey, you have been in our thoughts and prayers for a successful visit.

“Your visit comes at a critical time. In the U.S.and across the globe, the gap between the most fortunate and everyone else is widening. So many families are struggling to meet their basic needs. War and violence are prevalent. Immigrant families are being separated. May your message of hope for peace and freedom be heard and inspire us to work on behalf of the common good for all people.”

• McCain Campaign: McCain Simply "Stumbled on His Words." "In the course of having a serious dialogue with our military leadership in Iraq about how Americans can formulate success going forward," said a McCain spokesman, "John McCain stumbled on his words and corrected them immediately." [First Read, msnbc.com, 4/8/08]
  

March 18: McCain Repeats False Iran-al Qaeda Link "Several Times." While speaking with reporters in Jordan, McCain expressed concern that Iranian operatives were "taking al-Qaeda into Iran, training them and sending them back." Even when "pressed to elaborate," McCain continued with his erroneous assertion, saying it was, "common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al-Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran, that's well known. And it's unfortunate." McCain was finally corrected by Senator Joe Lieberman, who "stepped forward and whispered in the presidential candidate's ear," prompting McCain to revise his statement. According to the Washington Post, during the entire course of the press conference McCain "said several times that Iran, a predominately Shiite country, was supplying the mostly Sunni militant group, al-Qaeda." [Washington Post, "The Trail," 3/18/08]

• McCain Campaign: McCain Misspoke & Immediately Corrected Himself… "In a press conference today, John McCain misspoke and immediately corrected himself by stating that Iran is in fact supporting radical Islamic extremists in Iraq, not Al Qaeda -- as the transcript shows," said a McCain spokesman in a statement. [TheAtlantic.com, Marc Ambinder, 3/18/08]

• …But McCain Made Same Mistake One Day Earlier… McCain said on the Hugh Hewitt radio show "As you know, there are al-Qaeda operatives that are taken back into Iran, given training as leaders, and they're moving back into Iraq." [New York Times, 3/19/08; Entire Transcript at http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/talkradio/transcripts/Transcript.aspx?ContentGuid=ae522a49-6c82-4791-a76e-44ebb718bf32]
  

• …And One Day Later: The next day however, in a press release on the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, McCain said "Al Qaeda and Shia extremists -- with support from external powers such as Iran -- are on the run but not defeated." [McCain Presidential Campaign Press Release via Targeted News Service, 3/19/08]

"This year's presidential election provides a ray of hope in the realization of Dr. King's dream. Across the country we've seen historic turnout as Americans from all walks of life are making their voices heard to move our country forward. Today the Democratic Party reaffirms its commitment to work towards the beloved community Dr. King envisioned. "

"It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho. Our prayers are with the Archbishop's family, parishioners, colleagues and all those who loved and will miss him as his funeral mass is celebrated today. The Archbishop was a voice for peace and religious harmony in Iraq. His kidnaping and death is a sad reminder of the suffering and violence Iraqis face daily as a result of the Iraq war. Our prayers go out to his Chaldean community, from which many members have been forced to flee the country and are living as refugees away from their homeland, while many others have died due to failed policies in Iraq."

"I am very honored by Pastor John Hagee's endorsement..."

And later said -

"I was pleased to have the endorsement of Pastor John Hagee..."

Talking Points Memo provided nearly six minutes of John Hagee's greatest hits. So what exactly is John McCain "proud of"?

Hagee on Hurricane Katrina
"All hurricanes are acts of God because God controls the heavens. I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God and they were recipients of the judgment of God for that." [NPR Fresh Air, 9/18/06]

Hagee on Islamic Beliefs
Fresh Air host Terry Gross asked if Hagee believed that "all Muslims have a mandate to kill Christians and Jews," to which Hagee replied, "Well, the Quran teaches that. Yes, it teaches that very clearly." [NPR Fresh Air, 9/18/06]

Hagee on African Americans
The San Antonio Express-News reported that Hagee was going to "meet with black religious leaders privately at an unspecified future date to discuss comments he made in his newsletter about a 'slave sale,' an East Side minister said Wednesday." The Express-News reported:

"Hagee, pastor of the 16,000-member Cornerstone Church, last week had announced a 'slave sale' to raise funds for high school seniors in his church bulletin, 'The Cluster.'

"The item was introduced with the sentence 'Slavery in America is returning to Cornerstone" and ended with "Make plans to come and go home with a slave." [San Antonio Express-News 3/7/96]

Hagee on Catholicism
"Most readers will be shocked by the clear record of history linking Adolf Hitler and the Roman Catholic Church in a conspiracy to exterminate the Jews." [Jerusalem Countdown by John Hagee]

Hagee on Women
"Do you know the difference between a woman with PMS and a snarling Doberman pinscher? The answer is lipstick. Do you know the difference between a terrorist and a woman with PMS? You can negotiate with a terrorist." [God's Profits: Faith, Fraud and the Republican Crusade for Values Voters, Sarah Posner]

"[T]he feminist movement today is throwing off authority in rebellion against God's pattern for the family." ["Bible Positions on Political Issues," John Hagee]

Hagee on LGBT Americans
"The newspaper carried the story in our local area that was not carried nationally that there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came. And the promise of that parade was that it was going to reach a level of sexuality never demonstrated before in any of the other Gay Pride parades. So I believe that the judgment of God is a very real thing. I know that there are people who demur from that, but I believe that the Bible teaches that when you violate the law of God, that God brings punishment sometimes before the day of judgment." [NPR Fresh Air, 9/18/06]

Hagee on Jewish Americans
"It was the disobedience and rebellion of the Jews, God's chosen people, to their covenantal responsibility to serve only the one true God, Jehovah, that gave rise to the opposition and persecution that they experienced beginning in Canaan and continuing to this very day." [Matthew Yglesias, The Atlantic Online, 2/29/08]

"Well I think it's important to note that pastor John Hagee who has supported and endorsed my candidacy supports what I stand for and believe in. When he endorses me, it does not mean that I embrace everything that he stands for and believes. And I am very proud of the Pastor John Hagee's spiritual leadership to thousands of people and I am proud of his commitment to the independence and the freedom of the state of Israel. That does not mean that I support or endorse or agree with some of the things that Pastor John Hagee might have said or positions that he may have taken on other issues. I don't have to agree with everyone who endorses my candidacy. They are supporting my candidacy. I am not endorsing some of their positions." [McCain Media Availability, 2/29/08]

Hagee on Hurricane Katrina
"All hurricanes are acts of God because God controls the heavens. I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God and they were recipients of the judgment of God for that." [NPR Fresh Air, 9/18/06]

Hagee on Islamic Beliefs
Fresh Air host Terry Gross asked if Hagee believed that "all Muslims have a mandate to kill Christians and Jews," to which Hagee replied, "Well, the Quran teaches that. Yes, it teaches that very clearly." [NPR Fresh Air, 9/18/06]

Hagee on African-Americans
The San Antonio Express-News reported that Hagee was going to "meet with black religious leaders privately at an unspecified future date to discuss comments he made in his newsletter about a 'slave sale,' an East Side minister said Wednesday." The Express-News reported:

"Hagee, pastor of the 16,000-member Cornerstone Church, last week had announced a 'slave sale' to raise funds for high school seniors in his church bulletin, 'The Cluster.'

"The item was introduced with the sentence 'Slavery in America is returning to Cornerstone" and ended with "Make plans to come and go home with a slave." [San Antonio Express-News 3/7/96]

Hagee on Catholicism
"Most readers will be shocked by the clear record of history linking Adolf Hitler and the Roman Catholic Church in a conspiracy to exterminate the Jews." [Jerusalem Countdown by John Hagee]

Hagee on Women
"Do you know the difference between a woman with PMS and a snarling Doberman pinscher? The answer is lipstick. Do you know the difference between a terrorist and a woman with PMS? You can negotiate with a terrorist." [God's Profits: Faith, Fraud and the Republican Crusade for Values Voters, Sarah Posner]

"[T]he feminist movement today is throwing off authority in rebellion against God's pattern for the family." ["Bible Positions on Political Issues," John Hagee]

Hagee on LGBT Americans
"The newspaper carried the story in our local area that was not carried nationally that there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came. And the promise of that parade was that it was going to reach a level of sexuality never demonstrated before in any of the other Gay Pride parades. So I believe that the judgment of God is a very real thing. I know that there are people who demur from that, but I believe that the Bible teaches that when you violate the law of God, that God brings punishment sometimes before the day of judgment." [NPR Fresh Air, 9/18/06]

Hagee on Iran
"The coming nuclear showdown with Iran is a certainty," Hagee wrote [in 2006] in the Pentecostal magazine Charisma. "Israel and America must confront Iran's nuclear ability and willingness to destroy Israel with nuclear weapons. For Israel to wait is to risk committing national suicide." [The Nation, 8/8/2006, http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060814/new_christian_zionism]

DNC Chief of Staff Leah Daughtry penned an op-ed in the Washington Post along these same lines.

Earlier this month, the Christian Post reported on a recent study that showed born-again Christians favoring a Democrat over a Republican in presidential preferences in generic polling.

The new Barna study shows that if the general election was held today, 40 percent of all born again adults who are likely to vote in November would choose the Democratic candidate, and only 29 percent would choose the Republican candidate. The remaining 28 percent are currently unsure whom they would support, preferring to vote for a specific candidate rather than strictly along party lines.