38 million turn TVs to Democratic convention for Obama's acceptance speech
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NEW YORK - Barack Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention was seen by more than 38 million people.
His TV audience nearly doubled the number of people who watched John F. Kerry accept the Democratic nomination to run against President Bush four years ago. Kerry's speech was seen by just more than 20 million people.
Obama's audience might be higher, since Nielsen didn't have an estimate for how many people watched Obama on PBS or C-SPAN Thursday night.
GOP won't rescind states' primary punishment
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The Republican National Committee is making its penalties stick against South Carolina, New Hampshire, Florida, and Michigan for holding primaries earlier than rules allowed. RNC credentials committee member and South Carolina state Representative Alan Clemmons said yesterday that those states lost half their delegates to the national convention next week by holding primaries too early. That cut the size of delegations, as well as the influence those states have in picking the GOP nominee.
South Carolina and New Hampshire have held the nation's earliest primaries for years. But other states scrambled to get into the national spotlight. The Republican Party's rules committee is expected to vote Monday on a plan that leaves those two states at the top of the primary schedule.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Edwards won't speak with wife at Hofstra University
RALEIGH, N.C. - In a return to the public stage, former senator John Edwards has confirmed plans to talk politics a month after admitting to an extramarital affair. But his wife won't be at his side.
A representative for the former Democratic presidential candidate confirmed yesterday that he would speak alone at Hofstra University in New York on Sept. 8, school spokesman Stuart Vincent said.
They are still scheduled to appear together Sept. 23 at Salem State College in Massachusetts, college spokesman Jim Glynn said.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
