In a profile of DNCC CEO Leah Daughtry, the New York Times revealed that Leah’s deep conviction in her faith runs parallel to her passion for the success of the Democratic Party. Leah, who spends many Sundays as a Pentecostal preacher, has made it her mission to incorporate people of faith into the Democratic Party. Having been tasked with orchestrating the Convention in August, Leah is responsible for making sure that “everything runs right…that the millions watching the convention on TV are captivated and inspired by the four-day-long show.” But for Leah, leading the Convention as well as expanding the reach of the Democratic Party “is, as she sees it, her way of fulfilling a generations-old family covenant with God.”

Leah’s successful integration of faith into her work for the Democratic Party is also the subject of an Associated Press story. The increasing numbers of Democrats of faith, including Leah, are working to “hold together and grow their party by claiming ground on religion and values that Republicans have successfully mined for years.” For Leah, reconciling these two aspects of her life makes sense. She explained that “all Americans, all people, have values…For some of us, values come from faith. For others it comes from what your parents taught you, what your grandmother taught you on the porch in the summertime. These are values that make us Democrats. We all have them.”

The Rocky Mountain News sat down with Jenny Backus, a Senior Advisor to the Obama Campaign, who joined the Convention team in Denver to help coordinate the monumental fourth night at INVESCO Field at Mile High. Building on DNC Chairman Howard Dean’s visions of bringing down the walls of the Convention, Backus explained that the “story of this convention is the story of this campaign…Barack Obama is a great messenger but he himself said that it's not him, it's the millions of people who brought him here. And we're going to be looking for ways to highlight those people."

Continuing to open up the Convention process, the Democratic National Committee along with the Obama campaign is seeking input from people across the country to help shape the Democratic platform. In homes nationwide, people are meeting to discuss the issues most important to them – health care, the war in Iraq, energy and the environment.  The local meetings will continue through July 27, and people can submit their notes to the Platform Drafting Committee. Read more about how Americans from all 50 states can have their voice heard at this year’s Convention.