Al Gore

DENVER -- The veil has been lifted a little on the Obama campaign's plans for Arizona, and they will all flow from state director Kelly Paisley.

It has been known for some time, but not advertised or even officially acknowledged, that a state director has been chosen for the efforts of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign in the Grand Canyon State.

Thursday, Paisley and Gov. Janet Napolitano chief of staff Dennis Burke both acknowledged that she will command the nascent Obama organization, which is in the process of being staffed.

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.

DENVER -- Speaking before the daily breakfast of the Arizona Democratic National Committee delegation, Terry McAuliffe, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, addressed the weaknesses in the campaigns of Al Gore and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) while expressing high hopes for the 2008 election.

McAuliffe cautioned the Arizona delegates not to pay attention to national polls, which show Sen. John McCain (R-Phoenix) and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama in a statistical tie.

"It's too early," he said, while also adding that he thought Obama could pull off an upset in McCain's home state.

"If we could win Arizona this year, it would set such a milestone for the Democratic Party. We would bury the Republicans for 25 years."

Andrei Cherny is not a member of the Arizona delegation to the Democratic National Convention, but he is having an impact on the convention - and election - nonetheless.

Cherny, who joined the Arizona delegates in Denver, is no stranger to conventions. He negotiated and drafted the Democratic Party platform at the 2000 DNC, having worked as the chief speechwriter to then-vice president Al Gore. He was a top advisor to John Kerry during the primary phase of the Massachusetts senator's 2004 presidential bid, and has also advised former Pres. Clinton and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

For most of the 2008 campaign, Cherny, a Phoenix resident, has been touting his new book, "The Candy Bombers," about the 1948 Berlin airlift, and his fingerprints have been off the presidential race.

That is no longer the case, though. Cherny told PolitickerAZ.com today that he has taken on unofficial tasks within Barack Obama's organization.

Check out the winner and runner-ups for this week's Cartoon Caption Contest.

Care to come up with a caption for this cartoon? Click more for the rules and prizes!