Joe Biden

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The Sedona ranch of Sen. John McCain (R-Phoenix) will host Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin this week, as she prepares for Thursday's match-up against Democratic counterpart Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.).

Widespread media reports reveal Palin will be sequestered from the reporters and put through what McCain advisers are calling "debate camp," to make sure the first term Alaska governor is on top of her game against Biden, a veteran of six senate terms and two presidential races.

Fifty-three days before the election, Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign is at last making a concerted effort to compete with Sen. John McCain in Arizona.

The opening of the campaign's Phoenix headquarters Wednesdy attracted between 1,500 and 2,000 people, according to David Cieslak, Obama campaign spokesman for Arizona, and he told PolitickerAZ.com it is indicative of the kind of support they're already receiving.

"People are coming in every day making contributions - coming in with cash and checks, come up to our front desk, saying we are doing this because we want change," said Cieslak.

He said there are a handful of paid staffers in the Phoenix office, field organizers in Tucson and volunteer coordinators in Flagstaff. Cieslak said opening a Tucson office is "still being discussed." 

PHOENIX -- Gov. Janet Napolitano said she will be heading to Ohio and Pennsylvania in the coming weeks to act as a surrogate for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Speaking with PolitickerAZ.com after the opening of the Obama campaign's Arizona headquarters, an event that drew close to a thousand people, Napolitano said her first two stops are the only she has planned at the moment, but "it's up in the air."

She did not, however, know if the senator from Illinois or his running mate, Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) will be making an appearance any time soon.

To view more cartoons by Politicker.com editorial cartoonist Rob Tornoe, click here.

Check back tomorrow morning to view my sketchpad for day three of the Democratic National Convention, and go to my national blog to follow convention coverage by cartoonists from around the country.

DENVER -- Dennis DeConcini, former U.S. senator and current Democratic National Convention delegate, is uniquely suite to provide insight on how the selection of U.S. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) as Sen. Barack Obama's running mate could change the dynamics of the race.

DeConcini became the senior senator from Arizona upon the election of Sen. John McCain (R-Phoenix), with whom he was implicated in the Keating Five scandal. He also served on the Senate Judiciary Committee while Biden was chairman, joining him to oppose the Supreme Court appointment of Robert Bork. 

Yet DeConcini was considered a swing vote; an admirer of Pres. Ronald Reagan, he often bucked the Democratic Party to vote for key elements of Reagan's program.

Thirteen years after leaving office, DeConcini is an avid supporter of Obama's, attending the DNC as a delegate for the Illinois senator.

DENVER -- Obama campaign adviser Andrei Cherny gave the Arizona delegates to the Democratic National Convention a small sneak peek at the book the presumptive Democratic nominee will release next week, to coincide with the Republican National Convention.

"It's going to be the most boring policy wonk best seller in the history of the United States," said Cherny, who had a hand in writing it.

The book is meant to be a comprehensive declaration of Sen. Barack Obama's policy positions, and according to Cherny, "pulls together all of his plans, all of his ideas." It is intended in large part to counter a frequent criticism of Obama that his inspiring speeches are light on substance.

By releasing it the week of the Republicans' convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul, it is also intended as an attempt to shift the spotlight from the GOP during days when they will almost certainly dominate the news.

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.