Associated Press
The Latest on the Democratic National Convention (all times EDT):
9:37 p.m.
Vice President Joe Biden has wrapped up his speech to the Democratic convention by making a forceful case for American exceptionalism.
He says the United States “does not scare easily,” and when confronted with crisis, “we endure, we overcome and we always move forward.”
Biden says the 21st century “is going to be the American century.”
He says that will happen because the U.S. leads “not only by the example of our power but by the power of our example.”
9:33 p.m.
Vice President Joe Biden is casting Donald Trump as too dangerous to trust with the presidency.
Biden says “no major party nominee in the history of this nation has ever known less or been less prepared to deal with our national security.”
The vice president tells the Democratic National Convention that Trump – the GOP presidential nominee – offers policies that are more in line with the United States’ adversaries.
Biden says Trump backs “torture” and “religious intolerance.” Biden says that “betrays our values” and makes it harder for the United States to defeat Islamic State militants.
9:27 p.m.
Vice President Joe Biden is skewering Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump for suggesting he represents the middle class.
Biden says the billionaire real estate mogul “has no clue about what makes America great.”
The vice president is telling the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia that he’s known as “middle-class Joe” in the nation’s capital – and he says that’s not a compliment.
He says it actually means … “you’re not sophisticated.”
Biden says Trump isn’t actually a friend to the middle class, but instead is a wealthy man who “doesn’t have a clue” about middle America.
9:25 p.m.
Vice President Joe Biden says Hillary Clinton‘s election will have a major impact on young girls. He says when she walks into the Oval Office as president, “it will change their lives.”
Biden is vouching for Clinton in a speech to the Democratic National Convention. He recalls his weekly breakfasts with Clinton when she served as secretary of state during the Obama administration.
Biden says everyone knows that Clinton is smart and tough but he says, “I know what she’s passionate about. I know Hillary.”
9:20 p.m.
Vice President Joe Biden is paying tribute to his late son Beau, who introduced him at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
Beau Biden went on to become attorney general of Delaware. He died in 2015 after a battle with cancer.
The vice president tells delegates in Philadelphia that the nation got to see “what an incredibly fine young man” Beau Biden was when he nominated his father for vice president.
Biden says his challenge in dealing with his son’s death makes him appreciate “the unbreakable spirit of the people of America” who deal with problems every day with “so much less support,” but still “put one foot in front of the other.”
The vice president was considered to be a potential 2016 presidential candidate, but cited his son’s death as a reason he wasn’t up for a national campaign.
9:17 p.m.
Donald Trump’s running mate is sounding a humble tone during his first solo campaign event since joining the ticket.
Mike Pence is calling himself a “B-list Republican celebrity.”
The Indiana governor was introduced in Waukesha, Wisconsin, by a fellow GOP governor, Scott Walker, and Pence is playing up his self-effacing Midwestern persona.
Waukesha overwhelmingly voted for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz during Wisconsin’s presidential primary – and Cruz won the state handily.
But Pence tells a crowd of several hundred people to vote for Trump because of the conservatives he’d nominate to the Supreme Court if he’s elected president.
He says they should vote Trump for the sake of the Constitution, the sanctity of life, the Second Amendment and “all our God given liberties.”
9:15 p.m.
Vice President Joe Biden is paying tribute to President Barack Obama at the Democratic convention, calling Obama the “embodiment of honor, resolve and character.”
Biden says Obama is “one of the finest presidents we have ever had.”
Biden reminds delegates it’s been eight years since he accepted the nomination to become vice president.
He says he and his wife, Jill, now considers the Obamas “family.” Biden says of the president, “He’s become a brother to Jill and me.”
9:10 p.m.
WikiLeaks has released 29 voicemails stolen from the Democratic National Committee, and they include several from unidentified party members upset by Bernie Sanders’ influence on the party.
The anti-Sanders messages are included with mostly run-of-the-mill messages about upcoming Democratic events that WikiLeaks selected for release Wednesday.
One caller objects to Sanders’ choices for the party’s platform committee and doesn’t even want the Vermont senator to have a speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention.
The caller – speaking about Sanders – says “he’s not a Democrat. Please stop this man now.” Another complains about the role given to Sanders supporter Cornel West, who’s been highly critical of President Barack Obama.
The release follows more than 19,000 stolen DNC emails that WikiLeaks published on its website last week.
9:05 p.m.
Leon Panetta‘s critique of Donald Trump’s preparation for the presidency has drawn dueling chants from the audience at the Democratic National Convention.
Chants of “No more war!” broke out during Panetta’s speech. The former defense secretary and CIA director questioned Trump’s ability to become commander in chief.
Later in Panetta’s speech, chants of “USA!” filled the arena.
It was one of the first times that chant was heard during the Democratic convention. It was common during last week’s Republican gathering.
Panetta promoted Hillary Clinton’s national security credentials.
9 p.m.
Democratic convention delegates are watching a video tribute to Vice President Joe Biden in which he proclaims he’s more optimistic than ever about the country’s future.
The video recaps Biden’s long career and is being shown just before his speech in Philadelphia.
Biden is praised for taking on the National Rifle Association in pushing for an assault weapons ban in the 1990s. The video says that’s the “kind of courage we need today in Congress to stand up to the NRA.”
It also alludes to personal loss in Biden’s life – the deaths of his first wife and daughter in 1972, and son Beau Biden from cancer last year.
8:50 p.m.
Former CIA Director and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says Donald Trump is taking Russia’s side, and that means Trump can’t become commander in chief.
Panetta is making the case for Hillary Clinton in a speech Wednesday night at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia.
He’s citing Trump’s earlier comments that encouraged Russia to find and make public emails deleted by Clinton from the private account and servers she used as secretary of state.
Panetta is criticizing Trump for – as he puts it – “asking one of our adversaries to engage in hacking or intelligence efforts against the United States to affect our election.”
To Panetta, “it’s inconceivable to me that any presidential candidate would be this irresponsible.”
8:45 p.m.
A retired Naval admiral is criticizing Republican Donald Trump for encouraging a foreign government – Russia – to spy against his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.
John Hutson says at the Democratic National Convention that earlier Trump, earlier Wednesday, “personally invited Russia to hack us.”
In Hutson’s view, “that’s not law and order. That’s criminal intent.”
Hutson also points to Trump’s mocking of Arizona Sen. John McCain for being captured as a prisoner of war during Vietnam.
Hutson’s take on Trump: “You’re not fit to polish John McCain’s boots.”
Hutson’s speech came on the first night at the convention that the Islamic State group and national security are getting extensive attention.
Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
