The Trail

Governor Hopeful Hosts Late-Night Bash

DENVER -- Del. Brian J. Moran (D-Alexandria), a candidate for governor next year, kept Virginia delegates to the Democratic National Convention happy at a party late Tuesday at the delegation's hotel bar.

More than 100 Virginia Democrats attended the party, billed as a "Late Night With Brian Moran," including U.S. Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott and Moran's brother, U.S. Rep. James P. Moran. U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Mark R. Warner also made an appearance, hours after he delivered the convention's keynote address.

-- Tim Craig

AN UNUSUAL PERSPECTIVE

It's an Honor to Be Given Bad Seats?

DENVER -- While Virginia delegates to the convention bask in the glory of being in front of the podium, Maryland delegates are seated almost as away from the podium as a delegate can get, off the floor, near the top of the first level of stadium seating.

"I'd like to be up front. This is my ninth convention, and we've been toward the back, but never this far back," said Loretta Johnston, an Obama delegate from Baltimore County.

But Mary Jo Neville, a delegate from western Howard County, said there is nothing unusual about Maryland's poor placement in the convention seating hierarchy.

Actually, Neville said, Maryland delegates should be honored by how far away from the podium they have been seated because it means they are doing their jobs as party leaders.

"We are a blue state, so we always perform no matter what," Neville said. "So we get hotels far away and seats in the boonies."