Reid takes on Trump, Pence

U.S. Sen. Minority Leader Harry Reid — who rarely fails to remind an audience he was once a boxer — took the gloves off Wednesday. His targets: Donald Trump and Mike Pence.

His first jab, in an afternoon interview with The Huffington Post, was aimed at Trump, who earlier in the day asked the Russians to hack Hillary Clinton’s emails.

“How would the CIA and the other intelligence agencies brief this guy? How could they do that?” Reid asked. “I would suggest to the intelligence agencies, if you’re forced to brief this guy, don’t tell him anything, just fake it, because this man is dangerous. Fake it, pretend you’re doing a briefing, but you can’t give the guy any information.”

Then, during his convention address, Reid took on Trump and running mate Pence.

“Donald Trump and Mike Pence want to put insurance companies back in charge of your health,” he said. “Donald Trump and Mike Pence want to let big banks run wild again. And Donald Trump and Mike Pence want to gamble with your retirement benefits in the stock market. Republicans want to tear down the pillars of middle-class security. We won’t let that happen!”

Charleston survivors back Clinton

Survivors of last year’s massacre at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., spoke in support of Hillary Clinton’s run for president.

Felicia Sanders and Polly Sheppard were both inside the historic church when a gunman walked in during Bible study and opened fire. Nine were killed.

Speaking during a portion of Wednesday night’s program at the Democratic convention devoted to fighting gun violence, Sheppard said she forgave accused killer Dylann Roof two days after the shooting.

“To heal, we must forgive,” she said. “The shooter in Charleston had hate in his heart. The shooter in Orlando had hate in his heart, and the shooter in Dallas did, too.”

Instead of hate, Sheppard said, look elsewhere.

“But as Scripture says, love never fails, so I choose love,” she said. “And in this election, I choose Hillary Clinton.”

Sanders pushback at Georgia meeting

At the close of Wednesday morning’s meeting of the Georgia delegation to the Democratic National Convention, state party Chairman DuBose Porter turned the microphone over to Khalid Kamau, a bus driver turned activist who was one of the leaders of this state’s contingent of Bernie Sanders supporters.

Kamau chastised the Georgia delegation, which mostly supported Hillary Clinton, for cheering when Sanders was in the act of urging his supporters to cross over to support their candidate.

“I experienced that as gloating and violent. And several other people did as well. And that’s why they walked out. And I know that wasn’t anybody’s intention,” Kamau said. “I truly believe that in the rush to get what you wanted, you didn’t stop to think how it felt to this marginalized, minority people. And so I just wanted to say that that hurt.”

Jackson: Clinton ‘trusted and tested’

The Rev. Jesse Jackson addressed head-on what is seen as one of Hillary Clinton’s biggest political weaknesses with voters, calling the Democratic nominee the most trustworthy presidential candidate.

“We brand her trusted and tested and tried,” the civil rights leader said, describing his decades-long relationship with Clinton. “Hillary can be trusted to appoint our Supreme Court.”

Jackson said Clinton could also be trusted to ban assault weapons, an idea he returned to at several points in his speech, and to uphold the key tenets of the Black Lives Matter movement.

“She knows our scars and our suffering,” he said.

AIDS activist says Clinton could bring breakthrough

Atlanta-based HIV/AIDS activist Daniel Driffin said Hillary Clinton would work to reduce the stigma surrounding the virus and provide ongoing resources for prevention, treatment and education.

“With Hillary Clinton as our president, I believe that we can meet our goal of an AIDS-free generation,” Driffin said Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. “So, as an organizer and an advocate, as a black man, as a gay man and as a man living with HIV, I ask you to go get tested and then go and vote.”

Driffin, a policy adviser with Georgia Equality, is the first HIV-positive speaker to address the Democratic convention in 16 years.

Georgia legislator a surprise speaker

Georgia state Rep. Park Cannon, D-Atlanta, made a surprise appearance on stage at the Democratic convention. Cannon, who won a special election and was sworn into office in February, was not listed on any official convention schedule. But she and several other younger Democrats delivered a message of inclusion.

“I’m African-American, I’m queer and I’m the newest member of the Georgia House of Representatives,” Cannon said during the segment devoted to “Our America.”

“I ran for office because I represent the rainbow of voices that too often went unheard in our state Capitol. We need to trust black women. Our America is apologetically ready to stand together.”

Lewis assumes identity of comic book author

The day after he was given a hero’s welcome at the Democratic National Convention, where he seconded the nomination of Hillary Clinton for president, U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Atlanta, spoke to Georgia delegates about his other role as co-author of a best-selling comic book.

The third installment in the series, called “March,” comes out next month. The trilogy chronicles his career in the civil rights movement. The first installment hit No. 1 on The New York Times best-seller list, said Andrew Aydin, Lewis’ co-author, who as an aide to the congressman used to answer his mail.

“My decades as a pilot, military officer, and astronaut gave me a unique perspective on our world. I saw our country at its best.

“I also saw humanity at its worst. From the cockpit of my A6 Intruder, I saw America lead the international coalition that defeated Saddam Hussein. I also saw the devastating effects of war itself. From orbit, I saw our planet as a perfect blue marble.

“But I also saw receding glaciers and shrinking rain forests.”

— Mark Kelly, retired astronaut, engineer and U.S. Navy captain

“In Congress, I learned a powerful lesson. Strong women get things done. Hillary is tough. Hillary is courageous. She will fight to make our families safer. In the White House, she will stand up to the gun lobby. That’s why I’m voting for Hillary. Speaking is difficult for me. But come January, I want to say these two words, ‘Madam President.’ ”

— Gabby Giffords, former U.S. Rep., D-Ariz.

“Since the massacre at Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church, more lives have been destroyed by gun violence, and hatred still threatens to tear us apart. After Charleston, Hillary Clinton challenged all of us to turn our grief into action. We have to do that. Still, there are days when it feels like our bodies and minds are under too much pressure. Then I remember we have souls, too. And I thank God our souls are on fire.”

— Angela Bassett, actress

“Donald Trump doesn’t fight for you. Instead, he insults people who disagree with him. He makes his followers fearful of tomorrow. He feeds off of a deepseated and dangerous anger. But anger never fed a hungry child; anger never protected a family’s home or sent a kid to college. Anger never built a great Republic. I say to hell with Trump’s American nightmare. We believe in the American Dream.”

— Martin O’Malley, governor of Maryland

“Donald Trump and Mike Pence want to put insurance companies back in charge of your health. Donald Trump and Mike Pence want to let big banks run wild again. And Donald Trump and Mike Pence want to gamble with your retirement benefits in the stock market. Republicans want to tear down the pillars of middle-class security. We won’t let that happen.”

— U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

“In this stormy season of violent campaign rhetoric, we are called to be steady in the face of the whirlwind. There’s a tug of war going on for the soul of America. We have a clear choice. We must tear down walls of separation, and build bridges of hope and unity.”

— Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., civil rights leader

“I am worried — terrified — about what might happen if we elect Trump. I’m not just scared for my business, but for other young entrepreneurs like me. We’ve already seen the preview in my state of North Carolina. Earlier this year, our legislature passed what’s known as the ‘bathroom bill.’ ... Besides being deeply embarrassing and morally wrong, it had an immediate and dramatic effect on our state economy.”

— Brooks Bell, tech entrepreneur from North Carolina

“Never before has a presidential nominee taken office with so solid a promise for full and equal citizenship for D.C. residents. And listen up America: A nominee who will stand up for D.C. will stand up for you too.”

— U.S. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C.