Quadsville

Whew! I haven't even been here for 48 hours and I feel like there is so much to tell you.

Last night, Michelle Obama gave a wonderful speech about her and Barack's life together. She will make an outstanding First Lady. It was great to see the Obama daughters up on stage. Young people like that remind me what is at stake in this election.

The highlight of the night for me was a speech by one of my heroes, Senator Ted Kennedy. As some of you may know, Senator Kennedy is suffering from brain cancer. We were expected to watch a video message from him. But to our surprise he was here in Denver. His speech last night was inspirational. There is no better friend of working men and women than Senator Kennedy.

Afterwards, I attended a great reception with Senator Dick Durbin and Congressman Rahm Emanuel.

This morning, I addressed the Illinois Delegation breakfast to talk about the importance of standing up for American workers and veterans.

Tonight, Senator Hillary Clinton will address the convention and help unite the Democratic Party as we work to elect Senator Obama in November.

I very much look forward to her address.

It's hard to believe how many people are here for this convention. Getting into the Pepsi Center (convention hall) was even tough.

It shows me what great enthusiasm there is for our candidate and our party.

Now I'm off to a lunch honoring LGBT delegates and to give a speech before several international unions.

Look forward to checking in soon.

Greetings from Denver, Colorado. My wife Beckie and I landed in the Mile High City earlier this evening and we are looking forward to the week ahead.

Denver is beautiful....and there is excitement in the air about Senator Barack Obama and the upcoming convention. I will be checking in daily to discuss what is happening on the ground here. I certainly look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments.

I was absolutely thrilled to learn yesterday that Senator Obama chose Senator Joe Biden of Delaware as his running mate.

In 2006, I was honored when Senator Biden came to the 17th District to campaign for me. I have admired him for a long time.

His work as Chairman of the Foreign Relations and Judiciary Committees has demonstrated his commitment to both keeping the American people safe and to protecting their civil liberties.

Senator Biden has always brought a refreshing dose of honesty and humor to politics. I have no doubt he will soon show Senator McCain what a 'Straight Talk Express' really sounds like.

I am very excited about the Obama-Biden ticket. I look forward to hearing each of their nominating speeches this week.

That's it for now. Will blog again soon.

Last week, I had the privilege of traveling to Iraq as part of a Congressional Delegation (CODEL) with Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake to see first-hand the medical care being provided to our fighting men and women.

During the trip, I visited the Kuwaiti Emergency Medical Facility, Medical Aid Stations in Baghdad, the Balad Theatre Support Hospital in Iraq, and the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.  I received operational briefs from commanders on the ground, met with U.S. troops, and participated in office calls with General David Petraeus and the U.S. Embassy.

I saw the incredible job that our fighting men and women are doing under very difficult circumstances. Our entire nation should be grateful for their service.

I was especially impressed with the medical personnel who are working constantly to make sure that our injured soldiers get the best possible care. From my visits to medical facilities in Kuwait, Iraq, and Germany, I saw the great pride they took in caring for our wounded warriors.

I had the chance to meet with several injured troops—including ones from Illinois. I visited burn victims, those suffering from IED wounds, and triple amputees. I was extremely humbled by their courage.

I was also able to more closely examine the ongoing war effort in Iraq. While the surge of U.S. troops has had some limited tactical success, I did not see any evidence to suggest it has helped the Iraqis find the political solution necessary to establish peace in the country and stability in the region.  Our troops won the war. It is time for the Iraqi government to win the peace.

I still strongly support a responsible redeployment of our troops. The Iraqi government will not stand up until they feel the pressure to do so. A timetable for withdrawal can apply that pressure.

My visit abroad reinforced my commitment to our troops and our veterans. I will continue to spend every day fighting so our servicemen and women get the care they deserve both on the battlefield and here at home.

PHOTO: General David Petraeus and I