DENVER — U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., is now the official
2008 Democratic presidential candidate, becoming the first African-American
nominated for the position in American history.

Delegates voted Wednesday afternoon at the Pepsi Center in
Denver — site of the 2008 Democratic National Convention — moments after the
senator landed at Denver International Airport.

Obama will deliver his acceptance speech Thursday at Denver’s
Invesco Field to an expected crowd of 75,000.

Former president Bill Clinton and Obama’s running mate, U.S.
Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., is scheduled to speak Wednesday night at the
convention.

Although the streets of Denver were filled mostly with individuals
wearing Obama t-shirts, buttons and bags, many supporters of Sen. Hillary
Clinton, D-NY, made their disapproval of Obama’s nomination known.

Clinton lost the race to become the Democratic presidential
nominee to Obama in June and had since thrown her support behind Obama.

The Republican National Convention, where U.S. Sen. John
McCain, D-Ariz., is expected to be nominated as the Republican nominee, starts
Sept. 1 in St. Paul.

See The Badger Herald’s Fall Registration Issue on stands
Tuesday for complete coverage from Denver’s Pepsi Center in addition to
coverage of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul.?