What to Watch as the Democratic Convention Starts

If you only read one thing: Good morning from Pennsylvania where it’s not just the thermometer that’s heating up. [Deletes account.] Just hours before the Democratic National Committee was set to gavel in, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz was forced to resign, effective Thursday, over revelations that she and her staff were less than impartial during the Democratic primary process. The emails, leaked by WikiLeaks and allegedly hacked by “Russian state actors,” provide an unsavory view into the inner workings of the Democratic Party’s governing body. As Hillary Clinton hopes to use the convention to rally a uniting party, the email release couldn’t have come at a worst time, as it has only reinvigorated Bernie Sanders loyalists who long complained that the DNC wasn’t impartial. Much of the blame for the state of the DNC ultimately resides with the head of the party, President Obama, who has long practiced disregard for the organization, believing it worked against him when he was challenging Clinton in 2008. Wasserman Schultz, who long ago lost the White House’s confidence, only remained in the job because there was no obvious successor, and the no-drama Obama administration didn’t like the idea of a shakeup. The odds-on favorite for the job permanently is EMILY’s List President Stephanie Schriock.

As expected, Hillary Clinton selected Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine as her running mate, securing hers as the experienced ticket in the race, featuring a former Secretary of State, former Senator, and former First Lady, joined by a sitting Senator and a former Governor and mayor. Kaine, largely viewed as a moderate, has already reversed his previous support of the Trans-Pacific Partnership to fall in line with Clinton’s policies. Some Democrats, already inflamed by the Sanders email drama, are protesting his selection, arguing he’s not sufficiently progressive.

Donald Trump’s bizarre post-Convention assault on Ted Cruz. How the Clinton campaign is planning to ‘Romney’ Trump. And the meaning of the NBA moving the All Star game out of North Carolina.

We’ll be back with more on tonight’s program this evening. Here are your must reads:

Must Reads

DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz to Resign After Convention
Leaked emails force shake-up on eve of party gathering [TIME]

Clinton Campaign — and Some Cyber Experts — Say Russia Is Behind Email Release
U.S. officials believe Moscow is trying to help Trump [Washington Post]

Sanders Team Wanted DNC To Pay For Private Plane For Fall
An internal “End Game” memo left in a Los Angeles hotel restaurant details extraordinary demands considered by the Sanders campaign ahead of the Democrats’ unity event [BuzzFeed]

Clinton Campaign Plans to Pull a Romney on Donald Trump
A new spin on an old attack [TIME]

Donald Trump Team Woos Bernie Sanders Supporters at Democratic Convention
And after the DNC email leak, some Sanders supporters might be angry enough to switch sides [TIME]

How Tim Kaine’s Record on Guns Helps With Women Voters
VP choice keeps gun fight alive [TIME]

Sound Off

“This idea that America is somehow on the verge of collapse. This vision of violence and chaos everywhere doesn’t really jibe with the experience of most people.” — President Obama responding to Donald Trump’s acceptance speech

“Do you want a you’re fired president, or do you want a you’re hired president.” — Tim Kaine stumping for Clinton at their first joint event in Miami

Bits and Bites

32.2 million watched Trump accept GOP nomination [Politico]

Hillary Clinton’s First National Splash: LIFE Magazine in 1969 [TIME]

Hillary Clinton Launches Mobile Volunteering App [TIME]

The NBA Took the All-Star Game Away From Charlotte. Here’s Why It Matters [TIME]

Dismayed by Donald Trump, Michael Bloomberg Will Endorse Hillary Clinton [New York Times]

Court Strikes Down Virginia Order Restoring Voting Rights to Ex-Felons [TIME]

Donald Trump Still Isn’t Done Attacking Ted Cruz [TIME]