Former Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius made a surprise visit to the Kansas delegation Thursday morning.
The Democrat hugged friends, stood for souvenir pictures, shook hands.
She urged Democrats to work for the ticket -- and said she was looking forward to Barack Obama's now indoor speech.
"The president's going to lay out the case of what's happened over the last four years and then where we want to go in the next four years," she said. "This is an election about choices."
She also told reporters she can't envision leaving her job as Health and Human Services secretary if Obama wins a second term.
"So much of what we're working on isn't fully enacted until 2014," Sebelius said. "I can't imagine walking out the door in the middle of that.
"I could say to him, `Good luck, hope that goes well.' I don't think that works really well."
The Affordable Care Act largely kicks in in 2014.
Many delegates were still raving Thursday about Clinton's address that clocked in about 48 minutes.
“He did the clearest, most effective job of debunking the Republican rhetoric that could’ve been done,” said Joan Wagnon, the Kansas Democratic Party chairwoman. “He laid out in unmistakable terms where the myths were and what was wrong with the Republican argument. Nobody could have done it better.”
Former Kansas Congressman Jim Slattery likened Clinton to a country lawyer making a closing argument to a jury.
“In the process, he picked apart the opponent’s argument with humor and with facts,” Slattery said. “The thing I admire about him is he’s never given up on educating people when he’s speaking.”
“It was off the charts,” Wichita delegate Karen Cayce said of the speech. “I liked the fact that he explained how Obama was trying to work with the Republicans even after all they said about him.”
Robert Choromanski, a Lenexa delegate, called the address “mesmerizing” and “heartfelt.”
“I liked how he said that you’ve got to take the fight to the other side,” he said.
“It was motivating,” said Carolyn Wims-Campbell, a Topeka delegate. “What I appreciated was how he reminded us of all the positive and good things the Democratic Party has done.”
Both went off their scripts. Both spoke longer than expected. Both relied on speaking habits developed over decades.
So who gave the better speech Wednesday -- Emanuel Cleaver or Bill Clinton?
"Cleaver spoke our souls and our hearts," said Susan Fowler, a delegate from Lyon Co. Kansas. "Clinton debunked, very effectively, all the Republican lies and fabrications...Clinton by a nanosecond."
"I would say Emanuel Cleaver," said Kansas delegate Merlin Ring. "He really got us on our feet."
"I would choose Bill Clinton," said delegate Cheryl Elizabeth Jackson. "He answered every point the Republicans lied about."
Anthony Hensley, Kansas delegate: "Clinton gets an A-plus. Cleaver an A."
Cleaver has been in high demand all week at least in part because of his position as head of the Congressional Black Caucus. A spokesman estimated that he's made at least 50 media appearances.
The list: Huffington Post, New York Times, NPR, BET, Washington Times, CNN, MSNBC, Politico, The Hill, Wall Street Journal, CBS. You get the idea.
Bain Capital and GST Steel was a topic of some argument Wednesday.
David Foster re-told the story of the Kansas City plant's closing in 2001, after it went bankrupt. Bain Capital -- with Mitt Romney at the helm -- bought GST in 1993. He left before the bankruptcy.
In a statement, Bain said "It is disappointing to watch the distortion of our record."
Corporate sponsors funded various aspects of last week's GOP National Convention in Tampa.
Ditto the Democrats this week in Charlotte.
Among the sponsors of daily breakfasts for the Missouri and Kansas delegations were Monsanto, ADM, Anheuser-Bush, Home State Health Plan, Motorola Solutions and BSNF.
At the Missouri breakfasts, representatives from the corporations typically stood and gave a few remarks to delegates.
Robin Carnahan, Missouri's 51-year-old outgoing secretary of state, doesn't know what she'll do after she leaves office in January afterK two terms.
She said she has no plans.
But many Democrats think Carnahan, who opted not to run for another term, may still wind up back in politics a few years down the road.
"I've got a gut feeling that this is probably not the end of the road for her," said Mike Sanders, the Jackson County executive and chair of the Missouri Democratic Party.
Carnahan, who lost a U.S. Senate race to Roy Blunt in 2010, said Sanders may be right.
"Who knows?" she said. "I watched my dad go in and out of public life and private life, and he always thought he was a better governor because he spent time in the private sector.
"I think folks are tired of career politicians. They want people who have experience out in the real world. I've done that in my life, and I want to get back to it.
"I do know life is unpredictable, and so I want to make sure I'm making a difference best I can everyday, and that's what I want to keep focusing on."
