by Davar Iran Ardalan

Sorry, no imovie this week BUT my colleagues Phil Harrell and David Schulman have been working hard booking interviews this weekend as we head into the Democratic National Convention. Thanks for your suggestions, here is what we are working on:

 

1. NPR's Don Gonyea: He will have a story for us from Senator Obama's rally in Springfield, IL.

2. TAKING RESERVATIONS: Liane talks with Paul Attarti, co-owner and maitre d' of Fruition, a Denver restaurant known for its "sophisticated comfort food." Attardi has been taking reservations, and is expecting at least one prominent senator for dinner during the convention. He tells Liane what menu choices he'd recommend for a certain senator from Illinois.

Booked for Friday am (will air on Sunday):

3. Liane talks with Bertha Means, who runs a taxicab company in Austin, Texas. She's a delegate to the Democratic National Convention for the first time, at the age of 88. She likes to go by the tag line, "great-grandmama-for-Obama."

Likely Friday p.m. recording (will air on Sunday):

4. Liane speaks with Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich about complaints from some that Obama has shifted his position to the center. And she asks him about the impact of the loss of his colleague in the Ohio congressional delegation, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, who died suddenly this week.

Possible for Saturday:

5. Liane talks with Congressman Xavier Becerra. He is an Assistant to the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and is the only member from Southern California serving on the House Committee on Ways and Means. Becerra was an early supporter of Barack Obama whose district includes Koreatown, the Byzantine-Latino Quarter, Hollywood and other Los Angeles neighborhoods. Becerra made news in 2007 when he delivered the Democratic response to President Bush's State of the Union Address in Spanish.

Also Possible:

FORMER VIRGINIA GOVERNOR Mark Warner

p.s. Please note we are working ahead on a segment on taxes and the economy based on what some of you requested. Finally, NPR as a network has requests out to interview Senators McCain and Obama, if we on Weekend Edition Sunday get an interview with Senator John McCain or Senator Barack Obama we will pose your questions to them.