ST. PAUL, Minnesota (CNN) — Dan Savage, sex columnist and author of the syndicated sex advice column "Savage Love," made his way to St. Paul, Minnesota this week to attend the Republican National Convention, where he’s filming a piece for HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher."

Planted in the "CNN Grill," Savage shares his thoughts on John McCain's running mate Sarah Palin, tells us what a sex columnist is doing at a political convention, and gives us his take on who's sexier: Democrats or Republicans.

DNC Chair Howard Dean expressed shock over the shooting.

(CNN) – Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean has issued a statement reacting to the shooting at the Arkansas Democratic Party headquarters:

"This senseless tragedy comes as a shock to all of us. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Chairman Gwatney and his family and we pray for his full and speedy recover," he said. "While the investigation of this shooting continues, and our primary concern remains with Bill and his family, we commend the courageous and speedy action of law enforcement officials in apprehending the suspect."

CNN affiliates report that Arkansas Democratic Party Chairman Bill Gwatney was shot.

(CNN) — The chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party died Wednesday, hours after a shooting at the party's headquarters, police said.

Chairman Bill Gwatney died at 3:59 Wednesday afternoon after a gunman entered his Little Rock office and shot him several times in the upper body, Little Rock Police Lt. Terry Hastings said.

Authorities confirmed the news shortly after former President Clinton and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton released a statement expressing their condolences.

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PITTSBURGH (AP) — Democrats shaped a set of principles Saturday that commits the party to guaranteed health care for all, heading off a potentially divisive debate and edging the party closer to the position of Barack Obama's defeated rival, Hillary Clinton.

Obama, soon to be the Democratic nominee, has stopped short of proposing to mandate health coverage for all. He aims to achieve something close to universal coverage by making insurance more affordable and helping struggling families pay for it.

Advisers to Obama and Clinton both told the party's platform meeting they were happy with the compromise, adopted without opposition or without explanation as to how health care would be
guaranteed.

In return for the guarantee, activists dropped a tougher platform amendment seeking a government-run, single-payer system and another amendment explicitly holding out Clinton's plan as the one to follow.

The party now declares itself "united behind a commitment that every American man, woman and child be guaranteed to have affordable, comprehensive health care."

Under any system in play, most people would still put out money for health insurance as they do now, but they would get help when needed.

That was a common feature of the plans put forward by Obama and Clinton in the primaries. But she would have required everyone to get insurance while his plan makes it mandatory only for children.

Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean praised "the spirit of this compromise." Judith McHale, a Clinton supporter who helped to lead the platform meeting, said Obama and Clinton advisers worked
collegially throughout the process.

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Watch Bill Schneider takes a look at the divisions within the Democratic Party.

(CNN) — Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider reports on the divisions within the Democratic Party that have surfaced in the long, hard-fought race for the party's presidential nomination.

A Florida court threw out a lawsuit Wednesday challenging the Democratic Party's decision not to seat delegates from Florida.

(CNN) — A Florida court threw out a lawsuit Wednesday challenging the Democratic Party's decision not to seat delegates from Florida — as litigants prepared to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Political consultant Victor DiMaio and his lawyer Michael Steinberg had compared the party's decision to earlier prohibitions against allowing African-Americans to vote and invoked the trauma of the Florida recount in the 2000 contest between Al Gore and George W. Bush, both arguments also used by Hillary Clinton to support the seating of the state’s delegates.

"This is nuts. This is not right. How can they remove Florida after all the things that Florida has suffered through– hanging chads, through Bush v Gore, and they're sticking it to us again," DiMaio said before the hearing.

Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean says the situations are not comparable.

"You cannot violate the rules of the process and then expect to get forgiven for it," he said.

Judge Richard Lazarra sided with the party, saying political parties have the right to make their own rules.

DiMaio's is the second Florida lawsuit protesting the Democratic Party's decision to be thrown out of court. An earlier one filed by Sen. Bill Nelson and Rep. Alcee Hastings, both Florida Democrats, was also dismissed.

Democrats could lose Mary Landrieu's Senate seat in November.

However dim their congressional prospects look this election year, Republicans are at least feeling pretty good about the state of play in Louisiana. The G.O.P. swept all but two statewide offices in last fall's elections, including the governors' office, where U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal replaced one-term Democrat Kathleen Blanco. Now Republicans have their sights set on an even bigger prize: the Senate seat currently held by Democrat Mary Landrieu.

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Obama greets diners at a food court on caucus day.

(CNN) — In what could prove to be good news for the Obama campaign, the first waves of entrance polling are showing Democratic caucus goers overwhelmingly chose their candidate based on who they felt could bring about the most change. More than 50 percent named change as the most important attribute in a candidate, compared to only 8 percent who picked electability.

–CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

Hillary Clinton greets caucus goers.

(CNN) — The early waves of entrance polling are indicating that close to 60 percent of Democratic caucus goers are women. Like the Republicans, a third are over the age of 65, and 80 percent are over the age of 45. They rank the war in Iraq as their top issue of concern, followed closely by the economy and healthcare. Two -thirds decided on their candidate over a month ago.

–CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

VIENNA, Virginia (CNN) – The Democratic National Committee voted Saturday to deny Michigan’s request to hold its primary on January 15, but party leaders vowed to move forward with the event even though its delegates won’t count in the presidential nominating contest.

“This is about principle,” Debbie Dingell, a Michigan DNC member, said in an interview after the vote. “It is the only way we are going to get there.

Earlier in the year, the DNC voted to strip Florida of its delegates for scheduling its primary on January 29. Both states violated DNC rules by holding contests before February 5.

The Michigan vote came right after the DNC allowed Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina to reschedule their presidential nominating contests to earlier dates in January.

“As expected, the (DNC) Rules and Bylaws Committee took action to protect the intent of the calendar as adopted by the DNC over a year ago,” said DNC spokeswoman Karen Finney.

The Democratic presidential nominating calendar will kick off with the Iowa caucuses on January 3, followed by the New Hampshire primary on January 8, the Nevada caucuses January 19 and will close with the South Carolina primary on January 26.

On February 5, more than 20 states will hold presidential nominating contests on what is described as "Super Tuesday."

– CNN Political Editor Mark Preston

Gravel was the only candidate to address Florida Democrats Saturday

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida (AP) — Three thousand Democrats came here Saturday and rallied around their top politicians and party leaders, but the biggest impression was made by who wasn't there: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards and other presidential candidates.

The candidates skipped the convention to honor a pledge not to campaign in Florida because the state violated party rules by setting its primary date before Feb. 5.

Well, not all of them.

"Mike Gravel for president!" shouted state Senate Democratic Leader Steve Geller, announcing his support for the former Alaska senator and the only candidate who agreed to come. Geller had previously endorsed Edwards, the former North Carolina senator, but withdrew it because of the Florida boycott.

The convention comes in the middle of a months-long feud over Florida's Jan. 29 primary. The GOP-dominated Legislature and Republican Gov. Charlie Crist put the date into law last spring. After considering holding caucuses after Feb. 5 to meet national party rules, the state party decided to stick with the early primary so as many people as possible can participate.

The Democratic National Committee responded by voting to strip Florida of all its delegates. Candidates were pushed by party leaders in the DNC-approved early voting states — Iowa, New
Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada — to sign a pledge not to campaign in Florida unless the state complied with DNC rules.

Florida Democrats were given 30 days to change their minds. They refused.

On Saturday morning, Florida Democratic Party Chairman Karen Thurman took the stage to raucous applause as she sang along with rock star Tom Petty: "I will stand my ground, and I won't back down."

Sen. Bill Nelson devoted much of his address to the primary quarrel. He and Rep. Alcee Hastings are suing the DNC over the issue.

"Our lawsuit is about the right of every American to have access to the ballot box, and to have that vote count — and to have it count as intended," Nelson said.

He also stirred loud boos when he mentioned the candidates' boycott. Still, many of the attendees waved signs for candidates.
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Ole Danbolt Mjos, chairman of the Nobel committee, displays a picture of Al Gore in Oslo, Norway, on Friday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Several Democratic presidential candidates released statements Friday congratulating Al Gore for winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson called the former vice president's efforts "awe-inspiring" and said in a written statement that he "has a remarkable record of public service. For over twenty years, he has been dedicated to fighting global warming for our nation and the world. His Nobel Prize is well-deserved."

"By having the courage to challenge the skeptics in Washington and lead on the climate crisis facing our planet, Al Gore has advanced the cause of peace and richly deserves this reward," said Illinois Sen. Barack Obama in a written statement.

A message was posted on New York Sen. Hillary Clinton's website stating that Gore's "dedication and tireless work have been instrumental in raising international awareness about global warming."

North Carolina Sen. John Edwards released a statement as well, saying, "The Nobel Peace Prize rewards three decades of Vice President Gore's prescient and compelling — and often lonely — advocacy for the future of the Earth."

"His leadership stands in stunning contrast to the failure of the current administration to pursue policies that would reduce the harm of global warming," the statement read.

Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd also joined the chorus of accolades, stating, "Al's tireless efforts to increase awareness of the threats of global warming have provided a powerful voice telling the world that we need to act now.”

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– CNN Political Assignment Editor Katy Byron