After 100 years of presidents trying to push some form of health care reform, a comprehensive health care bill finally became a reality - even if it is not as comprehensive as some would have it. But a start’s a start - and Rep. Bart Stupak is a hero.

State Senator and Howard U. graduate Kasim Reed won a very tight mayoral race in Atlanta last night at just about the same margin ahead as he was behind in the primary that precipiated the special runoff election that resulted in his victory. It was a well fought and at the end, downright brutal race by all accounts and came down ultimately - as all local races should - to who got out the vote in key precincts. Even with 100 precincts reporting votes, there was still a question of whether Reed might eventually lose to absentee balloting. But the victory has been announced, the concessions made and now the tough work of shoring up Atlanta’s myriad growing pains begins.

That victory is somewhat tempered by the conviction of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon on charges of using gift cards intended as charitable donations for the poor to satisfy her chitlins in a champagne glass taste in shopping. Meanwhile, all those white kids taking classes at Harvard on THE WIRE are having a field day talking about how prescient the producers of the show were in showing Baltimore’s institutionalized corruption. There’s an open question of what’s more embarrassing - another Black elected official going down under shady circumstances, or the ridiculously petty and penny ante antics that brought her downfall? Gift cards? Seriously?

Meanwhile, back at MTV, rumor has it that the next edition of their popular franchise, The Real World, is being planned for Baltimore.

THE REAL WORLD - BALTIMORE. Has there ever been a more redundant title?

If I’ve been derelict in blogging lately - and I have - it’s been due to planning for EbonyJet.com’s coverage of the convention.

This will be unprecented coverage by all three Ebony sister publications - Ebony, Jet and of course, EbonyJet.com where we will be covering the blow by blow, wall to wall, gavel to gavel activities both inside and outside the convention.

I’ll be anchoring the coverage with a daily blog of hourly (or more) posts called, appropriately, Inside and Outside the Convention. That blog will try to explain in fine detail exactly what happens at a convention and more importantly, around the convention - protests, parties, politics and the press, with photos, video and more.

Political and investigate reporter Del Walters will be covering the activities on the floor and uncovering news in the delegations.

Our political columnists Monroe Anderson, DeAngelo Starnes and Brian Gilmore will be giving their own twists on the themes behind each convention day and adding some clarity and historical perspective.

Photo Director and award-winning photographer Dudley Brooks will be launching slideshows each day and we’ll feature galleries from Ebony photographer Valerie Goodloe.

We’ve also assembled an international team of filmmakers to give you the world view on Obama from Paris, Berlin and London. Plus much, much more.

Check in and check in often starting Sunday night August 24th. –Eric Easter