Dick Gephardt

DENVER -- It's not a sexy issue, as he's acknowledged on numerous occasions, but it seems that everywhere Gov. Ed Rendell goes nowadays, he's hammering home the need to rebuild the America's infrastructure.

It's been one of his signature issues as governor. When he became chair of the National Governors Association in July, he said his yearlong tenure would be dedicated to infrastructure renewal. And today, at the Democratic convention, Rendell got the ball rolling on yet another infrastructure conversation during a policy symposium that brought together elected officials, transportation experts and business leaders.

"I don't want to accept the premise that there isn't funding to do what I think is one of the two or three most important national imperatives," Rendell said in opening the roundtable discussion, moderated by former Missouri Congressman Dick Gephardt.

Former Rep. Marty Meehan went on the record vouching for John McCain's bi-partisan credentials in David Espo's perspective piece for the AP this morning.

Meehan was discussing their work together on campaign finance reform earlier this decade, saying that the Republican presidential nominee displayed "enormous courage" by taking on his party's leadership and working out of the Democratic war room in Dick Gephardt's office.

The Fifth district Democrat was joined by Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and former Republican House Leader Dick Armey of Texas. Notably, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin declined to be interviewed for the artice.