On Saturday, June 2, state Democrats gathered in Springfield for the state “issues convention.” In a nod to Sunday’s Tony Awards, here are the Phoenix’s awards for best convention performances.

Best Belated Use of the Latin-Music Craze: Treasurer Shannon O’Brien bopped to Ricky Martin’s “La Vida Loca” following her convention speech.

Scariest Example of “Showing Presence”: State Representative John Slattery, a lieutenant-governor hopeful, hired a double-decker Peter Pan Bus that tore through downtown filled with his rowdy fans.

Least Expensive but Still Effective Party Favor: Former state senator Warren Tolman spread his Clean Elections gospel by offering delegates a bar of soap with his name on it.

Best Way To Show Credibility to the Democratic Faithful: Steve Grossman’s detail-heavy speech, including a proposal for a “21st Century Teacher Corps.”

Best Showing by a Real “New Democrat”: While much was made of the leftward tilt of many of the delegates and candidates at the convention (see “Talking Politics,” page 26), Congressman Harold Ford Jr. of Tennessee invoked Martin Luther King Jr. and Senator John McCain of Arizona — currently still a Republican — to implore delegates to move beyond the electoral debacle in Florida and focus on the future. He also praised the change that the national Democrats had undergone since the 1992 election: “For so many years our party was seen as fiscally irresponsible until we elected two country boys named Clinton and Gore.”

Most Underrated Convention Gimmick: Senate president Tom Birmingham screened a terrific pre-speech video of himself sparring with heavyweight boxing champion — and Chelsea resident — John Ruiz. Although the Boston Globe critiqued Birmingham’s performance in the video as “stiff,” the candidate eagerly shadowboxed with Ruiz, who advised the Senate president to “just fight for working people.”

Best Unhyped Moakley Moment: Congressman Barney Frank of Newton remembered his close relationship with Congressman Joe Moakley, who died May 28 and was buried the Friday before the convention. When Frank first got to Congress, Moakley took Frank aside and told him that Howard Johnson’s “makes lots of flavors because not everyone likes vanilla,” Frank recalled. “It was his way of letting me know he heard I was gay and didn’t care.”

Issue Date: June 7 - 14, 2001