SAN DIEGO-- There they were, a small but vocal group of women, yelling at the top of their lungs as the crowds came down the escalator.

"Impeach Bush and Cheney! Impeach Bush and Cheney!"

Translation: welcome to the California Democratic Party's state convention.

Day one of the three day soiree began a few hours ago, and the crowd seems feisty. As delegates make their way to "America's Finest City" (that's what they call themselves down here), they're clearly riled up by national and world events. But there's also a real vibe of excitement, with almost every single Democratic presidential candidate showing up to woo them over the next 48 hours.

But none of that has happened yet. What has?

* A First: This is the first time that California Dems have gathered for the annual fest in San Diego, a region often known more for its allegiances to the Republican party (this is the same place, after all, where former governor Pete Wilson was mayor and where the national GOP gathered in 1996 to nominate Bob Dole in the race for president).

* Here, There, Everywhere: Unlike a lot of political conventions, there is no "central" gathering spot for delegates. The reason, according to CDP Chairman Art Torres: there are a lot of hotels that don't allow their workers to organize. And if there's one thing you should know about diehard Dems, it's this: they don't sleep in non-union hotels.

* British Invasion: It was not a California accent reporters heard as they arrived in the press room this afternoon... the volunteers all seemed to be British. In fact, some of them came from the Labour Party of British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

* More Hillaryites: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton picked up a few more high-profile endorsements this afternoon, including state Treasurer Bill Lockyer and former Governor Gray Davis.