When the Republican National Convention ADJOURNED on September 4, 2008 it was clear who I would like to see become the next President of the United States. It was also clear which party I wanted to see occupy the White House. Unfortunately, the man and the party did not match.


It means that when the Republican National Convention at its close of session /at the end of its proceedings on 4 September 2008 ……..

I disagree that the word “adjourn” is used to indicate the beginning of a meeting (see references below). Your understanding is correct.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=es&q=define: adjourn&lr=lang...
Definitions: adjourn on the web:
• close at the end of a session; "The court adjourned"
• break from a meeting or gathering; "We adjourned for lunch"; "The men retired to the library"
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
• To adjourn means to suspend until a later stated time.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adjourn
• The motion to adjourn, in parliamentary procedure, is used to close the meeting. It can be renewed after material progress in business or debate, such as an important decision or speech. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adjourn (motion)
• To postpone; Temporarily ending an event with intentions to complete it at another time or place; Of an event: To end or suspend; To move from one place to another
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/adjourn
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/begin
1. to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start: The story begins with their marriage.
2. to come into existence; arise; originate: The custom began during the Civil War.
–verb (used with object)
3. to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of (some action): Begin the job tomorrow.
4. to originate; be the originator of: civic leaders who began the reform movement.
5. to succeed to the slightest extent in (fol. by an infinitive): The money won't even begin to cover expenses.
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[Origin: bef. 1000; ME beginnen, OE beginnan, equiv. to be- BE- + -ginnan to begin, perh. orig. to open, akin to YAWN ]

—Synonyms 3. BEGIN, COMMENCE, INITIATE, START (when followed by noun or gerund) refer to setting into motion or progress something that continues for some time. BEGIN is the common term: to begin knitting a sweater. COMMENCE is a more formal word, often suggesting a more prolonged or elaborate beginning: to commence proceedings in court. INITIATE implies an active and often ingenious first act in a new field: to initiate a new procedure. START means to make a first move or to set out on a course of action: to start paving a street. 4. institute, inaugurate, initiate.
—Antonyms 1. end.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.



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Note added at 2 days22 hrs (2008-09-12 04:04:05 GMT) Post-grading
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Thank you so much R. A.