Talk of Disunity Show Cracks Beneath the Calm at Democratic Convention
by FOXNews.com
Monday, August 25, 2008
The Denver Pepsi Center, shown here, was prepped for a week of Democratic festivities Sunday, on the eve of the Democratic National Convention. (FOXNews.com)
As thousands of Democratic delegates converged on Denver to nominate Barack Obama as their presidential nominee, one name on many people’s lips is Hillary Clinton.
Obama is expected to accept the nomination Thursday, but first must set to rest reminders of the bitter primary battle between he and his former rival.
The cracks were showing Monday morning as a USA/Gallup poll taken last Thursday through Saturday found that 47 percent of Clinton’s primary supporters say they will definitely vote for Obama while 23 percent were still uncommitted.
Seeking to exploit the rift, John McCain’s campaign ran a scathing ad over the weekend questioning why the Illinois senator chose Sen. Joe Biden over Clinton for his running mate. The McCain camp also produced another ad featuring a Clinton supporter who now backs McCain over Obama.
“She had the experience and judgment to be president,” says Debra Bartoshevich, identified by the McCain campaign as a former Clinton delegate. Of McCain, she says: “I respect his maverick and independent streak, and now he’s the one with the experience and judgment. A lot of Democrats will vote McCain. It’s OK, really!”
Senior Obama campaign adviser Anita Dunn responded that McCain’s ads are not aimed at reaching voters, but reaching the media to promote a story line that is not true. She referred to them as “video press releases” and said they were welcome to run them.
The Democrats’ camps offered several gestures to show they’re serious about party unity.
Top Clinton and Obama advisers issued a joined statement playing down the disunity theme, and in particular a Politico Web site story that said tensions are boiling behind the scenes as the two sides prepare for both names to be listed in the nomination.
“We understand that some in the news media are more interested in reporting the rumor of controversy than the fact of unity,” said Maggie Williams and David Axelrod, senior advisers for Clinton and Obama respectively. “The fact is that our teams are working closely to ensure a successful convention and will continue to do so. Senator and President Clinton fully support the Obama/Biden ticket and look forward to addressing the convention and the nation on the urgency of victory this fall. Anyone saying anything else doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Period.”
Dunn added that Clinton and her campaign “have been wonderful partners in working on the convention with us and we worked closely with them,” adding that “a high degree of cooperation” exists between the two campaigns.
In another such gesture of unity, Clinton is expected to release her amassed delegates Wednesday, according to a Democratic official.
The delegates would have been free to vote for Obama anyway, but the move would be a symbolic moment meant to encourage her delegates to vote for Obama during that evening’s roll-call vote.
Attempting to put the suggestions of discord to bed, in a unanimous vote Sunday, the party’s credentials committee restored full voting rights to delegations from Florida and Michigan. Both states were stripped of their voting rights earlier in the year in retaliation for holding primaries before party rules allowed.
Clinton also offered up compliments to Obama’s running mate, telling union delegates at the United Farm Workers’ constitutional convention in Fresno, Calif., Sunday that Biden is “a good man, a wise man, an experienced man.”
Thousands of blue signs that read simply “Unity” were stockpiled inside the Pepsi Center for distribution to convention delegates.
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said Sunday, after a campaign stop in Wisconsin, that he’s “excited” for the convention and “absolutely convinced” he picked the right candidate for his running mate.
“He’s got the expertise that will make him a great counselor on international crises that may come up. More importantly, I think he can help shape a long-term strategy to make America more secure,” he said, adding, “I can’t wait to hear Michelle speak tomorrow.”
Obama’s wife Michelle is among those kicking off an all-star list of Democratic speakers on Monday.
Former President Jimmy Carter also speaks Monday, along with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
But the Clintons will have a prominent role at the convention, threatening to steal some of the show on days when the keynote speaker and Biden himself are set to address the convention.
Some delegates remain peeved that Obama passed over the New York senator for the No. 2 slot on the Democratic ticket.
“When I initially got the news that Biden was the VP choice, I had mixed emotions,” said Nikema Williams, a pledged Clinton delegate.
Williams said Biden was a “great nominee” because he filled perceived holes in Obama’s resume, but noted that Clinton was equally qualified for the position.
“I was a little discouraged to hear that Clinton had been overlooked,” she said. “This convention, I hope, will bring out Hillary and appreciate her for all of the work she’s done, especially for putting health care at the forefront.”
In another reminder of primary tensions, The Politico reported that Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a top Clinton backer, said Sunday during a panel discussion with Sunday show moderators that the campaign coverage of Obama has been “embarrassing.”
“MSNBC was the official network of the Obama campaign,” he said.
Some Clinton delegates plan to vote for her anyway when her name is put in for nomination, even though she’s expected to release them.
Virginia delegate John Flannery did not hesitate to say “Clinton” when asked whom he’d cast a vote for.
“I’m going to vote for Hillary Clinton on the floor as provided by Barack Obama’s agreement with Senator Clinton — and then I’m going to support the Democratic ticket with enthusiasm,” Flannery said.
Lon Siedman, an Obama delegate from Connecticut, said he’s a “party unity guy,” and that it’s time to support the Democratic ticket.
“We conducted a democratic process. The person with the most delegates at the end of the day is the winner and I hope people will recognize that,” he said.
Meanwhile, technicians and planners darted around the Pepsi Center convention site Sunday making last-minute preparations for the onslaught of media and party pageantry.
They spent the afternoon testing sound and lighting in the massive convention arena, which is equipped with a dazzling curved monitor that stretches from the stage to the ceiling.
Biden’s tiny Delaware delegation has a spot front and center on the convention floor.
About 15,000 thousand media representatives from 130 countries are also expected to attend the convention of more than 4,400 delegates.
Obama officials said a key purpose of the convention is to give voters a better sense of the candidate’s biography and roots. A film that appeared to be a biography of Obama was playing silently in the Pepsi Center Sunday afternoon.
In Wisconsin Sunday, Obama said he hoped convention viewers would conclude, “He’s sort of like us. He comes from a middle-class background, went to school on scholarships. He and his wife had to figure out child care and how to start a college fund for their kids.”‘
This year’s convention also featured the first-ever faith caucus meetings, aimed at highlighting the party’s diversity of faith leaders. This follows Obama’s lead of talking openly and candidly about his own faith, a challenge to territory Republicans have cornered in past years.
On Sunday, the kickoff event featured rabbis, nuns, imams and evangelical preachers, who focused on tackling on social ills such as poverty, racism and crime.
Each night of the convention will begin with an invocation and end with a benediction delivered by a national faith leader.
Anti-war protests are also expected to continue throughout the week. A crowd of about 1,000 anti-war protesters marched to the Pepsi Center Sunday afternoon.
FOX News’ Major Garrett, Bonney Kapp and Cristina Corbin and The Associated Press contributed to this report. |
