Hillary Looks For Way To Be Heard At Convention

DENVER — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is seeking a way for her delegates to be heard at the Democratic National Convention, telling supporters such a step will help unify a party that split between her and Sen. Barack Obama during their hard-fought nominating contest.

"I happen to believe that we will come out stronger if people feel that their voices were heard and their views respected. I think that is a very big part of how we actually come out unified," Clinton, D-N.Y., told supporters last week at a California fundraiser. A video clip of her remarks was posted on YouTube.

"Because I know from just what I'm hearing, that there's incredible pent up desire. And I think that people want to feel like, 'OK, it's a catharsis, we're here, we did it, and then everybody get behind Sen. Obama.' That is what most people believe is the best way to go," she said.

The former first lady did not rule out the possibility of having her name placed into nomination at the convention, being held Aug. 25-28 in Denver. But she also said no decisions had been made.

"We are trying work all this through with the (Democratic National Committee) and with the Obama campaign," said Clinton, who suspended her White House bid on June 7 and endorsed Obama, an Illinois senator.

Clinton campaign officials are negotiating with both parties to determine the full scope of her role at the convention. She is expected to deliver a prime-time address to delegates on Aug. 26, the second night of the gathering.

"We are working together to make sure the fall campaign and the convention are a success," said a joint statement released late Wednesday by the Clinton and Obama campaigns. "At the Democratic Convention, we will ensure that the voices of everyone who participated in this historic process are respected and our party will be fully unified heading into the November election."

Spokeswoman Kathleen Strand said Clinton believes "it's important that her supporters have a voice in some way," adding that no decisions have been made on how this would happen.

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But advisers to the New York senator said she will almost certainly not ask to have her name placed in formal nomination at the convention, avoiding a divisive vote on the night Obama is expected to become the Democratic Party's first black presidential nominee.

Under DNC rules, Clinton must submit a signed, written request to have her name placed in nomination, accompanied by a petition signed by at least 300 delegates. Some Clinton delegates have circulated such petitions, but the effort is meaningless without Clinton's signed request.

Delegates are not formally pledged to any candidate so Clinton does not need to "release" them to Obama. The rules also say delegates may vote for the candidate of their choice whether or not the name of such candidate was placed in nomination.

DNC Chairman Howard Dean said in an interview last month that Clinton would have the right to put her name up for a binding vote at the convention.

"That's totally up to her," he said. "She is a duly registered candidate who got a lot of votes, and she is going to do what she wants to do."

Meanwhile, Democratic officials announced Wednesday that more than half of the 75,000 tickets for Obama's acceptance speech on Aug. 28, the convention's fourth and final night, will go to residents of Colorado, a battleground state critical to the party's hopes of winning the White House.

Obama will deliver his speech at Invesco Field at Mile High, home to football's Denver Broncos. Nearly two-thirds of the tickets will go to residents of the West and Southwest, including Colorado, where Democrats have made inroads in recent elections.

"You don't have to be a delegate or party insider to witness this historic moment firsthand," Democratic National Convention Committee CEO Leah Daughtry said, announcing the plans for credentials.

Ticket selection was designed "to showcase the gains the party has made in the West," she said.

Convention committee spokeswoman Natalie Wyeth declined to say how many tickets would be issued.

Last week, Obama campaign officials said they hope to turn the stadium crowd into a giant phone bank, with attendees using their cell phones to ask friends and others to register and vote.

The first three nights of the convention will be held at the 21,000-seat Pepsi Center.

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Associated Press writers Catherine Tsai and Beth Fouhy in Marion, Ohio, contributed to this report.

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On the Net:

Democratic convention: http://www.demconvention.com/

Comments

[fourex]

Announce for McCain.

[dajay]

So nice to see the despicable Obama supporters in full force here on this thread.

You guys still make me want to puke.

[MorpheusXNYC]

The sheer unmitigated gall of having run the sleaziest campaign against a fellow Democrat in modern history, handing the Republican talking points and video clip to use in the general, nearly sundering the party by campaigning well after it was obvious she could not win, amassing an insurmountable campaign debt which Obama has to help her retire AND AFTER ALL THAT - she's STILL running a passive aggressive campaign?

I think it's time Obama puts his foot on the back of Bill and Hillary's necks, cut the Clintonistas off at the knees and rebrand the Democratic Party in his own image, forever shutting the door on the Clinton Era.

It's over. Their day in the sun is done. They've burned through all the good will of the Democratic party.

They shouldn't even be allowed to speak at the convention.
Maybe Hillary -on Monday, and then only if she officially ends her campaign, releases her votes to Obama and officially waives any possibility of having her name submitted for a vote.

And THEN the speech would have to be an Obama campaign pre-approved, telepromtptered one, with a microphone kill switch and "play her off" music queued up and ready to swing down on her if she decides to get creative.

And even then, I'd use a 5 second broadcast delay so I could censor her.

She's proven herself to be untrustworthy and ungrateful, so I wouldn't give her an inch..

[BluesDogLefty]

The best way for her to be heard is supporting the Dem nominee.

The best way for her policy positions to become reality is for her to campaign for the Dem nominee.

[Trittydi]

I was not a Hillary OR an Obama supporter. But this needs to happen. I look forward to hearing her speak.
*

[Falafel]

Well, she could work at the concession stands. That way, she could talk to each person individually and ther rest of us wouldn't have to listen to her & Bill talk about their vast accomplishments.

Whenver I see her, the old Rollings Stones song, "Out of Time" comes to mind:

[liseworks]

That is a great ! idea ....really. if she's so in touch with "the common folk" let her prove it.
Truth is, she'd never normally hang out with any of her PUMAs - they're in denial about that.

But, she'd need to be trained to use the soda machine.

[liseworks]

HILLARY !!!!!!!!! ARRRRRGH !!!!!!
We have HEARD, & HEARD, & HEARD, & HEARD 'til our ears are dropping off (or, we wish they would !) -
It's OVER, Hillary -
OBAMA is the one we want & need to listen to now.
Obama is the Democratic Nominee.
It's his voice that matters most now.
GO AWAY.
PERMANENTLY.

[Diplomacy]

Well, Hillary, don't SEEK too long! Take a $h!t and get over it!

We are getting very tired of your antics & drama!

Your reputation & Bill's Legacy depend upon your BEHAVIOUR!

This is BARACK OBAMA's MOMENT in TIME! Not the Clinton's.

[mesmerize]

If raining on Senator Obamas parade will make the Clintons stand up and fly right then let them. I'm sure Senator Obama is trying to be the bigger person. When kids are so spoiled it's a bad habit to break.

[sophiej]

He's not just trying, he is the bigger person. If it takes one more public humiliation for the Clintons to sit down and shut up, fine.

[WFV]

Let's just be clear:

Barack Obama secured the nomination and is now running the party.

He is a gracious and confident leader who is allowing the Clintons to speak at the convention.

They need to use their time allotments wisely and productively to salvage their legacies and brand name.

Clinton supporters owe him a huge debt for this opportunity and assistance.

[ScandalousCandice]

You betta ax somebody!!

[abby4ever]

Funn y how barely 24 hours after O said that Florida and Michigan should have full voting rights, H starts this up.

[Bettysdad]

It just occurred to me that Clinton supporters started criticizing Obama when it became obvious she would lose.

Obama supporters were opposing Clinton from day one.

[olivia]

Supporting a candidate is not exactly the same as opposing everyone else.

I guess if you want to put it that way, since I supported someone else (Kucinicih) I opposed all the others - including Obama.

Stuff changes. New choices must be made. Screw catharsis, it's a waste of time and it's for emotional infants.

[Bettysdad]

You deep political thinkers are soooo intimidating.

I wasn't aware that I typed that Clinton supporters opposed everyone else, or that Obama supporters opposed everyone else.

Who's the emotional infant?

[WFV]

I disagree. As an Obama supporter from day one, I had many 'discussions' with Clinton supporters who were very critical of my candidate, even when their allegations were proven false. There are no victims here, just those who want to paint themselves as such.

[OhReallySheSaid]

I find in beyond comprehension that the democratic party, the party of the big tent and the party of supposedly equal rights, would not place into nomination the first credible female presidential candidate and the only person in the history of primaries to get most of the votes.

Can you imagine if the tables were turned and the first credible black candidate would be asked to withdraw his nomination for the sake of party unity if the woman was the winner? The cries of racism would bellow from the convention floor, lead to protests, and sink party unity for good.

But because Hillarly Rodham Clinton is a woman, sexism in the Demoractic Party is not only alive and well but publicly encouraged and permitted as long she gets in the way of the black man.

[JWLANDSCAPES]

It is the same party that argued for 1/2 votes for MI and FL.

Now, if the first order of business is to restore full voting priviledges for MI and FL, wouldn't the delegate count required be 2210? Doesn't Obama only have 2144.5? Hasn't his recent pleas for restoring MI AND FL delegate votes in essence, demote his claim to be the presumptive nominee?

[theMightyT]

nope. He's still the leader (got more votes and more delegates) so he's still closer to the finish line. in other words, still the presumptive nominee.

[demsrthebest08]

Your an idiot its is 2210. pay attention

[saltysea]

i think many of us are fine with that, at this point. it just took us by surprise and we were, not surprisingly, just a tad suspicious.

[abby4ever]

***Can you imagine if the tables were turned and the first credible black candidate would be asked to withdraw his nomination for the sake of party unity if the woman was the winner? The cries of racism would bellow from the convention floor, lead to protests, and sink party unity for good.***

But as it is, cries of sexism are bellowing. Your post implies, or at least suggests, that the sexism is real but that the racism would not have been?

[Bados]

Yep your right women have it so much worse than black men LOL

[liseworks]

She is / was the WRONG WOMAN. She showed big fat cajones, remember ? & a total lack of decency, ethics, truth, class, fairness etc. etc. (the list we all know all too well, is too damned long & I'm tired of having to explain it to irrational obsessive disorder types) -

[JWLANDSCAPES]

The delegates doing the petition, according to Article VIII C VI of the DNC rules for the 2008 Nominating Convention, are truly representative of the best traditions of our party and our democratic processes we have in place for electing our leaders...THOUGH THEY KNOW full well this won't lead to a victory for Hillary, IT WILL LEAD TO A VICTORY FOR OBAMA in November by allowing a representative vote at the convention.

In the interest of party unity, Senator Obama should sign this petition and some of his delegates should sign it too.

In the interest of party unity, Senator Clinton and her delegates should do the same for Senator Obama.

-JW

[ScandalousCandice]

If no one else is going to call the Clinton's out for their BS, I will.

This is a rough article, but comments are welcome.

http://www.scandalouscandice.com/scandalous_candice/2008/08/why-is-everyone.html

[NoSandwiches]

I read as much as I could stand to on this link. It's.....not nice.
I understand the sentiment, agree with a lot of it, but the points could al have been made with facts that aren't so laced with inappropriate imagery and insults.

I understand that Hillary is still "hearing voices" but it's time to quiet them. They are not helping the Party nor are they endearing Democras to Hillary.

[ScandalousCandice]

No you've entirely missed the point. The point is about being pissed off. And saying what your thinking but not willing to go as far and say out loud. There is a point behind it all. It's harsh and it's foul, but when you deal with low life like the C-Linton's, this is appropriate.

[liseworks]

I read it yesterday & I thought it was more than nice, exactly what the damned C's have earned.
My sentiments exactly (& my mouth is usually quite clean) - this has all been too dirty for nice words.