Posted on 08/25/2008 6:58:37 PM PDT by TexasNative2000
Supporters of Hillary Rodham Clinton are furiously circulating petitions on the floor of the Democratic National Convention tonight, hoping to stave off a plan to hold the convention's roll call at breakfast Wednesday — out of the public eye — sources inside the delegations say.
The move being worked out between the Obama campaign and officials behind Clinton's suspended bid, would work in two parts: Delegates would cast votes at their hotels Wednesday morning; that night, at the Pepsi Center convention site, the roll-call process would rely on the votes cast that morning, the delegates said.
Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette, a former state co-chair for Clinton said she knows the camps are in negotiations about what to do.
"My view is we need to come together as a party," DeGette said. "I admire Hillary Clinton greatly, but I think it would be divisive to have a vote on the floor. We need to have a unanimous vote."
The evening event would call on the delegation from Illinois, which Obama serves as the junior senator, and then move to New York, which Clinton represents.
After New York delegates applaud Clinton's long-fought and historic candidacy, a motion would be made to accept the votes cast at breakfast.
The move is being resisted by some Clinton delegates, who are busy tonight circulating a petition among delegates as the opening night of the convention, titled "One Nation," gets underway.
"We just want a roll call like you're supposed to have," said one of the delegates collecting signatures for the petition, who asked not to be named because of concern about friction within the party.
The Obama campaign denied that there would be a change.
"This is not true," Jennifer Backus, a senior advisor, said in an email in response to a question about the negotiations for the roll call change.
David Harper of Macon County, Tenn., signed a petition to ensure a floor vote in the hall surrounding the Pepsi Center.
"I came out here by God to vote for her, and I'm going to do it," Harper said, visibly angry about the news.
Kelly Jacobs a die-hard Clinton supporter from Hernando, Miss., an area that went heavily for Clinton, stood in the hall collecting signatures. She said the Clinton backers need 800 to secure a floor vote.
Anything less than that, Jacobs said, would be an insult to her candidate.
"I could have voted from home," Jacobs said. "She is our captain. We don't want to see her disrespected."
She was furious, she said, when she learned this morning that the votes may be held at the delegate hotels instead of on the convention hall floor.
"That's not what we learned in civics class," Jacobs said.
Texas delegate Tory Lauterbach said she has heard about the petition, but is unsure if she will sign it.
"I think the votes should be cast and counted the way they have been historically," she said. "But I don't think every delegate needs to stand and say something. I want a good convention."
So does Sally Phillips of Tampa, Fla. She said that although she is a Clinton supporter, she will undoubtedly support Obama because she doesn't want another Republican in the White House.
"I think the world of her," Phillips said. "I've seen the petition but I'm not going to focus on that."
The discussions come after a long summer in which Clinton delegates have argued for a chance to be heard during the convention. The party wants unity, and the announcement made by Obama and Clinton last week that a floor vote would occur was meant to provide that opportunity.
No way should these trash ever gain control of America.
How much longer are the feminists going to take this?
This is beyond belief.
And all of this is because the delegates are too cowardly to stand up and pick a candidate.
And where's Algore when you need him? Count every vote!!!!
I know the Dem politicians rally around their chosen one, but I thought the Clinton's had some cajones!!!
What’s Obama afraid of ?
Have a proper convention prime time roll call like in past years, it’s what they’re there to do !
Best thing Hitlary supporters could do at this stage of the game is to vote for McCain giving him the win. This would perfectly set her up for another chance in 2012. Rats don’t give thier nominee’s a second chance so this would END BHO’s dreams of ever winning the presidency.
A Hitlary nomination at this point would fracture the party too badly for them to win. An Odumbo win puts off her re-attempt till 2016 which would be too late.
Since when is it "divisive" to have a contested election and have every vote counted?
Only totalitarian countries have "unanimous votes".
Ms. DeGette's reasoning is very illustrative of liberal thought.
If unanimity was so important, why did the Democrats insist on serial recounts in Florida in 2000?
With Michigan and Florida seated how many Super delegates does she need to switch for her to be the nominee.
Selected not elected.
Haven't you heard the WORD? CHANGE!!! They can't do what they've always done.........
Don’t you just love that arrogant look down the nose? What a snob.
Effectively, forever. Why?
Because no other party in the world, other than the 'Rats, has abortion as its semi-official sacrament.
Well, Hillary, how does it feel to get thrown under the bus?
Ida ho, de state wid mo po-tateahz that de rest ode werld all addified togeddah....
lmao, they are trying to contain the coup. Damn, what does this tell you? It tells me they are scared shitless something ugly may happen and want desperately to contain it. PUMA is right! These jokers are not even sure what may happen.
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