Still sore from
an epic primary battle, some of Hillary Rodham Clinton's
supporters aren't buying the unity theme planned for the
Democratic National Convention.
They weren't
mollified when nominee-in-waiting Barack Obama gave
prime-time speaking slots to Clinton and her husband, the
former president. Instead, they're itching for a fight
and plan to wage one in Denver.
One group intends
to paper the city with fliers, promote a video
detailing what they contend were irregularities in the
nominating process, and unleash bloggers to give their
take on the proceedings. Another group has purchased
newspaper advertisements demanding that Clinton be
included in a roll-call vote for the nomination.
''I am a very
realistic woman,'' said Diane Mantouvalos, cofounder of the
Just Say No Deal Coalition. ''I don't think that anything is
going to change, but I do think it is important to be
heard, and this is our way of doing it.''
Some of the
disaffected Clinton supporters are open to supporting Obama;
many are not.
Obama needs
Clinton's supporters to beat Republican John McCain. Polls
show that he has won over most of them. But some simply
don't like Obama or still feel Clinton was treated
unfairly during the primaries.
These groups are
not affiliated with Clinton, who has endorsed Obama and
campaigned for him. Representatives from the Clinton and
Obama campaigns said they are working to unify the
party because Obama will champion issues important to
Clinton supporters, such as reforming health care,
improving the economy, and ending the war in Iraq.
''Senator Clinton
understands and appreciates that there are supporters
who remain passionate, but she has repeatedly urged her
supporters to vote for Senator Obama,'' Clinton
spokeswoman Kathleen Strand said.
House speaker
Nancy Pelosi took a swipe at the Clinton diehards
Wednesday.
''I think Hillary
Clinton has been very gracious,'' the San Francisco
Democrat told Bay Area talk show host Ronn Owens. ''I think
some of her supporters have been less than gracious.''
Nevertheless,
many Clinton activists plan to voice their discontent in
Denver.
Mantouvalos, a
Miami public relations consultant, said her network is
renting a 5,000-square-foot loft in Denver for its bloggers.
Another outfit called the Denver Group is planning a
reception the evening Hillary Clinton speaks at the
convention. The group, which is pushing for Clinton's
name to be placed in nomination, also hopes to raise enough
money for a TV ad.
The Clinton and
Obama campaigns have pledged in a joint statement to
''ensure that the voices of everyone who participated in
this historic process are respected'' at the
convention.
They have not,
however, decided whether Clinton's name will be placed in
nomination.
''The only way a
Democratic Party will have the credibility to elect a
Democrat in November is if the party uses a legitimate
process to choose its nominee,'' said Heidi Li
Feldman, cofounder of the Denver Group. ''We are not
per se a Clinton support group; we are a Democratic Party
get-your-act-together support group.''
The movement has
grown on the Internet, where bloggers and readers
complain that Clinton was cheated out of the party's
nomination. The website for Just Say No Deal links to
dozens of other sites criticizing Obama or supporting
Clinton.
Some accuse Obama
of manipulating party caucuses for extra delegates
while others complain that Clinton was the victim of sexist
party leaders or was mistreated by the media. Many
vent over the way the party divvied up delegates from
the Florida and Michigan primaries, two states that
were punished for violating national rules and holding their
contests early.
With the
agreement of all Democratic candidates, the states were
initially stripped of all their delegates for violating
party rules by holding early primaries. None of the
candidates campaigned in the two states, but Clinton
won the two primaries and thereafter tried to get all
the delegates seated.
The national
party reinstated the delegates in May, but gave each a half
vote. And it awarded Obama some Michigan delegates, although
he had taken his name off that ballot because of the
party's initial decision.
With the
nomination clinched, Obama said this month that he would
seek to give both delegations full voting rights.
At the very
least, the activists want Clinton's name put in nomination,
with a full roll-call vote. Some won't be satisfied unless
Clinton is declared the nominee -- an unlikely
prospect. Others would be happy if Clinton were asked
to run for vice president -- also unlikely.
Feldman, a
Georgetown University law professor, said she is a loyal
Democrat who won't vote for McCain, but Obama hasn't won her
support. Will Bower, cofounder of the Just Say No Deal
Coalition, said he would only support the Democratic
candidate if her name is Clinton.
''I have been
voting Democratic for 18 years. I only voted for Democrats,
from dog catcher to president and everything in between,''
said Bower, who lives in Washington. ''I will be
voting for someone other than Barack Obama come
November.'' (Stephen Ohlemacher, AP)
