Maine delgates await roll call vote

DENVER – As attention at the Democratic National Convention focused Tuesday on Sen. Hillary Clinton, her supporters from Maine remained unsure of exactly what would happen when the roll call vote of delegates takes place this evening.

Clinton, addressing the delegates, called for support of the candidacy of Sen. Barack Obama, who defeated her in the Democratic primaries and who is expected to become the party’s nominee tonight.

Representatives from the Clinton campaign have been meeting every day with their delegates since they arrived in Denver to discuss how they are expected to behave on the floor and to try to avoid any outbursts. Clinton is scheduled to speak privately with all of her delegates today before the roll call vote.

As of Tuesday evening, she had still not formally released her delegates to vote for Obama, although she was expected to do so before the roll call. Party rules also call for delegate signatures on written nominating petitions.

Petitions for both Clinton and Obama have been circulated among the Maine delegation this week.

When they arrived in Denver, 23 of Maine’s delegates and superdelegates were pledged to Obama, and nine were pledged to Clinton.

Betty Johnson, 68, of Lincolnville is a delegate pledged to Clinton who also was named the floor representative or “whip” from the Clinton campaign to the Maine delegation.

In the meeting with a Clinton representative on Tuesday, Johnson said the delegates were not told when they would be released or whether the written nomination petitions for Clinton would be withdrawn.

Johnson said she was expecting the entire Maine delegation to work with her to raise Hillary Clinton signs on Tuesday night and celebrate her candidacy.

Clinton’s speech is being given on the anniversary of the ratification of voting rights for women and is hugely symbolic to the women who supported her during the campaign and in many cases still support her.

“This is her night,” said Johnson.

Johnson said if Clinton releases her delegates, she plans to vote for Obama. “I know there are some who won’t and still feel obligated. I do want unity and we have to move on. That’s what I’m going to be doing.”

“We need to start talking as one party,” said Johnson. “If we’re not united then we can’t win. We have to come together.”

Gov. John Baldacci, a superdelegate and early supporter of Clinton who endorsed Obama after Clinton ended her campaign, pitched party unity in a breakfast address to his fellow delegates Tuesday morning in Denver.

Obama forces are recognizing Clinton’s efforts to shatter the “glass ceiling” that constrains women’s ambitions, Baldacci said.

“It’s beginning to be recognized. It has to be part of our party’s dialogue,” Baldacci said. “We’ve got to work at this together.”

Another step toward bringing the party together, Baldacci said, was having both Hillary and Bill Clinton speak at the convention, and selecting Sen. Joseph Biden as vice presidential candidate.

“He’s a good one for punching back. In the last two weeks or so, Obama’s been somewhat on the defensive,” the governor said.

Sam Spencer, a national committeeman who endorsed Obama in June, said Hillary Clinton’s speech, combined with Michelle Obama’s remarks Monday that were complimentary to the New York senator, work toward party unity.

Spencer said that while he’s surprised it has taken this long to bring the sides together, “I suspect that by Thursday all of the Hillary Clinton delegates will be enthusiastically saying ‘Yes We Can,'” a reference to an Obama campaign slogan.

Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean also addressed party unity during an impromptu breakfast talk to Maine delegates Tuesday, but he also spoke of the importance of Maine despite its relatively small electoral vote count in what could be a very close presidential election.

Dean also rallied the party activists behind Allen in the six-term congressman’s race against two-term GOP Sen. Susan Collins, saying the Senate race is key as Democrats try to build on their thin 51-49 majority.

Linda Killian is a professor of journalism and the director of Boston University’s Washington Center. She is working on a book on the Democratic Party and is a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

The Associated Press also contributed to this report.