Convention Solution Under Debate

Thursday, August 7, 2008

CLINTON ROLL CALL?

Convention Solution Under Debate

With rumors flying about whether Hillary Rodham Clinton will seek to include her name in a roll-call vote of delegates at the Democratic convention, the Clinton and Obama campaign teams issued a rare joint statement on Wednesday night confirming that they are "working together" to come up with a suitable solution.

"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," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement on behalf of the two camps.

Clinton has made it clear that she is not considering formally fighting Barack Obama for the nomination in Denver this month. But her supporters, some still riled from the close primary contest, have threatened to create at least a disturbance if she is not given enough respect, including, possibly, having her name entered into contention and the votes of her delegates read aloud.

At this point, it is as likely as not that Clinton will be formally nominated at the convention, individuals close to the negotiations said. Officials have firmly denied a report last week that Clinton had decided not to have her name put into the record. Advisers on both sides also said that relations between the two are improving; Clinton is scheduled to appear in Nevada for Obama later this week.

Details of how Obama's campaign plans to stage the convention have still not been announced, but officials involved in the planning said they expect that Tuesday of that week -- two nights before Obama officially accepts the nomination -- will belong to Clinton. Her husband has not yet been invited to speak, and it is unclear whether he will appear at all.

The opening Monday night of the convention is expected to honor Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and his family. Obama will arrive late in the festivities, and will deliver his acceptance speech at a 75,000-seat Invesco Field, the outdoor stadium used by the Denver Broncos.

-- Anne E. Kornblut

THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN

Muslim Outreach Leader Resigns

The national Muslim outreach coordinator for Barack Obama has resigned amid controversy over his connections to a man the Justice Department named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the racketeering trial last year of several alleged Hamas fundraisers.

"I am stepping down from the volunteer role I recently agreed to take on with the Obama campaign as Arab-American and Muslim-American coordinator in order to avoid distracting from Barack Obama's message of change," Chicago lawyer Mazen Asbahi wrote in a statement released by the campaign.

The Obama campaign said that Asbahi had worked in his volunteer position since July 26, and that a new person would be appointed to the job.

The Wall Street Journal, which reported late Monday that Asbahi was leaving the campaign, had inquired about his relationship with Jamal Said. In 2000, Asbahi and Said served on the board of trustees of the Dow Jones Islamic Index Fund, a subsidiary of the North American Islamic Trust, which holds titles to mosques, Islamic centers, schools and other real estate around the country. Said had been named in an investigation of alleged Hamas fundraisers, the paper said. The case ended in a mistrial last year.

-- Perry Bacon Jr.

RUNNING-MATE RACE

Bayh Is Backed Into a Corner

ELKHART, Ind. -- Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) seems like a man who would love to see Barack Obama pick a vice presidential nominee soon -- even if it's not him.

Facing a barrage of questions on Tuesday, Bayh was essentially forced to declare on a campaign swing through Indiana the next day that Obama would not be naming him as his vice president. At the end of a town hall meeting Wednesday, reporters asked Bayh about his discussions with Obama, the timetable for a vice presidential pick and a variety of other subjects he did not want to address.

Bayh is no stranger to vice presidential speculation, having been mentioned as a possible pick in 2000 and 2004. The former governor's chances may be stronger this year, given that the Obama campaign is hoping to win steadfastly Republican Indiana.

-- Perry Bacon Jr.

FIRST UP: SEPT. 26 IN MISSISSIPPI

Obama, McCain to Debate 3 Times

The Commission on Presidential Debates on Tuesday announced the moderators for the three presidential and one vice presidential debates to be held this fall.

The first debate, to be held at the University of Mississippi on Sept. 26, will be moderated by Jim Lehrer of PBS's "NewsHour." NBC's Tom Brokaw will take over for an Oct. 7 town hall meeting at Belmont University in Nashville, and Bob Schieffer of CBS's "Face the Nation" will moderate the third on Oct. 15 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.

The vice presidential debate, to be held on Oct. 2 at Washington University in St. Louis, will be moderated by PBS's Gwen Ifill. All four events will begin at 9 p.m. Eastern time.

-- Staff Reports