Clinton Calls for Unity as Convention Begins

DENVER, Colo. -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton issued a call for unity as the Democrats prepared to kick off their national convention this evening with a full slate of speakers who will sell Sen. Barack Obama to a national primetime audience.

In her first appearance this week, Clinton, the runner-up to Obama in a protracted, hard fought presidential primary, addressed the New York delegation at a breakfast this morning. But while supporters waved signs declaring "Hillary Made History," Clinton's focus was on the future.

"We were not all on the same side as Democrats, but we are now," she said. "We are united and we are together and we are determined."

Clinton is expected to release her delegates to Obama on Wednesday, a symbolic gesture that reduces prospects of major disruptions when the roll is called to nominate the Illinois senator.

Unity is one goal this week, but another is swaying voters who are plenty familiar with Obama and his political career, but who still don't know him well. Michelle Obama will deliver the main speech tonight, an unusually prominent assignment for a candidate's wife.

A tribute to the ailing Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), the evening's other big ticket, is aimed at validating Obama by associating him with one of the most beloved figures in the Democratic Party.

Kennedy was so eager to attend this week's party gathering that he took a serious health risk by flying here overnight from Massachusetts. The liberal icon is suffering from brain cancer and was not expected to attend the convention. But he will at least appear on stage tonight, Democratic officials said, a moment sure to be emotionally charged but that could also assuage older party stalwarts who harbor lingering doubts about their young and relatively inexperienced presumptive presidential nominee.

Obama campaigned today in Davenport, Iowa, where he was introduced at a town hall meeting by Randy Wherman, a 54-year-old Republican from Le Claire. Another speaker tonight will be former GOP Rep. Jim Leach of Iowa, a moderate who has endorsed Obama. While Obama is trying to expand the electoral map by luring younger voters, he also has sought to woo disenchanted Republicans.

While Democrats haven't grown pessimistic about their chances in November, they are increasingly concerned that Obama appears to have stalled in public polls, and that he is now locked in a dead heat with Republican Sen. John McCain.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), one of Obama's closest confidants, reflected the concern among some Democrats that they need to take the offensive this week in Denver to blunt what they see as McCain's momentum and negative advertising.

Using a basketball analogy, Durbin told reporters at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor, "We realize that over the last week or 10 days that John McCain has had a 12 and 0 run here in this basketball game. But we know the momentum can shift and it's going to shift starting in Denver."

Durbin said he and others anticipated that after Obama's trip to Europe and the Middle East last month that the momentum might shift back in McCain's direction.