DENVER – Further inflaming the divide in the Democratic Party, top strategists close the Clintons today trashed the convention as the “Seinfeld” of nominating fetes – a gathering about nothing.
“If this party has a message, it’s done a hell of a job hiding it, I promise you that,” James Carville, who was integral in Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign, told CNN.
Democratic strategist Paul Begala, another former Clintonite from ’92, took umbrage over former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner – the convention’s keynote speaker – suggesting he would use his speech not to slam McCain but call for bispartisanship.
“This isn’t the Richmond Chamber of Commerce,” Begala quipped.
The comments again highlighted the simmering tensions between supporters of Clinton and almost-nominee Sen. Barack Obama, which has so far been the dominant story line of the convention.
Hillary herself has made public pleas for unity, and has said she’ll release her delegates and cast her vote for Obama.
The two camps worked out a deal where both candidates’ names would be placed in nomination, but there would be a truncated roll call followed by a call for unity.
But several Clinton supporters were caught off guard when she demurred Monday on whether she’d tell her delegates how to vote, adding to the confusion.
“Just tell me what you want me to do,” said exasperated Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter as he tossed up his hands and rolled his eyes in an interview with The Associated Press.
Others said they weren’t interested in any pre-negotiated deal.
California celebrity lawyer and pledged Clinton delegate Gloria Allred made waves at her state’s delegation breakfast today as she stood at the back of the room with a gag over her mouth – a move meant to symbolize Clinton supporters being told not to agitate on the convention floor during the roll call.
Clinton, who was slated to speak last night and spent much of the day focusing on speech preparation, gave a brief preview during an appearance for the pro-woman-candidate committee EMILY’s List.
“We need in the White House starting on Jan. 20 Barack Obama and Joe Biden,” she said at the event.
Bill Clinton – scheduled to take the stage tonight – was expected to enter the convention hall at his wife’s side last night, according to reports, but it was unclear whether he would do so.
Daughter Chelsea was set to introduce her, and mother and daughter each made an afternoon appearance at the convention hall for a pre-speech walk-through.
All eyes were set to watch Hillary’s body language, and parse her choice of words to see if she would truly commit to Obama – or do just enough to fit the bill.
But sources familiar with her speech said she was expected to make a strong case for Obama, while thanking her supporters and reaching out to those still upset that she didn’t win, and making clear that the Democrats need to regain control of the White House.
At the same time, the McCain campaign gleefully seized on more of Clinton’s statements from the primary race – releasing an ad playing on the New York senator’s now-famous “3 a.m.” TV spot focusing on who is ready in a crisis to lead.
“I know Sen. McCain has a lifetime of experience that he will bring to the White House,” Clinton says in a clip from the primary races. “And, Sen. Obama has a speech he gave in 2002.”
The narrator intones, “Hillary’s right. John McCain for president.”
Clinton on Monday strongly denounced the new McCain ads saying, “I’m Hillary Clinton and I don’t approve that message.”
But the Republicans showed no signs of letting up.
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, in Denver as a GOP attack dog for McCain as part of a coordinated Republican effort, said the tension “shows the significant divide in the Democratic Party.
“And one of the things that Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and other Democrats have done for us is to make the case against their candidate,” Giuliani told The Post.
“And it’s unusual . . . the criticisms that the Democrats have made about Barack Obama are not just about policy differences; they go to the core of whether you can be president or not.”
Giuliani added that Obama had an “unprecedented” lack of experience and said, “I think the American people are entitled to put both sets of statements next to each other and determine which are more credible.”
Democrats have rapped the GOP for such comments.
Elsewhere, Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean said his party’s agents don’t need to pounce on McCain at the convention’s opening.
“We don’t need to attack McCain” off the bat, Dean said at an event for Ohio delegates. “There will be plenty of time for that.”
“There is not a unity problem,” he added. If anyone doubts that, he said, “wait till you see Hillary Clinton’s speech.”
Still, party figures such as former DNC chairman Don Fowler – who backed Clinton in the primaries – expressed concern about the threats from some of her angrier supporters to make hay on the convention floor during the roll call. “All you need is 200 people in that crowd to boo and stuff like that and it will be replayed 900 times,” he said. “And that’s not what you want out of this.”