State Democratic Convention picks delegates in long, low key meeting

You may have heard that the Arizona Democratic Party picked the remainder of its delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Denver this summer at a meeting on Saturday at the Wyndham Hotel in downtown Phoenix. Yours truly was on the credential committee, so I missed some of the action, but there were lots of rounds of voting, keeping us there 9 hours. Notably, for perhaps the first time ever in the history of the Democratic National Convention (at least in the Arizona delegation), there will be an openly transsexual delegate. Also, former U.S. Senator Dennis DeConcini (served 1977-1994, and was Arizona's last Democratic U.S. Senator), who is not seen at too many Party events these days , showed up and was elected as a delegate. He had some choice words about his former Arizona colleague, Senator John McCain, and let Arizona Democrats know that he had personal stories of McCain's temperament (or lack thereof) that show this man should not be President of the United States. DeConcini said in a letter to the Democratic State Committee "I know firsthand just how clever, deceitful and misleading of a leader (McCain) can be, is, and would be if elected President." He sited an article in the Financial Times chronicalling encounters McCain has had with Senators of both parties. Former Republican Senator Bob Smith of New Hampshire was quoted in the article DeConcini distributed as saying that McCain was not suited to be President. No word if those Republican Senators have recanted since McCain tied up the nomination, but DeConcini has no love lost for McCain.

There was no great tension between Obama and Clinton supporters. The numbers of how many pledged delegate each gets from Arizona were already determined by the primary several months ago. However, unpledged Party Leaders and Elected Officials (PLEOs) were elected. Also, a new Vice Chair was elected for the Arizona Democratic Party to fill a vacancy, and this person gets a vote at the convention. The winner, Charlene Fernandez, has pledged her support for Obama.