Mass. Democrats, including Clinton backers, preach unity at first breakfast

The scene at the Renaissance Denver hotel: Politicker PhotoJohn Walsh: Politicker PhotoDENVER -- Just as Chairman John Walsh predicted earlier, prominent Massachusetts Democrats, including several who supported U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton during the primary season, stressed coming together to create a united front in their support of presumptive nominee Barack Obama at their first delegation breakfast Monday morning.

In his opening remarks, Walsh empathized with women in the delegation that supported Clinton by acknowledging that "for too many years Massachusetts has lagged behind in electing women Democrats."

In particular, though, Walsh commended U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-Lowell) for her 2007 special election win. (He also thanked her for wearing out her Republican opponent, Jim Ogonowski, to the point that "he was too exhausted to collect enough signatures to run for the Senate" this year.) Walsh added that he is looking forward to seeing more women elected Democratic officials in Massachusetts.

Walso acknowledged the hard work Massachusetts Democrats have contributed to both the Obama and Hillary Clinton presidential campaigns. "As we gather here in Denver to nominate Barack Obama and [U.S. Sen.] Joe Biden, we also celebrate those two historic grassroots campaigns that attracted million of new voters in places like Ohio and Pennsylvania. We also celebrate the work all of you have down and will do to achieve that goal."

The party's delegation, Walsh said, is now fully behind Obama. "After the nominee was chosen, Massachusetts delegates unified around Barack Obama. We are now fully mobilized as a coordinated campaign."

Yet, speaking in front of the Massachusetts delegation, one couldn't help but notice several "Hillary for President" stickers, buttons and t-shirts scattered among the crowd. One volunteer from Massachusetts, Nancy Saboori, accosted PolitickerMA.com to express her dismay at the delegation's backing of Clinton. "The people of Massachusetts voted for Hillary by more than 15 percent," she said. "It was a slap on the wrists of [Gov.] Deval Patrick, [U.S. Sen.] John Kerry and [U.S. Sen.] Edward Kennedy." Those three officials endorsed Obama early in the primary season.

To underscore the message, several prominent Bay State Clinton supporters also spoke and embraced party unity. State Sen. President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) and House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi (D-Boston) both said they plan to work in support of Obama.

Murray said she wants to make sure the party is united at the end of the convention. The party has to "make sure we come together at the end of this week," she said, "and let's go to the White House."

DiMasi pumped up the crowd and that Clinton did a "marvelous job" in her campaign.

"She and Barack Obama agree on a lot of principles," DiMasi went on. "And the first thing they agree on is getting the Republicans out of the White House and get a Democrat in there."

DiMasi also said that while he worked hard for Clinton, he's "going to work twice as hard for Barack Obama because I believe this election is the most important election in a hundred years."

Alan Solomont, Obama's New England Finance Chair, also spoke. According to Walsh, under Solomont's leadership, Massachusetts has raised more money per capita than Illinois, Obama's home state.

"I know how strongly people felt and still feel about Sen. Hillary Clinton," he said. "No one worked harder for 16 years for President Clinton and Sen. Clinton through four different elections. No one appreciates more than I do, Sen. Clinton's service to this country, her skills and experience or her pioneering efforts on behalf of women."

After breaking for applause, Solomont went on: "But this election is not about Hillary Clinton and it is not about Barack Obama. This selection is about America...I have heard it said that the Obama campaign is not doing enough to reach out to supporters of Sen. Clinton and I've heard it said that the supporters of Sen. Clinton are not working hard enough for Barack Obama. There is no place for that, my friends. It is time for us to stick together in ways that we have never stuck together before."

The breakfast concluded with Patrick taking pumping up the crowd by again calling on the Party to come together behind Obama, a close personal friend. "The Republicans are hard at work and they are trying to use us to beat us," he said. "I have talked to any number of Clinton supporters both before and since the primary here in our delegation and elsewhere and I haven't met a one yet that didn't believe that the course that we are on today is not good enough for the American people or that the course that we would be on with [presumptive Republican nominee] John McCain would be wrong form America.

"So," Patrick concluded, "we are going to come together."