Hillary snubbed for Boston convention, fundraiser flips

Clinton, a former first lady often presumed to have presidential ambitions, is one of the most popular figures in her party. But two Democratic officials said she and her colleagues decided among themselves to appear together and chose Mikulski to speak. Clinton "didn't ask to speak, and she very graciously asked to be part of a tribute to the women of the United States Senate," said one of the officials, who won't speak on the record about political strategy.

Clinton said she expects the convention to be exciting and said she is not disappointed about her planned role. "I've had many opportunities in the past," she told WNBF radio in Binghamton, N.Y.

<The man who is giving the keynote speech> Obama, 42, is the son of a black Kenyan father and a white Kansan mother. He grew up in Hawaii. A former civil rights attorney, he has championed working families, the elderly and the uninsured in the Illinois Senate. He has a wide lead in the unsettled Illinois Senate race. Republican Jack Ryan dropped out after unsealed divorce papers alleged he pressured his wife to visit sex clubs and have sex there. The state Republican Party had been courting former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka, but he said Wednesday that he would not run.

In a conference call with Cahill and reporters, Obama called it "an enormous honor and an enormous responsibility" to be called on to help set the tone for the convention. Some keynoters, such as Democrats Mario Cuomo and Ann Richards, have made memorable speeches.

...News of Clinton's role drew protests in New York. "She's our rock star ... and they should take full advantage," Albany Mayor Gerald Jennings said. Judith Hope, the former head of the New York State Democratic Party, called the decision "a slap in the face ... for every woman in the Democratic Party and every woman in America."

Clinton is a polarizing figure, adored by some and despised by others. She raises boatloads of money for Democrats and tends to upstage others at party gatherings.

as a longtime democrat and campaign worker i am sick of hillary clinton and her constant need to be the center of attention.......its never enough.....the convention belongs to the nominess and whoever they want to speak.....hillary is as corrupt and self serving as those her highness thinks herself better than....her mindless groupies and apologists have gone to the grave(literally) in defense of her and her machevellian power plays...the media loves her cause she is an easy story and they can do her in their sleep......she runs her fat mouth often enough and her claptrap shows her ignorance more often than it does any expertise.......she is the purple koolaid of the democratic party and if nominated in the future i myself will walk 10 miles in the snow to vote against her..priscilla presley had the guts to leave elvis and graceland-but hillary wouldnt leave the white house if bill was having sex with chelsea on the south lawn....cause to her its all about power and privlige and as long as she is on the throne she really doesnt care about much else...........so its sad that the reality is that priscilla presley is actually more of a real liberated woman than this self promoting icon of new york democrats.....we can win in november if we just sit on her coffin lid -even if we have to do it in shifts..

It is a little strange not to have hillary speak at the convention. It's not like she would either add something or take anything away to the wives of the john kerry and john edwards or the candidates themselves.

What I found more of a story was Bush not going to the NCAA (is that the right abbreviation?) and the reason he gave for not going. Why is not more made of it?