Caucus stirs interest as Clinton calls
By DON WALTON / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Friday, February 01, 2008
It didn’t take long.
Before John Edwards stepped to the podium in New Orleans on Wednesday to withdraw from the Democratic presidential race, Lincoln attorney Vince Powers’ telephone rang. Bill Clinton calling
{M3Powers is a so-called super-delegate to the Democratic national convention and he was committed to support Edwards.
Clinton asked: Would you support Hillary now?
“Oh, my God,” Powers thought, “how do you say no to the former president?”
Powers said maybe.
With a proviso.
Sen. Hillary Clinton needs to come to Nebraska before the Feb. 9 caucuses and ask for his support and that of other Nebraska Democratic caucus-goers, Powers told Clinton.
“I’m going for whoever comes to Nebraska,” Powers said.
“If Hillary doesn’t come, I will,” the former president replied.
Recalling the 10-minute conversation as best he could, Powers said Clinton added: “I’m calling Hillary and I’m getting back to you.”
Powers was the perfect guy to deliver that message. He’s the catalyst who convinced Nebraska’s Democratic Party to embrace the February caucuses in a longshot bid to have a voice in this year’s presidential race before it was over.
In his role as Nebraska’s Democratic national committeeman, he has a guaranteed seat in the state’s 31-member national convention delegation.
And in the midst of the back-and-forth battle between Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama, every delegate counts.
Moreover, every presidential primary and caucus matters, especially if the race remains unresolved as expected after next Tuesday’s contests in nearly two dozen states.
A five-member Obama campaign team already has arrived and is at work in Nebraska, educating supporters about the caucus process, recruiting volunteers, stirring interest in Lincoln and Omaha.
Local Obama supporters like Joe Nigro, who is hosting two young campaign staff workers in his Lincoln home, are hoping for an Obama campaign stop here, perhaps at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus.
All of this is just what Powers had in mind when he rolled the dice on a February caucus following close on the heels of the mega-Tuesday showdown.
“I told the president that Democratic registration numbers are going down in Nebraska while independent numbers are growing,” Powers said.
“And part of the reason is no Democrat even comes here and asks for our support.
“I sincerely believe that’s what hurts us most. So why would you want to be in the party when it doesn’t seem to matter?”
Clinton recalled his visit to Kearney during the tail end of his presidency and the warm reception he received, Powers said, and suggested that “I think you guys can do better.”
Here’s the bottom line for Powers today: “I am uncommitted now. If one of the two candidates comes to Nebraska, that’s the one I will support. If both come, I am undecided.”
Suddenly, Powers said, Nebraska matters in a Democratic presidential race.
“This is so cool,” he said. “That’s my whole reason for having a caucus.”
Democratic State Chairman Steve Achelpohl’s phone hasn’t started ringing yet, but he expects it will soon.
“I plan to play an honest broker role for now,” said the Omaha attorney and super-delegate.
“I’ll wait until after the caucuses” before deciding whether to commit, Achelpohl said.
As the first hints of attention begin to emerge, Sen. Ben Nelson said, it appears Nebraska “may have a greater role in this than anybody could have predicted early on.”
Nelson has endorsed Obama.
Judy Monaghan of Omaha, who has been designated as the official Clinton campaign representative in Nebraska, said Clinton staff is not on the ground here yet.
“We are organizing on a grassroots level,” she said. “There’s no paid staff here. That probably will change.”
Monaghan said she was “on the fence, but leaning toward Hillary,” when former Sen. Bob Kerrey phoned her about three weeks ago to ask her to become active in the Clinton campaign.
Kerrey, president of New School University in New York City, has endorsed the New York senator.
“It’s her experience,” Monaghan said. “She is ready immediately to be president. She gives clear detail on how she is going to accomplish her goals. I feel she’s ready to lead the country.”
Nigro, deputy Lancaster County public defender, said he’s inspired by Obama and his positive message.
“I want so much to have a candidate I’m excited about instead of someone I have to settle for,” Nigro said.
“Hillary is a very polarizing figure,” he said. “I certainly would support her if she’s the nominee, but she would be a tough sell here. I believe Obama has an opportunity to expand the Democratic base.”
Obama would be “a much stronger candidate in the general election” with his bipartisan and independent appeal, Nigro said.
Clinton could be elected, he said, “but the country would be bitterly divided and it would be harder to get things done.”
{M3Reach Don Walton at 473-7248 or at dwalton@journalstar.com.
Before John Edwards stepped to the podium in New Orleans on Wednesday to withdraw from the Democratic presidential race, Lincoln attorney Vince Powers’ telephone rang. Bill Clinton calling
{M3Powers is a so-called super-delegate to the Democratic national convention and he was committed to support Edwards.
Clinton asked: Would you support Hillary now?
“Oh, my God,” Powers thought, “how do you say no to the former president?”
Powers said maybe.
With a proviso.
Sen. Hillary Clinton needs to come to Nebraska before the Feb. 9 caucuses and ask for his support and that of other Nebraska Democratic caucus-goers, Powers told Clinton.
“I’m going for whoever comes to Nebraska,” Powers said.
“If Hillary doesn’t come, I will,” the former president replied.
Recalling the 10-minute conversation as best he could, Powers said Clinton added: “I’m calling Hillary and I’m getting back to you.”
Powers was the perfect guy to deliver that message. He’s the catalyst who convinced Nebraska’s Democratic Party to embrace the February caucuses in a longshot bid to have a voice in this year’s presidential race before it was over.
In his role as Nebraska’s Democratic national committeeman, he has a guaranteed seat in the state’s 31-member national convention delegation.
And in the midst of the back-and-forth battle between Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama, every delegate counts.
Moreover, every presidential primary and caucus matters, especially if the race remains unresolved as expected after next Tuesday’s contests in nearly two dozen states.
A five-member Obama campaign team already has arrived and is at work in Nebraska, educating supporters about the caucus process, recruiting volunteers, stirring interest in Lincoln and Omaha.
Local Obama supporters like Joe Nigro, who is hosting two young campaign staff workers in his Lincoln home, are hoping for an Obama campaign stop here, perhaps at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus.
All of this is just what Powers had in mind when he rolled the dice on a February caucus following close on the heels of the mega-Tuesday showdown.
“I told the president that Democratic registration numbers are going down in Nebraska while independent numbers are growing,” Powers said.
“And part of the reason is no Democrat even comes here and asks for our support.
“I sincerely believe that’s what hurts us most. So why would you want to be in the party when it doesn’t seem to matter?”
Clinton recalled his visit to Kearney during the tail end of his presidency and the warm reception he received, Powers said, and suggested that “I think you guys can do better.”
Here’s the bottom line for Powers today: “I am uncommitted now. If one of the two candidates comes to Nebraska, that’s the one I will support. If both come, I am undecided.”
Suddenly, Powers said, Nebraska matters in a Democratic presidential race.
“This is so cool,” he said. “That’s my whole reason for having a caucus.”
Democratic State Chairman Steve Achelpohl’s phone hasn’t started ringing yet, but he expects it will soon.
“I plan to play an honest broker role for now,” said the Omaha attorney and super-delegate.
“I’ll wait until after the caucuses” before deciding whether to commit, Achelpohl said.
As the first hints of attention begin to emerge, Sen. Ben Nelson said, it appears Nebraska “may have a greater role in this than anybody could have predicted early on.”
Nelson has endorsed Obama.
Judy Monaghan of Omaha, who has been designated as the official Clinton campaign representative in Nebraska, said Clinton staff is not on the ground here yet.
“We are organizing on a grassroots level,” she said. “There’s no paid staff here. That probably will change.”
Monaghan said she was “on the fence, but leaning toward Hillary,” when former Sen. Bob Kerrey phoned her about three weeks ago to ask her to become active in the Clinton campaign.
Kerrey, president of New School University in New York City, has endorsed the New York senator.
“It’s her experience,” Monaghan said. “She is ready immediately to be president. She gives clear detail on how she is going to accomplish her goals. I feel she’s ready to lead the country.”
Nigro, deputy Lancaster County public defender, said he’s inspired by Obama and his positive message.
“I want so much to have a candidate I’m excited about instead of someone I have to settle for,” Nigro said.
“Hillary is a very polarizing figure,” he said. “I certainly would support her if she’s the nominee, but she would be a tough sell here. I believe Obama has an opportunity to expand the Democratic base.”
Obama would be “a much stronger candidate in the general election” with his bipartisan and independent appeal, Nigro said.
Clinton could be elected, he said, “but the country would be bitterly divided and it would be harder to get things done.”
{M3Reach Don Walton at 473-7248 or at dwalton@journalstar.com.
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