Mr. Dinowitz, who was — if you couldn't tell already — a very firm supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton in the primaries, sent us a little more detail on his take on yesterday's happenings at the DNC earlier this morning, but since we're pulling together the paper today, we haven't had time to post it until now.
Among other questions, our editor, Marie Villani-York, asked him if there was tension in the air between Ms. Clinton's die-hard supporters and people who supported the presumptive Democratic nominee, Barack Obama, from the beginning. She also asked him who was there from the Bronx.
He wrote:
Hillary spoke at the NY delegation breakfast yesterday. As usual, she was fantastic. She, of course, received an incredible ovation. She spoke and made it clear in strong and unequivocal terms that she supports Obama, wants him to be president and wants everyone who supported her to work as hard for Obama and they did for her. I'm sure no matter what she says or does there will be those who think she isn't doing enough for Obama and those who question her motives.
While the emotional highlight of last night was Sen. Kennedy speech — in fact his very appearance — I thought Michelle Obama was fantastic. It seemed to me, surrounded largely by Hillary supporters, that the enthusiasm for Obama may not be quite there yet. But we have three more days, and I'm sure that Hillary's speech tonight, President Clinton's speeach tomorrw, the actually roll call and finally Obama's acceptance speech on Thursday will go a long way toward energizing the party and launching the general election campaign. While I personally have had a hard time mustering the same feelings for Obama that I have for Hillary, I don't have the slightest problem working hard for him — as Hillary requested — as I would for her. After all, so much is at stake in stopping McCain. Supreme Court. Need I say more?
Is there tension? I don't know that I have felt any tension, certainly not in the New York delegation, but I think it is hard switching candidates when so many people have such a longtime attachment and relationship with another candidate.
The following elected officials are here from the Bronx:
Congressmen Eliot Engel, Jose Serrano, Joe Crowley; Assembly members Jeffrey Dinowitz, Aurelia Greene, Michael Benjamin, Jose Rivera and Naomi Rivera (I haven't seen Carmen Arroyo, but she is a delegate); state Sens. Ruth Hassell-Thompson; and Councilman Joel Rivera. I'm sure there are a few more.
I wasn't here at the time, but I was told that our hotel was invaded and vandalized by a bunch of anti-WTO/anarchists. I have seen lots of anti-abortion and anti-gay political activity in Denver as well. Frankly, I thought some of what I [saw] was disgusting.
Via West Bronx Blog's DNC coverage, we saw that Liz Benjamin of the Daily News reports that Naomi Rivera was hospitalized early this morning for severe abdominal pain.
As for the protesters, the Albany Times-Union has more.
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