Local Dems Denver-bound

MARBLEHEAD – Local delegates in Denver this week for the Democratic National Convention say a perceived rift between presumptive nominee Barack Obama and fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton is exaggerated, and expect the party to set aside their differences in an effort to bring a Democrat back to the Oval Office.State Democratic Committeewoman Marsha Sweeney and her husband, Chair of the Marblehead Democratic Committee Philip Sweeney, have been staunch Clinton supporters since her presidential campaign began just over a year ago.Now that Obama has surfaced as the clear-cut leader of the party, and passed on Clinton as his vice president, the Sweeney’s say they are prepared to give all of their attention to Obama and rally the Democratic troops for an aggressive run to the polls this November.The couple flew to Denver this weekend and is staying about eight miles away from the convention, held in the city’s downtown.”My husband and I are avid Clinton people. I have been watching the cable news here off and on, and I really think that people are making more than necessary about this supposed split between the Obama people and the Clinton people,” Marsha Sweeney said. “I got off the plane in Denver wearing a Clinton button, but I will get off the plane back in Boston wearing an Obama button. It is all about us working together to see if we can get a Democratic president elected to office.”The party is also apparently unified behind the man Obama chose over Clinton for the VP spot, Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden. Sweeney said all of the delegates are excited about his experience and the potential that he brings to Obama’s campaign.All of the heavy hitters in the Democratic Party are in town this week for the convention, including locals Sen. John Kerry, Lt. Governor Tim Murray, Gov. Deval Patrick and even ailing Sen. Ted Kennedy, who was expected to speak at the convention Monday night.Patrick is expected to be a large part of Obama’s campaign going forward, and the Sweeney’s say he has already started voicing his support in Denver.The Sweeney’s traveled to Denver with six delegates from Essex/ Middlesex counties and have been attending meetings and breakfasts hosted by party leaders throughout their stay.Aside from visiting a city she has never seen before, Marsha Sweeney said there are some glaring differences from this year’s DNC and the 2004 convention held in Boston.”It was wonderful to have the convention in our home city, especially because it was the candidate (John Kerry’s) home city, too,” she said. “But it is also fun to go to a different city and see different things. We didn’t get around as much in Boston as we do here. I like seeing places I have never been before.”One glaring difference in Denver is the police presence. While Boston police were out in full force four years ago, they were armed only in riot gear, while Denver Police are patrolling the streets with machine guns.”The police presence is overwhelming, it must be an Old West thing,” she said.With over 20 years invested in the local Democratic Party, the Sweeney’s are viewing this election with great importance as they emphasize the need to bring the part back to the White House. That said, the couple will take a few days to enjoy the area before returning home to campaign, and Philip Sweeney will even attempt to climb Pike’s Peak.”We are going to stay for a few extra days. Most people take a vacation before the convention, I like to stay after when I really need it,” Marsha Sweeney said. “But we will be ready to start to coordinate our campaign from top to bottom. Not just for Obama, but for Sen. Kerry, Congressman Tierney, our local representative Laurie Ehrlich – all of the Democrats running for office in the area. We will do the job and we will do it united.”