Baca: Dems who "care about the country" back Obama

Trying to exploit tensions in the Democratic party, Republicans today trotted out four Hillary Clinton supporters _ including a Salazar from Colorado _ who said they're voting for John McCain.

"Despite all the talk that we hear from the Democatic Party here in Colorado about unity, the Democratic party is in fact divided," said Carly Fiorina, the Republican National Committee's Victory chairwoman who introduced the four Democrats at the GOP's Denver opposition headquarters.

The quartet included Debra Bartoshevich,a Clinton supporter from Wisconsin who was stripped of her delegate status after publicly saying she would support McCain; Tim Penny, a former Democratic congressman from Minnesota; Cynthia Ruccia, a former congressional candidate from Ohio and an organizer of Women for Fair Politics; and Silverio "Silver" Salazar, the cousin of U.S. Rep. John Salazar and U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar.

Bartoshevich is featured in a new McCain TV ad where she says Clinton had the experience to be president, and now she's supporting the first Republican in her life, McCain.

"A lot of Democrats will vote McCain," Bartoshevich says in the ad. "It's OK. Really."

Penny said he served in Washington with McCain in the 1980s and believed that only McCain can bring the country together.

"With Obama, we have words," Penny said. "With McCain, we have deeds."

Salazar, a former Pueblo precinct leader, said he was supporting McCain because of his experience and because he believed Obama is wrong on taxes, Iraq, immigration, offshore drilling and other issues.

"Even the vice presidential pick said what I've been saying for months," he said. "(Delaware Sen. Joe) Biden said Barack Obama is not ready to be president yet."

He said of his two Obama-supporting cousins, "They have their views. I have mine."

For Ruccia, a lot of her support for McCain comes down to what she said was the sexist treatment Clinton received.

"I'm thoroughly disgusted with the Democratic Party," Ruccia said. "I believe the real magic of Barack Obama is to turn lifelong Democrats into John McCain supporters overnight."

She said she believed McCain would do more for women's causes than Obama and said the Democratic Party was "willing to throw women completely under the bus" this year.

Obama campaign officials responded to the four defectors by saying the Illinois senator is the clear choice for women.

"Women across this country, including Sen. Clinton, are supporting Barack Obama because he is the only candidate in this race who has consistently stood with them," said Stephanie Mueller, a Colorado spokeswoman for the campaign. "Whether the issue is equal pay for women, family and medical leave, or a woman's right to choose, Sen. Obama is an advocate for women, and that's why they're uniting to bring about the change we need in November."

The Obama campaign also pointed to Colorado delegate Polly Baca, a former state senator who supported Clinton but was now backing Obama.

"Hillary would have been a remarkable president but I believe in following her lead to elect Barack Obama president," Baca said. "It's not about personalities; it's not about hurt feelings. It's about what we do to rescue our country from these horrible policies.

"If you care about your country, you will vote for Barack Obama."

Clinton is expected to release her delegates on Wednesday at a reception at the Colorado Convention Center and has called for party unity behind Obama.

Some Democrats have been seen in Denver wearing buttons that say, "Hillary supports Obama, and so do I."

But at least a few Colorado delegates who supported Clinton have either said they will vote to nominate her or have indicated they haven't gotten on board the Obama bandwagon.

The McCain campaign began running a TV ad Sunday called "Passed Over" which said Clinton "won millions of votes but isn't on his (Obama's) ticket. Why? For speaking the truth."

Democratic convention speakers tonight are expected to include two prominent Republican defectors who are supporting Obama, former U.S. Rep. Jim Leach of Iowa and Jim Whitaker, the mayor of Fairbanks, Alaska.

Bookmark/Search this post with: