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Clinton supporters protest to honor her failed bid

BY ELIZABETH MOORE | elizabeth.moore@newsday.com

August 27, 2008

DENVER - Shouting "Honest Roll Call!" and "Yes We Can!" several hundred of Hillary Rodham Clinton's most loyal supporters took to the streets of Denver yesterday to march in honor of her failed presidential bid.

Eighteen Million Voices, the group organizing the march, billed it as a peaceful celebration both of Clinton and of women's rights on the 88th anniversary of women's suffrage. But for most, the prevailing goal seemed to be making one last show of pride in a candidate who they believed had been mistreated by her party and the news media.

"My goal is to make Democrats think about what we're losing here," said Diane Schrack, an artist from Highlands Ranch, Colo. "None of the leadership of the Democratic Party - Howard Dean, Donna Brazile, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid - none of them came out and said sexism is wrong, don't do it."

Toni Alves, a video game designer from San Francisco who said she has voted as a Democrat for 40 years, traveled to Denver in the name of her local chapter of PUMA (Party Unity My --). She said if Barack Obama is the nominee, she's voting for Republican John McCain.

"Obama was selected by the media and the DNC," said Kate Sampson of Columbus, Ohio, insisting "she's not done. Ohio loves Hillary, and we're going to continue."

The march also included a few who continued to cling to the hope that delegates would see the light this week and nominate Clinton after all.

"I want her to fight for her rightful place as our next president," said Lori McMaster of Whidbey Island, Wash. "She fought for us to the end. ... I have a lot of faith."

If the parade was small, its sentiments were shared by at least some of the 2,500 women at an Emily's List "unity" gala headlined by Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Obama's wife, Michelle Obama. Clinton enjoyed the most intense applause of the three.

"If the election were held today, I'd vote for McCain," declared Freda Miklin, a Colorado Democrat who worked for Clinton's losing primary bid in this state.

Jane Ilko, former chair of the Summit County, Colo., Democratic Committee, said the current leadership had improperly coached caucus voters to back Obama. "I'm just mad at the DNC," she said. "I've been involved in politics since JFK, and ... the party took sides. ... They just decided it was not going to be Hillary, and that was it."