Hillary Rodham Clinton will headline her own night at the Democratic National Convention, Barack Obama's campaign announced Sunday, in a nod to her strong second-place showing during the primary season.
Clinton will speak on Aug. 26, the second night of the convention in Denver and the 88th anniversary of women's suffrage. The Obama campaign called her "a champion for working families and one of the most effective and empathetic voices in the country today."
The campaign is trying to avoid hard feelings among Clinton's supporters at the convention. But it still hasn't been decided whether Clinton will be included in the roll-call vote for the nomination, which could make the party appear divided heading into the final stretch of the White House race.
The campaign said Obama's wife, Michelle, is scheduled to headline the opening night on Aug. 25, while the yet-to-be-named vice presidential pick will speak on the third. Democratic officials say Bill Clinton is also scheduled to speak that night, but only the headliners were in Sunday's official announcement made while Obama was vacationing in his native state of Hawaii.
Obama is to become the official nominee on the fourth and final night as the convention moves from the indoor Pepsi Arena to a bigger venue at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium. It happens to be the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.
QWEST WORKERS OK CALL TO STRIKE
Members of the largest employee union at Qwest Communications International Inc., have voted to authorize a strike if talks fail to produce a new contract.
Communications Workers of America District 7 said 93 percent of voting members had authorized union leaders to call a strike if needed.
A contract covering about 20,000 union workers at Qwest expires at 12:01 a.m. Aug. 17, a little more than a week before the Democratic National Convention in Denver. The Republican National Convention begins Sept. 1 in St. Paul.
