Released Clinton backers still voting Hillary

DENVER — Even though Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) released her delegates Wednesday, many still say they feel bound to vote for her one more time. 

"I have been debating all week," said Nancy Floreen, a Montgomery County (Md.) Council member and delegate. "I decided I'll vote tonight for Hillary. The only reason I'm here is Hillary."

{mosads}Floreen was among thousands of Clinton delegates and supporters who poured into the Korbel ballroom at the Colorado Convention Center to hear what their candidate had to say. Clinton announced she would release her delegates before speaking to the supporters.

By releasing the delegates, Clinton essentially is giving them her blessing to vote to nominate Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) as the Democratic presidential nominee during this afternoon’s roll-call vote.

In her primetime speech Tuesday night, Clinton urged her backers to support Obama, asking if they were in the campaign for her, or for the ideals and policies she supports.

So far, however, many delegates seem to be resisting Clinton’s calls.

Clinton delegate Blanche Darley said she won’t even support the presumptive Democratic nominee in November.

"I don't trust him and I don't like him," said Darley, of El Paso, Texas, who isn’t planning to vote for GOP candidate Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) either.

"I just don't think he knows anything about Hispanics," she said of Obama.

Others said they would vote for Clinton today, but for Obama in the fall.

Allida Black, a Clinton delegate from Arlington, called Clinton's remarks "courageous, real and respectful" in trying to rally support for Obama without exerting pressure.

"I will work my heart out for Obama, but I have to vote for Hillary first," Black said of today’s roll call vote.

Shirley Love, a state senator and Clinton delegate from West Virginia, thinks Clinton has "done everything she could to get Obama elected." He said Obama should have picked Clinton as his running mate, and that if he loses in the general election he’ll rue that decision.

"Obama's mistake," he said, "was he should have picked Hillary Clinton [for vice president]. If he loses, they can't say it was Hillary's fault. But they can say it was his fault for not picking Hillary Clinton."