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| Clinton to urge Democratic unity | Clinton to urge Democratic unity |
| (39 minutes later) | |
| Barack Obama's former rival Hillary Clinton is due to take centre-stage at the Democratic Party's nominating convention in Denver, Colorado. | |
| The party is hoping Mrs Clinton, who lost a hard-fought race for Democratic nomination, can now convince her followers to back his presidential run. | The party is hoping Mrs Clinton, who lost a hard-fought race for Democratic nomination, can now convince her followers to back his presidential run. |
| Senator Obama will formally accept the party's nomination on Thursday night. | Senator Obama will formally accept the party's nomination on Thursday night. |
| Mrs Clinton will share the spotlight with ex-Virginia Governor Mark Warner, due to give the event's keynote speech. | Mrs Clinton will share the spotlight with ex-Virginia Governor Mark Warner, due to give the event's keynote speech. |
| He is running for a Senate seat in Virginia, targeted as an important swing state by the Democrats in November's elections. | He is running for a Senate seat in Virginia, targeted as an important swing state by the Democrats in November's elections. |
| Mr Warner - known for his bipartisan approach - has signalled that he is unlikely to use his speech to attack Republican contender John McCain, as some senior Democrats would like. | Mr Warner - known for his bipartisan approach - has signalled that he is unlikely to use his speech to attack Republican contender John McCain, as some senior Democrats would like. |
| He faces the challenge of matching the last keynote convention speaker - Mr Obama, whose performance in 2004 catapulted him on to the national stage. | He faces the challenge of matching the last keynote convention speaker - Mr Obama, whose performance in 2004 catapulted him on to the national stage. |
| Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean sought on Tuesday to dampen criticism that the convention so far had been too soft on Mr McCain, saying there was still "plenty of time" for tough-talking. | Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean sought on Tuesday to dampen criticism that the convention so far had been too soft on Mr McCain, saying there was still "plenty of time" for tough-talking. |
| He also played down suggestions of a rift between supporters of Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton, saying there was "not a unity problem" and her speech would demonstrate that. | He also played down suggestions of a rift between supporters of Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton, saying there was "not a unity problem" and her speech would demonstrate that. |
| Dead heat | Dead heat |
| Mrs Clinton has already thrown her political weight behind Mr Obama and dismissed suggestions that the party is divided. | Mrs Clinton has already thrown her political weight behind Mr Obama and dismissed suggestions that the party is divided. |
| "Let there be no mistake about it, we are united," Mrs Clinton said ahead of the convention. CONVENTION AGENDA Monday: Michelle Obama speech on Obama the man; tribute to Ted KennedyTuesday: Hillary Clinton speech; keynote speech by former Virginia governor Mark WarnerWednesday: Speeches by Bill Clinton and Joe Biden; vote to confirm Barack Obama as party's candidateThursday: Barack Obama to accept nomination with speech in stadium class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/7581229.stm">Convention programme class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/7574423.stm">Voters' views on the convention class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/7582424.stm">Convention diary | |
| But opinion polls indicate that despite her repeated statements of support for Mr Obama, many of her supporters are saying they would rather vote for Mr McCain than for her former rival. | |
| The BBC's Jamie Coomarasamy, in Denver, says even though Mrs Clinton is not the keynote speaker for the convention, for many Democrats her speech will be its centrepiece. | |
| Her many supporters seem divided between those who are, however reluctantly, supporting Mr Obama and those who say they may vote for Mr McCain, our correspondent says, with opinion polls suggesting the latter group could be large enough to influence the result of the vote. | |
| Although personal tensions still simmer in the background, Mrs Clinton is expected to give a strong endorsement of her former rival and to turn the focus to attacking Mr McCain by drawing links between him and President George W Bush, our correspondent adds. | |
| A poll from CNN/Opinion Research Corp suggests that American voters are evenly divided between Mr Obama and Mr McCain, at 47% each. | A poll from CNN/Opinion Research Corp suggests that American voters are evenly divided between Mr Obama and Mr McCain, at 47% each. |
| Senator McCain is due to be nominated next week at the Republican Party's convention in Minneapolis-St Paul, Minnesota. | Senator McCain is due to be nominated next week at the Republican Party's convention in Minneapolis-St Paul, Minnesota. |
| He campaigned in Arizona on Tuesday, telling veterans that Mr Obama's opposition to the Iraq war and preference for multilateral diplomacy could undermine US leadership in the world. I thought Michelle Obama's speech was effective but not a knock-out; it doesn't settle the matters of perceived lack of patriotism and oddness and effeteness (if that is a word) BBC North America Editor, Justin Webb Read Justin's thoughts in fullThree arrested over 'Obama plot' | |
| While the first night of the convention was devoted to fleshing out the life story of Barack Obama, Tuesday has been billed as "Renewing America's Promise" and features political heavyweights, including state governors and prominent House and Senate leaders. | While the first night of the convention was devoted to fleshing out the life story of Barack Obama, Tuesday has been billed as "Renewing America's Promise" and features political heavyweights, including state governors and prominent House and Senate leaders. |
| Mrs Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, takes the stage on Wednesday night, when Mr Obama is to be formally nominated. | Mrs Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, takes the stage on Wednesday night, when Mr Obama is to be formally nominated. |
| Democratic officials are said to have brokered a deal between the Obama and Clinton camps for the nomination that is meant to appease die-hard Clinton supporters. | Democratic officials are said to have brokered a deal between the Obama and Clinton camps for the nomination that is meant to appease die-hard Clinton supporters. |
| Some states would be allowed to cast votes for both Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton on Wednesday before the roll call is ended with the unanimous nomination of Barack Obama. | Some states would be allowed to cast votes for both Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton on Wednesday before the roll call is ended with the unanimous nomination of Barack Obama. |
| He makes his appearance on the closing night of the conference, on Thursday, when he is to address a crowd of an expected 80,000 people at a sports stadium after a tour of electoral battlegrounds. | He makes his appearance on the closing night of the conference, on Thursday, when he is to address a crowd of an expected 80,000 people at a sports stadium after a tour of electoral battlegrounds. |
| Michelle Obama on her husband's hopes | Michelle Obama on her husband's hopes |
| The first African-American to be nominated as a US presidential candidate, he will stand against Mr McCain in the 4 November ballot. | The first African-American to be nominated as a US presidential candidate, he will stand against Mr McCain in the 4 November ballot. |
| After being attacked as a "celebrity" by the McCain campaign, the Democrats used the opening night of the convention to try to show the Illinois senator as a family man with normal concerns. | |
| In a speech, his wife Michelle Obama spoke of his values and said her husband would be "an extraordinary president". | |
| More than 4,000 Democratic delegates and tens of thousands of officials, activists, protesters and journalists have descended on Denver for the event. | More than 4,000 Democratic delegates and tens of thousands of officials, activists, protesters and journalists have descended on Denver for the event. |
What is your reaction to the first day of the Democratic Convention? You can send us your views using the form below: | What is your reaction to the first day of the Democratic Convention? You can send us your views using the form below: |