Campaign for the White House

WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 2, 2007 — -- The room at the Washington Hilton was packed with Democratic activists, consultants, fundraisers and party leaders -- the support of whom is key for any successful presidential nomination campaign. So the White House hopefuls came to the winter meeting of the Democratic National Convention to make their distinct pitches.

Presumed front-runner Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., said, "there is another kind of experience that we're going to need in 2008. I know a thing or two about winning campaigns."

She also added in a list of potential Democratic achievements -- fixing health care, stopping global warming, ending the genocide in Darfur -- saying that Democrats "can make history and remake our country's future. We can elect the first woman president."

Four years ago, Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, now the chairman of the DNC, won plaudits and notice by distinguishing himself at this meeting as "the Democratic wing of the Democratic party."

Former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., seemed eager to claim that mantle today, applauding labor unions and talking about poverty. "Democrats have always been the party who stood with the frail, with the children, with the elderly … Brothers and sisters, in times like these, we don't need to redefine the Democratic Party.  We need to reclaim the Democratic Party."

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., who will formally declare his candidacy next weekend, continued to talk about hope and national unity.

"Where there's cynicism, hope is always stronger," he said to applause. "That's what we offer in this campaign. That's what we offer the American people: hope."

For some candidates, it was a time to introduce themselves to the crowd. "Today, and over the coming 12 months," said Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., "I'm standing before you to ask you to give me a chance, to give me a chance to be heard, to make my case for my candidacy."

Retired Gen. Wesley Clark used his military background to distinguish himself. "I helped prevent a war in Korea, helped end a war in Bosnia, and commanded the forces that won a war in Europe to stop ethnic cleansing by the Serbs and we won it without losing a single American life in combat," Clark said.