Schwebke looks beyond Clinton-Obama divide, and forward to Democratic Convention

Schwebke looks beyond Clinton-Obama divide, and forward to Democratic Convention

On a hot June afternoon in Monmouth, in a conference room at Western Oregon University’s Student union, Mark Schwebke, president of the American Federation of Teachers-Oregon and longtime Multnomah County Democrat, thought he just missed his last chance to attend the Democratic National Convention. After barely losing in a close vote to become a delegate, he had lost out again in a vote to become an alternate delegate.

But after his final defeat, he learned that Oregon Democratic officials still had faith that he would make it to Denver.

“It was there I found out they were considering me for a committee,” Schwebke said.

A few weeks later it was official; Schwebke was appointed to the Credentials Committee and will be part of the group that is in charge of making sure that all delegates will have the proper credentials.

That will include addressing credentials for delegates from Michigan and Florida, who were banned in December from casting their votes at the convention because those states’ early primaries violated Democratic Party rules. Democratic Presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Barack Obama has requested they be seated at the convention, and Schewebke says he looks forward to welcoming them back.

“To this day, I’m still not quite understanding why they weren’t allowed to vote early,” Schwebke said of the two states that gave the majority of their delegates to Clinton.

Schwebke was also a Clinton supporter, but after Obama wrapped up his victory in the primary, he has thrown his support behind the Democratic candidate. And while he supported Clinton throughout the primary, he is not sure how he feels about having her on the ballot during the first round of voting at the National Convention.

“I’m not worried about Obama, he’s got plenty of delegates and it’s not like he’s going to lose it,” Schwebke said. “But I feel like this is going through the motions, and I’m just here to put a Democrat in office.”

Schwebke will meet with the rest of the Credentials Committee Sunday, Aug. 24, the day before the convention is set to begin. After that, he has a guest pass for the convention floor, and he looks forward to taking in his first Democratic convention.

“I’m not too sure what to expect,” he said. “But I’m leaving it open for possibilities.”

Stay tuned to PolitickerOR.com for on-site coverage for both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.