Democrats rally at convention

2008 is a great year to be a Democrat in Eastern North Carolina, party representatives said Saturday in New Bern.

That's because voters have an opportunity to elect a Democratic Party president, governor and state representatives, said Rep. William Wainwright. He was one of several officials who spoke Saturday at a Craven County Democratic Party Convention at the courthouse. About 100 party representatives and supporters packed into an upstairs courtroom.

"We are getting closer to the May 6 primary," Wainwright said. "I hope we are getting closer to putting a Democrat in the oval office. We want a Democrat in the oval office, in the governor's mansion, in U.S. Congress, in the courthouse and in the schoolhouse. It can happen, too."

The loud sound of clapping and cheering filled the courtroom. Wainwright told the people to not let anything divide the party for the presidential election. He said to vote for Sen. Barack Obama or Sen. Hillary Clinton in the primary.

"At the end of the day, whoever comes out is who we will go with," he said. "We must unite. We are a party built around compassion for people."

Marshall Adame, a candidate for U.S. Congress; Emmett Perdue, son of Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue; Rep. Alice Underhill; and several other Democratic candidates spoke at the convention.

Underhill and Adame urged supporters to vote.

"Bring your family, bring your friends and bring people you don't know," Adame said.

He said a Democratic majority among legislators would help turn a Democratic president's values into laws. He also said the party would put "an immediate end to the Iraq war that is bleeding the country's economy dry."

Emmett Perdue and Underhill said the economy is one of three issues the party wants to address at local, state and national levels. They said the other two issues are education and health care.

Adame said he wants to help change the No Child Left Behind Act and decrease the state's high dropout rates. Wainwright said he wants to help reduce the costs of health care programs so more people can afford them.

"There's an awakening among Democrats in Eastern North Carolina who now realize we are the majority in this state," Adame said. "You only get run over when you lie down, and Democrats are not lying down any more."

Kelly Greene, chairman of the county's Democratic Party, asked people to sign up as delegates for several district and state conventions.

Craven County will send 22 delegates to the 1st Congressional District Convention and 42 delegates to the 3rd Congressional District Convention, both held May 17.

The county party will send 64 delegates to the North Carolina State Democratic Party Convention, Greene said. That convention will be held June 21 at the Riverfront Convention Center.

"We're on our way," Alice Underhill said. "Thank you all for giving up your Saturday morning in a windowless courtroom to do your civic duty. It will be well worth it."