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Lee and Milton Hakel of Bowling Green are committed Democrats.

And both expect to support Sen. Barack Obama when he is nominated for president at the Democratic National Convention in Denver next week.

But they flew opposite political banners — or rather posted rival political yard signs — during the primary season.

And they may cast opposite votes on the first ballot as delegates to the convention — Mrs. Hakel for Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and Mr. Hakel for Senator Obama of Illinois.

“We’re pledged [to her] and she has not released us yet,” Mrs. Hakel said, speaking for her fellow Clinton supporters. “They’re going to let us know.”

Already, however, the couple are jointly supporting Mr. Obama; they hosted an Obama “house party” in Bowling Green on Saturday, one of a series of efforts through which Obama supporters are courting neighbors.

The friendly tension in the Hakel household mirrors that of the Ohio Democratic delegation, which was split between Senators Obama and Clinton when they were selected in the March 4 primary election.

And despite the lingering hopes of Hillary fans, they will attend a convention that is guaranteed to have only one outcome — the launching of a general election campaign for Mr. Obama, who won enough delegates in the primary season to clinch the nomination.

The four-day convention officially starts a week from today.

On Thursday, spokesmen for Senators Obama and Clinton announced the two Democrats had agreed to have her name placed in nomination.

The move is an olive branch to Clinton partisans who threaten to undermine the party’s unity against Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

“If I’m Barack Obama what I want is as united a party as I can have when I leave [the convention],” said James Ruvolo, a former state Democratic chairman from Ottawa Hills who is a member of the credentials committee and committed to Mrs. Clinton.

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“I assume the calculation has been there are enough Clinton delegates who will be angry if she’s not placed in nomination,” Mr. Ruvolo said.

Putting her name in nomination allows seconding speeches to be made praising her accomplishments.

“Then they will be able to say at least I got to cast my vote for Hillary Clinton,” Mr. Ruvolo said. “I think this is a smart decision.”

Chris Redfern, the Ohio Democratic Party chairman, said he has not sensed any dissension between the Clinton and Obama camps — despite media reports that some Clinton supporters are mad enough to stay home or even vote for the Republican candidate.

“I think those who have been elected as Clinton delegates will be proud to cast their ballots for her on the first ballot and then for him on the second ballot,” Mr. Redfern said. He said Clinton delegates are expected to vote for Mrs. Clinton until she releases them.

But he said the divisions will be forgotten when Mr. Obama gives his acceptance speech on the last night of the convention.

Mrs. Clinton’s hard-won victory over Mr. Obama in the Ohio Democratic Primary March 4 briefly raised hopes she could stage a comeback and win the party’s nomination.

Instead, three months later, Mrs. Clinton conceded she had lost and endorsed her rival.

Ready to back Obama

Of Ohio’s 141 pledged delegates, 74 were awarded to Mrs. Clinton and 67 to Mr. Obama, leaving 21 super delegates who were officially unpledged.
Clinton delegates from northwest Ohio say they’re ready to back Mr. Obama.

Anita Lopez, Lucas County auditor, who initially cast her lot with Mrs. Clinton said, “I am fully supportive of Obama.

“I support wholeheartedly our Democratic candidate and I will do everything I can to help him get elected,” said Ms. Lopez, who said she will attend the convention at her own expense and use personal leave time.

Justin Zollars, 26, a master’s degree student in biology at Bowling Green State University who works part time as a lab technician at Owens Community College, said he supported Mrs. Clinton, but believes Mr. Obama’s charisma and message will win over Ohio voters.

“I still think she should be the vice presidential candidate,” Mr. Zollars said.

Sally Powless, regional director of AFSCME Ohio Council 8, was elected as a Clinton delegate, but has no reservations about supporting Mr. Obama.

“I hope that she makes her peace with the Obama campaign and does what’s best for the party,” Ms. Powless said. “I don’t think there’s going to be any problem for Ohio. I think Ohio delegates understand, whether they were for Hillary or Obama, that the primary season is done, the decision is made.”

Mr. Ruvolo, who was in charge of delegate selection for Mrs. Clinton during the primaries, sought appointment to the credentials committee back when it looked like there could be a convention battle for the nomination. One of the things the credentials committee will decide is whether Michigan and Florida should be allowed full voting privileges, despite having violated the party’s rules by holding early primaries.

He agreed that, with Mrs. Clinton’s endorsement of Mr. Obama, the dispute over the Michigan and Florida delegates is moot.

As things now stand, Michigan’s 128 pledged delegates are each entitled to cast the equivalent of a half-vote — with 34.5 for Senator Clinton and 29.5 for Senator Obama.

“You certainly have some Clinton supporters that are still trying to raise some issues and they have a right to do that,” Mr. Ruvolo said.

‘What’s up with that family?’

The Hakels’ friendly rivalry began the night of the Democratic Party caucuses to select potential candidate delegates Jan. 3 when Mrs. Hakel learned that her husband was supporting Mr. Obama.

“When you got there, you had to state which candidate you were there to support. I said I’m going to Clinton. He said I’m going to Obama. I said, ‘You’re kidding,’” said Mrs. Hakel, a retired director of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology based in Bowling Green.

Mrs. Hakel was elected as an alternate for Mrs. Clinton from the Ohio 5th Congressional District. She is expected to be promoted to delegate to replace Linda Howe, who submitted her resignation because she moved from Napoleon to Lucas County to take a new job as director of the Lucas County Board of Elections.

Mr. Hakel said that, after the party caucus, “We had yard signs side by side in the run-up to the primary, and of course friends were saying, ‘What’s up with that family?’” Mr. Hakel said.

“We are united. We would support whoever got the nomination and that was clear even at the outset,” he said.

The total size of the Ohio delegation is 211 people — 162 delegates, 23 alternates, 23 standing committee members, and 3 pages.

The entire delegation is staying at the Curtis hotel, just under a mile from the Pepsi Center where most of the convention will be held.

The delegates will meet each day for breakfast at 8 a.m. to receive their daily credentials and for remarks by party bigwigs.

One highlight of the convention for the Ohio delegates will be Aug. 26 when Gov. Ted Strickland is scheduled to speak.

Contact Tom Troy at: tomtroy@theblade.com or 419-724-6058.

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