Hawaii’s delegates plan to line up behind Obama

DENVER » Hawaii's delegation to the Democratic National Convention is moving toward a unanimous vote for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama as the presidential nominee.

Star-Bulletin reporter Richard Borreca is in Denver covering the Democratic National Convention. IN BLOGS In Politics Richard Borreca Hawaii Democrats Guest bloggers

The movement came yesterday after it was learned that U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton would release the delegates pledged to vote for her.

Obama had offered Clinton a roll call vote Wednesday evening as a way to show respect for the 18 million votes she won in the primary and caucuses races earlier this year.

But the Associated Press, quoting "high Democratic Party officials," said Clinton would formally announce Wednesday that delegates pledged to her are free to vote for Obama.

"If she releases delegates before the roll call, it would be up to each person who has been pledged to Clinton. I think the Hawaii delegation would go uniformly for Obama because he is from Hawaii," said Sen. Colleen Hanabusa, state Senate president and the Hawaii spokeswoman for Clinton.

Without the formal release, Hanabusa said, the six Hawaii delegates pledged to Clinton have to vote for her "to keep faith with the Democratic caucus voters."

Hawaii has a total of 29 delegate votes.

Obama has 14 pledged, with seven votes more unpledged votes going to the Illinois Democrat and two more unpledged superdelegate votes going to Clinton.

Former Hawaii Gov. John Waihee, who is a delegate to the convention and a Clinton supporter, said if Clinton formally releases her delegates, Hawaii should give all 29 votes to Obama.

"I was expecting she would release them," Waihee said. "I think at this point we should have a unanimous vote for Obama."