Nelson: Democrats are united

TAYLOR VERNARSKY
Staff Writer, Leesburg Daily Commercial

CLERMONT -- When this November rolls around, the Democrats plan to take back the White House and regain control of the country.

The goal was on the minds of Lake County's most influential Democrats when they gathered Sunday evening for the seventh annual Claude Pepper Dinner, which was themed "Unity Equals Victory."

"We are hungry for it and we are ready for it," said Nancy Bell, a Democratic state committeewoman for Lake County.

The event, held this year at the Days Inn in Clermont, is considered the social function of the year for party members to gather and celebrate their accomplishments in the past year.

This year's fundraiser event is no different as Democrats rally together with less than two months to go before the 2008 presidential election on Nov. 4 as Democratic party candidates Barack Obama and Joe Biden take on Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin.

With the primary behind them, party members must move forward, said Nancy Hurlbert, vice chairperson for the Lake County Democratic Executive Committee.

The Democratic party plans to attract younger voters and maintain enough momentum to carry the state of Florida, even if they do not outnumber Republicans in Lake County.

"Hopefully, we will turn Lake (County) blue at the end of the election," she said.

The featured speakers were U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-FL, and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz , D-Weston. The two Democrats spoke before hundreds of fellow supporters to encourage one another in time for November.

Both Nelson and Wasserman Schultz were strong supporters for Hillary Clinton before Obama claimed the nomination. But it doesn't matter who the party's nominee is for the general election because both Obama and Clinton shared similar views on national issues such as education and health care.

"Both of them are my personal friends but my friendship with (Clinton) goes back two decades," Nelson said. "When it was announced Obama would become the nominee, I changed my support to him and he understood."

When he spoke before his fellow party members, Nelson compared the election to a car in which it needs to be in D to go forward and R to go backwards.

The Florida senator talked about Claude Pepper, the former U.S. senator and representative of which the dinner is in honor of following his death in 1989. Nelson said the Democratic party needs to step up for the "dispossessed and those left behind."

Nelson expects a close race in Florida when Nov. 4 comes around.

"The Democrats have control in Congress so now it's time to take back the White House after eight years (under the Republican party)," said James Argento, an attorney in Lake County and member of Generation Obama of Central Florida. "So we plan to be united come November and rock the ballot box."