*Rep.: Half of House Dems may vote Hillary at DNC* By: Amie Parnes and Ben Smith August 16, 2008 10:27 AM EST Rep. Loretta Sanchez says shes happy for the chance to vote for Hillary Rodham Clinton at the Democratic National Convention and she predicts that as many as half of the Democrats in the House could join her. Just how many former Clinton supporters will vote for the former first lady during the symbolic first ballot is anybodys guess, but each of them will be called upon to do so whether they want to or not. On Friday, the Obama campaign confirmed that the floor vote in Denver, intended to assuage Clinton supporters still stewing over her narrow loss, will be conducted as a state-by-state roll call. Under proposed convention bylaws, delegates would be forced to register their votes on a tally sheet with the convention secretary the rules could be altered or suspended before the start of the convention. By putting her name in nomination, you're putting people on the spot, said former delegate counter Matt Seyfang, adding a second potential drawback: Having a roll call ... just chews into your broadcast time. Lower-key options were available. For example, Clintons name could have been entered into nomination, followed by laudatory speeches, ending with her release of delegates to Obama and proposal that he be nomination by acclamation, Seyfang said. Obama spokesman Bill Burton said the mechanics of the roll call vo ...
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