There is talk [1] that Obama and the DNC are maneuvering to keep Hillary Clinton's name off the first nominating ballot at the Democratic National Convention. In my mind, any candidate who got "pledged" delegates during the primaries should be on the first ballot and there should be a roll call vote. That includes Obama, Clinton, and Edwards.

It should also be noted that none of these candidates gained enough "pledged" delegates during the primaries to secure the nomination. So how is it fair to have a "symbolic" vote for only one candidate?

And regarding "pledged" delegates, they aren't. According to party rules, any delegate, "pledged," "super," or otherwise, can vote for anybody they want. There are no hard and fast commitments until there is a vote -- just like elections, which are decided by the votes on election day, not survey polls leading up to it. Perhaps this is why the Obama camp is worried, given criticism of their recent campaign adjustments.

There is at least one organized effort to keep the Democratic National Convention democratic [2]:

The Denver Group was recently formed to ensure that Howard Dean and the Democratic National Committee conduct the Democratic Party's presidential nomination process in keeping with democratic principles at the Party's convention this August. This means an open convention, which includes Senator Clinton's name on the ballot, allowing speeches by Clinton supporters on behalf of her candidacy, and the taking of a roll call vote, all of which is the norm.

The Denver Group [3], organized by Marc Rubin and Heidi Li Feldman, is a non-connected committee, established on June 24, 2008. It is not affiliated with Hillary Clinton for President, any candidate for President, or any political party.

"The Democratic Party has an obligation to adhere to democratic principles and allow the delegates Senator Clinton earned, which represent more than 18 million Democratic primary voters, to be counted in a roll call vote and for superdelegates to be able to cast their votes for the candidate of their choice at the convention where it counts," said Rubin.

The Denver Group's website is here [4].

(Memo to Obamanauts and assorted Clinton Haters: This is not advocating for Hillary Clinton. This is advocating for an open and fair nominating process so the nominee isn't tainted going forward.)