Thursday, September 6, 2012
Politics Mayor Reed, one of Obama's biggest supporters, takes smaller role at DNC
Posted by Thomas Wheatley @thomaswheatley on Thu, Sep 6, 2012 at 6:25 PM
- Joeff Davis
- Reed says he didn't push for speaking role at convention
Why's that worth mentioning? Well, this year's soiree is big on mayors giving speeches. And Reed is one of President Barack Obama's biggest surrogates.
Does that mean Atlanta's falling out of favor with the White House? Should we see if the downtown streetcar money's still in the bank? WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE, PEOPLE?!? Reed's spokeswoman tells the AJC's Aaron Gould Sheinin not to worry, and that the mayor's omission from the the speaker's schedule wasn't a snub by the Democratic National Committee, which organizes the quadrennial presidential nominating convention. Nor was it part of some conspiracy. Reed, who serves on the DNC's Rules Committee, says he didn't push for time at the podium during the shortened convention. He noted that all but one of the mayors who are speaking have served two terms or lead national organizations.
Sheinin also wondered if it might have something with the mayor's policy views:
But Reed’s ambivalence about party positions on gay marriage and gun ownership may have put him slightly out of synch with some of his colleagues who appeared on stage.Reed, despite Obama’s May declaration of support for marriage equality, has said he is “still wrestling with my own personal beliefs on the issue of marriage.”
The party’s platform, approved here Tuesday, also calls for focusing on “effective enforcement of existing laws, especially strengthening our background check system,” but it also calls for “commonsense improvements — like reinstating the assault weapons ban and closing the gun show loophole — so that guns do not fall into the hands of those irresponsible, law-breaking few.”
In July, following the deadly shooting at an Aurora, Colo., movie theater, WABE-FM asked Reed specifically whether he would support those two provisions. Reed said while he agreed the mass shooting in Colorado should renew conversation about gun control, he stopped short of endorsing any particular plan.
Regardless, Reed's still active and campaigning for Obama in Charlotte. He's participated in several media roundtables, including a BET panel discussion and interviews with PBS and CNN, among other events. He was on the floor last night to watch Bill Clinton's nearly 50-minute speech and afterword told CL Photo Editor Joeff Davis, who's covered both the Republican and Democratic convention, that the former President "killed it."
"He smashed it," said Reed, who was accompanied in Charlotte by his mother. "He is the best politician alive."
After the jump, more photos of Georgia's delegation during the roll call vote.
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