Dems adopt committee reports sans rancor

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CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 4 (UPI) -- With far less controversy than was on display last week, Democrats in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday approved reports by the credentialing and rules committees.

By overwhelming majorities, conventioneers approved, without an audible dissent, reports by the credentialing and rules committees Tuesday.

In contrast, boos filled the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., last week when it was announced alternate delegates from Maine would be seated at the Republican National Convention instead of delegates who backed Texas Congressman Ron Paul.

Nearly equal shouts of "aye" and "nay" filled the hall when GOP Rules Committee Co-chairman John Sununu urged adoption of new rules concerning how delegates and alternates are selected and allocated, binding convention delegates to vote for the candidate who won their state's presidential preference poll and expanding the RNC's power to make changes to party rules between conventions.

"We are here in Charlotte to make sure President Obama returns to the White House," said Democratic Credentialing Committee Co-chairwoman Vashti McKenzie, the first woman elected as bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Convention Secretary Alice Germond certified all 56 delegations "are in the house and present."