UPDATE Wassrman Schultz has resigned her position as chair of the Democratic National Committee, effective the end of the DNC in Philadelphia. The position will be filled on an interim basis by longtime Clinton confidant Donna Brazile.
The embattled chair of the Democratic National Committee -- snared in an email scandal showing party insiders worked to diminish Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders' campaign -- won't be speaking to her national convention. Instead, it'll be Cleveland U.S. Representative Marcia Fudge weilding the gavel in Philadephia.
Just as the Republicans came to Cleveland with a presumptive nominee and running mate, the Democrats move into Philadelphia for their convention with a presumptive nominee and running mate. Both sides will say that's where the similarity ends.
Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine come into the Wells Fargo Center the clear choice of delegates convening in the City of Brotherly Love, poised to show some Sisterly Love and nominate the first major-party woman to lead their ticket. Clinton not only has 2,807 delegates -- far surpassing the 2,383 needed to nominate -- she also has the endorsement of her rivals in the primary, including Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
But like the fractures in the GOP, the Democrats also have their own splits; a Wikileaks dump of hacked emails from Democratic National Committee insiders paints a picture of the party apparatus clearly taking sides, even to the point of suggested attacks on Sanders.
The Sanders campaign says they are "disappointed" and would like to see those connected to the anti-Sanders strategies held accountable, and the chair of the Democratic National Committee, Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, won't be speaking at the convention in marked contrast to her Republican counterpart. The leaked emails show Wasserman Schultz as taking sides in the primary as both leading candidates fought for the nomination. Cleveland Democratic Congresswoman Marcia Fudge will instead chair the convention after the DNC Rules Committee decided to scrap Wasserman Schultz.
160 delegates from Ohio are making the trip for the week-long political convention; the makeup splits into 93 selected at the district level, 31 selected at large, 19 are pledged party leaders and elected officials, 11 are DNC members, one is a former DNC chair and five are elected Congressional representatives.
The list includes former Governor and U.S. Senate candidate Ted Strickland and Akron State Representative Emilia Sykes; Sanders delegates include Akron City Council's Tara Mosely-Samples. So-called "super delegates" include Senator Sherrod Brown, Congressman Tim Ryan, Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, State Representative Kathleen Clyde and State Chair David Pepper.
The gavel drops at 3:00 p.m. with prime time speakers Monday including First Lady Michelle Obama. Former President Bill Clinton speaks Tuesday, President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are scheduled for Wednesday and Hillary Clinton is scheduled to be introduced by daughter Chelsea Clinton on Thursday. 1590 WAKR will have live coverage on Wednesday and Thursday evening starting at 8:00 both nights.