Maria Weeg

DENVER -- Delegates to the Democratic National Convention have been warned that Hillary Clinton coud be put up for nomination as early as 4 p.m. Denver time.

Maria Weeg, executive director of the Arizona Democratic Party, informed the Arizona DNC delegates of that possibility during their breakfast, during which they were handed their ballots.

By earlier agreement, the New York senator is expected to be offered as the Democratic Party's presidential nominee as an acknowledgement of her backers, a substantial number of whom have been leery of - or outright hostile to - the idea of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) becoming the nominee instead of Clinton.

Despite the scheduled vote on Clinton's candidacy, most delegates do not expect the symbolic gesture to devolve into an actual floor fight.

A new Cronkite/Eight poll released Tuesday shows Sen. John McCain (R-Phoenix) holds a ten-point lead over Democratic opponent U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in Arizona. However, McCain still only currently garners 40 percent of the vote, while 30 percent goes to Obama and 28 percent remain undecided.

Those numbers are little changed from a Cronkite/Eight poll conducted in late June, which also showed McCain leading Obama by 10 points, only with 34 percent undecided. 

As quoted in the Arizona Capitol Times, Bruce Merrill, the Arizona State University professor who directed the poll, said:

"McCain maintains his lead in Arizona mainly because evangelicals and conservative Democrats are disproportionately supporting him. The McCain campaign also appears to have successfully created a fairly strong anti-Obama sentiment in the state."

The Arizona Republican Party is responding to an attack by the Arizona Democratic Party over comments U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Phoenix) made regarding Social Security, saying U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is not fit to handle the issue.

Speaking at a town hall in Denver on Monday, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee responded to a question regarding the solvency of Social Security by saying:

"Americans have got to understand that we are paying present-day retirees with the taxes paid by young workers in America today. And that's a disgrace - it's an absolute disgrace, and it's got to be fixed."

Congressional candidate Mary Kim Titla: Campaign photoOn Friday, the Maricopa County Superior Court will hear arguments on whether to include or expunge hundreds of signatures gathered by state Sen. Albert Hale (D-Window Rock), state Rep. Albert Tom (D-Chambers) and 2nd Legislative District House candidate Chris Deschene, on the basis that the signatories gave post office boxes for their addresses.

At a press conference outside the Capitol, 1st Congressional District candidate Mary Kim Titla was joined by Native American activists, former 3rd Congressional District candidate Annie Loyd and Arizona Democratic Party officials to denounce the challenges as discriminatory toward Native Americans, many of whom live on reservations and don't have physical addresses recognized by the U.S. Postal Service.

"Every single one of them does have a physical address," said Tupac Enrique Acosta, who is director of the Phoenix-based Tonatierra Community Development Institute. Acosta said the post office is to blame for not finding a better way to handle addresses on reservations. "These discrepancies have existed... since Arizona and New Mexico were territories," he said.

U.S. Sen. John McCain and President Bush: Getty Images PhotoDemocrats make no secret of the fact they want to see U.S. Sen. John McCain and President Bush as closely linked as possible -- and lately, McCain isn't making it difficult.

One day after backing up Bush on his now-famous "appeasers" comments before the Israeli Knesset, it was revealed McCain will host Bush during a fundraiser in Phoenix on May 27.

Not missing a beat, the Arizona Democratic Party is attempting to fundraise on the appearance. Though their goal of $12,500 between now and the 27th is exactly half the cost of one ticket to the fundraiser, the message is as important as the monetary goal: McCain is Bush III.

U.S. Sen. John McCainOn the fifth anniversary of Bush's "Mission Accomplished" speech aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, Democrats are taking the opportunity to once again throw Sen. John McCain's words on Iraq back in his face.

Despite complaints that McCain's remarks to the effect that it would be acceptable for U.S. troops to stay in Iraq for 100 years were taken out of context, Democrats are not letting up on the issue. Moreover, they are trying to paint McCain as a "flip-flopper" for having previously advanced a position at odds with his current view on Iraq.

The Dems come out swinging against Bennett before he's even in the race.

Leaders of the Democratic parties of several Western states held a conference call today to discuss what they see as Sen. John McCain's vulnerability in the traditionally Republican Rocky Mountain region, including Arizona.