Clinton to Release Delegates Wednesday

Failed presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton is expected to free her delegates Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, a party politico said.

The New York senator, who fell short in her bid for the party’s nomination during the primary campaign, will hold a reception at which she will encourage those delegates to vote for the candidate who bested her in the primaries — Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, the New York Daily News reported Sunday.

“She is going to strongly encourage everyone to support Obama,” a party official privy to Clinton’s plans told the newspaper.

The move is viewed as an attempt by Clinton to help prevent the political wounds from the intra-party battles from festering through the general election campaign against the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

Pollster Geoff Garin, a former Clinton adviser, said recently about 18 percent of her supporters say they will back McCain over Obama.

As a formality, Clinton’s name will be entered in the roll call vote at the convention Thursday.

“She ran a great campaign and she has earned the roll call vote,” a high-level Obama aide told the Daily News.