Democratic convention keynote speaker announced

HONOLULU  – Senate candidate and former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner is scheduled to deliver the Tuesday night keynote address at this year's Democratic National Convention – the same role that launched Barack Obama to national prominence four years ago.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Obama's rival during the Democratic presidential primaries, is also scheduled to speak that night, Aug. 26. But Warner is being given the plum position, according to an e-mail that Obama campaign adviser Mike Henry sent to Virginia supporters late Tuesday.

Henry's e-mail, which was forwarded to The Associated Press while Obama is on vacation in Hawaii, told Virginians, "we wanted you to be the first to know." It included a quote from campaign manager David Plouffe.

"Mark Warner is not afraid to challenge the status quo to bring people together and get things moving," Plouffe's statement read. "It's that kind of spirit and innovation that resulted in his selection as keynote speaker on a night when the convention program will focus on renewing America's economy."

The focus on Warner could help boost his prospects in Virginia, where he is trying to win an open Senate seat and Obama is also campaigning hard. Virginia went to George W. Bush in the last two elections, and the Obama campaign considers it one of its best opportunities to turn a red state blue.

Some news reports had incorrectly said Clinton would be the keynote speaker – although the convention committee and campaign always described her as the Tuesday "headliner." Clinton and Obama advisers have been in delicate negotiations over her role at the convention, with some of her reporters calling for her name to be put in nomination because of her strong second-place showing.

Giving Warner the prime role could be viewed as a slight to some of those supporters as the Obama campaign is working to build unity going into the fall election. But Sam Arora, a former Clinton staffer who co-founded a group, VoteBoth.com, that encouraged Obama to pick Clinton as his running mate, said Warner was a good choice.

"Mark Warner is the future of the Democratic Party, and putting him on Tuesday night with Hillary Clinton is exactly right move for Obama," said Arora, who shut down the VoteBoth.com effort two weeks ago under the assumption that Clinton would not be picked. "They highlight Senator Obama's vision and leadership qualities."

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Associated Press writer By Steven K. Paulson contributed to this report from Denver.