Lamm Blasts Democrats

Former Gov. Richard D. Lamm of Colorado showed up at the Democratic convention Wednesday not only to make news--he pointedly declined to endorse his rival for the Reform Party presidential nomination, Ross Perot, after previously pledging to do so--but to scold the party that once claimed his allegiance. Chastising Democrats for failing to realistically face federal budget problems, he said: “This is not the Democratic Party I used to know.” While ruling out an endorsement of GOP presidential nominee Bob Dole, he declined to state a preference between Perot and President Clinton. “I haven’t decided whom I’ll vote for,” he said, adding that neither has asked for his support.

They’re Coming Online

Current and prospective officeholders have been going online at the convention to chat with the folks back home. The Democratic News Service, sponsored by various campaign funds and the party’s national committee, set up a “chat room” in the United Center for politicians to talk via computer to anyone with a basic modem hookup. The electronic conversations are most often scheduled and publicized on the DNC Web site (www.dncc96.org). But sometimes they can be impromptu as an unscheduled guest walks in the room. So far, as many as 150 users have logged on at a time, said Democratic News Service Internet Producer Roger Schneider.