Kerry idea finds support; city wary

Massachusetts Democrat Party leaders said yesterday that they will rally behind Senator John F. Kerry if he decides to postpone his nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate until after the convention, calling it a smart strategy that would not lessen the excitement and importance of the four-day event in Boston.

Behind the scenes, however, aides close to Mayor Thomas M. Menino said city leaders were upset by the timing of the news, released one day after the transportation plan for the convention drew widespread criticism. One Boston city councilor, meanwhile, said he couldn't believe Kerry would consider postponing the nomination.

"It's going to make a mockery out of the nomination process for the Democratic Party," said Boston City Councilor James M. Kelly. "People come from across the country, and the purpose of them being here is to nominate a candidate for the party."

If Kerry goes ahead with the delay, Kelly predicted "frustration and anger" among city residents and convention delegates who find, on top of traffic jams, that their part in history has been taken from them.

Kerry aides emphasized yesterday that the proposal is preliminary, and said campaign lawyers are still analyzing election spending rules to conclude if the delay is even possible.

Postponing the nomination until Sept. 1 would be an unprecedented move that would help Kerry raise more money and spend more on his campaign. Federal election law requires candidates to start using the public financing system as soon as they are nominated.

If Kerry begins spending his allotted public funds in July, five weeks before the Republican convention, he could face the crucial final weeks of the campaign with $10 to $15 million less than President Bush.

Several Democratic delegates who expected to watch Kerry accept their nomination on the floor of the FleetCenter said that without that climactic moment the convention will still play a crucial role in introducing Kerry to a national audience and showcasing his plans for the country. And if a strategic delay can help him win the presidency, supporters said, he should pursue that plan.

"I understand that the convention is a wonderful thing, but the more important thing is the inaugural in Washington," said Charles Glick, a Boston consultant and a convention delegate from the Eighth Congressional District.

Speaking to reporters late yesterday, Kerry promised that Boston will not be let down.

"No matter what decision is made, Boston is going to have the greatest convention America has ever known," he said. "No decision has been made, but nothing we do will reduce in any way the energy and intensity of the convention in Boston."

In one scenario outlined by a Kerry spokeswoman, Stephanie Cutter, delegates would skip the usual vote to approve a nomination, but would vote at the end of the convention to reconvene in September to choose a nominee. Democratic nominating rules would have to be changed to allow the delay, and delegates would vote by Internet or proxy on Sept. 1 to confirm Kerry's nomination.

Another possibility would be to hold a vote at the convention, with delegates approving a motion to nominate Kerry that would be effective Sept. 1.

Asked if the campaign would seek an advisory opinion on the proposal from the Federal Election Commission, aides said nothing has been decided.

Commenting on the convention during a city cleanup yesterday, Menino said his advice to Kerry would be to follow tradition and accept the nomination at the convention.

"Just do it," Menino said. "Just get it done."

But he said he understood why the change would be considered. "There should be some change in the regulations, when it comes to when you start spending the money," Menino said. "That's the real issue here."

Republican leaders ridiculed the plan last week, saying Kerry was trying to have it both ways, and lamenting that thousands of commuters would be inconvenienced for a "pep rally." On Thursday, state and federal authorities detailed a convention transportation plan that included nearly 40 miles of road closures, confirming commuters' worst fears. For some, the news about the nomination added to their frustration.

John Marazzi, a painter for the Somerville Housing Authority who must commute from his home in Tewksbury, said yesterday that if Kerry doesn't intend on accepting the nomination, "they shouldn't have the convention."

"It the guy is not going to accept the nomination, they're wasting your time and my money," said Marazzi, whose usual commute down Interstate 93 will be cut off due to security-related highway closures. "Why have the convention then? It's not right. They're going to turn the city into a parking lot and it's not fair."

"It's a slap in the face, no matter how you look at it," said Barbara Anderson, executive director of the watchdog group Citizens for Limited Taxation. Anderson called it "beyond absurd" to disrupt the city if Kerry does not accept the nomination at the convention.

"They have no right to shut down a city to have a party," she said. "Why don't they all just vote by e-mail, or fax, or phone?"

A spokesman for Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a friend of Kerry's and a cochairman of the campaign, said Kennedy knew the idea has been under discussion and was not surprised that the Kerry camp would consider it. State Democratic chairman Philip W. Johnston said he believes the move is "critically important" to the success of the campaign.

"It makes no sense to allow George Bush to maintain a significant financial advantage," he said. "This would level the playing field."

Two top fund-raisers for Kerry said yesterday that they had heard about the nomination discussions and were still considering the pros and cons -- particularly the possible impact if the convention lacks a celebratory acceptance speech from the senator. The fund-raisers, who both spoke on condition of anonymity, said the idea was appealing because it would allow them to continue seeking money from donors who have given less than the $2,000 maximum contribution and would probably be inspired later to give more money.

Around the country, some party leaders reacted cautiously. Dan Trevas, communications director for the Democratic Party in the battleground state of Ohio, said he and his colleagues are still trying to figure out Kerry's thinking on the possible delay.

"There's probably a whole lot more we have to learn about what's the cost and benefit before we'd have any kind of full reaction," he said. "We are like the rest of the country -- curious and wondering what the effect is. . . . Because no one's ever done this."

A spokesman for Governor Mitt Romney declined to comment. The convention host committee chairman, David Passafaro, also said he would not comment.

Lou DiNatale, a political analyst at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, said most people wouldn't care about the change if it is made, and those who might -- active Democrats -- will support any move that might help defeat Bush.

"Most voters don't like conventions," he said. "There's no real downside to playing with the convention, because people don't care."

In Boston, business owners and managers near the FleetCenter expressed little emotion about the potential change. Tony Staffier, manager of Hilton's Tent City on Friend Street, said he is more concerned about the uncertainty surrounding convention planning, which he believes will disrupt his outdoor and camping store, than about Kerry's nomination.

But Hyde Park resident Robert Hassett, a registered Independent, said he wouldn't be surprised if some Democrats were angry. "I think if I was a Democrat, and he pulled that, I'd feel like he slighted the people of Boston," he said.

Globe reporters Rick Klein and Ralph Ranalli and Globe correspondent Connie Paige contributed to this report. Patrick Healy can be reached at phealy@globe.com.