PHILADELPHIA – Rep. Marcia Fudge, who represents a U.S. House district in Cleveland, is the permanent chair of the Democratic National Convention here this week and will wield the gavel during sessions.
Monday morning, she took time out from her official duties to talk to the Ohio delegation at its daily breakfast meeting to urge them to stick together – whether they are for Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders.
The common foe, Fudge told the Ohio delegation, which includes 63 Sanders delegates, is Donald Trump.
"We have to unite," Fudge said. "We can't have a person in the White House who talks and only calls people names"
Fudge said she travels abroad often as a member of Congress and said that people in other countries are baffled by the Trump phenomenon.
"People around the world are scared that we are going to turn this country over to someone who could do as much as president as my eight-year-old niece could,'' said Fudge. "And she could do it better because she would have a plan."
She said Trump's campaign theme of "Make America Great Again" rings hollow.
"We don't have to become great again,'' Fudge told the delegates. "We are already great."
After her speech, Fudge talked with reporters outside the ballroom about what she expects from Sanders' speech to the Democratic National Convention at Wells Fargo Arena Monday night.
"Bernie is going to have to say that we can't govern if we can't win,'' Fudge told reporters. "He will talk about how Hillary Clinton is the only choice."
Asked if such a message would have an impact on Sanders' delegates here and supporters watching at home, Fudge said she is confident it will.
"There may be a small group of people who support Sanders who are not going to get on board,'' Fudge said. "But the vast majority will come out of Philadelphia ready to work to elect Hillary Clinton and other Democrats."