Hillary's brother's McCain meeting fuels Obama sabotage rumours

London, Aug 22 : New York Senator Hillary Clinton's youngest brother has met a top aide to the Republican presidential candidate John McCain, fuelling rumours that some people close to the former First Lady are actively working against Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama. Tony Rodham, who held a fundraising event for Hillary in Pennsylvania when she was battling against Obama in the Democratic primaries, met Carly Fiorina, McCain's senior economic adviser in the state.

Fiorina was taking part in a two-day Pennsylvania bus tour designed to woo disenchanted Clinton supporters into the McCain camp. Tony Rodham's wife Megan and their two children also attended the meeting at the home of Jamie Brazil, a long-time Clinton family friend.

News of the meeting, reported by the Scranton Times-Tribune, came as it emerged that Hillary would be deploying 40 supporters onto the floor of the Democratic convention next week to ensure that none of her supporters paid any disrespect to Obama. ut Clinton aides said that the 40 would also be handing out signs hailing the former First Lady, ensuring that her impact on the convention would be even more visible.

Hillary is due to speak on Tuesday with her husband former President Bill Clinton taking to the stage on Wednesday, The Telegraph reported.

Obama has agreed that a "roll call vote" will take place in which Hillary's delegates will be able to proclaim their support for her.

Although Hillary has declared her unwavering support for Obama and campaigned for him in Florida this week, some Democrats fear she wants to undermine him.

Some at the Pennsylvania meeting seemed to hold out hope that Hillary could emerge as the party's nominee in what would amount to a coup at the Denver convention.

The New York Senator, however, has insisted this cannot happen.

Kathleen Granahan Kane, who coordinated Mrs. Clinton's presidential campaign in north-east Pennsylvania and was at the meeting Rodham attended told the Scranton Times-Tribune that she might support McCain.

ANI