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Show Politicos hit the beach for credentials battle Most of the delegation arrived Sunday, either on a charter airliner or after a hurried four-day cross-country car ride. They are housed in the plush Hemishpere Hotel complex, 10 miles north of the convention center. The relative remoteness means a half ' hour bus ride before the sessions open. University students here included alternates Mike Hansen, Meg Fuller, Sue Bridges and Leonard .McGee plus several pages, press representatives, friends and hangers-on. Hansen described the scene as "typical chaos," but others expressed similar views more colorfully. Most are active in the McGovern camp. By KURT NUTTING Chronicle Staff MIAMI Utah's 19 delegates to the Democratic National Convention raced for a lengthy credentials battle as the quadrennial extravaganza opened here Monday night. Many of the Utahns expected the fights to last up to 20 hours as the convention decided between bet-ween rival delegate slates from California, Illinois, Alabama and other states. The 38 people here representing Utah Democrats spent the day discussing proceedural and technical matters, dividing the remainder of their time between mapping strategy, swimming and discussing discus-sing the latest rumors burning through this convention city. This reporter found the elaborate security precautions a challenge, but after two hours of trying various tactics, was admitted ad-mitted to the giant convention hall. Within the delegation, some tension exists between backers of McGovern and uncommitted delegates (mostly for Humphrey). Hum-phrey). A key question seemed to be the position of Utah Governor Calvin L. Rampton and Senator Frank E. Moss on the various credentials challenges and, Wed nesday night, the presidential nominee. Demonstrators outside the gate were small in number but vocal. |