Democrats Fear Bank of America Name on Stadium (Update 1)

Updated from 12:26 p.m. EDT with a comment from the Carolina Panthers' president

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- It appears that Democrats who are gearing up for their 2012 national convention would prefer not to use the corporate name attached to the stadium where President Barack Obama will give his speech.

The Charlotte convention Web site refers to Bank of America Stadium (BAC) -- the official name for where the Carolina Panthers play football -- as "Panthers Stadium."

"The local host committee has used the terms 'Panthers' and 'Bank of America' interchangeably, along with the residents of Charlotte, in a variety of mediums," said Suzi Emmerling, Charlotte 2012 press secretary.

In a note on the Charlotte convention Web site, Democratic political strategist Donna Brazile asked supporters to donate for the "historic event" that culminates with Obama's speech in "Panthers Stadium."

In response to an inquiry about the host committee's decision to interchange the names, Carolina Panthers President Danny Morrison simply said: "We're looking forward to hosting the event at Bank of America Stadium."

Maggie Haberman of Politico pointed out that the Democratic National Convention host committee referred to the location as Panthers Stadium in a previous email, which signals the party's attempt to stand up against taking corporate money.

Emmerling said she could not speak to the Carolina Panthers' contractual obligations about how they refer to their stadium.

The National Football League, the Carolina Panthers and Bank of America were not immediately available for comment.

Bank of America in 2004 purchased the stadium's naming rights for 20 years at an average annual rate of about $7 million.

-- Written by Joe Deaux in New York.

>Contact by Email.

Follow @JoeDeaux