NYT: Influential fundraisers for HRC threaten to withhold donations to DNC if FL, MI not seated!

[flpoljunkie]

March 15, 2008

Delegate Battles Embroil 2 States
By MICHAEL LUO and JOHN M. BRODER

Democrats in Michigan and Florida struggled Friday to resolve the impasse over their disputed January primaries, coming up with a plan to hold a June primary in Michigan while remaining deadlocked in Florida.

Reflecting how tense the situation has become, influential fund-raisers for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton have stepped up their behind-the-scenes pressure on national party leaders to resolve the matter, with some even threatening to withhold their donations to the Democratic National Committee unless it seats the delegates from the two states or holds new primaries there.

The committee penalized Michigan and Florida for holding their primaries early in violation of national party rules, barring their delegates from being seated at the Democratic convention this summer. But with the Democratic contest now a scramble for every remaining delegate, the allocation of delegates from the two states could have a substantial impact on the nomination.

Mrs. Clinton won the primaries in both states, but the contests were not sanctioned by the party, neither candidate campaigned in the states and Mr. Obama did not even put his name on the ballot in Michigan.

Pushing to seat the Florida delegates, at least one top Clinton fund-raiser, Paul Cejas, a Miami businessman who has given the Democratic National Committee $63,500 since 2003, has demanded Democratic officials return his 2007 contribution of $28,500, which they have agreed to do.

“If you’re not going to count my vote, I’m not going to give you my money,” said Mr. Cejas, who was the United States ambassador to Belgium from 1998 to 2001.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/15/us/politics/15donate....

[DrDan]

1. “If you’re not going to count my vote, I’m not going to give you my money,”

I feel the same way.

I see absolutely no reason I should support the DNC if they do not count my vote as well - either financial support or support for their nominee.

I am not suggesting I would vote for McCain - but there are other options available - for example writing in the candidate of my choice.


Any group that would impose a rule that would disenfranchise a voter for actions beyond the control of that voter - does not deserve any support. This rule was grossly unfair and should never have been allowed to go this far.

[Little Star]

2. Amen. Why should they be disenfranchised and give the DNC $$!

[Texas Hill Country]

20. Exactly.

[Catherina]

3. Fundraisers for Hillary that sucked so bad she had to write her

campaign a 5 million dollar check

[flpoljunkie]

11. Fundraisers who will also be funding a "do-over" to benefit HRC, not to make sure voters votes count

This concern for having voters votes count is totally disingenuous on the part of Hillary Clinton's big time fundraisers.

Remember Florida and Michigan were two of four states where Republican turnout exceeded Democratic turnout--extraordinary for this primary season. And the reason was voters knew they were not legitimate contests and would not count. The other two states where Republican turnout exceeded Democratic turnout were Mitt's Utah and McCain's Arizona.

[MonkeyFunk]

4. Good for them

I sure wouldn't give them money if they tried to disenfranchise me.

[intaglio]

5. Hmmmmm Blackmail is such a nasty word

so let us call it extortion instead. Is Mr Cejas withdrawing his mony from the Florida Democrats for screwing it up in the first place??

I doubt it

[durrrty libby]

6. Good. Fire Dean the incompetent and seat the damn delegates

Enough of his BS.

[C_U_L8R]

7. Oh such disingenuous 'disenfranchisement'

The states (and the voters) knew the RULES. They were warned what would happen if they broke the RULES.
It was covered in every media imaginable beforehand and practically everyone in this country knew the votes wouldn't count if the states broke the RULES.
AND they broke the RULES anyway. And now you're all screaming disenfranchisement ???

Do you assume that the country isn't savvy to your bullshit? The only people squawking about this are
Hillary operatives and supporters who are trying to weasel some kind of advantage because they have
botched the rest of their campaign. But you know what, the Clinton's are losing so bad that even if they
do manage to cheat, yes cheat, these two states... they still lose. The Clintons lost a long time ago when
they lost their message and their morality. Disenfranchisement? Hah ! As if any of the solutions you folks
are proposing are actually FAIR to the voters of FL and MI. You want fair.. do a revote or STFU.

I sympathize with the voters of those states that do want their vote to count. And they should unleash FURY
upon their state legislatures who totally fucked things up with their short-sighted and self-absorbed primary moving.
That's who cheated them out of their rightful vote... and they are the ones who should be fixing this mess.

Hillary's financiers and their threats to withhold funding to the DNC should be seen exactly for what it is.
The childish manipulative maneuvering of a campaign that has totally lost everything it is about.
Way to go.

[shraby]

8. I believe that's called coercion or blackmail.

or possible even extortion. At any rate there is no good word for it.

[AP]

10. Money is power. But it's cloaked in "let their votes be counted" which is why they probably think

they can get away with it.

But obviously, the only way their votes should be counted is if they vote again, and Obama and Clinton both get a chance to campaign for the votes.

[dansolo]

9. Did he also ask the Clinton campaign to return his contribution to them?

Harold Ickes, who works for Hillary's campaign, is one of the members of the DNC Rules Committee that voted to take away all of Florida's delegates. If Mr. Cejas is still giving money to Clinton, then he is a hypocrite.

[THUNDER HANDS]

12. Why doesn't Clinton just start her own damn party then

obviously the Democratic party is just a vehicle for her.

[Barack_America]

13. Obama's 1,000,000+ small donors beats Hillary's big donors.

If they're looking for a party you can hold hostage with large donations, they should try the Republicans.

As for this party, we're taking it back.

[zalinda]

22. I have a question about his "donors"

When he first declared his candidacy, he already had almost as much money as Clinton, as everyone knew she was going to run. Where did he get it? He got so much money so fast that it was not possible that it was the little people who donated first. It wasn't until after Iowa that the small donations came in, and yet he was throwing money around like there was no tomorrow in Iowa. Where did it all come from?

Oh, and just for the record, I don't support Obama, Clinton or McCain. I've got no one, and none of them will notice me or my kind much less support us.

zalinda

[UALRBSofL]

14. OP I wouldn't be surprised about this

A lot of folks are'nt happy about there vote not counting. I looked at the list of donors to each candidate the other day, and, Hillary had more donors and had raised more money in Florida then any other candidate both repug/dem here in florida.

[flpoljunkie]

16. It is votes for Hillary they want counted. Enough of their crocodile tears for rest of us FL voters!

[UALRBSofL]

19. Yes, the Hillary supporters do want there votes counted

And I'm not sure what will happen in Florida but my guess will be that Florida wont have a re-vote and the DNC wont count Florida. I'm just speculating but I wouldn't be surprised if Florida stayed red. I think 2 weeks ago Nelson stated 25% of democratic voters were disenfranchised about it and wouldn't vote. Where he got the numbers due to a poll or not I don't know but my concerns is we will lose Florida to McCain and I hate it. I don't want that to happen.

[flpoljunkie]

21. It is Hillary supporters who are beating this drum about FL voters not voting in November.

It is a ploy to have the January 29th primary vote be counted or to have a mulligan, a "do-over" for a state who willingly and flagrantly voted to move up the Florida primary--when they were told exactly what the consequence would be.

It is trying to change the rules in the middle of the primary, any way you slice it.

[UALRBSofL]

23. Well, I think it's an issue that should be addressed

In my opinion, whether you agree or not agree, whether you support Obama or Clinton I feel it's a real issue. I'm just thinking, if Obama is the nominee, does Dean take a chance in winning the GE in spite of MI/FL? Dean can ignore the issue and hope for the best of these two states or address it proactively. My opinion is, Dean should say either we will address the issue, or tell Florida and Michigan to forget votes and delegates count and to shut up and sit down(not in these words but you get what I'm saying). And then from that point take a chance and hope one or both states come through in the GE.

[flpoljunkie]

24. Remember Hillary's camp thought she'd have nomination all wrapped up by Feb 5th--why FL wanted an

early primary date of January 29th to help her accomplish just that--only it didn't quite work out that way. Florida Democrats knew exactly what they were doing when they aided and abetted the Republicans in our Legislature to hold a primary they were repeatedly warned by the DNC would get their entire delegations stripped of all its votes at the convention.

[slinkerwink]

15. that is EXTORTION.......

[KittyWampus]

18. I'd like to see a fundraising movement for the DNC, if nothing else, to support Dean

[Hepburn]

17. Boo hoo, whaaaaaaa, hissy fit....

...pout....how mature of them ~~ NOT!

[madfloridian]

25. Here's another major donor I don't think is listed in the NYT

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

Alan Patricof...he is organizing more large donors.