Debbie Wasserman Schultz reinvents the party rules for choosing a nominee

[madfloridian]

Here is a video of John Harwood interviewing her in her DC office. She makes it clear that superdelegates will break for Hillary, that the campaign truly believes the Wright controversy is relevant and will use it, that there are many ways to choose a nominee...that we need to look not only at delegates....but get this:

She is using the meme that we must also look at the popular vote, but especially in the end...the electoral vote.

To the latter two I say bull hockey. The nominee will be chosen by the delegate count, the Clinton campaign does not get to rewrite the rules like that.

It is amazing how smoothly they have the words down pat. They speak so naturally of how we will choose our nominee by electoral votes.

This interview blew my mind.

Video:

Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz On Being Clinton Super-D

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, a rising Democratic star in the House of Representatives, has been a stalwart supporter of Hillary Rodham Clinton throughout the presidential primary campaign.

But that role has gotten increasingly tough to play as Barack Obama has built leads in pledged delegates, states won, and fund-raising.

Moreover, Obama has been making up ground in the all-important category of uncommitted "super-delegates", the Democratic political figures who either candidate will ultimately need to get across the nomination finish line. Wasserman Schultz is one of them, and is trying to persuade Congressional colleagues who haven't stated a position to stay off the Obama bandwagon.

I talked to her in her Capitol office today, just before she departed with her three gorgeous young children for a Democratic political retreat on the Maryland Eastern Shore.

They surely don't publicize those yearly retreats much, do they?

Amazing, Debbie. Now we must look at the electoral votes to choose our nominee.

[babylonsister]

1. Her status of 'rising star' just went black. No way. And I kid. She earned

my wrath before this. Her tunnel vision is not impressive.

[madfloridian]

23. Bill Nelson and Wasserman Schultz have gotten big attention from this...

mainly by blaming everything on Dean. Nelson never got attention before and he is wallowing in it like a pig in the mud. Debbie is just getting more combative.

[Changenow]

25. Eventually she'll just admit it

and switch sides. They can't hate the Democrats as much as they do and stay in the Party.

The problem is they will want to remain as part of the majority so it may take some time.

[Mz Pip]

2. So by her rational

because Clinton won NY and CA that automatically means that if she is not the nominee these states will go to McCain. I don't think so. No way will McCain win NY or CA.

I feel like I've fallen down a rabbit hole.

[madfloridian]

3. I have heard other Clinton surrogates refer to the popular vote and electoral vote.

I guess they figure people are easily fooled.

This is getting tiresome. They do not get to make up their own rules.

[krkaufman]

40. It's a matter of catapulting the Clinton propaganda.

If you watch cable news, you'll see more and more pundits talking about the popular vote and even the Electoral College weighting of the delegates. I only hope that our party elders are not so ignorant as to fall for the Clinton talking points.

[peaches2003]

4. A few jumped on the train too quickly

DWS and that Ohio Congresswoman may have jumped on the Hillary train just a little too quickly and now will find themselves no longer rising stars in the House. If BO gets elected I doubt he and Pelosi will be putting them in positions of power in the House. Fast Eddie is another one whose dreams of a national career may come crashing to a sudden halt, too.

[MaineDem]

19. I really think that's the case

Look at Maria Cantwell, for example. She now says that she may change her loyalty depending on how the rest of the delegate count goes.

I think these elected superdelegates (not the DNC member ones) have to watch out for their "rising stardom" and they're scrambling to maintain that rather than looking out for the best for our Party. They've never had that in mind at all.

[SwampG8r]

32. i hope your right

i hope we are keeping very close track of who thinks the DLC is running the show and who thinks the DNC is
i will not support any candidate with DLC ties
i want my contributions to the DNC to specifically deny them access to my cash
bill nelson is from my county and he will never see another penny from me

[MagickMuffin]

5. They really make no sense when they use the electoral vote

Do they think we are really that stupid?.?.?

Every Democrat will vote for the eventual nominee in November. The logic is beyond reason.

I lost all respect for DWS, when she stated she would NOT support any Democrat running against her republicon friends.

What kind of Democrat would say that and get away with it?.?.?

[bvar22]

39. It also makes no sense to use the popular vote.

Using "Popular Vote" disenfranchises all those states who use the Caucus to select delegates.

[jgraz]

6. She's really been one of Hillary's most disgraceful surrogates

What the hell does she think she's going to get by telling these lies?

[bhikkhu]

8. Ponies?

[AtomicKitten]

7. The twisted rationalizations from the Clinton camp are becoming boring.

Seriously. These people have gone around the bend and down a few blocks. The legislatures of both FL and MI stuck a fork in it. It's over. Funny thing about rules; they remain constant throughout the contest, much to the surprise of the Clintons no doubt.

K&R

FREE RANDI RHODES

[joshcryer]

11. This is the most interesting, and politicial, political season ever.

Politics is about persuasion, dirty politics, lying, cheating, whole nine yards.

The question is who will be the victor?

[AtomicKitten]

12. The one that is bulletproof.

FREE RANDI RHODES

[joshcryer]

13. Yes I expect him to be the nominee. :)

[nonoxy9]

43. Call me naive but I thought politics was about leadership, service and diplomacy.

I guess that way of thinking is outdated. Forgive me.

[Zhade]

49. Obama, since clinton's the one doing all of the above yet still failing.

It'll be nice when she finally accepts her loss.

[joshcryer]

9. What rules say that superdelegates cannot take those things into consideration?

Man I know Hillary is lost but I don't like this characterization one bit. SDs can decide on a plethora of factors, including popular vote, pledged delegates, electoral vote, whatifs, anything.

They can flip a coin.

[anigbrowl]

54. Yeah, but you know damn well why she's pushing this line to the public

If it were just a private matter for SDs we wouldn't hear a whole lot about it...let's face it, there are probably hundreds of 'inside basebal' considerations that we don't get because we're not actively involved in congressional politics. But W-S is pushing this for its PR value. I was watching CNN earlier and one o the presenters was asking Bill Schneider about this (electoral colelge votes)...only to be told 'yes, but the primary is a general election and never has been.'

Personally I have a low opinion of Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. Not least because her name is such a pain to type.

[woolldog]

10. I love how she says

that voters will start to shift to Hillary during these last 8 contests as they start to realize the difference between the two candidates. LOL.

We're at the end of the process. There have been 40 something contests, nonstop media coverage and it's NOW, in these final 8 contests, that some great shift is going to occur? It's NOW, at the end of the process, that voters are going to discern some key distinction between the candidates that has up until now gone unseen? Talk about delusional. Wow. These Hillary supporters live in a bubble.

[billyoc]

14. Nobody stupid enough to believe that could find their way around the Rotunda,

so that leaves "triangulating liar".

[MadBadger]

15. I only have bad things to say about her (her disgusting analysis of Rev Wright)...

So I wont say anything because I would regret it.

[johnnydrama]

16. this is the one

This is the one who won't help out Dems running for House seats in Florida, because they're running against her GOP pals right?

[madfloridian]

22. That is the one.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/...

[anonymous171]

17. Eventually they're going to say "Your last name has to be Clinton in order to get the nomination"

[4themind]

18. We know the drill madfloridian

If they're are winning in a metric even if it's just "states starting with the letter R" they will use it. It's pretty much no surprise at this point to me. As long as it gets her elected and doesn't get her arrested, she'll do it! (imo) Btw mad, any progress on getting "Debbie Dubya" is going to resign from her DCCC red to blue probram, unless she recuses her "neutrality" in those south florida races

[krkaufman]

41. I was hopeful, briefly, when the media started to justly treat the ever-changing metrics ...

... put forth by the Clinton campaign for selecting the nominee with the ridicule that they warrant, laughing at the silliness of the Clinton campaign contortions in pursuit of the nomination.

[zulchzulu]

20. Just using the two big tools in the Clinton Tool Chest: Lies and Deception

I've listened to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz a few times in various interviews and she is hellbent on Hillary getting the nomination by cheating and lying.

All the good things she has done are now trashed by her alliance with the Clintons.

[kevinmc]

21. I am sure a minority feel like she does .... No Big Deal .. n/t

[MethuenProgressive]

24. This is complete nonsense - a State rep can't stop a State from re-voting.

This RW nonsense was debunked last week.

[madfloridian]

26. Whoa, there. Isn't that enough of that? DWS is manipulating FL, and the voters.

and the DNC and the public.

You have been doing this to me, and getting away with it.

[MethuenProgressive]

28. Your personal hatred of Debbie Wasserman-Schultz has destroyed your ability to reason.

What's the name of the Republican you'd prefer to see in her place?

[Zhade]

50. You mean the same DWS that's supporting repubs over Dems?

Please, you have no credibility.

[madfloridian]

27. You must agree with choosing a nominee by electoral votes???

[MethuenProgressive]

29. She did not "reinvent the party rules" - that's not her job, she has no power to do so.

Please, stop helping McCain defeat out nominee.

[madfloridian]

30. That's it.

Good by

[MethuenProgressive]

31. Sorry to burst your bubble, but she just can't do what you accuse her of.

As a person from Florida, you should consider aquainting yourself more with the rules and laws govering local politics.
A better informed Demoocrat, is of course, a Clinton Democrat.

[dionysus]

33. yeah right sparky....

mad is bar none the expert on this issue...

[MethuenProgressive]

36. You think a state rep can "stop" a re-vote, and "rewrite party rules"? Link? Proof? Unhinged rant?

Take your pick, and post way.

[Zhade]

51. So you agree that it's just wishful thinking on her part?

Cool, she can't cheat for clinton. Nice.

[crankychatter]

34. dem on dem primary contests are a false indicator RE November Electoral Counts

another canard

k/r

[madfloridian]

35. For the record...I do not hate FL Dems. I call them out on reinventing

primaries, breaking rules, changing the way nominees are chosen.

It is just stunning that the Clinton surrogates are all over TV calling for us to look at who would win the electoral vote. DWS leads the way on these talking points.

I have no feeling one way or the other about her, but she does not have the right to mislead Democrats anymore.

I dedicate this post to those I can no longer see.

[MethuenProgressive]

38. "she does not have the right to mislead Democrats anymore" DU rules allow it, though.

NGU.

[Zhade]

52. Indeed. The Lairs for clinton Club are still allowed to post.

NT!

[crankychatter]

37. Legitimize Stalinesque Elections OR ELSE? WHO's irrational?

massachussets pseudo-progressive

[bhikkhu]

42. Not to worry, things have changed in the past week or two!

See this thread and its link -

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

Obama was down 75 pts in the electoral projections, now he is even. (!) So the whole argument kind of disappears.

[The Backlash Cometh]

44. kick

[leaningprog]

45. When you play with your voters voices you can win or lose for them.

I really am still convinced that Florida and Michigan party elders
counted on a great limelight op for Hillary's staunch supporters
in Florida and Michigan and very soon after her blowout in the
primary the defeated other candidates would graciously close
ranks and restore the votes of Florida and Michigan. I absolutely
am convinced that Edwards and Obama would have done just that
once it was clear they were defeated. But it didn't happen
that way and now here we are.

Taking the Obama / Clinton rivalry out of the equation I
believe this is still true, that Florida and Michigan voters
will have their rightful place at the convention after the
primary is decided. And it could still be Hillary or Barack.

But you can't blame this on the people of Florida or Michigan
or on Dean or Obama. It is the aftermath of playing like you
won before you did, and it comes back onto those leveraged it.

When you take chances you have to accept good and bad consequences
that arise from those chances. And in politics you have to answer
to the people you represent for doing so and not blame shift.

[ackerrj]

46. Wasserman-Shultz is correct.

Clinton did win FL by over 300,000 votes.

Thats what matters.

Unless, of course, you want to elect McCain.

[madfloridian]

47. You are dead wrong.

She is wrong. Hillary is manipulating Florida voters.

[YDogg]

55. Florida did not have a legitimate primary.

Any suggestion to the contrary is incorrect. Thank (y)our Florida Democratic "leaders."

And not to quibble, but I believe the "vote" difference was 294,772, not "over 300,000."

[boppers]

56. When did Clinton win a campaign against McCain by 300,000 votes?

Heck, for that matter, when has she won any valid contest in FL by that many? Straw polls deemed illegitimate months ahead of time don't count, at last I checked, she wasn't in any valid elections there in the past...

[Zhade]

53. No, it's pretty much over for clinton. Do the math.

NT!

[Zhade]

48. She WISHES the SDs would break for clinton, but it won't happen.

They're not going to endorse the loser, who's also a rampant liar.