Hillary writes to Barack Obama

[ElsewheresDaughter]

May 8, 2008

Senator Barack Obama
Obama for America
P.O. Box 8102
Chicago, IL 60680

Dear Senator Obama,

This has been an historic and exciting campaign. Millions of new voters have been brought into the process and their enthusiasm for the Democratic Party and the principles for which you and I have fought and continue to fight is unprecedented.

One of the foremost principles of our party is that citizens be allowed to vote and that those votes be counted. That principle is not currently being applied to the nearly 2.5 million people who voted in primaries in Florida and Michigan. Whoever emerges as the Democratic nominee will be hamstrung in the general election if a fair and quick resolution is not reached that ensures that the voices of these voters are heard. Our commitment now to this goal could be the difference between winning and losing in November.

I have consistently said that the votes cast in Florida and Michigan in January should be counted. We cannot ignore the fact that the people in those states took the time to be a part of this process and to make their preferences known. When efforts were untaken by leaders in those states to hold revotes to ensure that they had a voice in selecting our nominee, I supported those efforts. In Michigan, I supported a legislative effort to hold a revote that the Democratic National Committee said was in complete compliance with the party’s rules. You did not support those efforts and your supporters in Michigan publically opposed them. In Florida a number of revote options were proposed. I am not aware of any that you supported. In 2000, the Republicans won an election by successfully opposing a fair counting of votes in Florida. As Democrats, we must reject any proposals that would do the same.

Your commitment to the voters of these states must be clearly stated and your support for a fair and quick resolution must be clearly demonstrated.

I am asking you to join me in working with representatives from Florida and Michigan and the Democratic National Committee to arrive at a solution that honors the votes of the millions of people who went to the polls in Florida and Michigan. It is not enough to simply seat their representatives at the convention in Denver. The people of these great states, like the people who have voted and are to vote in other states, must have a voice in selecting our party’s nominee.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

[panader0]

1. So, why shouldn't she want Michigan to count?

BHO wasn't even on the ballot.

[Clintonista2]

11. Too bad for Barry

He didn't have to take his name off the ballot, he did so to pander to Iowa.

[Webster Green]

12. He, unlike The Clintons, was following the rules..

He has always said he would go by the party rules.

The Clintons....not so much.

But, you know that already. All you have going is spin. :rofl:

[Clintonista2]

13. The rules NEVER stipulated that the candidates had to take their name off the ballot in michigan

But, you knew that already.

[kwenu]

15. The rules said that Michigan wouldn't receive any delegates due to the improper moving of their

primary date.

But you and Hillary knew that too. Didn't you.

[Clintonista2]

16. Actually the rules said that they would receive 50% of the delegates

Howard Dean decided to give them 0.

[kwenu]

17. Stop lying. The committee voted not Dean. Hillary agreed to abide by the decision.

Stop being silly. You're not dealing with confused people here. We know the facts and we know better.

[kirby]

20. Wrong. That is the Republicans (RNC).

The RNC rules dock Florida 50% of the delegates. The DNC rules are 100%.

And remember Hilary signed the following on Aug 28,

“Whereas, the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee will strip states of 100% of their delegates and super delegates to the DNC National Convention if they violate the nomination calendar... Therefore, I ____________, Democratic Candidate for President, in honor and in accordance with DNC rules ...pledge I shall not campaign or participate in any election contest occurring in any state not already authorized by the DNC to take place in the DNC approved pre-window.”

[Clintonista2]

21. Wrong. DNC rules: 50% of pledged delegates go to the convention and no unpledged delegates.

Section 20. CHALLENGES

Section 20.C.1.a Violation of timing: In the event the Delegate Selection Plan of a state party provides or permits a meeting, caucus, convention or primary which constitutes the first determining stage in the presidential nominating process to be held prior to or after the dates for the state as provided in Rule 11 of these rules, or in the event a state holds such a meeting, caucus, convention or primary prior to or after such dates, the number of pledged delegates elected in each category allocated to the state pursuant to the Call for the National Convention shall be reduced by fifty (50%) percent, and the number of alternates shall also be reduced by fifty (50%) percent. In addition, none of the members of the Democratic National Committee and no other unpledged delegate allocated pursuant to Rule 8.A. from that state shall be permitted to vote as members of the state’s delegation. In determining the actual number of delegates or alternates by which the state’s delegation is to be reduced, any fraction below .5 shall be rounded down to the nearest whole number, and any fraction of .5 or greater shall be rounded up to the next nearest whole number.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/apache.3cdn.net/de68e7b6dfa0743217_hwm6bhyc4.pdf

[kirby]

25. Kinda misleading...

Thank you for the link. The rules you posted (in the very next paragraph/section) specifically give authority for the Rules and Bylaws Committee to modify the penalty system (either direction). Those modifications were adopted after the states submitted their delegate plans to the DNC for approval. So it is not fair to pin this on Howard Dean.

It could also be argued the Hilary campaigned in Florida and Michigan. Having a campaign office or having advertising in significant markets in either state forfeits all delegates.

Of course, the whole thing is an utter mess.

[Clintonista2]

26. Hillary did not run ads in Florida or Michigan

Obama, on the other hand, did run national ads in Florida.

[cali]

18. hillypoo turned down the MI DEM party solution yesterday

too bad for the desperate loser. hillypoo is done. stick the fork in. She's become a sick joke- to the SDs.

[lojasmo]

2. It's as if she's some fictional dumb ass.

Seriously, how could anybody be so thick?

[MadBadger]

3. Michigan put forward a plan today...why doesnt Hillary want to seat their delegates?

[Asgaya Dihi]

8. She doesn't care about the States

If she did she'd have raised hell before the primaries, not just after they ran. She's just looking for every advantage she can find.

And as far as her argument that she's always said they should count, can anyone actually source that from some point before they held the elections? Or is it more like that NAFTA argument, a private belief we'll just have to trust her on even if in public she seemed to be saying they wouldn't count?

[islandmkl]

4. Barack writes to Hillary:

I left my name off in Michigan PER THE AGREED UPON RULES and you barely outpolled 'no decision' or 'no choice' or whatever that was...

when you can explain the logic and fairness of Michigan IN YOUR PLAN write me another f***ing letter.

BHO
:hi:

[islandmkl]

5. p.s. -- your letter reads just like your speeches...

you REALLY didn't write that, did you?

see ya at the convention...i'll have a nice hospitality suite...drop by..

your pal Barry

[Danger Mouse]

6. She's utterly shameless.

[kwenu]

7. She has to write because they turned her phones off. Pay your damn bill Hillary!

[jazzjunkysue]

9. lol!

[anigbrowl]

10. She should have used a spell checker...

"I have consistently said that the votes cast in Florida and Michigan in January should be counted. We cannot ignore the fact that the people in those states took the time to be a part of this process and to make their preferences known. When efforts were untaken <...>"

Oops - fail!

[Jed Dilligan]

14. This is not real, is it?

[Egnever]

22. Yes it is

Sadly

[cali]

19. what a lying little thing she is

"I have consistently said that the vote in FL and MI in January should be counted"

No, you haven't consistently said that you disgusting liar.

[NewHampshireDem]

23. Here's the rest of the story

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/m.s.-bellows/clintons-open-letter-to-o_b_100861.html

And, for the spelling-impaired, the typos are 'ed in the version at the link.

I guess HRC is so broke she can't afford to pay attention to her spelling.

[highprincipleswork]

24. Pledge I shall not campaign or participate

This is what the pledge they all signed actually said- they pledged not to campaign or PARTICIPATE in any but the approved early states.

Google it, check it out, and let's quite throwing unfactual claims around.