Obama says Clinton "stirring up" Florida controversy

[Syrinx]

Source: Reuters (via Yahoo)

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama accused rival Hillary Clinton on Saturday of "stirring up" a controversy over the disqualified Florida primary election because it was her last hope of winning their party's presidential nomination.

"The Clinton campaign has been stirring this up for fairly transparent reasons," Obama told reporters on the plane from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Chicago, adding she had not done so earlier in the race when she did not need the delegates to win.

"Let's not ... pretend that we don't know what's going on. I mean this is, from their perspective, their last slender hope to make arguments about how they can win, and I understand that," Obama said.

He said on Saturday he would need to "pivot quickly" in June, if he obtains the number of delegates to secure the nomination, to engage in a search for a vice presidential running mate.

"I think we'll have ample time, should I be the nominee, to engage in that process."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080525/pl_nm/usa_politics_obama_dc

[xioaping]

1. Shocking! NOT

She will not give up.

[izzie]

5. I think she will go to the end. Right up to the night they count.

I still think all the Dem. should be able to vote but I still think it is hurting the party.

[Imagevision]

2. Hillary is sounding like a republican with each passing stupid stunt!

[rock]

7. Because she wants to count votes?

Yeah, just like those republicans in 2000. (/sarcasm)

[susankh4]

3. Cackle, cackle... stir, stir...

Now where did I put that eye of Newt?

http://re3.yt-thm-a01.yimg.com/image/25/m2/2326221376

:evilgrin:

[Dogmudgeon]

4. In your broom closet?

:evilgrin:

--p!
We seriously need a rimshot icon.

[JTFrog]

6. On your altar next to your Vote For Hillary button? n/t

[Gman]

8. So nobody is allowed to talk about millions of voters being disenfranchised?

Florida Democrats are told "Who cares what you think?" again and this time it's supposed to be OK.

[George II]

9. Any Democratic voter in Fla who feels disenfranchised has only the FLA Democratic Party to blame!!!

[Gman]

10. So I guess by the twisted fucked up reasoning of this place now

that makes it OK. Your answer says, tough shit Florida Democrats, take it up with the state party. But we really don't give a shit what you think.

[Alexander]

11. Howard Dean didn't force anyone to move their primaries.

Barack Obama didn't force Florida and Michigan to move their primaries up.

The state parties were perfectly happy to do so on their own, against the rules.

The state parties broke the rules - therefore the state parties are to blame. They knew there would be penalties.

[Gman]

13. Another reply that tells Florida Democrats to go fuck theirselves

and who cares what they think.

You Obama surrogates just can't help yourself. You even screw over African Americans in Florida because you don't want them, don't need them and have written them off in November. How fucked up is that?

[Igel]

17. I'll take issue with that.

The rules committee was constrained to punish a number of states--not just Florida and Michigan--for violating the rules.

It chose to do two things. The first, to not punish some states that the rules said must be punished by only seating no more than half their delegates. The second, to punish two states that broke the rules by seating none of their pledged delegates, instead of only seating no more than half their delegates.

The state parties in all 4-5 cases knew there'd be penalties. But the two that got penalties didn't know they'd be that severe, they just heard talk and undoubtedly reasoned half an (early) loaf was better than none. And some that knew there'd be penalties were probably overjoyed to find that they were off scott-free. For that asymmetry and the harshness of the penalty you blame the DNC subcommittee. Demographics mattered in the very structure of the primary season--the first to play the race card, so to speak, was the DNC--so some states that broke the rules but had the right demographics were allowed to break them without penalty, lest there be an imbalance in the demographics of early deciders and opinion-shapers. Those with the wrong demographics had to be slapped down hard.

Now, the DNC subcommittee could reverse itself at any time, and would, I think, if both sides agreed on a plan. Otherwise the ruling by an otherwise political committee might appear, well, political. However, while it's transparent as to why HRC wants the delegates seated, it's equally transparent as to why BO doesn't want the delegates seated.

[MaineDem]

18. Only two states broke the rules

Some states requested permission to move their dates when FL and MI moved theirs. Those states already had permission to hold their contests before February 5. Waivers were granted therefore there were no penalties. FL and MI did not have permission ergo penalties.

Facts can be tricky.

[tidy_bowl]

22. You're right Barack didn't..

...force them to do anything.....except he is now forcing them to be disenfranchised. After 2000, how could any DUer deny the votes of so many Democrats and say with a straight face that it is 'democratic'? No it isn't.

[Warren DeMontague]

21. Now? No. It's always been this way.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/25/165935/668/909/503541

"I'm going outside the primary window," Michigan Sen. Carl Levin told me definitively.

"If I allow you to do that, the whole system collapses," I said. "We will have chaos. I let you make your case to the DNC, and we voted unanimously and you lost."

He kept insisting that they were going to move up Michigan on their own, even though if they did that, they would lose half their delegates. By that point Carl and I were leaning toward each other over a table in the middle of the room, shouting and dropping the occasional expletive.

[shraby]

12. In most primaries one of the candidates

takes an early lead, like when Kerry ran. That means that in all primaries after that the voters are virtually disenfranchised. I know here in Wisconsin, he was already considered the winner so I voted Edwards hoping to get him selected as v.p.
Also by wanting to only use the majority vote as the yardstick for winning the nomination, Hillary is disenfranchising all the caucus states. Delegates has been and will be the way the candidate is nominated and she has already lost.

[Gman]

14. Gimme a friggin' break

it wasn't but a month to six weeks ago that Obama surrogates were claiming (even in a thread here wanting Skinner to declare Obama the presumptive nominee) a reason to declare Obama the winner was he "won" the popular vote.

Do you people even ever think for yourself? Do you even have any personal opinions that are yours?

[LiberalLovinLug]

15. How about this opinion from an Obama supporter

I think they should find a way to vote/appoint and have delegates at the convention from MI and FL.

But only because this is such a unique and close contest. And because if nothing is done to remedy this Billary will use this unfairly to drag the whole party down in hopes of 2012.

Ideally she should STFU and stop all this shit. But she won't its not in her nature to quietly accept defeat,

• so we must overlook her signing off on having no votes count in those states, and repeating it verbally.

• we must say that rules don't count to the 48 states that followed them, and deal with the anarchy that will ensue next election cycle.


But things have changed. Look how California is now an Obama state. And also you must consider that Obama did not campaign in those states, knowing they would not count. She has already rejected a fair proposal from the Obama camp to give the 'uncommitted' votes to Obama. She's not going to get the original unfair vote tally, so she has to stop this faux tantrum and accept a deal.

But will Hillary and her supporters appreciate that Obama and the DNC will now have to bend over backwards and alter the agreed to rules JUST FOR HER? Will we get a thank-you I wonder?

[hokies4ever]

16. FL primary not the same as slaves and women's suffrage

Hillary and her surrogates are just completely exaggerating this for political gain.

[2Design]

19. we weren't - we had a voice - the head of florida voters contacted

us if we went to a web site and asked our opionion - we said not to waste the money doing a 'do over' we were fine with whatever candidate came out at the finish - the disenfranchised CRAP is the media AGAIN

[Warren DeMontague]

20. Why don't you ask Terry "the rules are the rules" McAuliffe?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/25/165935/668/909/503541

"Carl, take it to the bank," I said. "They will not get a credential. The closest they'll get to Boston will be watching it on television. I will not let you break this entire nominating process for one state. The rules are the rules. If you want to call my bluff, Carl, you go ahead and do it."