The Nation: Clinton Allies Suppress the Vote in Nevada

[flpoljunkie]

CLINTON ALLIES SUPPRESS THE VOTE IN NEVADA...

On Meet the Press on Sunday, Hillary Clinton said her campaign had nothing to do with a lawsuit--written about by Nation Editor Katrina vanden Heuvel--that threatens to prevent thousands of workers from voting in the Nevada caucus on Saturday.

Back in March, the Nevada Democratic Party agreed to set up caucus locations on the Vegas strip for low-income shift workers, many of them members of the state's influential Culinary Union, who commute long distances to work and wouldn't be able to get home in time to caucus. It was an uncontroversial idea until the Culinary Union endorsed Barack Obama and the Nevada State Education Association, whose top officials support Clinton, sued to shut down the caucus sites. The Clinton camp played dumb until yesterday, when President Clinton came out in favor of the lawsuit.

Clinton's comments drew a heated response from D. Taylor, the head of Nevada's Culinary Union, on MSNBC's Hardball. "He is in support of disenfranchising thousands upon thousands of workers, not even just our members," Taylor said of Clinton. "The teachers union is just being used here. We understand that. This is the Clinton campaign. They tried to disenfranchise students in Iowa. Now they're trying to disenfranchise people here in Nevada, who are union members and people of color and women."

Rank-and-file members of Nevada's teachers union also come out against the lawsuit filed by their leadership. "We never thought our union and Senator Clinton would put politics ahead of what's right for our students, but that's exactly what they're doing," the letter stated. "As teachers, and proud Democrats, we hope they will drop this undemocratic lawsuit and help all Nevadans caucus, no matter which candidate they support."

The lawsuit's opponents make a persuasive point. Creating obstacles to voting is what the GOP does to Democrats, not what Democrats should be doing to other Democrats.

Posted by Ari Berman at 01/15/2008

[rinsd]

1. I am shocked, shocked that Ariana Bermanington would have bad things to say about the Clintons.

[Cha]

6. And I'm not shocked that as a hillary echoer

you have no idea what you're writing.

[burythehatchet]

12. you really need to find the Ignore button, Zid

My list is up to 50 and each addition makes my DU experience that much better. Look at it this way, if you were at a party with 100,000 people, a small, vocal, percentage is always going to be crap. You wouldn't waste your time talking to them, why subject yourself to what drips out of their keyboards?

[frylock]

15. i am shocked, SHOCKED that a clinton supporter can't ever address legit concerns..

attacking the messenger instead. big fucking surprise there.

[Thrill]

2. They'll do anything to get elected...No surprise

expect more of this

[DJ13]

3. Nothing says "UNITY" like.........

.......race baiting and voter suppression.

Are we sure Hillary is a Democrat?

[angie_love]

5. I AM SO DISGUSTED

I was a Hillary supporter but playing such dirty politics like repubs do to the dems is SHAMEFUL. No way in hell will I vote for her even if she is the nom. Just disgusting and transparent.

[AtomicKitten]

9. Welcome to DU!

I agree that this kind of dirty politics has no place in the Democratic party.

[bellasgrams]

20. If your want dirty politics just watch the Obama supporters

They are going to lose support for their man. Listen to Hillary she's the only one that will discuss her policies, accomplishments, & plans. Not dreams. It is to bad the others dropped out so soon. We need more good contenders. Obama needs to get some seasoning. Another 10 years of experience he may be ready for the highest job in the country but not now with all the problems we're facing. It's not going to be easy for anyone but I sure don't want an amateur in that position at this time.

As for the Nation, you can't believe anything they print. I haven't read their rag since they did the hit piece on Wes Clark. It was terrible. Democrats should stop buying into their sleaze

[GalleryGod]

27. I'm a passionate Obama supporter-Rip Me, Rook.(nice post count,btw)

This guy flunks the Clinton "Experience-O-Meter" *






*

[flpoljunkie]

21. Welcome to DU, angie_love!

[ursi]

4. some inside crap on this lawsuit -- Culinary Union did not support teachers on a tax increase

not too long ago so some are thinking the teachers union allowed themselves to be the front of this suit for Clinton due to personal revenge against the Culinary Union.

[Invidious]

7. I found this absolutely

DISGUSTING. Disenfranchising voters is something the Republicans do. Actions like this hurt the party..no matter who you support.

[PATRICK]

8. Using GOP

advisers and tactics against our party is no preparation for taking on the GOP but only a multi-aid to their overall strategy against us. This also seals in blood a damaging sacrifice of support for her candidacy. this is not the sort of minor thing that "heals". There a some here who would neither work for or vote for her candidacy. This effects MANY union people and students, etc. who can never be reasoned with on DU. This is the great melting away she would tolerate in order to ruthlessly advance to November. This is not theoretical anymore in any sense. If this is what she NEEDS to win this also confirms the weakness of her campaign and a future inability to surmount the negatives and divisions.

GOP strategy is to use negatives and divisions. In this inappropriate case it only serves the ambitions of the GOP and weakens the Clinton campaign's final goal just to keep them in the "winning" game. Even a victory in November will have a weakened, sacrificed mandate starting from a cellar dug by the Clintons.

This is extremely wrong and ill-advised for the nation, the party and the Clintons themselves. When you do things wrong you worsen the crisis we are in and promise a continuity of all the Bush wrongs to boot.
the same judgment that led them to do this will make it very unlikely that they will begin to do the right thing until they have dominated the field into undemocratic submission. They COULD change and do the right thing. Hope springs eternal. The plumbing of the spring is manufactured though by the GOP.

[David Zephyr]

10. And of course, now even The Nation will come under attack here.

The Clintons may wind up winning the nomination and wondering what they really won.

When 50% of the nation despises someone, it should give pause to all those who are riding that canoe off the falls.

[burythehatchet]

13. As you know, The Nation is a secretly conservative magazine (not a secret anymor I s'pose)

[suston96]

11. What a crock! The caucuses in Nevada suppress the vote, as they did in Iowa...

...and anywhere else they hold undemocratic caucuses requiring physical presences of voters.

[burythehatchet]

14. and the designated hitter rule is a disgrace

[flpoljunkie]

23. Funny no complaints from Clinton camp on "undemocratic caucuses" til she lost Iowa, CWU endorsed BO.

[suston96]

28. Not about candidates winning and losing.....about voters being denied access to elections....

Voting rights security is not about any candidate but about the voter being denied participation in elections.

Caucuses are undemocratic because they require physical presence and mobility for the ludicrous musical chairs scheme.

Time for them to go is long past. One person, one vote - that's the rule.

[jackson_dem]

16. The truth: Hillary has nothing to do with this Nevada rivalry between unions

This won't stop the "politics of hope" folks from swiftboating her but here is the truth. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4076194

[SaveElmer]

17. Ahhh...nothing like the smell of desperation as served up by Arianna Bermington...

:rofl:

[dionysus]

22. huhuhuhuh, you mixed their names together! ur smart!!

:rofl: yourself toolie

[bunnies]

18. Rapped by The Nation. Ouch. nt

[The River]

19. She's Not A Real Leader

and it shows.
She is using questionable tactics because she is losing ground.
Anything goes when you're as driven to win as she is.

[GalleryGod]

26. Rather, a 90's Tech-no-crat at best.

Hasn't reached Pelosi's level, yet.

oh,and BTW...

[Evergreen Emerald]

24. Why is the media attempting to tie Clinton to the lawsuit?

Double standard. Obama has no surrogates. Any attacks on Clinton had nothing to do with the campaign.

Eveything and everyone is a Clinton surrogate.

[GalleryGod]

25. P-U ! Smells like "Plausible Deniability"

[mod mom]

29. Hooray for Howard Dean! Here is the DNC court action: (motion to intervene)

http://vegaspundit.typepad.com/vegas_pundit/files/dnc_motion_to_intervene.pdf