Montana Gov. Schweitzer speaks out on superdelegates

[Adelante]

There's been a bit of chatter online about Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer being vocal in pressing superdelegates like him to go, in some way shape or form, with the will of the people, and I spoke to Schweitzer today, who confirmed that he's encouraging other superdelegates to join him in giving up their decision-making power.

"I think the people ought to decide this. I just don’t like the notion of backroom deals," he said. "What I don’t want to do is disenfranchise anybody — particularly new voters. People who have shown up because it’s a movement. They want to be part of the group that elected the first woman president, or the first black person to be president."

"Let’s have a transparent process. I don’t care or really know whether a superdelegate wants to decide where they go based on the national popular vote, or the national delegate count, when they get there, or wait and see what people in your state have said," he said.

Schweitzer said it was a matter of what would go on his tombstone:

"I want them to say he loved his wife, he was a good father and he did the right thing as a superdelegate. I don’t want them to say that he was in a smoke-filled room, that people were twisting arms," he said.

Schweitzer says he's staying neutral, at least through the Montana caucuses June 3.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0208/Schweitzers_neutrality.html

[jsamuel]

1. Do they all go with who wins the state, winner take all? Do they split up proportionately?

[Alexander]

3. No. Superdelegates are not bound by primaries. They vote however they want.

Then again, since superdelegates are usually elected officeholders, they tend to go with whoever won their state, so they are sure to win re-election.

Barbara Boxer endorsing Clinton after Clinton won California is one example. John Lewis switching his support from Clinton to Obama after Obama won Georgia is another.

[jsamuel]

6. John Lewis said he is not switching to Obama and that the rumor is false.

[Adelante]

8. He's not pulling his Clinton endorsement

However, if it goes to the superdelegates, he is voting for Obama. These people are not going to buck their constituencies in the event, not if they want to be reelected. You can bank on it.

More on Lewis

There's obviously been a lot of chatter and confusion this morning about just what Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) told the Times and whether the Times got the story wrong. Times reporter Jeff Zeleny is standing by the story and says that Lewis will cast his super delegate vote for Obama, apparently regardless of who wins the most pledged delegates, to honor the wishes of his constituents. Whatever the particulars, the gist seems to be what I characterized it as last night. This isn't mainly about an endorsement or an unendorsement. The real issue here is the Clinton camp's professed willingness to win on super delegates even if they end up with fewer pledged delegates than Obama. The Times may have gotten some nuances wrong, or perhaps Lewis's camp wasn't completely comfortable with how things looked when they saw it on paper. But the bottom line message is that he won't go along with the Clinton strategy.

--Josh Marshall

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/178732.php

When I talked to Congressman Lewis last night, he said, "look, the voters in his district on Super Tuesday in Georgia overwhelmingly supported the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama. And he said he would quote, "never ever do anything to go against the action of them." So he says, if this comes down to be a super-delegate vote — which he hopes and believes it will not — that he will support Senator Obama. But even more than that, he says he's concerned about this campaign going into a long fight to the convention. He said it would be damaging to Senator Obama and to Senator Clinton. And he said unequivocally that he would cast his vote for Senator Obama.

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/times_reporter_reiterates_lewi.php

[Mz Pip]

10. Has Boxer endorced?

Last time I saw her on TV she hadn't endorsed and wasn't planning to. Has she since changed her mind?

Mz Pip
:dem:

[karynnj]

7. No they go with the national winner -so they confirm, not change the result

[Tarheel_Dem]

2. a big kick for democracy....n/t

:kick:

[montanacowboy]

4. BIG HOOHAH FOR OUR GOVERNOR

THIS IS THE GUY WE NEED RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT! BRIAN IS THE MAN AND HE IS AWESOME

[ZombieHorde]

5. Montana rules.

Your state drools.

[MediaBabe]

9. I think that speaks more about his character than about the process

Looks like he assumes that the people know that shady deals are his standard practice. I guess he knows his own reputation. The man practically admitted that his vote is for sale and that he would bend to whatever backroom pressure was around.