Watching the big DNC RBC meeting I learned a lot. Almost too much. I learned why Michigan ended up with the most flawed primary in the country and how Florida ended up with an illegal “event” that posed as a primary.
THE MICHIGAN STORY
Senator Carl Levin wanted to give his state a bigger voice in choosing a Presidential nominee. He literally became a one man protest. After failing to get permission to move Michigan’s primary to an earlier date in 2004 Senator Levin decided he was “Mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore” in 2008.
In violation of the DNC Rules and after Michigan was warned that if they moved the primary to a date before Super Tuesday they would lose all of their delegates, the Senator got Michigan’s legislature to move the Primary anyway.
Michigan voted to move their primary from February 9th (post Super Tuesday and fine) to January 15th (Pre Super Tuesday and prohibited by the Rules)
Michigan turned out to be the most flawed primary in the nation.
Obama, Edwards, Biden and Richardson removed their names from the ballot to show respect for their Party’s Rules. Hillary, Dodd, Gravel and Kucinich did not.
THE STORY IN FLORIDA
In Florida the Republican legislature voted to move the Democratic Primary to an illegal ‘pre window” date but none of the candidates were allowed to remove their names from the ballot because in Florida unless you swear an oath that you are no longer running for President you can not take your name off the ballot.
What you watched on Saturday was the Democratic Party ELITE ask both campaigns to tell them why they mattered. Of course the DNC could have avoided all of this if it simply granted WAIVERS to Florida and Michigan. They would not and they allowed this to happen to the voters of Florida and Michigan who did nothing wrong, although they did vote in “events’ not legitimate primary contests. It is everything that’s gross about the PARTY APPARATCHIKS that I have grown to despise.
The DNC RBC was presented with compromise solutions from both states. Florida moved to seat the delegates in the way Floridians voted but give them half a vote because without a waiver that is the prescribed punishment under the current DNC rules.
Michigan offered to seat the delegates again with a half vote but had a harder time dividing the votes since Obama was not on the ballot. They based their delegate division on a unanimous agreement that was reached by the entire Michigan Democratic Executive Board. The Board is made up of party officials and constituents from both the Obama and Hillary camps. They also looked at Exit Polls and tried to look at the WRITE IN ballots but were not allowed to do so. They offered the best numbers they could and those were accepted by the Committee.
Here’s where it got ugly. At the end of a very long day of taking testimony, Q & A and deliberations, Harold Ickes who is a member of the Rules and By Laws committee and combative throughout the proceedings reserved Hillary’s rights to take the decision to the Credentials Committee. They meet in July and any decision they make must be ratified at the Convention.
So that’s where we are.
Puerto Rico had a primary yesterday with very low voter turnout. About 15% but Hillary won big. She is now claiming to have the Popular Vote lead, but does not include any votes for Obama in Michigan and leaves out many caucus states in order to make that claim.
PREDICTION
This will be over on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.
Vanity Fair has a scathing piece about Bill Clinton that added to Hillary’s grief this weekend. What is wrong with him?
HOMEWORK
The Democratic National Committee Rules and Bylaws Committee decision is IN – Seat Florida and Michigans full delegations. Each delegate will get a half vote
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/02/us/politics/02dems.html
Timeline of the meeting
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05…s/index.html?hp
Hillary supporter’s were out of control
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/31/e…a_n_104486.html
Harold Ickes reserves Hillary’s rights to appeal and take this to the Convention
http://www.observer.com/2008/final-gesture…vention-fight-0
CLINTON MAY CHALLENGE NEW MAGIC NUMBER?
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/20…on-conside.html
Lanny Davis fights with Jon Ausman in the hallway. Give us 100% of the Florida delegates
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/31/l…o_n_104474.html
Only 15% of Registered voters turned out in Puerto Rico
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/columnists/gonzalez/
WEEKEND IN REVIEW
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/06/hilla…ng_weekend.html
SCATHING ARTICLE IN VANITY FAIR ABOUT BILL CLINTON’S POST PRESIDENCY
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/feature…7/clinton200807
CAUCUS STATES NOT COUNTED BY HILLARY
http://www.cjr.org/campaign_desk/the_inest…ular_vote_e.php
Hillary’s popular vote totals do not include ANY votes for Obama
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte…8053002283.html
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/20…vote_count.html
How Hillary got 19 extra votes in Florida or why Obama was generous
http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/longisland…re_half_do.html
THE BLAME GAME
Bill Clinton blames Hillary’s troubles on the media and a vast left wing conspiracy.
Listen to a conference call Bill made to campaign donors:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10715.html
But at a private fund raiser in April, Bill Clinton agrees that seating at half-delegates is “the only option”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/31/b…f_n_104476.html
Puerto Rico Sunday Primary:
Clinton wins 2 to 1 in Puerto Rico -
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/02/us/politics/02dems.html
This is how the numbers play out:
http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/
Obama: 2070 (Pledged plus Superdelegates)
Hillary: 1915
New magic number 2118
Obama 48 away!
OBAMA
Obama’s Achievements
http://www.obama08-wa.com/files/experience.pdf
Following the Pfleger comments, Obama resigns from Trinity church.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24909888#24909888
Obama receives donations from former Bush supporters
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/39067.html
MCCAIN
McCain is wrong on Iraq again:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/30/14…/516/201/525598
Obama’s response: “Just like George Bush, John McCain is refusing to admit that he’s made a mistake.”
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/…surge-comments/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42ke9Q-qXg4…8/Presurge.html
Presurge we had 130,000 troops in Iraq. Currently there are 150,000 troops serving in Iraq
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles…_iraq_progress/
THE OCCUPATION
CIA Director says al Qaeda is “Essentially defeated: in Iraq in an interview with the Post, but his assessment does not support recent intelligence briefings to Capital Hill -
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/05/31/rockefeller-hayden/
In a letter to Hayden, Chairman Rockefeller challenges Hayden in this frank letter:
http://rockefeller.senate.gov/press/record…?id=298627&
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs…./805310370/1004
When it comes to issues such as Iraq, McClellan’s book is bad news for McCain
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/opinion/01richedit.html
THE GOP
Ron Paul supporters make their presence known at this weekends GOP conventions– NOT likely they will get behind McCain in the end
http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/
Glenn McCall wins SC first black Republican National committee member but when he mentions Bush, no applause follows at the state GOP convention
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/05/31/presid…gop-convention/
54 bipartisan former state attorney generals file brief supporting Seigelman
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jyzm94M…GiUFAAD910Q2480
ECONOMY
Surprise, surprise – Consumer stimulus checks being used for bills and gas, not spurring spending in a troubled economy
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/business/01checks.html
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