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A Clinton Hurricane Hits Outside the DNC Hearing Room
May 31, 2008 2:05 PM
There was a tornado watch outside the Democratic National Committee's Rules & Bylaws Committee meeting at the Marriot Wardman Park Hotel Saturday afternoon. And there was a brewing storm inside the hotel as well.
A group of public officials -- allies of both Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, and Barack Obama -- walked out of the hearing room to discuss their willingness to come together on a plan to seat all their delegates, each voting at half-delegate status, but representatives of the Clinton campaign from outside Florida interrupted their press conference to dispute the idea that the Clinton campaign agreed with the plan.
The "Florida unity" group, which included Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, a Clinton supporter, Rep. Bob Wexler, D-Florida, am Obama supporter, and Florida Democratic National Committee member Jon Ausman of Tallahassee, who filed a challenge to the DNC's decision to not recognize any of Florida's delegates.
They seemed to come around the idea that for now the DNC would agree to seat Florida's entire 211-member delegation at the Democratic National Convention in Denver this August, though all the delegates -- pledged and superdelegates -- would have their vote count as half a delegate. The move would net Clinton 19 pledged delegates. Participants seemed to agree that the door was open to the eventual Democratic nominee seating them at full strength if he or she so chose.
Clinton campaign surrogate Lanny Davis stood outside the circle and interrupted, raising his voice in protest that the Clinton campaign had agreed to anything less than a 100% seating of the delegates at 100% of their strength.
Nelson noted that he was speaking "on behalf of the voters of Florida," not on behalf of the Clinton campaign.
"They're misrepresenting our stance," Davis said repeatedly.
Then Arthenia L. Joyner, Clinton's designated Florida representative, approached the circle.
"The campaign is only for 100%," Joyner said.
Davis and Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio, a fiery supporter of Sen. Clinton's, exchanged some heated words with Ausman after the Florida DNC member suggested they had no business speaking.
Davis took issue with some from the Florida unity group saying the Obama campaign's concession was "generous" since Clinton would net 19 delegates.
"That is not generous when they take away 50%," Davis said. "That is spin!"
What's wrong with netting 19 delegates? "It's 19 less than the people of Florida voted," Davis said.
This was more than Florida DNC member Ausman could apparently take. "I can say they're being generous," Ausman said of the Obama campaign, "and I'm the one who filed the petition."
"Are you a paid staff member for Clinton?" Ausman asked Davis.
"Actually I'm just a friend," said Davis.
"Are you a designated representative of the Clinton campaign?" Ausman, who may be a foot taller than Davis, asked.
"I am not," Davis said.
"Why don't you let the designated representative speak for Clinton and you be silent?" Ausman said, more a statement than a question. "Are you from Florida?"
"Why don't you go about your business?" Jones asked Ausman.
"As a matter of fact I will not be silent," Davis said, "you're not going to silence me."
"You had your interview," interjected Jones. "Why don't you let someone else be interviewed? I am the designated representative for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. My name is Stephanie Tubbs Jones and I represent the great state of Ohio.
"We don't expect that the Obama campaign will be so 'generous' as to 'give' us the 19 delegates," Jones continued. "It is in fact more generous and more appropriate to count all the votes as they were cast."
Jones would not comment on the Clinton campaign's position that Obama be awarded zero delegates and zero popular votes from Michigan, where his name was not on the ballot.
- jpt
May 31, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (133)
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RULES ARE RULES AND RULES MUST BE OBEYED
uNLESS YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THE BALLOT AND YOU THINK YOU DESERVE THE VOTES/DELEGATES ANYWAY. OBAMA DID JUST THAT. IT IS VERY WRONG.
Posted by: Mary | May 31, 2008 10:14:46 PM
Mary, winning overall when you are the ONLY candidate, is that a victory??? And why did she leave her name on the ballot anyway, when she agreed with everyone else not to campaign there? Just in case???
Posted by: tired | May 31, 2008 10:14:24 PM
I have beem following politics for a very long time. The first campaign I worked on was for John F. Kennedy. The election in Michigan that gave votes/delegates to Senator Obama who chose to remove his name from the ballot, then demand his votes/delegates be given to him is absurb. He removed his name voluntarily and should receive no votes/delegates. WRONG-WRONG-WRONG. DIRTY-DIRTY-DIRTY
Posted by: Mary | May 31, 2008 10:10:10 PM
By the way, FoodforThought, your comment clearly shows that Hillary Clinton' supporters, like you, like her, are more interested in your own personal agendas rather than unifying the party to threaten to vote for a Republican instead of a Democratic nominee. Polls last week showed that between 26 and 36 percent of your supporters said they would vote for McCain if Obama got the nomination, but only between 10 and 18 percent of Obama supporters said they would shun Clinton. It goes to show that Obama supporters are more interested in unifying the party than you guys are--oh!, what a surprise!!!! Hey, do what you gotta do.
Posted by: tired | May 31, 2008 9:42:59 PM
While I disagree with many of McCaine's policies, I respect him and admire him for his service to this country so he will get my vote. I'm not only disgusted with the DNC, but the thought of this "new Democratic Party" having that much (Presidency & Congress) its just frightening.
We must keep a balance.
Posted by: Gio | May 31, 2008 9:36:05 PM
Many of these people who are expressing outrage are the same people who have already made it plain that they would not vote for Senator Obama not matter what.
So now that another Avenue of fantasy has been closed to them they once again erupt in anger.
I cannot believe that anyone would vote for McCain who is not an idiot. The guy really doesn't seem to have a clue. He does not have a firm grasp on what is going on here or overseas and he has much too much of an anger problem to be put in charge of a bunch of nukes.
I think many of the people posting here are very angry. But they do not appear to be stupid. And as I said before, I don't think you can make a case for voting for McCain unless you are a really dumb idiot.
Posted by: Bob F | May 31, 2008 9:06:57 PM
Lawrence O'Donnell,a great democrat said. "If you want to pull the party--the major party that is closest to the way you're thinking, You Must, You Must show them, that you're capable of not voting for them. If you don't show them that you're capable of not voting for them, they don't have to listen to you. I promise you that. I worked within the Democratic Party. I didn't listen, or have to listen, to anything on the left while I was working on the Democratic Party, because the left had no where to go."
We don't have to settle for the DNC's choice; we have a choice.
Posted by: Gio | May 31, 2008 9:04:30 PM
The DNC can count me out.
Oh, that's right.
They already did.
Posted by: josgirl | May 31, 2008 8:45:01 PM
Democracy is being so gamed in our face. You wonder how much longer the media can be Obama fluffers.
Posted by: Lisa | May 31, 2008 8:41:13 PM
Soetoro No,
I'm not blaming anyone else, but rules are rules.
Dave, I know the truth hurts, but the rules are quite clear.
No ads, press confrences etc.- Senator Obama spent about 1M in TV ads and held a press conference(Center for Responsive Politics). The penalty according to the rules 0 votes & delegates.
IW, NH & SC MOVED the date W/O the approval of the DNC, but got a waiver after the fact.
Rules are rules.
Posted by: Gio | May 31, 2008 8:37:15 PM
Could have been better, the the DNC could have at least allowed the 3/5's of a vote.....
Posted by: Craig S | May 31, 2008 8:21:17 PM
WTF is wrong with the DNC???????
Have they lost their minds???????????
A group of millionaires decides that the average voter doesn't count??
FU!!!!!!!!!!!!
Donna Brazille can kiss my ass and her rules and her mama too! I guess her mama aint Rosa Parks! Damn HER for not following the rules right Donna?
The democrats make me sick! After 2000 they never learned!
DNC+Obama = Bush the III
Posted by: NO LONGER A DEMOCRAT! | May 31, 2008 8:02:48 PM
You now have witnessed the Chicago Way, the way it's done in Cook County: Just take 18,750 votes from one column, one candidate, and move them over to the Chicago machine's candidate.
This time, it was the national Democratic party that did it. It took 4 delegates away from Clinton, with 4 delegates representing 18,750 voters in the Michigan primary, and it just gave them to a guy who wasn't even on the ballot.
In Chicago, they do it with dead people. In the DNC, they do it with live voters, 18,750 Michiganders who wanted their votes in Clinton's column.
Don't vote Democrat, folks -- you don't know where they'll put your votes. They might just give them to the guy from the Chicago machine. First, Cook County. Next, the country.
Posted by: Cream City | May 31, 2008 7:57:51 PM
Today, we watched the beginning of the demise of the Democratic Party. They sealed their fate and Clinton supporters all over the country will be campaigning and voting for McCain in the Fall.
Posted by: Foodforthought | May 31, 2008 7:56:30 PM
Re:
Paganmist, Did you know that the REPUBLICANS are the majority in the legislature?
Did you know there was another major issue in addition to the date? "PAPER TRAIL". It was a loose loose situation,but with the latter there was no remedy.
Get tha facts!
Posted by: Gio | May 31, 2008 7:49:51 PM
I think the Obama followers who are happy about this might want to think again.
There will be backlash.
Posted by: Nell | May 31, 2008 7:46:16 PM
I am sickened by the way my fellow Democrats are acting. The screaming and boorish actions of many at the meeting is astounding.
The voters were ill served by their leaders in FL and MI. And then they want to take it out on the party?
I am not sure if we will recover from this mess. I hope we do. But I think a lot depends, as it has since late Feb. on Senator Clinton's ability to accept that this election is lost for her. The longer she draws on her poor loser act the deeper the pain, the less chance of victory for us rank and file Democrats.
I think that the Obama camp has done a very good job of keeping things on an even keel from their side but the Clintons seem to be on a Kamakazi mission right into the heart of the election.
It is so sad for me personally to think about how I was a supporter of hers.
I do not have the rosy memories of the Clinton years that many do. I supported Senator Clinton none the less. And I sorely regret it now.
I wish she would bow out and as she does I wish she would explain to her supporters about how civilized people behave. What an awful, rude and unsavory bunch of cry babies.
Can we now, finally, get on with the business of beating McCain?
Posted by: Bob F | May 31, 2008 7:46:14 PM
BO just gets closer to an eventual loss in November.
He was given votes he did not earn.
Posted by: Marint | May 31, 2008 7:41:42 PM
The RBC has found the worst way forward to "unity". It isn't going to happen by selectively applying the almighty rules!
Posted by: To hell with them | May 31, 2008 7:36:06 PM
Re:Florida
Timbo, no state party chair has the authority or jurisdiction to grant permission for ads. ESPECIALLY in another state. Get a copy of the DNC rules. That was his campaign initial claim, but it was refuted a long time ago. Get the facts.
Posted by: Gio | May 31, 2008 7:31:24 PM
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