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Clinton Issues Challenge to Obama in Michigan

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March 19, 2008 1:26 PM

ABC News' Eloise Harper Reports: Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., challenged Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., to accept the draft legislation that has been approved by the Democratic Party to cast a re-vote in the state of Michigan. Clinton announced that she has accepted the proposal and said, “I call on Senator Obama to do the same. This is a crucial test, does he mean what he says or not? And I am pleased and grateful that on this issue the people of Michigan have had such outstanding advocates in their democratic leaders.”

Watch the VIDEO HERE.

Clinton continued, “Senator Obama speaks passionately on the campaign trail about empowering the American people. Today I am urging him to match those words with actions.”

Clinton said not counting the votes from voters in Michigan and Florida “is wrong and, frankly, it is un-American.” Clinton added, “I am here for one simple reason: to make sure Michigan’s votes are counted.”

Clinton also pointed out that her rivals chose to take their names off the ballot - and she did not. “When others made a decision to remove their name from the ballot, I didn’t because I believed your voices should count.”

Senator Clinton delivered a quick twenty minute speech in a small room at the local AFSCME Council 25. She thanked the governor and other members of congress for their support and said, “I am proud to stand with the people of Michigan in this cause and I hope that Senator Obama will join me.”

March 19, 2008 in Bush, George W., Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (65)

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Obama will never agree to allow a new primary--rather than a caucus--in a largley white, blue-collar, union, deer-hunting, rust-belt state which will break heavily for Hillary.

The Audacity of Obstruction.

Posted by: carl | Mar 19, 2008 1:34:52 PM

This would have been a good speech back in August...but of course she didn't care back in August.

Posted by: dl | Mar 19, 2008 1:40:31 PM

HILLARY CLINTON, the champion of issues for us "DOWNSCALE DEMOCRATS" as MSNBC's Chris Mathews derogatorily refers to us. Like the games begin!!! Go HILLARY!

Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | Mar 19, 2008 1:42:40 PM

If Fl. and MI don't count over a technicality and Obama wins the nomination I will write in my vote for Hillary.

Posted by: Charles | Mar 19, 2008 1:52:12 PM

Hillary has not accept the DNC rules and has kept her name on the ballot, thinking that one day she will push to get that undemocratic vote counted. We call that undisciplined action and un-american attitude and antidemocratic view. Obama is in the lead and he will take his time and make the right decision when he is ready. Michigan will get its voice heard. OBAMA08.

Posted by: BKMC | Mar 19, 2008 1:52:33 PM

Hillary certainly has a way with words but a short-term memory. Did she or did she not verbally and on-the-air agree that Florida and Michigan votes would not count because those states violated the DNC rules? At that time she thought she had the nomination pretty much sewn up so it wouldn't matter if those votes counted or not. Now, it seems, her "spin" is that poor Michigan voters are being disenfranchised and it's all Obama's fault. What garbage. Again and again it's say anything/do anything to win the nomination. I'm so sick of her campaign tactics. She is not the candidate I want representing MY gender.

Posted by: Brenna | Mar 19, 2008 1:53:20 PM

She is clearly a hypocrite. She want to disenfranchise the Texas caucus voters but ensure that every vote counts in Michigan. Her campaign is on life support. Obama has every right to follow the rules and not allow a revote.

Posted by: Radmanaustin | Mar 19, 2008 1:55:03 PM

Thank you, DL, for stating the simple truth. Where was she when the DNC was making this decision? She was running the Campaign of Inevitability and now that that didn't work for her, she wants to go back on that.

I am a person that thinks that all the votes should count. But I also believe in the abiding by the rules. It is really quite simple...Michigan and Florida went outside of the established rules to hold their primaries early. Even after it was evident what the outcome would be, they wouldn't go back on that. The irony is that if they had abided by the rules, they would have been very important in this primary race.

Posted by: What.Say.Me... | Mar 19, 2008 1:55:30 PM

To BKMC:

This Idea that Obama gets to make the decision as to if and when Michigan and to a lesser extent florida gets to have a say is just wrong. We are supposed to be a democracy although we are really a republic. To say that one man gets to make the decision is undemocratic and quite freightening. Will you support him if he tries to say that only certain states get to vote in ghe GE or if only certain people get to vote if he somehow becomes president. This is turly frightening that you could support such an undemocratic postion. oh and by the way He choose to take his name off the ballot. He could have been on the ballot and let his supporters in the state support him even if the delegats did not count. Oh and yes he is in the lead, but he will not reach the number needed to win. so no he can not win just as hillary can not win with pledged delagets alone.

Posted by: joshua bradshaw | Mar 19, 2008 1:59:29 PM

Too bad Hillary didn't stand up for Michigan and Florida when she signed the agreement to not count these votes.

In February, Hillary said "these votes don't matter"

Hillary, why do you repeatedly commit yourself to bad ideas? Iraq, not counting Michigan and Florida votes in February, worrying about Bill's budget while Kennedy and others responsibly worked on SCHIP, writing that NAFTA was great, ...

Hillary, you never admit you were wrong. It's always someone else's fault.

Even worse, many times you take credit for things you were not a part of.

Posted by: Dan | Mar 19, 2008 1:59:43 PM

That's Hillary for you -- "The audacity of the flip-flopper." She now says she left her name on the ballot because she wanted their votes to count. Not what she said back then, though!

Hillary didn't expect the race to last past Super Tuesday, so she figured she would victoriously allow the delegations to be seated and accept the nomination. Then, no one would challenge her on attempts to steal votes.

No one promised "revotes" when these states were sanctioned. Though, if the revotes happen, Obama would still emerge victorious! But why drag this race out through June 3rd or longer???!!!

Obama 2008 -- Yes, We CAN!!!

Posted by: Jackt51 | Mar 19, 2008 1:59:57 PM

Why did the people of MI and FL elect such bad legislators? It's their fault their vote doesn't count. Place the blame where it belongs.

Posted by: Janet from NH | Mar 19, 2008 2:01:12 PM

Why did she agree last year to strip Florida and Michigan from their votes. Now that she is looking for any chance to catch up, it is very important for the delegates to be seated.

Posted by: Homeforthoughts | Mar 19, 2008 2:01:41 PM

I am still laughing at the fact that people are upset with Obama for abiding by the rules. Where was all this outrage when the DNC made this decision? Where was the public outcry at that point? The simple fact is that people, in general, thought that it wouldn't matter. No one expected Barack to do so well as to essentially earn enough pledged delegates to make it a deadlock.

I think that, if we think there is such a problem with the rules, then speak out on it and do something about it...but now is not the time. You can't change the rules of the game over halfway through it. BUT, Surely if you do change those rules, both opponents should be allowed to agree on that.

This is not Obama's fault and was never his sole decision...just as it wasn't Hillary's.

Posted by: What.Say.Me... | Mar 19, 2008 2:04:36 PM

You go, Hillary!

Posted by: Griffin | Mar 19, 2008 2:14:51 PM

I saw on a news report an agreement that Hillary signed agreeing not to campaign in Michigan. So why is she campaigning there today??

Posted by: ML | Mar 19, 2008 2:17:13 PM

Griffin
You are right, hillary go home, the days of old politics have ended. A new chapter for America and its greatness is being written by Obama.

Posted by: BKMC | Mar 19, 2008 2:17:22 PM

I agree with dl. Go Hillary!!! Because of Obama Hillary cannot have her rightful deligates in Fla. Everyone had their name on the ballot- including Obama and no one campained not even Hillary and she WON! I it had been Obama he would have gotten the delicates. CNN and MSNBC would not have stopped pushing for him until he got them. They have catered to him and gave him the position he has. I am proud of Hillary because she has been bullied and she is still standing. Obama is a racist as his pastor.

Posted by: proud american | Mar 19, 2008 2:18:31 PM

ch, continue to read the polls, what is important here is the number of pledged delegates and that is called "the math" and the math is in favor of Obama. BHillary cannot get more delegates than Obama, we all know that and the super delegates have no choice but to elect the candidate who has more pledged delegates (Nancy Polosi) OBAMA08.

Posted by: BKMC | Mar 19, 2008 2:33:31 PM

Who cares who you write in....if hillary steals the nomination, she won't win.
If Obama is nominated, he won't win either. This racist country is too worried about someone else's words.

The only person that had the guts to stand up and say we should not hold him accountable for what his pastor said....Huckabee. Wow.

So start practicing....President McCain, President McCain

Posted by: LA in Indiana | Mar 19, 2008 2:43:14 PM

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