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Bill Clinton: Florida, Michigan Are "Embarrassing" For Democrats
May 14, 2008 2:29 PM
ABC News' Sarah Amos Reports: Former President Bill Clinton continued to make a case for seating the delegates in Florida and Michigan Wednesday, saying that it's "shocking and embarrassing" to see the Republican party dealing with this situation in a better manner than the Democrats.
President Clinton chose to begin his speech to a crowd in Missoula, Mont. with what turned into a six-minute discussion of the status of Michigan and Florida.
"All [Hillary] has ever asked for is that everybody vote, that we count the voters that show up, this is about the people not the mechanism. If you wanna punish them fine, but don't pretend they don't exist. And don't pretend it didn't happen. And don't pretend that she wasn't willing to let them vote again and help them raise the money to let them vote again," Clinton said.
President Clinton also hinted that if the races in Michigan and Florida had turned out differently, than perhaps the Democratic party would be quicker to come to a resolution.
"We are Democrats. We are supposed to be about the business of empowering," he said. "This should be a great empowerment election, and how ironic it would be ... if the thing would be decided by the most disempowering top-down, and I think mindless decision, I can recall in a month of Sundays."
The former president was adamant in his speech, asserting that both states needed to be counted now in order for a Democrat to win them in the general election.
"Now, I never thought it would be the Democratic party that didn't want to count votes in Florida. I thought that was a Republican strategy -- or strategery as the case may be. And I just ask you all this, do you really believe Florida would be getting this kind of treatment if the vote had turned out the other way? And I think we really have to consider that this is trouble. You know, if we win Florida, it is hard to see how they win the election. It is hard to see how we win Florida if our best argument is we've already ignored you once, now get in line," said Clinton.
May 14, 2008 in Bush, George W., Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (203)
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Hillary wants FAIR delegate assignment, proportionate to the primary voting. Obama refused a re-vote, and now the delegates must be seated fairly per the original votes cast.
Posted by: Emily | May 14, 2008 3:15:50 PM
The Clintons are the bigger embarrassment for the Dems!
If the Clintons years were so good, why wasn't Al Gore able to succeed the Clintons?
It was the Clintons taking advantage of the very young Monica-Lewinski in the Whore House that denied Al Gore AND ENABLE BUSH, who himself enabled 911 and other embarrassing national disasters!
If the Clintons weren't so selfish and self-absorbed, could control themselves and had some respect for the Presidency, Al Gore would be President.
Bush would never be allowed to destroy the country. And 911 WOULD NOT have happened!
The Clintons should just go away!
Posted by: Patriot | May 14, 2008 3:16:44 PM
TCG,
Without voters, how will be delegates? If delegates only matters to Obama and you, why not count the voters? Without counting the voters, how will people's voice be heard?
It proved the hypocrite of Obama and his supporters...
Posted by: True Truth | May 14, 2008 3:18:04 PM
They voted all ( Edwards-Obama-Clinton-Hucklebee-Mc Cain-Paul etccccc>>>>>>
Posted by: older white person | May 14, 2008 3:18:32 PM
Are you kidding me? Interesting how they were not making this arguement when including Fla. and MI. did not help Hillary. Now that including them would help her he starts back up with it. Please! They need to stop.
Posted by: marie | May 14, 2008 3:21:53 PM
He's right. You can go on about rules all day long, but if punishing the voters is undemocratic. I hope FA and MI come back and bite them on the ### in November. They have it coming.
Posted by: Mark | May 14, 2008 3:23:32 PM
Ah Emily hits on THE POINT. It is what Hillary wants not what the people or the party wants.
The People of MI and The Party of MI want a 69-59 distribution in favor of Hilz.
She says no to The People and No to The Party. She says she gotta have at least 73 dels. No Mo No Less. Every one else be d*****.
So I guess I gotta agree with you.
Posted by: The Commander Guy | May 14, 2008 3:24:16 PM
Clinton's so called revote strategy excluded republicans and independents from voting in the the revote. That is why the revote idea was shot down, because is was catered to get Clinton the most votes!!!!!! Now she says Obama blocked the revote. Well, if it was a fair revote, maybe he wouldn't have done so. The Clintons are the clowns of the party. But the party is almost over, thank goodness.
Posted by: Tim | May 14, 2008 3:27:32 PM
Hillary and Obama both voted not to count both states. Now that she is behind she has flip flopped again. What a suprise. Guess her word is not to valuable. The only thing embarrassing is Bill and Hillary. What a shrew she is and what a letch he is.
Posted by: Larry Oregon | May 14, 2008 3:27:46 PM
At this point it's pretty much a moot issue, as far as the democrats are concerned. The infighting in between the two delegates, the mud slinging, the poor handling of two states, this emphasis with delegates over popular vote (that almost anyone with a brain can see is garbage)....
The Democratic party has done enough damage to themselves now that it is my belief, that they have no chance with the american public.
They destroyed their reputation for the sake of greed. I am not saying Bush is innocent of anything, but what I am saying is their recent behavior made anything Bush did irrevelant to the Democrats chance to get the position of the Commander in chief.
Basically, the Democrats screwed themselves out of the one seat in government they want.
Posted by: JCW | May 14, 2008 3:28:29 PM
No, the Clintons are embarrassing in their attempts to rewrite history, including their own positions on MI and FL, as well as change the rules at the end of the game. I can not believe that the media is reporting on this non-sense.
Posted by: Dawn | May 14, 2008 3:28:45 PM
TCG,
Let me correct you again:
Obama only wanted delegates and did not want to count the Votes from MI,
Hillary rejected it because Obama doesn't care about MI people but his delegates...
So please don't mislead people as Obama always did....
Posted by: True Truth | May 14, 2008 3:30:26 PM
Why change the rules in the middle of the game? Can any Clinton supporter tell me?
Posted by: M. Ighile | May 14, 2008 3:30:52 PM
The former president does not know when to be embarrassed. The total lack of integrity and truthfulness is embarrassing. Watching him manipulate and manuever to get his mate into the White House is embarrassing. Seeing his face so red from exertion that it is practically screaming heart attack in the making!!! Get some rest. Read a book. Read some poetry.
Posted by: Gaias Child | May 14, 2008 3:32:37 PM
Cut Michigan and Florida off in August and forget the election in November. Clear enough for you all to understand?
Posted by: NYCStylez | May 14, 2008 3:32:43 PM
Bill Clinton is the incarnation of embarrassment among Democrats.
Posted by: maria | May 14, 2008 3:33:53 PM
Give me a break? you claim Hillary is willing to pay for the primaries yet she cannot even pay for her campaigns debts? Get us a better line and also explain why she is refusing the most recent compromise plan on seating the delegation?
Posted by: richard, Chicago | May 14, 2008 3:34:13 PM
The Clintons need to go away. They massage the rules whenever it fits thier purpose. That is not the type of individual that I want in the White House! Barak is offering change...REAL change. The Clintons need to embrace that if they truely want what is best for this country and not for thier own personnal glory.
Posted by: Steve | May 14, 2008 3:34:43 PM
Yeah... Hillary and Bill are 100% correct. Obama should not be winning. Michigan's entire delegation should be seated and it should be 100% for Hillary since hers was the only name on the ballot. Remember, this is the game "I win" where the rules change whenever necessary. If Hillary loses the nomination, I will vote McCain because my convictions on economics, health care, foreign policy and environmental issues are not relevant to my voting decision.
Posted by: umceric | May 14, 2008 3:34:43 PM
And now Hillary is an incarnation of embarrassment among Democrats as well.
All in the family!
Posted by: maria | May 14, 2008 3:35:00 PM
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