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Democratic Leaders Pushing to Avoid Convention Fight

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May 29, 2008 2:37 PM

ABC's Z. Byron Wolf reports: The Democratic Party's rules and bylaws committee doesn't meet until this weekend to decide the fate of the Michigan and Florida delegations and the final Democratic primaries don't conclude until next week, but Democratic heavyweights are already talking about how to push the undeclared superdelegates who will pick the Democratic nominee into someone's corner.

Uncommitted superdelegate and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., visiting San Francisco, told KGO Radio today that he spoke this morning with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and last night to DNC Chairman Howard Dean.  "We agree there won’t be a fight at the convention," he said, later adding that "simple math indicates" Barack Obama is likely to become the Democratic nominee.

In April, Reid had suggested that he, Pelosi and Dean would convene after the last Democratic primary and decide on a course of action to make superdelegates take sides long before the convention. Today, he told KGO Radio's Ronn Owens of the superdelegates, "They've already made their decision. That's why we're going to make a decision next week. It’s the same group of people. No one else is going to be involved. So they either make the decision now or they make it in August. I believe they should make it now rather than in August."

In an interview with KGO after his radio appearance, Reid said, "The time has come to make a decision. I think we need a general election that’s 5 months. I don’t think August is enough time."

He suggested the Democratic primary "will be ended a couple days after June 3rd."

"This is down now to the superdelegates. And probably, simple math indicates that, next Tuesday, after we get the results from Puerto Rico on Sunday and South Dakota and Montana on Tuesday, Obama will probably have the necessary number at that time anyway," he said.

May 29, 2008 in Bush, George W., Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom, Veepstakes | Permalink | User Comments (458)

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Obama will lock in the nomination of week from June 3 with the delegates of MI and FL counted. (Period)

Posted by: Vanessa | May 29, 2008 2:41:56 PM

So pick the least best candidate and be done with it. Do not let Florida vote! Do not let the American public choose. Do away with the democratic way and do not hear its citizens. You candidate has "BO", tied to corruption, tied to a radical church and its beliefs, flip flops daily, has little experience and will cause the biggest racial divide in history in the US---oh yes, select the black man NOT because he is the best candidate but because he is black. I have a suggestion. I know many black men that are well educated, and would be much better suited for this job and I would be willing to vote for any of them instead of OBAMA. It is not that OBAMA is black it is that OBAMA is tainted because of his background. You will never be able to sell him to the American public. The Democrats will loose.

Posted by: Anne | May 29, 2008 2:45:52 PM


Is this democracy in action? Why don't they just ordain him now, since that's who the DNC wants. Why continue with the charade of letting the voters decide?

Posted by: Belle | May 29, 2008 2:47:22 PM

Anna they ARE picking the BEST candidate her dirty laundry would be part of this election and she would never beat Mc Cain in fact the rep wanted her she was easier to beat ....I know trhat is hard for you to understand but true.Stop your crying and get on with this election.You are a racist too huh???? What the hey difference does the color of your skin meanyour gender meanall this is an excuse forall the stupid people to CRY andsay as HILLY does. She lost and did it herself geeeeeeeeee.All by herself .

Posted by: Honest | May 29, 2008 2:53:22 PM

OBAMA CONGRATULATIONS, BOTH BLACK AND WHITE GAVE YOU THE ENOUGH DELEGATES TO CLINCH TO THE NOMIANTION.
OBAMA 08, 12

Posted by: angie | May 29, 2008 2:58:26 PM

also how do you argue against a war you voted for?

Posted by: bhrandon | May 29, 2008 2:58:29 PM

Well I can see they think just because they try to push the super delegates to make a decision that they will just go along like robots and do as they are told. I thought these were to be independent thinkers. If they line up behind Obama and force this issue without letting things go to the convention then the democrats will lose in November and they should.

Posted by: unstoppable 08 | May 29, 2008 3:00:24 PM

Bill will not allow anyone other than a Clinton to become a Democratic Party president. His legacy is on the line.

Bill and Hillary will scream and destroy the party is Hillary is not the candidate.

Bill has repeatedly said he is the "greatest Democrat president ever".

Posted by: Debbie | May 29, 2008 3:00:53 PM

SEAT ALL THE DELEGATES AND COUNT ALL THE VOTES.ITS THE AMERICAN WAY.

Posted by: brigitte | May 29, 2008 3:01:57 PM

thats right hillary count all the votes!


Posted by: bhrandon | May 29, 2008 3:03:31 PM

I blew nothing out of proportion. Hillary has every right (like Ted Kennedy did when he was down 795 delegates) to take her fight to the convention in a race this close. I hope she does.

Of course this article, like all the other ones, will just be another way for Hillary bashers to get their digs in.

Posted by: belle | May 29, 2008 3:04:54 PM

Reid, Pelosi and Dean making the decision for millions? Huh, that's weird.

Posted by: Lucy | May 29, 2008 3:08:20 PM

Why are we fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan to instill democracy when the DNC won't even honor DEMOCRACY here by counting FL and MI votes?? HYPOCRITES!! Never thought the day would come where Republicans would be considered more DEMOCRATIC than the DNC.

Posted by: James | May 29, 2008 3:11:07 PM

First black president?
WHITE + BLACK = BLACK or this?:
MULATTO: Is a person of mixed black and white ancestry or the offspring of one white parent and one black parent or someone 50% black and 50% white.

Posted by: idiotus | May 29, 2008 3:11:14 PM

belle,

yes, she has the "right". But is it right? The people don't think she is stronger, the Super Delegates don't think she is stronger.

She has an airplane hangar full of baggage named Bill Clinton. The GOP will crush her.

She is unelectable. Appointable, yes.

Posted by: jmc663 | May 29, 2008 3:11:31 PM

The deal is to SPIN it so that Michigan and Florida have some delegates, but cannot hurt the beloved Obama or help Clinton in any way.

Sooner or later the republican media is going to be all over the truth of what has happened here .

The party insiders chose the nominee regardless if he is the weaker candidate.

Obama is going to have to spend the summer and fall not only fighting Mc
Cain and the republicans, but fight the republican 527s who will forever try to fan the anger of the Clinton supporters.

The guy will have to continually fight to keep the Clintons supporters from defecting

Posted by: sandra | May 29, 2008 3:12:09 PM

The whole point is to vote and who ever gets to the end with the most delegates wins.

Obama has the most delegates and Clinton can't pass him with the ones remaining.

So Obama will be our candidate.

And speaking of polls and electablity in the fall:
Pew Research released today:
Obama 47, McCain 44
Dates conducted: May 21-25

Posted by: Lynne | May 29, 2008 3:16:02 PM

Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean need to stop pushing Obama as the nominee. No one made Kennedy quit prior to the convention. Who the h*** do they think they are. Why did everyone have to go thru all of this madness if they have the power to push Hillary out. Jealousy. Can't stand it. I hope I have the chance to see her & him out of office next election. I don't know what Obama has on them but it must be good. Both look like jerks. If you push her out McCain will win. I will get out myself door to door campaigning for John McCain. "I will step in." Jerks!!!!

Posted by: C Good | May 29, 2008 3:16:04 PM

Listen up people, this is not the General Election!!! The fact that FL and MI won't count is NOT NOT NOT unconstitutional... this is the Democratic parties' process of picking their parties' nominee for the REAL election. Judges have already found this a non-issue, the party didn't do anything wrong in enforcing their rules. People should be upset at their state's government for breaking the Democratic party rules and thinking they could get away with it!!! They are the idiots. Hillary agreed to the fact that they wouldn't count and now that she needs them she is complaining!

Posted by: matt | May 29, 2008 3:17:15 PM

Maybe part of the problem with Pelosi, Dean and Reid is that they ARE afraid of a fight, ANY kind of a fight. It's easy to pick on the Clintons when Pelosi and crew have most of the Dems siding with Obama now, but then the Democrats seem to be very proficient at backstabbing each other. They have accomplished absolutely nothing with a majority in Congress over the past 2 years. For all of their complaining, they are the ones who didn't want to talk impeachment of President Bush, and now they are crying about avoiding a convention fight. Maybe that is exactly what we need to get some of these politicans off of their behinds and getting something done other than just releasing election year hot air. They all make me sick, and I think Hillary Clinton should run as an independent after the way she has been treated this year by the press as well as her own party. If Obama gets elected, let's see how much "change" he actually has accomplished a year from November. He won't be able to claim he has no support then as most of the Washington insiders seem to be supporting him now. I'm sure his supporters will blame that on the Clinton's too.

Posted by: dwc | May 29, 2008 3:19:19 PM

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