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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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By now you would think they would know better. Pelosi can't push the superdeligates around and she can't push Hillary out. Didn't Dean insist the superdeligates would come out early to settle this? And didn't Pelosi attempt to tell the superdeligates who to vote for already, and then she came out later to correct her own words. History repeats it self. Most of the superdeligates left are supporting Hillary. The media and Pelosi can't take that away. Hillary knows it and they know it too.

Posted by: Sean | May 29, 2008 3:20:56 PM

I remember when Ted Kennedy was running for pres., his campaign had people all over the city of Chicago. I came home from work and a man practically accosted me, telling me to vote for Kennedy. Then, when it came time to vote, this man was standing outside of the polling place telling everyone to vote for Kennedy. The police didn't even chase him away. If it's alright for Kennedy, then it's all right for Hillary. I hope it isn't too late when they finally find out all the horrible things about Mr. BO and there are alot yet to come. Why, he wouldn't even have become a senator if he hadn't run against a republican from Maryland. And Rezko's money helped him.

Posted by: suze | May 29, 2008 3:21:21 PM

Democrat Party flips the finger to its own voters and double fingers the Florida and Michigan voters....

Posted by: fred | May 29, 2008 3:22:01 PM

Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Clinton Campaign, Surrogates, DNC April 1992: Screw the remaining states, the race is over
by John Aravosis (DC) · 5/27/2008 05:59:00 PM ET · Link
Discuss this post here: 29 Comments · reddit · FARK · Digg It!


And don't forget that back in 1992, they had FAR more states that hadn't voted since the primaries started in March, as compared to January this year. Jed has a lot more quotes, but these are the best:
"It's mathematically impossible for Brown to get the nomination."
-- Clinton spokesman George Stephanopoulos on Clinton's last foe (NYT, 4/8/92)

"It's time to close ranks. We cannot wait until July when we already know who has earned the right to be our nominee and who will be our nominee."
-- West Virginia Sen. Jay Rockefeller (NYT, 4/11/92)

"I cannot imagine a set of circumstances that would keep Bill Clinton from having a majority of the delegates by the end of the primary season."
-- Democratic Party Chairman Ronald H. Brown (NYT, 4/29/92)

"Mr. Brown added that he had long hoped for an early nominee 'so we can focus our time and attention on George Bush.'"
-- NYT, 4/29/92
So when Bill Clinton said the other day that never has a candidate been treated so disrespectfully, he lied. Surprise.
Labels: bill clinton, hillary clinton

Posted by: Lynne | May 29, 2008 3:23:07 PM

I knew I was a Republican most of my life for some reason. Democratic LEADERS are absolutely the stupidist bunch of COLLEGE EDUCATED jerks I've ever had the displeasure of being a part of. If Hillary isn't given a fair chance at the nomination I will vote Republican once again and won't look back. Anyone says see what you did I'll say yeah but it's Nancy & Howards' fault.

Posted by: C Good | May 29, 2008 3:23:16 PM

Put Hillary on the ticket, and you avoid a fight.

Posted by: How about this? | May 29, 2008 3:23:31 PM

I knew I was a Republican most of my life for some reason. Democratic LEADERS are absolutely the stupidist bunch of COLLEGE EDUCATED jerks I've ever had the displeasure of being a part of. If Hillary isn't given a fair chance at the nomination I will vote Republican once again and won't look back. Anyone says see what you did I'll say yeah but it's Nancy & Howards' fault.

Posted by: C Good | May 29, 2008 3:25:16 PM

So the DNC is looking to shut us up and shut us down...we will be leaving the party, taking our money, our support and our VOTES!
We will never vote for BO Barry, NEVER!The McCain campaign will be glad to have us dance at Johns inauguration.

Posted by: HP Boston | May 29, 2008 3:26:51 PM

This has more to do with Clinton trying to manipulate the system and upsetting the apple cart than with anything else. Hillary doesn't care what happens to her party.

Posted by: Gwen | May 29, 2008 3:27:02 PM

I read on one of the other blogs that Hillary will run as a third party if not given DNC approval. I am probably getting it wrong but I would like to know if anyone has heard this.It might be time for a good third party canidate

Posted by: bear | May 29, 2008 3:28:11 PM

That s just like the Demorcrats have someone like Nancy Pelosi pick the nominee .She couldn't even run congress the last two years .She has accomplished less than any speaker in the history of the US Congress .She is a looser .They need to give her the boot!

Posted by: Ted from Florida | May 29, 2008 3:28:27 PM

"We agree there won't be a fight at the convention". You ain't calling the shots, Harry, and neither is Nancy girl. Ten bucks say it's worse than that, Harry boy.

Posted by: jggrimm | May 29, 2008 3:29:03 PM

Edwin, if you do some research you'll see that the "Chicago Politics" they are talking about is that he had the names checked on petitions. Turns out thousands of the "signatures" were TYPED in, not signatures at all. Those had to be removed.

Chicago politics are the people who type names on petitions. He fought against them.

Posted by: Lynne | May 29, 2008 3:29:38 PM

The title of this news item should have been : "Democratic leaders pushing Hillary out and along with her 20 million of her supporters".

The text of the article should have said: "Harry the clueless Reid, and Nancy Paleo-Losi are absolutely committed to ensure a McCain landslide in November by supporting Obomination".

Posted by: long-term democrat | May 29, 2008 3:30:01 PM

HP Boston - you'd be a super republican!! =-) Happy Trails!!

Posted by: Lynne | May 29, 2008 3:30:52 PM

Pelosi needs to go back where she came from. The Dems have just lost a lot of voters. Good Luck you guys your going to need it. Go McCain.

Posted by: Barb | May 29, 2008 3:31:59 PM

Anne,

I promise you... Even if another educated black man were running, there would be an issue with him as well.

Let's just keep it real.

Posted by: Tori | May 29, 2008 3:32:06 PM

long-term democrat - maybe her 20 million supporters could pay a dollar a piece to bail Hillary's campaign out of debt!!! They still owe my hometown $55 million for their "visits"
here.

Posted by: Lynne | May 29, 2008 3:32:46 PM

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

Posted by: sandra | May 29, 2008 3:12:09 PM
------------
TOO LATE!!

Posted by: HP Boston | May 29, 2008 3:33:00 PM

Why didn't the DNC let Florida and Michigan do a revote when there wre many prominent Dems who was willing to raise the money .Howard Dean is a idiot .And every vote needs to count .Just because the Demorcrat party of those states didn't follow the rules why hurt the voters .The last I look on a map Florida and Michigan was in the United States .LET THE PEOPLE VOTE !!!

Posted by: Tim | May 29, 2008 3:33:02 PM

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