In what is considered a setback for Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has stepped into the super- delegates debate.
In an interview with Al Hunt, BloombergTV, Pelosi said:
Florida, Michigan Delegates Shouldn’t Decide Race.
Feb. 15 (Bloomberg) — Delegates from the disputed Florida and Michigan primaries shouldn’t decide who wins the party’s presidential nomination, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the chair of the Democratic National Convention.
“I don’t think that any states that operated outside the rules of the party can be dispositive of who the nominee is,” Pelosi said in an interview on Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital with Al Hunt,” scheduled to be aired today.
Pelosi’s stand is a setback for Hillary Clinton, who won those states’ uncontested primary elections after the party stripped the states of their delegates. Clinton is pushing to allow the delegates to vote at the Democratic convention in Denver, Colorado, on Aug. 25-28.[.]Clinton, 60, said not seating the delegates could dampen voter turnout in the November election.[.]
`Two States’
“Both Michigan and Florida should count because these are two states we have to carry,” Clinton said Feb. 11.
Pelosi said she won’t endorse either presidential candidate during the primary season.
“I am totally neutral in the race,” she said.
In a related article The San Francisco Chronicle, citing portions of the Bloomberg TV interview, has more:
Don’t veto the people’s choice.
“I think there is a concern when the public speaks and there is a counter-decision made to that,” she said, adding quickly, “I don’t think that will happen.”
She said the governors, lawmakers, DNC members and others picked as super delegates are chosen through a grassroots process and are accountable to the party’s voters.
“I do think that they have a respect — it’s not just following the returns, it’s also having a respect for what has been said by the people,” Pelosi said. “It would be a problem for the party if the verdict would be something different than the public has decided.”[.]
“But I do think that the best outcome for us is if one of the candidates pulls ahead and this issue is disposed of long before we get to the convention. We certainly don’t want to ignore Florida and Michigan, but we can’t ignore the rules which everyone else played by.”
For a play-it-safe speaker who’s pledged to stay neutral, these are sharp words. And she will be one of key referees if this fight isn’t settled before Denver.
(emphasis added)
The Honorable Madam Speaker has hit the gavel. Perhaps Pelosi will help calm the issue; focus on the rules, the signed pledges to abide by the rules and, not to be overlooked, the violations of those rules.
Clinton counts on super-delegates
In view of Pelosi’s stand and influence among party leadership, the Clintons will need to develop a new strategy.
er….<cough>…if l may be so bold as to inject a bit of history here…
if you will recall the debacle following the 2000 elections, especially the gore v. bush supreme court decision that put the current pResident in the white house, newly elected sen. clinton [NY] made this pledge:
the wayback machine is not sen clinton’s friend…any questions?
As always Dada, you’re spot on. thanks for that great find.
The NYTimes. (H/T: “The HatMan”) reports that Mr. Gore and party elders held council:
Democrats Look to Avoid Convention Rift
There’s more – go take a read
l liked this bit of understatement a lot:
if this, indeed, goes all the way to the convention, and a fight over pledged and unpledged delegates, l’m sure this…superdelegates get campaign cash…is likely to come into play, and l would hope neither candidate wants to go there.
from Politico In the Clinton camp, some desperation talk: Harold Ickes sees the nomination race going to June 7. Just days ago it was March 4, then April 22. Reminds me of Friedman units.
Hmmm!
Weeks ago, Senator Harkin opined the Clinton campaign was running on fumes. I hope he’s right.
MSNBC has more on that conference call led by Harold Ickes today. Note that earlier reports had Ickes maintaining the delegate count was tied. Poor maths?
How do we attribute any credibility to the Clinton gang?
How do we attribute any credibility to the Clinton gang?
short answer [to an obviously rhetorical question]: you can’t.
but you can give them some grief…if so inclined.