Hillary Clinton’s only road to the nomination includes getting a rather improbable number of superdelegates to vote her way and all the delegates in Florida and Michigan to be seated. The former is rather unlikely (to put it mildly) and the latter just got even less likely than it already was (via the AP): Dem lawyers: Fla., Mich. can’t be fully restored
A Democratic Party rules committee has the authority to seat some delegates from Michigan and Florida but not fully restore the two states as Hillary Rodham Clinton wants, according to party lawyers.
Democratic National Committee rules require that the two states lose at least half of their convention delegates for holding elections too early, the party’s legal experts wrote in a 38-page memo.
The memo was sent late Tuesday to the 30 members of the party’s Rules and Bylaws Committee, which plans to meet Saturday at a Washington hotel. The committee is considering ways to include the two important general election battlegrounds at the nominating convention in August, and the staff analysis says seating half the delegates is “as far as it legally can” go.
None of this, of course, should be a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention (except, perhaps, members of the Clinton team).
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[...] Aravosis says that it is time to stop playing games, the Poliblog claims her route to the nomination became more improbable, Jazz Shaw at the Moderate Voice says things are [...]
Pingback by Balloon Juice — Wednesday, May 28, 2024 @ 9:44 am
I am a Florida voter and I don’t want the Florida delegation to be seated. Look at it from my perspective. I voted for Edwards. He got 17% of the vote. I now support Obama. I know others who support Obama but voted for Dodd, Richardson, Kusinch, and Biden. What happens to the delegates of these other candidates? There were 10 candidates on the ballot. The anti-Clinton vote was divided nine ways. It would be unfair to count ANY votes in Florida. The vote was too early. Clinton had the advantage because of name recognition. As the campaign went on, more people were attracted to Obama. Those that voted for other candidates - who can say how they would vote in a runoff? A runoff would be the only fair solution. To have a committee decide arbitrarily how to divide up the Florida vote is the most undemocratic process. It is best to have a revote. Failing that - NO compromise can be fair to the voters of Florida.
Comment by Hugh Kiddin — Wednesday, May 28, 2024 @ 1:02 pm
The whole democratic party nomination process is undemocratic; if we’re going to be honest and call things for what they are, we have to say that. The party drew up the rules the way they are now so that party faithful (superdelegates) would be able to prevent Average Joe/Average Jane from picking a candidate that they (the party faithful) either did not approve of or felt was not electable.
So to say it would be undemocratic to do this or that with Florida or Michigan - of course it’s undemocratic.
Ultimately the stink is going to leave a lot of democratic voters in Florida and Michigan especially discontented. Probably most of the democrats who voted for Clinton will end up staying home, and this will be especially important in Florida.
I keep saying it’s crazy to count McCain out just yet; I think how some of the issues in the democratic party play out in the next couple of months will influence voter turnout very heavily, and continue to press my case that there are a lot of discontented Republicans, but by the time all is said and done in the democratic nomination process, there will be a lot of discontented democrats, too. And a lot of swing voters, who previously were unaware of the rules within the democratic party, having learned about the process are going to be put off by it.
Ultimately I think these forces will balance each other out and give us another close race.
Comment by Captain D — Wednesday, May 28, 2024 @ 2:31 pm
Jumping the gun at an athletic event is cheating, and disqualifies the competitor. Florida politicians who “jumped the gun” on the president primary in 2024 were not only punished by the Democratic leadership, but the Republican leadership (who stripped half their delegates). You would think Florida politicians might have learned something from Bush cheating in 2024, but apparently not. They wanted to cheat again. It is too bad that Florida politicians cheated THE PEOPLE OF FLORIDA out of their right to participate in the process. If the voters in Florida want to be angry, they should direct their anger at Charlie Crist and other bozos who, like Jeb Bush do not understand what it means to conduct a legitimate election in a democracy. As far as Michigan is concerned, well, it’s the Democrats there who are knuckleheads. The Democratic mayor of Detroit (Kwame Kilpatrick) has been booked in a felony and yet continues to be mayor because the Democratic Governor of Michigan (Jennifer Granholm) has no guts to take the action which the City Council of Detroit has requested on several occasions. In Michigan, it is the Democrats who are in complete disarray, but in Florida it is politicians on both sides who jumped the gun and cheated The People out of their voice.
Comment by Anton — Wednesday, May 28, 2024 @ 3:19 pm
This is more than just about Obama and Clinton. This is bald faced democracy on the line. We have a situation where bad decisions by a few people resulted in the stripped the rights of voters. Because of that, those states have determined the front runner by default. Hillary would be ahead if the democratic party had dealt with this earlier. Does anyone else wonder why they waited so long?? The other problem is voters like myself are so mad at the way the party has shoved Obama down our throats I will not vote for him no matter what. By the way, I am not bitter, and am extremely educated and a latte drinking liberal. The sad part about this is that Obama supporters and Clinton supporters see this situation completely different. That is why the individual campaigns should not have any say in the decision. If all of the delegates are not awarded, I will write in Clinton or vote for Nader. He realized long ago that the two paty system is a failure.
Comment by kelly — Thursday, May 29, 2024 @ 1:25 am
This is what happens when you have dirt on the Clintons :
1 - James McDougal - Clinton’s convicted Whitewater partner died of an apparent heart attack,
while in solitary confinement. He was a key witness in Ken Starr’s investigation.
2 - Mary Mahoney - A former White House intern was murdered July 1997 at a Starbucks Coffee
Shop in Georgetown. The murder happened just after she was to go public with her story of sexual
harassment in the White House.
3 - Vince Foster - Former white House councilor, and colleague of Hillary Clinton at Little Rock’s
Rose Law firm. Died of a gunshot wound to the head, ruled a suicide.
4 - Ron Brown - Secretary of Commerce and former DNC Chairman. Reported to have died by impact
in a plane crash. A pathologist close to the investigation reported that there was a hole in the top of
Brown’s skull resembling a gunshot wound. At the time of his death Brown was being investigated,
and spoke publicly of his willingness to cut a deal with prosecutors.
5 - C. Victor Raiser II and Montgomery Raiser, Major players in the Clinton fund raising organization
died in a private plane crash in July 1992.
6 - Paul Tulley - Democratic National Committee Political Director found dead in a hotel room in
Little Rock, September 1992… Described by Clinton as a “Dear friend and trusted advisor.”
7- Ed Willey - Clinton fund raiser, found dead November 1993 deep in the woods in VA of a gunshot
wound to the head. Ruled a suicide. Ed Willey died on the same day his wife Kathleen Willey claimed
Bill Clinton groped her in the oval office in the White House. Ed Willey was involved in several
Clinton fund raising events.
8 - Jerry Parks - Head of Clinton’s gubernatorial security team in Little Rock. Gunned down in his
car at a deserted intersection outside Little Rock. Park’s son said his father was building a dossier on
Clinton. He allegedly threatened to reveal this information. After he died the files were mysteriously
removed from his house.
9 - James Bunch - Died from a gunshot suicide. It was reported that he had a “Black Book” of people
which contained names of influential people who visited prostitutes in Texas and Arkansas.
10 - James Wilson - Was found dead in May 1993 from an apparent hanging suicide. He was reported
to have ties to Whitewater.
11- Kathy Ferguson, ex-wife of Arkansas Trooper Danny Ferguson, was found dead in May 1994, in
her living room with a gunshot to her head. It was ruled a suicide even though there were several
packed suitcases, as if she were going somewhere. Danny Ferguson was a co-defendant along with
Bill Clinton in the Paula Jones lawsuit. Kathy Ferguson was a possible corroborating witness for Paula
Jones.
12 - Bill Shelton - Arkansas State Trooper and fiancee of Kathy Ferguson. Critical of the suicide ruling
of his fiancee, he was found dead in June, 1994 of a gunshot wound also ruled a suicide at the grave
site of his fiancee.
13 - Gandy Baugh - Attorney for Clinton’s friend Dan Lassater, died by jumping out a window of a
tall building January, 1994. His client was a convicted drug distributor.
14 - Florence Martin - Accountant & sub-contractor for the CIA, was related to the Barry Seal Mena
Airport drug smuggling case. He died of three gunshot wounds.
15 - Suzanne Coleman - Reportedly had an affair with Clinton when he was Arkansas Attorney
General. Died of a gunshot wound to the back of the head, ruled a suicide. Was pregnant at the time
of her death.
16 - Paula Grober - Clinton’s speech interpreter for the deaf from 1978 until her death December 9,
1992. She died in a one car accident.
17 - Danny Casolaro - Investigative reporter. Investigating Mena Airport and Arkansas Development
Finance Authority. He slit his wrists, apparently, in the middle of his investigation.
18 - Paul Wilcher - Attorney investigating corruption at Mena Airport with Casolaro and the 1980 ”
October Surprise” was found dead on a toilet June 22, 1993 in his Washington DC apartment. Had
delivered a report to Janet Reno three weeks before his death
19 - Jon Parnell Walker - Whitewater investigator for Resolution Trust Corp. Jumped to his death
from his Arlington, Virginia apartment balcony August15, 1993. He was investigating the Morgan
Guarantee scandal.
20 - Barbara Wise - Commerce Department staffer. Worked closely with Ron Brown and John Huang.
Cause of death unknown. Died November 29, 1996. Her bruised, nude body was found locked in her
office at the Department of Commerce.
21- Charles Meissner - Assistant Secretary of Commerce who gave John Huang special security
clearance, died shortly thereafter in a small plane crash.
22 - Dr. Stanley Heard - Chairman of the National Chiropractic Health Care Advisory Committee,
died with his attorney Steve Dickson in a small plane crash. Dr. Heard, in addition to serving on
Clinton’s advisory council personally treated Clinton’s mother, stepfather and brother.
23 - Barry Seal - Drug running pilot out of Mena, Arkansas, death was no accident.
24 - Johnny Lawhorn Jr. - Mechanic, found a check made out to Bill Clinton in the trunk of a car left
at his repair shop. He was found dead after his car had hit a utility pole.
25 - Stanley Huggins - Investigated Madison Guarantee. His death was a purported suicide and his
report was never released.
26- Hershell Friday - Attorney and Clinton fund raiser died March 1, 1994 when his plane exploded.
27 - Kevin Ives and Don Henry - Known as “The boys on the track” case. Reports say the boys may
have stumbled upon the Mena Arkansas airport drug operation. A controversial case, the initial report
of death said, due to falling asleep on railroad tracks. Later reports claim the two boys had been slain
before being placed on the tracks. Many linked to the case died before their testimony could come
before a Grand Jury.
THE FOLLOWING PERSONS HAD INFORMATION ON THE IVES/HENRY CASE:
28 - Keith Coney - Died when his motorcycle slammed into the back of a truck, July 1988.
29 - Keith McMaskle - Died stabbed 113 times, Nov, 1988
30 - Gregory Collins - Died from a gunshot wound January 1989.
31 - Jeff Rhodes - He was shot, mutilated and found burned in a trash dump in April 1989.
33 - James Milan - Found decapitated. However, the Coroner ruled his death was due to “natural
causes.”
34 - Jordan Kettleson - Was found shot to death in the front seat of his pickup truck in June 1990.
35 - Richard Winters - A suspect in the Ives / Henry deaths. He was killed in a set-up robbery July 1989.
THE FOLLOWING CLINTON BODYGUARDS ARE DEAD: 36 - Major William S. Barkley Jr. 37
- Captain Scott J. Reynolds 38 - Sgt. Brian Hanley 39 - Sgt. Tim Sabel 40 - Major General William
Robertson 41 - Col. William Densberger 42 - Col. Robert Kelly 43 - Spec. Gary Rhodes 44 - Steve
Willis 45 - Robert Williams 46 - Conway LeBleu 47 - Todd McKeehan
Quite an impressive list! Pass this on. Let the public become aware of what happens to anyone who
might damage the Clinton machine
Comment by O8 — Thursday, May 29, 2024 @ 1:51 am