2008 Woodie Awards
Officials move to steal election from Obama
George Curry/NNPA Columnist
Issue date: 2/17/08 Section: Politics
After complaining in 2000 about George W. Bush being selected instead of being elected president, Democratic Party insiders are being equally duplicitous by maneuvering to steal the Democratic nomination from Barak Obama even as he continues to run up impressive wins over Hillary Clinton as he did over the weekend and on Tuesday.
In a brazen attempt to hand the election to Clinton, who is proving every day that she would be a weak alternative to Republican John McCain in the general election, Democratic Party leaders are hinting that despite their earlier decision to punish any state that violated their edict not move up their primary or caucus to a date earlier than Feb. 5 in order to compete with first-in-the-nation attention showered on Iowa and New Hampshire, they are on the verge of seating delegates from Florida and Michigan.
Both states defied the Party's directive and held elections prior to Feb. 5. Adhering to the rules, Obama dutifully did not campaign in either state and his name was not even on the ballot in Michigan. Yet, Clinton, who conducted a stealth campaign in both states while pretending to comply with the rules, is now arguing that a combined 350 or so delegates from Florida and Michigan should be seated at the convention next August in Denver. It's another example of the anything- goes politics that Obama denounces at every campaign stop.
Even with Obama's name missing from the ballot, 40 percent of those going to the polls in Michigan supported a slate of uncommitted delegates instead of voting for the New York senator.
In addition to Hillary Clinton, some key elected officials in Florida and Michigan already pledged to her, are making the specious argument that delegates from their state should be counted.
Michigan Democratic Sen. Carl Levin, for example, asserts that 600,000 Democrats participated in the primary and that it "would not be fair to throw out the results of the election." What is unfair is that Party leaders in Michigan decided not to play by the rules and now want to be rewarded for violating them.
In a brazen attempt to hand the election to Clinton, who is proving every day that she would be a weak alternative to Republican John McCain in the general election, Democratic Party leaders are hinting that despite their earlier decision to punish any state that violated their edict not move up their primary or caucus to a date earlier than Feb. 5 in order to compete with first-in-the-nation attention showered on Iowa and New Hampshire, they are on the verge of seating delegates from Florida and Michigan.
Both states defied the Party's directive and held elections prior to Feb. 5. Adhering to the rules, Obama dutifully did not campaign in either state and his name was not even on the ballot in Michigan. Yet, Clinton, who conducted a stealth campaign in both states while pretending to comply with the rules, is now arguing that a combined 350 or so delegates from Florida and Michigan should be seated at the convention next August in Denver. It's another example of the anything- goes politics that Obama denounces at every campaign stop.
Even with Obama's name missing from the ballot, 40 percent of those going to the polls in Michigan supported a slate of uncommitted delegates instead of voting for the New York senator.
In addition to Hillary Clinton, some key elected officials in Florida and Michigan already pledged to her, are making the specious argument that delegates from their state should be counted.
Michigan Democratic Sen. Carl Levin, for example, asserts that 600,000 Democrats participated in the primary and that it "would not be fair to throw out the results of the election." What is unfair is that Party leaders in Michigan decided not to play by the rules and now want to be rewarded for violating them.
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Hank
posted 2/18/08 @ 1:03 PM EST
THERE IS NO CHANGES WITH OBAMA EXCEPT THE MEDIAS HELP AT HIDING HIS RECORD OF SUPPORTING THE WAR AND BUSH. WHAT OBAMA SUPPORTERS ARE AFRAID TO REALIZE. (Continued…)
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