Top Clinton Supporters Warn Pelosi Over Superdelegate Statements
WASHINGTON — Twenty top Democratic donors who are supporting Hillary Rodham Clinton criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a letter asking her to retract her comments on superdelegates and stay out of the Democratic fight over their role in the presidential race.
In their letter, Clinton’s supporters said superdelegates “must look to not one criterion but to the full panoply of factors that will help them assess who will be the party’s strongest nominee in the general election.”
The letter also noted the donors “have been strong supporters” of the House Democrats’ fundraising arm. “We therefore urge you to clarify your position on superdelegates and reflect in your comments a more open view to the optional independent actions of each of the delegates at the national convention in August.”
Pelosi, who has not endorsed either candidate as chair of the Democratic National Convention, said during a March 16 appearance on ABC’s “This Week” that it would be harmful to the party if superdelegates don’t support the pledged delegate winner.
“This is an untenable position that runs counter to the party’s intent in establishing superdelegates in 1984,” the letter from the wealthy Clinton backers said.
No matter what the outcome of the 10 remaining contests, it will be nearly impossible for Clinton to overcome rival Barack Obama’s lead in pledged delegates, because they are awarded proportionally based on the outcome.
So it will be up to the nearly 800 superdelegates — party activists and elected officials who aren’t bound by any vote — to put one of the two candidates over the mark of 2,024 delegates needed to win the nomination. Obama has 1,406 pledged delegates to Clinton’s 1,249, according to The Associated Press count.
Obama spokesman Bill Burton said, “This letter is inappropriate and we hope the Clinton campaign will reject the insinuation contained in it.”
“Regardless of the outcome of the nomination fight, Senator Obama will continue to urge his supporters to assist Speaker Pelosi in her efforts to maintain and build a working majority in the House of Representatives,” Burton said.
Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said Clinton had made the case superdelegates should exercise independent judgment about who would be the best for the party and the country.
“Few have done more to build the Democratic Party than Bill and Hillary Clinton. The last thing they need is a lecture from the Obama campaign,” he said.
The letter was first reported by the political blog Talking Points Memo.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Put a less diplomatic way…”Speaker Pelosi, shut your pie hole”! This train wreck is like the gift that keeps on giving!
Obama staff needs to mind their own business. At least these people are out in the open and Obama’s staff works like snakes in the grass. He has them do all his dirty work while he tries to appear to be clean. We got your number Obama, if you want to save the Democratic party, you will get out of the race. You’re great on spouting what the polls say, well, the polls show that 25+% of Hillary supporters will NOT vote for Obama if he is the nominee. Without them, he will not win the General Election. It’s time for him to step down and let someone who knows what they are doing to get on with business.
What the people want is what they voted for. If there were to be no election, then the party could right away send someone like Mrs. Clinton to represent the democrats in the general election. We all know the fact that, the Clintons have done a lot to the party. But they should remember that the party does not belong to them. The party have rules and regulations to follow.
The Clintons should let us know what do they want from the white house, a place they have been before. What else do they need again.
The last sentences in the article ““Few have done more to build the Democratic Party than Bill and Hillary Clinton. The last thing they need is a lecture from the Obama campaign,” he said.” says it all.
The problem is that Bill Clinton is not running for President, his wife is. Would you let the wife of an airline pilot take over the controls of a 737 mid-flight? Would you let your physician’s wife perform surgery on you? The analogy is clear. Hillary does not have the experience to be our country’s leader. She has done nothing of substance during her husband’s terms in office or her terms in NY.
The type of battle taking place in the Democratic Party is great for John McCain. I beg these fools to please keep it up so that we can rest assured that come November, the Republicans will retain the Presidency.
Hillary is a crook. She and Bill want to win at any cost. She lost this one. We need to support Pelosi or whomever will keep the election with the general population. Do you really think she would say this if the roles were reversed? Of course not! She would say “The people spoke and no one has a right to override their election.”
Hillary will do anything to win! She will DO ANYTHING TO WIN. Hillary is a threat to our country. She LIES about the snipers; come on, would anyone really make a mistake about the time someone was shooting at them? Of course not.
Please, let’s stop the lies and the divides Hillary brings to us. Support the WINNER, in this case, it is not Hillary.
Finally. Pelosi is bending the rule in the middle of the game. Why have the superdelegates,uh, Pelosi! Nancy kiss your political career goodbye. Thank god I have a vote to your rival, I live in LA.
I’d be ashame and a disgrace to lie to america that I was under fire
in bosnia, and Ireland. And most of all the news people was there
as witness. Shame on you Hillary
Are you kidding me?! The audacity of the Clintons is astounding and those 20 top RICH Democrats ought to be ashamed of themselves. Why is it that the nation has one set of rules for fair play and the Clintons have another set of rules - ones that they write for themselves that only they have to follow and whoever they say to follow them. This Democratic party is becoming a joke. She talks about voters being disenfranchised - what about the millions of people who voted according to party and state and national rules that she herself agreed to before January - when OF COURSE she thought she was going to be the lanslide winner of the nomination - and now ONLY because she needs to rules to change she’s touting revotes and pledged delegates don’t have to vote according to the will of the people, the MILLIONS of people who played fair? WHat the hell kind of president would she make… I say a lying, cheating, rude, manipulative, out for herself not our country, kind of president. Anyone who votes for her I’d have to doubt their sanity.
I am married to a blue collar union steel worker in a midwestern town outside of St. Louis, a 49 year old white woman and I will add that I actually don’t think any of the 3 candidates are worth a hoot and I am leanly towards not even voting for the first time. In my voting experience I have voted previously for Republican and Demorcractic presidents beginning with my first one - Jimmy Carter so I don’t think I vote along party lines but with the person and what I feel they can do for our country. Hillary I think would be a HORRIBLE president. Just HORRIBLE!!! She’s LIAR.
Another fine example of Hillary and her supporters upholding the First Amendment right to free speech. It truly is amazing how ‘inconvenient’ it is for the will of the people, through their votes, to decide who are our elected leaders in lieu of their coronation of Hillary the 1st.
I want the names of these 20 rich guys, the names of their companies, and the city and states where these guys live. I will make sure I never buy anything from their companies.
I have always disliked Hillary Clinton, because I feared she would be a puppet of rich Democrats with special interests. These 20 guys threatening Nancy Pelosi prove my fears correct.
Hillary Clinton does not deserve to be the first woman President. Nancy Pelosi for President in 2016!