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.
I read the full letter elsewhere and it sounded like a threat or ultimatum. Retract your comments or we retract our funding. What happened to everyone being allowed their opinion? And letting the voters decide? I’d admire Mrs. Clinton a little -presently I don’t admire her at all - if she would just admit she’s done a complete about-face since she complained after Al Gore lost though he won more popular votes. and isn’t it time we stopped blaming Obama for Florida and Michigan and placed the blame where it should go: to those people who moved their primaries up? Why have Rules if you’re going to break them? Why bother?
But she’ll get her way. I can see her ten years from now saying, “I begged my delegates not to write that nasty letter but they bound and gagged me to a chair. After chewing the wooden arm off and using karate on four of them, I managed to find my pistol and…”
I’m not a big fan of Pelosi, however, DEMOCRATIC means she is entitled to her opinion without the Clinton thugs strongarming her. If she retracts that is exactly what will have happened. If the HC thugs believe in democracy then let Pelosi have her opinion. She has that right
Lets all hope that we can vote Nancy Pelosi out of office. She is a complete idiot and Howard Dean is equally incompetent. They are both directly responsible for this mess wiht Michigan and Florida and idiot Nancy took IMPEACHMENT off the table. There are countless Americans that want Bush impeached but she put an end to that. So lets put an end to her political career in November !!!
Camp Obama is doing anything they can to win, even if it means that they have to kill revotes in Florida and Michigan.
Message to Camp Obama “Hello, you could win there as well as Hillary! Ever thought about that? Killing the revote will lose you the states in November. Ever thought about that?”
Clinton is trying to keep all options open.
So now the Clinton campaign is calling for their own people to shut up because they’re losing.
I think Pelosi has the right to freedom of speech without intimidation thrown in because she won’t buckle under.
The Clinton campaign is hell bent on winning or destroying the Democratic parties chances at the Presidency is they don’t win.
Is this really what the American public wants out of the potential leader of the free world?
How arrogant and imperious. This dictatorial thinking is exactly what this country needs no longer. We’d better all pray.
Clinton entitlement as the Clintons are the choosen ones!~
Pelosi and Obama???? How funny. Exactly what is the track record of either one??
Absolutely Ms. PullOsee, shut yer cake hole, Hillary don’t need no more hep losin. Why, fore ya know it that uppidy will be POTUS, thin I tell you wat.
Up until I read this article I was hoping for a fair contest between the two candidates. However I do not believe it will be anymore because this statement that was made tells the story of this campaign. “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.” I have been a Democrat all of my life and will continue to support the Democratic Party. It was just in the last 30 days I made a choice on a candidate to support. I believe we have a Democratic Committee who is suppose to help work thru this or am I wrong. I am going to use a sports analogy to make a point using the same statement above and insert a team’s name in it and see if you understand why I making this point.
Few have done more to build the National Football League than the NE Patriots in recent years. The last thing they need is a lecture from the NY Giants fans on who will win the Superbowl.
We all know this is a very close race, please allow Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic Committee to work with the superdelegates to make a decision on how to resolve this.
We need to work together because if we do not we will lose the election to the Republicans again.
Thanks!