War Breaking Out Over Superdelegate Role in Democratic Primary
Hillary Clinton pauses while speaking at a campaign rally in Fayetteville, N.C., Thursday. Her supporters stirred controversy when they called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to stop saying superdelegates should follow the lead of pledged delegates. (AP Photo)
The battle over the Democratic presidential nomination turned nasty on Thursday, one day after Hillary Clinton donors subtly threatened to stop the spigots for House Democrats if Speaker Nancy Pelosi insists superdelegates vote the same way as pledged delegates.
Liberal group MoveOn.org — which has endorsed Barack Obama — issued a letter to its members, asking them to sign on to a statement that says millionaire donors shouldn’t dictate how the race is won. It also asked for members to match the money the donors would otherwise supply.
“The Democratic nomination should be decided by the voters — not by superdelegates or party high-rollers. We’ve given money — and time — to progressive candidates and causes, and we’ll support Speaker Pelosi and others who stand up for democracy in the Democratic Party,” reads the statement.
In sending the request to join, MoveOn’s political action team called the donors’ letter to Pelosi “the worst kind of insider politics — billionaires bullying our elected leaders into ignoring the will of the voters.”
In the letter sent to Pelosi on Wednesday, the Clinton supporters asked that the House speaker retract statements she made a week prior calling for superdelegates to follow the will of primary and caucus voters.
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 donors wrote.
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.”
Spokesman Brendan Daly said Pelosi is confident superdelegates will make their choice between Clinton and Obama “based on many considerations, including respecting the decisions of millions of Americans who have voted in primaries and participated in caucuses. The speaker believes it would do great harm to the Democratic Party if superdelegates are perceived to overturn the will of the voters. This has been her position throughout this primary season, regardless of who was ahead at any particular point in delegates or votes.”
Clinton campaign officials said on a conference call Thursday that they knew about the pointed letter to Pelosi beforehand but only in general terms.
“We got a heads up,” said a spokesman, adding that everyone recognizes that superdelegates have the responsibility to exercise independent judgment about who is best for the party and the country.
The officials denied knowing the details or approving of any of the language. Pressed on the tenor of the letter, Clinton Communications Director Howard Wolfson said the Clinton camp is committed to electing Democrats to the House of Representatives and “believe strongly in Pelosi’s leadership.”
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the Democratic donors who wrote Pelosi have contributed nearly $24 million to Democratic candidates and committees over the last 10 years.
Hillary Clinton’s Senate and presidential campaigns and her political action committee received $554,000. By comparison, Barack Obama collected $52,200. Contributions for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which helps Democratic House candidates, equaled $2.9 million.
BET founder Robert Johnson, a Clinton supporter who has contributed $2 million to Democratic candidates over the years, and signed onto the letter, said he will continue to contribute to the party but it’s the superdelegates’ prerogative to choose who they want.
“The real issue is fundamental fairness in making sure that the superdelegates carry out their role. They are not, as Nancy Pelosi, would suggest ‘confirmation delegates.’ They are not robot delegates. They are superdelegates whose charter authorizes them to analyze who will be the better candidate of the two to run against the Republican candidate and win the presidency,” Johnson said. He added that he has a letter on his desk from Pelosi asking him to contribute $100,000 to the national convention, but he has not decided yet whether he will donate.
The MoveOn team also calls for the members to match “whatever the CEOs and billionaires refuse to contribute.”
Calling Clinton’s donors “the old guard,” the MoveOn group said, “This is how the Democratic Party used to function — the big donors called the shots. But the small donor revolution has changed that. The 20 people who signed this letter have given Democrats an average of $2.4 million per year over the last 10 years. Small donations now dwarf that: In February alone, Obama and Clinton raised $47 million in small donations.”
Nancy Pelosi oversteps herself. Who is she to tell super delegates who they can vote for? I do not believe Obama has a chance to be President after being exposed over his relationship to the anit-white pastor who is called “family” and expect a person with any intelligence to think he can bring this country together. Why would Obama wait until his pastor is exposed to decide he wouldn’t stay if he hadn’t retired? The pastor is supposed to be preaching salvation. The super delegates need to decide who can beat McCain (good luck there because it isn’t going to happen). Obama has received so much adoration from the press until the Pastor Wright news came out and thank goodness it did and I hope more is revealed. We all tell our children to be careful who they associate with so why is he any different? You don’t keep going around someone who spews out this kind of stuff unless you are in agreement. I hope Hillary hangs in there as IT IS time for change but be careful what you wish for in Obama (if that is whom you choose) because if Pastor Wright is like family, remember, blood is thicker than water as the old saying goes. It is just too risky. And I hope Nancy Pelosi reaizes she is not the super delegates mommy. I think the super delegates have a mind of their own and they can vote anyway they see fit and if that is not so, why have them?
I’m disgusted. We nodded sympathetically when Hillary indignantly denied all the shameless lies and accusations perpetrated by the “vast right wing conspiracy”. We brushed aside all the hysterical right wing accusations of shadowy, self-serving, unscrupulous, immoral and evil doings in the “Billary” camp: Whitewater, pardons for Senate votes, etc. etc. Now, incredibly, it seems all the crazy conspiracy theorists were screaming the truth.
How can I trust someone who seems to be able to say anything, do anything, violate any principle, stoop to any level and crawl through any gutter, (or worse, disingenuously order her mercenaries to do it for her) in order to further her own personal interest?–because she’s certainly not doing it for the Democratic Party. How can I trust someone who shamelessly violated our trust over and over, who is clearly willing do anything, even overturn the very democratic process and Constiitution she claims to want to uphold, all for a shot at getting back into the White House? What kind of person is capable of this? I’m so disgusted…
Bill and Hillary Clinton have officially destroyed the Democrat Party. I am so sorry we let those two in the White House in the first place. They both were an embarrassment from the beginning with the death of Vince Foster and Hillary’s clean up job of his office. They don’t care about this country or us.
Superdelagate = Blackmail
Do we really want Blackmailers to decide our next Democratic nominee? It doesn’t matter if they support Hillary or Barack - do we really want them countering the will of the People with their self loathing agenda and their ‘I’m better than thou because I have more money’ attitude?
Let them drop their donations! We, the little guys, can more than make up for their withdrawl of contributions! It is again time for David to strike down Goliath.
I still have yet to have anyone, candidates included, to explain to me why Barrack only chooses to be labled as black only when his mother was white. He should have been running as a “person of color” who is as fluid and changing as America itself–a la Tiger Woods. Don’t you think that the truth would have served him a bit better than just pandering to the far-left black pundits and the few guilt-ridden whites? What about us moderate democrat blacks who don’t have anything to do with the Albert Sharpton-Jesse Jackson wing of the party. Before it seemed like an easy choice thinking of which candidate for which to vote, now I am not so sure that McCain (barf), may be a bit more pallitable than either of these two ego-maniacal, special interest serving also-rans.
Why waste all the time and money letting the “people” vote, if in the end,, the High Rollers decide who is to run anyway???Go Pelosi,, You are dead on it.. Eliminate all the Supposedly Super Ds, or just eliminate the people part.
Every time I read something like this is see clearly why so few people in this country vote. This is like watching a daytime soap opera, and is is really humorous just how child like all of our politicians really are. First of all, we have outgrown the need for any political party period!! We don’t need them, the electoral college or the delegates. Just perhaps, we should actually let the people in this country vote and not have to sort thru all this mumbo jumbo that makes all of our politicians look like complete idiots!! And this goes for all parties, not just the democrats, although they are more fun to watch then it is to go to a cheap circus. Is it any wonder why our country is in such a mess? All I hear about is the housing issues, when healthcare and gas prices should be at the top of the list. None of them address these, so I must conclude that they have their own agendas and the hell with the rest of us. I would love to have one of them prove me wrong on this, but I don’t expect to see it. I also don’t expect to see this put in your comments, because I don’t really think you want to air honest comments.
Isn’t it amazing that so many democrats are now realizing the corruption and foul play in the Democratic party? Like it just sprung up out of no where? The same old do whatever it takes to get what individual powerful democrats want. They’d eat their own young. Obama has the convenience of Clinton already having that tag, so he can sit back, not really say anything of substance and look like “change”. He’s the same as the other democrats.
There’s individual corruption on both sides, but this truly shows the corruption of the party as a whole.
As for Obama pastor, the new craze… Its not a sound clip, I heard on TV today someone call it a “milasecond” clip. It’s a good 5 minute rant and multiple other 60 second clips. Thats not out of context. The guys a racist that only holds his own people back. If its about uniting, why would someone like myself, a young white male, want to associate with someone that only preaches values that are to better the lives of blacks, not the American people. I’m all for uniting when its on a level playing field. I have bosses that are black, asian, indian, female etc… His rhetoric only further divides people.
Go McCain!
Hillary is the type of captain - that will not go down with the ship - she will instead keep everyone onboard, and if she goes down so will everyone else. What is happening to my democratic party? Is’t sad and painful to watch it’s own destruction .
It is great to see all this chaos in the Democratic party. They’re the ones who created this superdelegate safeguard. Is it any surprise that it is now blowing up in their faces. I’m glad. Now we get to see just how nasty and corrupt Democrats are. High powered and High money Democrats trying to buy superdelegates. Take a good look America! The way the Democratic election process is set up is about control. They(superdelegates) will decide who is the best candidate NOT YOU. Makes some Americans wonder why vote? It has been a known fact that the Democrats are all about big government contolling you. See how it is playing out before your very eyes. Wake up America and explore other options.