tagged w/ DNC
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I saw an interesting article from Sam Stein of The Huffington Post.
So funny and sad at the same time
Eating A Reuben Amidst A Crowd Of Protesting Clintonites
May 31, 2008 06:54 PM
When is a Reuben sandwich not just a Reuben sandwich? When one eats it amidst a denizen of rabidly committed, frequently vitriolic, and unapologetically devoted Hillary Clinton supporters.
The scene at Harry's Pub in the Marriott Hotel, downstairs from the site of the Rules and Bylaws Committee hearing, was emblematic of the double-edged sword that has become the Democratic primary. One the one hand was the political passion: the willingness to stand in solidarity over the idea of counting the votes in Michigan and Florida, even if such a protest was scheduled on a Saturday under torrential rain.
On the other hand were the battered emotions: the ardent vows to not support Sen. Barack Obama under any circumstances, the insistence that every insidious rumor concerning the Illinois Democrat was grounded in fact, the belief that the party itself had conspired in an effort to tear down the Clintons.
With half a dozen flat screen televisions turned to CNN, it was not difficult to ascertain just where the political and emotional center of the crowd stood. A table of three women did not deal in discretion. A sampling of their punditry:
"[Obama] is a cult. His campaign is an anti-woman cult."
"I will actively campaign against him."
"You know who is backing him is George Soros. It'll be George Soros, not Obama, who is running the country."
"South Dakota is totally rigged for Obama because of Tom Daschle. Obama's going to win South Dakota because he's buying it and rigging it."
"[Obama] is a socialist! You know what the Nazi Party was before it was the Nazi Party? It was the Socialist Party."
It was not all that different from the mood outside, where signs read, "At least slaves were counted as 3/5ths a Citizen," and some pamphlets detailed Obama's supposed dealings in drugs and gay sex. The latter being handed out by Larry Sinclair, the youtube opportunist who has claimed to have had an affair with the Senator.
"Would you rather have a president who had an affair [Bill Clinton] or one who was a murderer [Obama]?" Eve Fairbanks, a reporter with The New Republic, was asked by one protester.
Back in Harry's, passions did not ebb. Amidst the chatter came raucous cheers for any Clinton surrogate whose face popped up on the television screen. They were countered by derisive boos when CNN cut to a clip of DNC Chairman Howard Dean. It didn't matter what he said. You couldn't hear it over the crowd's hissing.
I approached a group of Clinton supporters sitting at the bar to pinpoint, exactly, the foundation of their emotions. Almost unanimously they agreed that if Florida and Michigan weren't seated in their entirety, they would never vote for Obama.
As women, were they comfortable with a candidate like John McCain who could potentially overturn Roe v. Wade?
"Oh don't pull that argument," said Valerie Duhaime of Florida. "Obama did not support a filibuster of [Supreme Court Justice Samuel] Alito and he was for [Chief Justice] John Roberts before he was against him."
Within the pub's confines, Obama was not the only persona non grata. The media, too, occupied a dark place in the crowd's heart. The group at the bar went through a litany of websites that they no longer read -- including the Huffington Post. "I only watch the BBC," said Duhaime. "We are outsourcing the fourth estate."
Shortly after revealing my publication, I was turned away. No worries, my lunch, a Reuben sandwich, had arrived. I pulled up my chair to the table and sat down to eat. Minutes later a chant began around me.
"HuffPost sucks! HuffPost sucks!" and later, "Fox News, fair and balanced! Fox News, fair and balanced!"I saw an interesting article from Sam Stein of The Huffington Post.
So funny and sad... more
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clinton 52.5
edwards 6.5
obama 33.5
delegate votes
"this party needs unity"
"compromise"
first 12 vs 15 for 100% option
then ALL votes in for 50% option
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michigan
corrosive talk from Harold Ickes
(trying to find video)
clinton 34.5
obama 29.5
delegate votes
19 vs 8 clinton 52.5
edwards 6.5
obama 33.5
delegate votes
"this party needs... more
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lfm
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3 years ago
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Disgruntled elderly Clinton supporter spouts off at the DNC Rules and Bylaws committee meeting ...
"... an inadequate black male ..."
"That's not my America".
"I've got news for all of you - McCain will be the next president of the United States".Disgruntled elderly Clinton supporter spouts off at the DNC Rules and Bylaws committee... more
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"The Rocky Mountain region represents friendly terrain for Barack Obama, who is angling to add Montana to his string of victories on Tuesday.
Demographically, the state would seem to suit rival Hillary Rodham Clinton almost perfectly — overwhelmingly white and rural. But political observers and a statewide poll suggest Obama has the advantage here.
The Illinois senator has outperformed Clinton in Rocky Mountain states, winning contests in Colorado, Idaho, Utah and Wyoming. Clinton won Arizona and a cliffhanger in New Mexico.
Only 16 delegates are at stake in Montana's primary, but depending on several other factors — what the Democratic National Committee rules panel decides this weekend about seating Florida and Michigan delegations and Puerto Rico's primary Sunday — the state could put Obama over the top for the nomination. He was about 40 delegates shy of victory on Friday.
South Dakota holds its primary the same day, but Montana's polls close an hour later, giving the state bragging rights to the finale in an epic marathon that has stretched from Jan. 3 to June 3, pausing in every state and spanning the globe as Americans living in dozens of countries cast ballots.
Three of Montana's eight superdelegates have endorsed Obama, while the rest say the outcome of the primary will help shape their decision.
More than 90 percent of Montana's residents are white and less than 75 percent have completed at least four years of college. The largest minority, American Indians, comprise about 7 percent of the population. Those are similar to demographics Clinton owned in earlier primaries.
But voters here may not fit the mold of the rural, working-class voters that backed Clinton in Appalachian and Rust Belt states. A recent poll showed Obama with a 17-point lead in Montana, although 13 percent of likely Democratic voters were still undecided.
Obama hopes a Montana victory will convince doubters that he can sway rural, white voters and compete against Republican John McCain in the Mountain West, where guns and the economy are key. Some political strategists contend Democrats have an opportunity to move three Rocky Mountain states — Colorado, Montana and New Mexico — into their column in the general election.
"The West shows in great contrast that Obama does appeal to this demographic they claim we don't do well with," said Obama state director Gabe Cohen".
Matt Gouras, AP"The Rocky Mountain region represents friendly terrain for Barack Obama, who is... more
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Michigan gets 1/2 of the votes.. and Clinton won both Michigan and Florida but because they moved up the dates or whatever.........Michigan gets 1/2 of the votes.. and Clinton won both Michigan and Florida but because... more
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Democratic party officials said a committee agreed Saturday on a compromise to seat Michigan and Florida delegates with half-votes after Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton failed to get enough support to force their positions through.
The deal was reached after committee members met privately for more than three hours, trying to hammer out a deal, and announced in a raucous hearing that reflected deep divisions within the party. The sticking point was Michigan, where Obama's name was not on the ballot.
Clinton's camp insisted Obama shouldn't get any pledged delegates in Michigan since he chose not to put his name on the ballot, and she should get 73 pledged delegates with 55 uncommitted. Obama's team insisted the only fair solution was to split the pledged delegates in half between the two campaigns, with 64 each.
The committee agreed on a compromise offered by the Michigan Democratic Party that would split the difference, allowing Clinton to take 69 delegates and Obama 59. Each delegate would get half a vote at the convention in Denver this summer, according to the deal.
They also agreed to seat the Florida delegation based on the outcome of the January primary, with 105 pledged delegates for Clinton and 67 for Obama, but with each delegate getting half a vote as a penalty.
The resolution increased the number of delegates needed to clinch the nomination to 2,118, leaving Obama 66 delegates short but still within striking distance after the three final primaries are held in the next three days.
Obama picked up a total of 32 delegates in Michigan, including superdelegates who have already committed, and 36 in Florida. Clinton picked up 38 in Michigan, including superdelegates, and 56.5 in Florida.
Obama's total increased to 2,052, and Clinton had 1,877.5.
[Credit: Nedra Pickler & Beth Fouhy, AP] Democratic party officials said a committee agreed Saturday on a compromise to seat... more
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Members of a Democratic rules committee voted on Saturday to seat all of Florida's delegation to the party's national convention and give its delegates a half vote each.
Members of the Democrats' rules committee discuss the delegate issue Saturday.
The first vote, which would have seated all of Florida's delegation with full voting privileges, failed.
After the results were announced, spectators started to boo and his and some started chanting, "Denver! Denver!" the site of the party's convention in August.
Democrats fear that a protracted battle over the issue all the way to the convention could split the party and weaken it's chances of winning the White House in November.
Members of a Democratic rules committee voted on Saturday to seat all of... more
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The Democratic Party searched for a compromise over disputed convention delegates from Florida and Michigan on Saturday at a raucous meeting marked by pleas for party unity and warnings about the consequences in November's presidential election.
In a room packed with vocal supporters of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, the party's rules committee waded into the furor over the decision to bar the two delegations from the August presidential nominating convention. Clinton has made the dispute a rallying cry for her campaign.
"We need to come together and unite this party," Howard Dean, the party chairman, said as the meeting opened. "Part of that healing will begin today with a very spirited discussion, I'm sure, about Michigan and Florida."
Clinton faces an uphill battle in the 30-member panel to win her demand that the delegations be seated at the convention with full voting rights based on the contest results. Obama supports alternatives that would seat half of the delegates in Florida, and split the Michigan delegates evenly.
Votes on the proposals were expected later in the day.
Clinton signed a pledge along with the other candidates not to campaign in either state and Obama took his name off the Michigan ballot. Since winning both contests, Clinton has pressed for the results to be recognized.
[Credit: John Whitesides, Reuters; Photo: ABC News]The Democratic Party searched for a compromise over disputed convention delegates from... more
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Supporters for Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton staked out competing positions Saturday as Democrats searched for a compromise to seat disputed convention delegations from Florida and Michigan and clear the way for a smooth end to the marathon struggle for the presidential nomination.
In the opening hours of a daylong meeting of the party's Rules and Bylaws Committee, Clinton's designated spokeswoman urged the panel to grant a full vote for each of Florida's 211 disputed delegates.
"In life you don't get everything you want. I want it all," Florida state Sen. Arthenia Joyner said with a smile.
But moments later, Obama's campaign called for half-votes for each of the 211. Rep. Robert Wexler of Florida said that marked an "extraordinary concession, in order to promote reconciliation with Florida's voters."
Obama supporters cheered loudly when he spoke, but there were boos from some in the audience who back Clinton.
The challenge is to "come together at the end of the day and be united," Howard Dean, the party chairman, told members of the committee gathered at a hotel across town from the White House.
Obama is a mere 42 delegates short of the 2,026 needed to clinch the nomination, in the Associated Press tally, and appears on track to wrap up the party prize in the coming days. He intends to signal the beginning of his general election campaign next Tuesday by holding a rally in the arena in St. Paul, Minn., where Republicans are staging their convention this summer.
[Credit: Nedra Pickler, AP; Photo: ABC NewsSupporters for Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton staked out competing positions... more
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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.
The DNC analysis does not make recommendations for how the Rules and Bylaws Committee should vote, but gives context from the party's charter and bylaws for the committee to consider.
It underscores a prickly problem: If the Rules and Bylaws Committee decides to restore any of the states' delegates, there is not a simple way to divide them between Clinton and Barack Obama.
Clinton won the majority of the vote in Florida and Michigan and has been arguing that the delegates should be fully restored according to the results of the January primaries. But even if they were, it would not be enough for her to overtake Obama's delegate lead.
The DNC staff analysis argues that the Rules and Bylaws Committee was fully within its rights to strip all 368 delegates from the two states when they scheduled primaries in January. Party rules said their nominating contests could be no earlier than Feb. 5. Michigan voted on Jan. 15, Florida on Jan. 29.
[Credit: Nedra Pickler, AP; Photo: AP]A Democratic Party rules committee has the authority to seat some delegates from... more
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"The flex-fuel vehicles at this summer's Democratic National Convention will be running on waste beer, thanks to the Molson Coors Brewing Company.
Molson Coors, along with its U.S. subsidiary, Coors Brewing Company, will be the Official E85 Ethanol Producer for the convention, which is set for August 25 through 28 in Denver"."The flex-fuel vehicles at this summer's Democratic National Convention will... more
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Molson (Coors) is going to supply waste beer to power the DNC's ethanol powered cars this Summer in DenverMolson (Coors) is going to supply waste beer to power the DNC's ethanol powered... more
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bstein
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4 years ago
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McCainpedia.org is a wiki run by the DNC's Research, Communications, and Internet teams. The goal is to centralize research material, allowing the general public to use it as they see fit. Unlike some wikis, McCainpedia is read-only and can't be edited by the public. This allows us to fully validate all of the information that appears, ensuring accuracy and reliability.
McCainpedia follows FlipperTV, which puts video taken by Democratic "trackers" of John McCain as he campaigns across the country, and allows users to watch, download, and use the footage as they wish. FlipperTV has now been incorporated into McCainpedia alongside all of the research information.
McCainpedia.org is a wiki run by the DNC's Research, Communications, and Internet... more
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The party once led by such great men as James Madison, John Kennedy, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Franklin Roosevelt - kicked off the 2008 general election campaign on a low, bitter note.
The hopelessly divided party, led by Howard Dean, has launched its first :30 second negative attack TV ad of the general election. It's titled "Are you better off."
Neither Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton have called upon the DNC to engage in any sort of new politics and stop slinging political mud in order to elevate the discussion or unify the nation.The party once led by such great men as James Madison, John Kennedy, Thomas Jefferson,... more
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The Chairman of the Democratic National Party calls for all 330 unpledged supervoters to endorse a candidate before July 1st.
Dr. Dean makes it clear he does not support Senator Clinton's strategy to campaign through to the Democratic Convention in Denver.
He also elucidates his own responsibilities - enforce long-standing party rules and rise above partisan punditry ...The Chairman even divulges how the Florida and Michigan delegates will finally be seated. The Chairman of the Democratic National Party calls for all 330 unpledged supervoters... more
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The indictment of Puerto Rico Gov. Anibal S. Acevedo Vila brings the tally of Democratic super delegates facing criminal indictments, or threat of indictments, to four. (Make that five, if you count former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who was pledged to support Hillary Rodham Clinton, but resigned March 12 in a sex scandal and therefore lost his super delegate status.)The indictment of Puerto Rico Gov. Anibal S. Acevedo Vila brings the tally of... more
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Howard Dean told an AP reporter that he has on several occasions told both the Obama and Clinton camps that their attacks have crossed the line and may end up damaging the party's base support.
I have seen this in the rancor of attacks that each side throws at each other. And I fear that if it does continue we will end up with another warmongering Republican in office. Someone (cough, Hilary) needs to do the honorable thing and bow out so that the party can concentrate on taking the White House back and begin fixing the last eight years of foreign and domestic policy disasters, abandonment of treaties, economic fuckster Ben Bernanke and the rest of the disastrous Bush & Cheney legacy.
Will the Dems lose their chance if this is not resolved soon? Howard Dean told an AP reporter that he has on several occasions told both the Obama... more
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Many DNC superdelegates will take full advantage of their roles by negotiating benefits for various local, special interests.
"A bloc of Ohio superdelegates is withholding endorsements from Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton until one or the other offers a concrete proposal to protect American jobs.
The decision to remain uncommitted even after their state had spoken mirrored patterns seen across the country Wednesday. Only two superdelegates changed their positions after Clinton won in Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island, and both of them endorsed Obama.
"Reflecting on that possibility and the fickleness of superdelegates,Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-Mo.) said, “If another country elected leaders the way we do, we’d ask them to bring in the U.N. monitors"
Many DNC superdelegates will take full advantage of their roles by negotiating... more
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So what if Florida and Michigan moved there presidential primaries forward! What is the Democratic National Convention doing by punishing these states and refusing to seat their delegates at the convention. This kind of heavy handed tactics are going to disenfranchise voters. Especially the party loyalists.
What is the DNC thinking? Are they stupid? Don't they realize how critical this whole 2008 election year is. The future democracy of our country and the lovely country that we enjoy is at stake. We need every happy Democratic voter we can get to alter the flow of events.
This country continues to slide into facism and imperialism everyday more and more.So what if Florida and Michigan moved there presidential primaries forward! What is... more
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jubal
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4 years ago
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wtf....where has this guy been. I hope he's plotting some grand scheme to win back his party ...which i fear is dangerously fragmented at the moment. byaaaaaaaahhhhhhwtf....where has this guy been. I hope he's plotting some grand scheme to win... more
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khsing
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4 years ago
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