Watching the big DNC RBC meeting I learned a lot. Almost too much. I learned why Michigan ended up with the most flawed primary in the country and how Florida ended up with an illegal “event” that posed as a primary.

THE MICHIGAN STORY

Senator Carl Levin wanted to give his state a bigger voice in choosing a Presidential nominee. He literally became a one man protest. After failing to get permission to move Michigan’s primary to an earlier date in 2004 Senator Levin decided he was “Mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore” in 2008.

In violation of the DNC Rules and after Michigan was warned that if they moved the primary to a date before Super Tuesday they would lose all of their delegates, the Senator got Michigan’s legislature to move the Primary anyway.

Michigan voted to move their primary from February 9th (post Super Tuesday and fine) to January 15th (Pre Super Tuesday and prohibited by the Rules)

Michigan turned out to be the most flawed primary in the nation.

Obama, Edwards, Biden and Richardson removed their names from the ballot to show respect for their Party’s Rules. Hillary, Dodd, Gravel and Kucinich did not.

THE STORY IN FLORIDA

In Florida the Republican legislature voted to move the Democratic Primary to an illegal ‘pre window” date but none of the candidates were allowed to remove their names from the ballot because in Florida unless you swear an oath that you are no longer running for President you can not take your name off the ballot.

What you watched on Saturday was the Democratic Party ELITE ask both campaigns to tell them why they mattered. Of course the DNC could have avoided all of this if it simply granted WAIVERS to Florida and Michigan. They would not and they allowed this to happen to the voters of Florida and Michigan who did nothing wrong, although they did vote in “events’ not legitimate primary contests. It is everything that’s gross about the PARTY APPARATCHIKS that I have grown to despise.

The DNC RBC was presented with compromise solutions from both states. Florida moved to seat the delegates in the way Floridians voted but give them half a vote because without a waiver that is the prescribed punishment under the current DNC rules.

Michigan offered to seat the delegates again with a half vote but had a harder time dividing the votes since Obama was not on the ballot. They based their delegate division on a unanimous agreement that was reached by the entire Michigan Democratic Executive Board. The Board is made up of party officials and constituents from both the Obama and Hillary camps. They also looked at Exit Polls and tried to look at the WRITE IN ballots but were not allowed to do so. They offered the best numbers they could and those were accepted by the Committee.

Here’s where it got ugly. At the end of a very long day of taking testimony, Q & A and deliberations, Harold Ickes who is a member of the Rules and By Laws committee and combative throughout the proceedings reserved Hillary’s rights to take the decision to the Credentials Committee. They meet in July and any decision they make must be ratified at the Convention.

So that’s where we are.

Puerto Rico had a primary yesterday with very low voter turnout. About 15% but Hillary won big. She is now claiming to have the Popular Vote lead, but does not include any votes for Obama in Michigan and leaves out many caucus states in order to make that claim.

PREDICTION

This will be over on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.

Vanity Fair has a scathing piece about Bill Clinton that added to Hillary’s grief this weekend. What is wrong with him?


HOMEWORK

The Democratic National Committee Rules and Bylaws Committee decision is IN – Seat Florida and Michigans full delegations. Each delegate will get a half vote
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/02/us/politics/02dems.html

Timeline of the meeting
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05...s/index.html?hp

Hillary supporter's were out of control
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/31/e...a_n_104486.html

Harold Ickes reserves Hillary's rights to appeal and take this to the Convention
http://www.observer.com/2008/final-gesture...vention-fight-0

CLINTON MAY CHALLENGE NEW MAGIC NUMBER?
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/20...on-conside.html

Lanny Davis fights with Jon Ausman in the hallway. Give us 100% of the Florida delegates
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/31/l...o_n_104474.html

Only 15% of Registered voters turned out in Puerto Rico
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/columnists/gonzalez/

WEEKEND IN REVIEW
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/06/hilla...ng_weekend.html

SCATHING ARTICLE IN VANITY FAIR ABOUT BILL CLINTON’S POST PRESIDENCY
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/feature...7/clinton200807

CAUCUS STATES NOT COUNTED BY HILLARY
http://www.cjr.org/campaign_desk/the_inest...ular_vote_e.php

Hillary’s popular vote totals do not include ANY votes for Obama
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...8053002283.html

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/20...vote_count.html

How Hillary got 19 extra votes in Florida or why Obama was generous
http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/longisland...re_half_do.html

THE BLAME GAME

Bill Clinton blames Hillary's troubles on the media and a vast left wing conspiracy.
Listen to a conference call Bill made to campaign donors:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10715.html

But at a private fund raiser in April, Bill Clinton agrees that seating at half-delegates is "the only option"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/31/b...f_n_104476.html

Puerto Rico Sunday Primary:

Clinton wins 2 to 1 in Puerto Rico -
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/02/us/politics/02dems.html

This is how the numbers play out:
http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/

Obama: 2070 (Pledged plus Superdelegates)

Hillary: 1915

New magic number 2118

Obama 48 away!

OBAMA

Obama's Achievements
http://www.obama08-wa.com/files/experience.pdf

Following the Pfleger comments, Obama resigns from Trinity church.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24909888#24909888

Obama receives donations from former Bush supporters
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/39067.html

MCCAIN

McCain is wrong on Iraq again:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/30/14.../516/201/525598

Obama's response: "Just like George Bush, John McCain is refusing to admit that he's made a mistake."
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/...surge-comments/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42ke9Q-qXg4...8/Presurge.html

Presurge we had 130,000 troops in Iraq. Currently there are 150,000 troops serving in Iraq
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles..._iraq_progress/

THE OCCUPATION

CIA Director says al Qaeda is "Essentially defeated: in Iraq in an interview with the Post, but his assessment does not support recent intelligence briefings to Capital Hill -
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/05/31/rockefeller-hayden/

In a letter to Hayden, Chairman Rockefeller challenges Hayden in this frank letter:
http://rockefeller.senate.gov/press/record...?id=298627&

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs..../805310370/1004

When it comes to issues such as Iraq, McClellan's book is bad news for McCain
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/opinion/01richedit.html

THE GOP

Ron Paul supporters make their presence known at this weekends GOP conventions– NOT likely they will get behind McCain in the end
http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/

Glenn McCall wins SC first black Republican National committee member but when he mentions Bush, no applause follows at the state GOP convention
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/05/31/presid...gop-convention/

54 bipartisan former state attorney generals file brief supporting Seigelman
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jyzm94M...GiUFAAD910Q2480

ECONOMY

Surprise, surprise – Consumer stimulus checks being used for bills and gas, not spurring spending in a troubled economy
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/business/01checks.html

Well I think you sort of missed a lot of information about the Michigan primary and why it happened.

Read Carl Levins testimony again http://swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blo...art_new_ha.html

He wanted someone to break up the big two early primaries, he would have liked it to be Michigan but didn't mind that the DNC chose NV and SC.

The DNC approved NV to move ahead of NH.

NH refused, pressed the DNC and got a waiver to kill 1 years worth of litigation and debate. One state.

Does this seem like all states have equal representation?

Michigan moved ahead of NH primarily in protest that NH violated the agreement that 49 other states agreed upon. NH moved their primary AGAIN. They still received no punishment for doing this a second time, but Michigan got the death penalty.

Yeah..........thats fair.

Oh, and by the way, did you hear the DNC rules people explicitly mention that at no time did any DNC member ask candidate to drop off the ballot? The 4 candidates who dropped did so out of political expediency, they were going to lose and had no way to gain ground in two large states because campaigns were called off there. Since they couldn't catch up to HRC they decided to drop their names to invalidate her win there, even if the "Votes didn't count". Because if they truly felt it didn't count they could have left their name on the ballot.

I heard Levin arguing as an empassioned Trial Lawyer. Levin was pointing out mitigating circumstance which would figure into "sentencing" for an illegal act. His argument was that the goal of the party was to take away a "priveledge" status of any particular state to be first in the primary season. Since New Hampshire assumed their normal priveledged status, Michigan broke from the rules. So appeal of Saturday's decision is still possible because basically the Committee he was arguing in front of on Saturday may have a certain amount of "neglignce". If in its duties enforcing a concept that any state has right to hold early primaries then New Hampshire did jump the gun as in if nothing changes then nothing changes. I watched the Committee's faces as Levin argued and they had a certain look of contempt, like how dare he judge us. Apparently the Committee has clean hands ???

It all goes to show, not everyone can be happy. Nobody is willing to look at the situation in Michigan objectively. Luckily there are very few people like toreyj01 who feel justified in what Michigan did and should be rewarded for their behavior.

And if it is true the goal was to permit any state an early primary then what is the penalty for New Hampshire ? Justice cuts both ways. Ya know, sometimes I think there was pressure on the Prmary process just in case the current occupants of OUR Whitehouse vacated early.

Justice has nothing to do with whatever decisions the party makes

Feel free to file a civil lawsuit against the DNC for violating your civil liberties or whatever it is you wish to accomplish. You won't get very far at all.

I'll be happy when all of this is over and we can take our collective vitriol and ride rough-shod over John Mc Cain. There's been way too much energy wasted in this primary election on dragging each other down.

Why not have the same primary date for all states?

Appropriate that Ickes and Daschel both showed up on MTP looking like carnival barkers yesterday, no?

Facts are a sticky thing, aren't they Alfredo?

You know, you can disagree with any opinion I have, but to say that my retention of facts makes me different is just a wee bit fuzzy.

I didn't advocate for Michigan to get their full seat back. Find the post that I said that, please.

I did say that the DNC was cowardly and should have penalized NH for violating the rules, NV was supposed to hold a caucas before them. They would still be the first primary but it wasn't good enough. They are so used to suckling from the candidates teets that any other mouth at the nip brings a biting reflex from them.

Well too bad, so sad.

And if the DNC is so spineless that it throws away a years worth of debate and compromise and renegs on promises made to 49 states to placate a small smate, then it shouldn't go Conan on two states that do THE EXACT SAME THING AFTER THEY DID IT.

How hard is this to understand?

Michigan was all about who gets to go first, na na. New Hampshire and Iowa have always been top dogs - in fact it was probably and still is a vital industry in their states.

Well, times do change. Whatever. Next time, all the party elites can draw f'n straws to see WHO goes first, and I hope it's FLORIDA. Seems to me Florida always gets shit on. Sorry 'bout the cuss word, but it's appropriate.

This is going to be a not to be missed show. I need The Goddess to help sort this weekend out. And I hope many a Hilliary supporter calls into the show to make their case. Would luv to hear you Harriet from New York...

Always huh? Even years ago when Florida was one of the ELITE that got to choose the candidate and most states such as the ones I've lived in weren't worth a squat?

I almost puked watching the news about this Meeting. When will they pull their heads out of their asses???

"people need to get a grip.... Well said Randi!!!

Randi,


Let us all take our hats off to Congressman Wexler for his awesome and passionate presentation on Saturday before the DNC RBC.

When the DNC RBC came up with the rules to penalize FL and MI, why did they not come up with solutions to deal with the fallout of disenfranchising voters? If they had been doing their F****** jobs, they would have anticipated this and would have done something to avoid the mess that happened on Saturday after the votes were in and the additional fallout that we will experience yet to come.

Yeop. But I don't think some of this comes from Democrats - moles?

Now Harriet Christian probably is a Democrat, but her anger has been whipped up, obviously. And people's true colors are surfacing. A terrible outcome.

It's Time for Democrats to Fall in Line!
It's Time to Beat McCain.

Wexler creamed Ickes. But Ickes will try to get the last word, by getting his convention fight. I just hope someone shuts this faction down.

you mean kind of like an "operation chaos" variation ?

I think her anger has also been whipped because the candidate she supports, has run a devisive campaign

No you are wrong. The Democratic party is practicing the party rules. Therefore, if a rule is violated there is penalty which is justice. Justice now served is one-half vote for Delegates at the Convention. That is justice being served for now.

He's good

Wexler is from Palm Beach, where so many votes were thrown away.

At one point a DNC member asked him what he would think if Florida got ALL their delegates back, instead of the 50 percent he was asking for.

You could almost see his soul escape, he had to find a way to NOT want all of Florida's delegates so he could support Obama, but it was clearly killing him inside, he let out with this anguished explanation of how much he cared, but he would NOT say he wanted Florida to have their delegates in full.

Such a sad thing he had to go through for his candidate.

Thats why the RNC penalized NH this time fifty percent for moving up ahead of their assigned date along with Wyoming, Michigan and Florida.
Justice is not blind and is carried out impartially.

Wait.....what are you saying?

You're sure he wasn't weighing the fact that some sort of punishment needed to be handed down and not allowing 100% to be counted? I think your argument is rather presumptuous, Wexler has a lot more integrity than you appear to give him credit for. He wouldn't do something just for one candidate because he supports a particular candidate.

FIRED UP!

READY TO GO!

FIRED UP!

READY TO GO!

Nah, we're just warming up our outrage. I say we gather momentum by prolonging the vitriol (primaries). By October, gas will be over $5.00 a gallon, foreclosures over 20%, and McCain and the GOP will be a distant memory of a grease spot.

I suppose, Alfredo, but if he was so solid in his love of rules, why couldn't he express that then? He literally sputtered and raged for a minute. He looked in PAIN.

YES WE CAN

I am not talking about criminal or civil law. I am talking about The Democratic process working within party rules. If a rule is broken there is a penalty. In principle, New Hamphire may have violated the spirit of the will of the party by assuming their tradional rule as going first. When it comes down to it, did they violate a party rule, I don't think they did. So right now the penalty is the value of a delegate when it comes counting delegate votes. And there is still this thing about counting the popular vote, the democratic process itself. It's being called a compromise decision now.

I just question the "authority" of decision makers, if they themselves are proven negligent in enforcing the rules or overseeing that spirit of the rules are maintained. I dunno, maybe everyone is just saying, ok, live and learn, for the spirit of party unity. Individual voters may feel disenfranchised but hey, they got five months to get over it.

I just think there is too much defocus here when McCain is still complaining about the origins of the Iraq War. Apparently all of McCain's banter did not really change the course. MacNamara took the fall for Vietnam much like Rumsfeld, certainly honor there. Still to date, there is political accountability but not Executive accountability which deals with coalition building, Mission Leadership and clearly defining objectives with specific goal setting to include incentives like punishment and reward.

Ooops, if you listen to McCain, all he has is old world solutions to 21st century problems. You know, like anticipating expiration of sanctions ?

You wish he sputtered. It was a total KO of Harold the Icke!!

Ick made a big deal out of a rule that was really mute, just so he and Hillary can take a Hillary 2 vote loss grievance to the convention!! They're just cruisin for excuses to search, destroy and whip up.

That's why Wexler laughed at Ickes' faux over-concern of Fair REflection rule! And, as well he should've.

Thank you, Randi, for posting all this stuff in one handy-dandy place.




EXHAUSTED WORD

Wasn't joking on Saturday when posting that I was a hair's breadth away from re-registering as an independent. My last remaining nerve ending (count it) almost expired, and it must be protected, since it's certain to be sorely tested by the impending GOP smear-fest.

BroD--Take it easy, take the last nerve and put it somewhere safe, you'll need it over and over again, trust me, then in November, you can watch it multiply into gazillions of nerve endings!!!

Wait.......what??

Michigan had no intention of moving up, Michigan was instrumental in getting Nevada and SC moved up early so that NH and Iowa didnt dominate the nomination.

NH violated DNC law and moved up against the DNC timetable. The DNC did nothing.

FACT.

Michigan moved in front of NH in protest.

FACT.

NH moved the primary AGAIN, they moved it twice.

The DNC then gave the death penalty to Michigan and didn't penalize NH a single delegate.

FACT.

That is why the RNC penalized NH for moving up early. Fifty percent? Did you read that anywhere in your talking points?

Let me just pose this...

Now that there's this viral video of this angry madwoman from New York saying she'll vote for McCain, why isn't Hilliary denouncing this woman. A Hilliary supporter? It seems this woman's statements (which have gotten thousands of hits on YouTube) are way just as incendiary as Rev. Wright, etc. Why isn't Hilliary denouncing these statements and distancing herself from this woman's statements? Chew on that for awhile peeps. I find it interesting...

It's this exchange I was talking about but thanks for playing!

HARTINA FLOURNAY, D.C. CLINTON SUPERDELEGATE: Thank you, congressman, and I have a question for you and then a point of clarification for the co-chairs -- question for the co-chairs. My question to you, congressman, is very simple. Would you oppose full restoration of Florida's entire delegation with a full vote?

WEXLER: Thank you for your question. We are here arguing for maximum number of delegates that your rules allow. Please understand, nobody was more upset with your, the committee's ruling last year to strip our delegates. Understand where we are today. The rule of your committee is that we Floridians have no votes. That is what this committee adopted. That's how you voted. We are here today asking that we be reinstated according to the petion of our Florida Democratic committeeman and to be reinstated in a fashion in which the party can unify. Let us unify. Floridians from all different sides of the equation are asking you to give us the power to be unified Democrats. We are asking that you reinstate with respect to the maximum delegates to Florida under your rules.

FLOURNAY: So you would not oppose full votes, full delegation? Would you oppose this?

WEXLER: We have answered the question...

(JEERS)

FLOURNAY: I don't understand...


http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0805/31/se.05.html

But his exchanges were pretty good with Ickes. I just find it shocking to see him asking for less for his constituents.

I know I realized that after I posted you meant the exchange above.

I think it's about compromise, which nobody seems to be in the mood for. I know the heartache of Florida, but this is as good as it gets. One of my favorite movies.

This is nonsense. Michigan did move up and got sanctions. Regardless of what anyone or any other entity did, Michigan did move up.

As for penalizing NH, that is a different discussion perhaps on another thread.

I like it!! But Hillary does not denounce and reject, not even the wild and bizarre antics of Geraldine.

Considering Harold was one of the ones who voted to strip the delegates in the first place

"Oops! The black guy almost crossed the goal line! Quick, somebody move it!"

[Deep sigh] Can this be over already? I want to get with the thumping of McCain.

I just wish Obama could have asked someone else to go for less delegates. What Wexler went through in 2000 was grueling and this had to hurt.

Did you read the paragraph or just link it and typed what you wanted?

So the 50% penalty is an illusion?

Why are you paranoid ? I watched proceeding last Saturday and formed my own opinion. Why did they take such a long lunch ? They were negoiating a settlement. Alot of people there took a negioation stance, we want it all. So ya know, ya walk out with fifty percent of what you wanted, a compromise. So, this would not be such a big issue if the race was not so close really. There is an impression that the Democratic party is policing itself. Hey, I have watched Levin in action as a Legislator for several years now. He is a straight shooter and a very effective at Debate. Another solution would be that some people responsible for overseeing the primary timetable on a national level be penalized.

As Obama's surrogate and friend of Icke said he was being the lawyer he is looking out for his client...country be damned!

Right so then you have to look at this: If 600,000 people lost their votes, what is the penalty for that ? There are State and National Committee people that have to be held accountable too. Disenfranchised voters may and I say may be willing to come back to the voting booths if certain individuals are held accountable. It is the old prosecuter thing. They have to be willing to give a little bit more to satisfy public opinon.

I am not sure how true that might be.

For most voters, this stuff is pretty abstract. Most understood what they were getting into, or at least should have known what they were getting into.

And seriously, how many Clinton supporters are that sour about this issue? I know a lot of Clinton supporters. Not one of them seriously has the intention of not going back and voting Democratic and for Obama in the fall.

Amen!

Hell yeah there should be a price to pay for this debacle, but it shouldn't be on Michigan's back again.

Michigan spoke for the 47 other states that were not being fairly represented in the nomination process. Two white republican states had cornered the market on the nomination process and that's just not right. Levin spoke up, Levin fought for all of us.

He backed down in 2004 due to the promises the DNC made to fix the problem, to stop the monopoly. He participated in debates and rules sessions for a year and 49 out of 50 states agreed to the compromise that 2 caucases would slip in between Iowa and NH, so that NH could still be the first primary. Then it was one. Neither was Michigan but Michigan still heartily endorsed the DNC rules.

NH violated that consensus opinion and the DNC betrayed the other 48 states by caving in.

You are DAMN RIGHT we stepped ahead. We would have never done so had NH followed the rules. NH moved AGAIN to go ahead of Michigan and still did not get punished. Michigan got the death penalty.

People should be grateful we took this insult, this betrayal, this punishment so that we all can feel we have a voice. It's sad that so many just say "eh, they broke the rules, they should stop whining" and never look at the facts of the matter.