Horserace
March 26, 2008 5:00 PM

Judge: Michigan Primary Law Unconstitutional

A federal judge today ruled that the Michigan law establishing the state's Jan. 15 presidential primary is unconstitutional. The reason? The law unfairly prevents minor parties from access to voter lists.

Because Michigan held its primary before Democratic National Committee rules permitted, the DNC stripped the state of its delegates to the party convention. The candidates boycotted the state, and Obama's name did not appear on the primary ballot.

The Hillary Clinton campaign seized on the decision to urge the Barack Obama campaign to support a new, party-run primary, the results of which would ostensibly replace the Jan. 15 primary results.

"Michigan voters must not be disenfranchised and the Obama campaign must not continue to block Michigan’s efforts to hold a new vote," Clinton campaign manager Maggie Williams said in the statement. "Rather it should move quickly to announce its support for a party run primary."

As CBS News chief political consultant Marc Ambinder notes, the ruling does not mean that a new primary must be held – the judge left that question up to the parties themselves.

"...the ruling today means nothing more than a chance for her to make the case again for a re-vote," Ambinder writes.

The Clinton campaign has been pressing for a revote in the hope that delegates from Michigan (as well as Florida, a state similarly penalized) would help her close the delegate gap on Obama. In the latest CBS News delegate count, Obama leads Clinton 1618 to 1491.
Tags:
Michigan ,
primary ,
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unconstitutional
Topics:
Michigan
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by illinoisvote March 29, 2008 5:35 AM EDT
Obama Knows His Way around a Ballot by David Jackson & Ray Long, Chicago Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-070403obama-ballot,0,1843097.story?,page=1
Some say his ability to play political hardball goes back to his first campaign%u2026.His overwhelming legal onslaught signaled his impatience to gain office, even if that meant elbowing aside an elder stateswoman like Palmer%u2026Obama%u2019s first campaign clouds the image he has cultivated throughout his political career%u2026first entered public office not by leveling the playing field, but by clearing it%u2026
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by sapphirenigh March 29, 2008 2:42 AM EDT
Thank you, BLKPRESIDENT, for recognizing Hillary Clinton is the most competent candidate. Perhaps if more men could put their fear of women aside, more would call for the less progressive, less insightful, and less detail oriented Obama to withdraw.
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by blkpresident March 29, 2008 12:38 AM EDT
Irishwench,

Sounds like you have lived a rich life, embracing other cultures and gaining a healthy respect for the notion that beyond our different skin tones we really are members of a single race--the human race. Of the three remaining candidates only Obama reflects all that is America, and where his two opponents only bring singular tones, he is the voice of plurality, encompassing all of America. All that lil'' woman has to do is simply drop out and we can make some history the whole nation can be proud of.
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by sweetypaws March 29, 2008 12:30 AM EDT
Obama could have left his name on the ballot, but opted not to. Instead, he participated in influencing the "none of the above" option believing it would embarrass Hillary and play to his favor later on. The plan backfired. It''s time for the lawyers to jump on the bandwagon and recognize that because Obama did not just remove his name, but then influenced the none of the above option; that he influenced that primary ticket. Therefore, the votes should count. Obama''s percentage of the none of the above votes should be apportioned by percentage based on where everybody was going into Michigan. Hillary is the only candidate who has consistently stood up for the people in all states. She is truly a leader for all of the people all of the time, not just some of the time! Hang in there Hillary, and anyone and everyone out there with power to make the MI and FL votes count need to enforce Obama''s manipulation of the none of the above voting option and count that as his share of the votes.
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by blkpresident March 29, 2008 12:25 AM EDT
sapphirenigh,

It''s clear from your comments who you are supporting for president. It''s also clear that should she not secure the Democrtaic nomination that you believe the rival Republican is more worthy of your vote than the only individual who really makes sense. It''s your vote, so it''s yours to waste as you see fit. First, Geraldine Ferraro (1984) and now Lil'' Hillary (2008). Same ***, same results.
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by jaykay221 March 28, 2008 5:23 AM EDT
leedoria: Did you hear what the judge said? The original vote was unconstitutional - you can''t seat as per the vote when it is unconstitutional and under the conditions Obama would be awarded no delegates because his name wasn''t even on the ballot. Before the primary was run the candidates and the voters were told - these results will not count. That information effected the choices of the candidates and the voting behavior of the voters - it is that simple. The easiest and cheapest way to sit the delegates is to split them. That way they get to participate.
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by sapphirenigh March 28, 2008 4:47 AM EDT
To BLKPRESIDENT:

The best option for democrats this year doesn''t believe the typical white woman is a scared racist and hasn''t sat in a pew for twenty years listening / not listening / selectively listening to vitrolic racist comments from a "mentor."

The best option has the experience, knowledge and ability to get the hard job ahead done--and actually shows up to meetings and makes the tough calls the job requires.

After 8 years of an incompetent outsider, we are hopelessly embroiled in another Vietnam-like conflict and our economy is in the toilet bowl with our enemies having fun flushing the bowl.

The last thing we need is another incompetent outsider making even a bigger mess of things. McCain would be a better choice for democrats than that!

And no degree of vitrolic misogyny from troglodytes will help the U.S.A. or your candidate!
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by leedoria March 28, 2008 4:10 AM EDT
Michigan and Florida delegates must be seated, votes must be recognized and counted, this is the democratic way. To split the votes equally between two candidates was not the intent of the voters.
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by sapphirenigh March 28, 2008 4:04 AM EDT
Michigan and Florida voters should be heard. They may go for Clinton (again) or Obama (this time) or Mickey Mouse (at this point). However they vote, they should be heard. The state officials tried to hold an early vote, and they were sanctioned in that their early vote counts have been discounted. Fine, throw out the unsanctioned voting, but the voters should be heard.
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by blkpresident March 27, 2008 9:35 PM EDT
fl_vet,

I''m not trying to hear that dribble. Furthermore, what "dirt" are you imply that is associated with Obama? If you''re stumped for an answer, I understand ''cause it''s pretty hard to find a speck of dirt on someone clean. Face it, lil'' missy lost--deal with it!
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by fl_vet March 27, 2008 6:13 PM EDT
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In a January speech at the University of South Carolina, First Lady aspirant Michelle Obama made remarks making the rounds on the internet today.

Talking about her experience at Princeton where she hung with a largely African-American crowd, she said, "We don%u2019t like being pushed outside of our comfort zones. You know it right here on this campus. You know people sitting at different tables- you all living in different dorms. I was there. You%u2019re not talking to each other, taking advantage that you%u2019re in this diverse community. Because sometimes it%u2019s easier to hold on to your own stereotypes and misconceptions. It makes you feel justified in your own ignorance. That%u2019s America. So the challenge for us is are we ready for change?"

I''m sure we all know what she''s talking about when she reflects on the comfort many of us feel with those of our specific cultural or ethnic groups.

But her comments are under fire by many conservative commentators because of her construct that seems to imply that feeling justified in one''s own ignorance in somehow quintessentially "America."

The Obama campaign says that''s a mis-interpretation of her comments, that it was the proclivity for "comfort zones" that she thought was so "America."

Source: ABC News

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by fl_vet March 27, 2008 6:00 PM EDT
Obama is a dope who has not been tested. He''s a newbie on the job and already we have lots of dirt on him. At least, we all know Hillary''s issues since she has gone throught the meat grinder for 30 years.

We do not yet know much about Obama such as:

1. His mother was married 3 times
2. Has 8 brothers and sisters
3. Is proud to call the lunetic racist Rev. Wright "Uncle" and whose church rec''d $27,000
4. Is budy-budy with the disgraced Tony Rezko who gave him $147,000
5. Is friendly with William C. Ayers, the sefl-proclaimed Pentagon terrorist
6. Whose wife, Michelle calls Americans "Ignorants" (Source: ABCNews)
7. Should I go on?

You dopes who are supporting Obama need to wake up and smell the coffee. If you want a BLACK man for president, vote someone else ... anybody except racists like Obama and Rev. Wright. Read:

http://www.wmal.com/Article.asp?id=629269&spid=

Vietnam Vet
Where 58,000 Americans gave up their lives for your liberty and freedom!
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by future_watch March 27, 2008 5:08 PM EDT
Splitting the Florida and Michigan votes 50/50 is a ridiculous solution. You might as well not even count them if that is the only option. That split completely discounts what those voters intended. In a race this close, we need to count every single vote before we can come to any sort of fair resolution.
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by b-easy63 March 27, 2008 3:53 PM EDT
ONCE AGAIN....Obama may find himself in hot water--not for something he did, but for who he knows. Those Rezko indictments are sure to heat up and spill over and cause damage!!

Unfortunately for Hillary--she can''''''''t catch a break, soon to potentially break in the news is the story before the California appeals court which could DeLay her candidacy for good. this time evidence shows that Hillary (HERSELF ONCE AGAIN)was involved. At issue is a 250K donation made to her senatorial campaign. Her staff said she had no knowledge of it, so she was not roped into the scandal when her campaign mgr faced charges of hiding that money from the IRS.

Unfortunately VIDEO may again place Hill in deep doo, doo. It seems there is a video tape recording her discussing the fund raiser with the donors (on it, she talks about who would be there and what they will do) this means she performed what is known as a direct campaign request. donations from donors for that kind of request are limited to 25K. Since the donation was for 250K, that would be considered campaign fraud.

Woe is Hillary and Damnnnn those videos and tape recordings that make being a great liar so hard to keep up these days!!! ROTFLMAO.

Maybe Hill should quit, before she finds herself in court this time, with no way to hide her hand in shady dealings. Here''''''''s the Link: http://www.usjf.net/modules.php?op=modlo

ad&name=News&file=article&sid=344
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by blkpresident March 27, 2008 3:24 PM EDT
fl_vet,

In spite of your threat to vote for Clinton if the voting public in Florida and Michigan cannot be heard, it''s your vote and if you want to waste it, go ahead. Is lil'' missy worth it?
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by blkpresident March 27, 2008 3:22 PM EDT
dsnow1961,

Face it, Florida and Michigan have had their chance. They blew it. Stop trying to make Obama out to be some monster because Lil'' Hillary didn''t have the leadership ability to warn Florida and Michigan way back in January about the consequences of their actions. Some "leader" she turned out to be...
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by blkpresident March 27, 2008 3:19 PM EDT
craigh9,

There''s only one option for the Democrats this year. Hint: He doesn''t wear an apron or bakes brownies. It''s as simple as that!
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by craigh9 March 27, 2008 3:13 PM EDT
To those from Michigan and Florida who are outraged that their votes won''t count - place your anger where it belongs, on the state poitical bosses that made the bone head decision to move up the primary needlessly.
Be careful when you wish for the Democratic Party to step in and make a decision about this - they are already discussing nominating a candidate different then the remaining 2 running. Leave it to the wise people in the party to find the perfect solution to not having Florida or Michigans votes count - don''t have any of the votes count and nominate whoever you want! Can you believe in an election year where the Democrats should waltz to the Whitehouse they have found a way to screw it up again - what a bunch of incompetants!
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by blkpresident March 27, 2008 1:46 PM EDT
Fast-forward to the year 2072: A seventh-grade social-studies teacher is quizzing his students:

Class who can tell me what river was borne out of the states Florida and Michigan back in the year 2008?

Lil'' Johnny: The answer is the Lil'' Hillary River of Tears.

Teacher: You''re correct, Lil'' Johnny. Now, who wants to share with the class where the tears came from to make this river?

Lil'' Susie: The river came as a result of all the Clintonians in Florida and Michigan holding hands across multiple states in between and all crying at a designated hour in hopes of the DNC allowing the another chance to follow the rules.

Teacher: Tomorrow, we''ll discuss how the Obama shuffle steamrolled OLD man McCain.
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by blkpresident March 27, 2008 1:39 PM EDT
moxienana,

It''s your vote, but why waste it?
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