Clinton Chair McAuliffe "Looking Forward"

Campaign Chair Says Votes In Florida And Michigan Should Be Counted

(CBS)  Political Players is a weekly conversation with the leaders, consultants, and activists who shape American politics. This week, CBS News' Brian Goldsmith talked with Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe about fundraising, infighting, and whether he could ever support a revote in Michigan and Florida.

---

CBSNews.com: Your campaign just announced that you've raised more than five million dollars online since Tuesday. How much are you going to spend in Wyoming on Saturday and Mississippi on Tuesday?

Terry McAuliffe: Well, I'm not in the habit of telegraphing what we're spending in states. We're going to spend what we have to to do what we have to do.

CBSNews.com: And do you expect to win either of those contests?

Terry McAuliffe: Listen, we're going to do well. There are delegates that we need to win there. Obviously our main focus coming up is Pennsylvania. But we're putting people on the ground. Hillary's traveling to those states. And I always stay optimistic. We’re going to give it all we have.

CBSNews.com: A lot of your supporters, as you know, have second guessed the decision not to compete in a lot of the caucuses in February. And that's how Senator Obama overtook her in elected delegates. Do you have any regrets about that strategy?

Terry McAuliffe: You know, I can't look back. We had political professionals who made decisions on the spending allocations. I know where we are today. 28 million votes cast. There's a difference of a few thousand votes. That's it. The delegate totals now with 41 contests, primaries and caucuses having completed, the difference in the delegates is less than two points. I'm looking forward.

CBSNews.com: A lot of people in the political community are talking about that big front page article in the Washington Post [on Thursday]. The headline says, "Even in victory, Clinton team is battling itself." Is there anything in that article that you think is inaccurate?

Terry McAuliffe: I didn't read the article. And, as I've said on television, I don't have time. I spend my time on the road. I'm fighting--like many, many people in this campaign--day in and day out. We’re putting our hearts and souls into this campaign.

We’re making the argument why Hillary Clinton should be the next President of the United States of America. And that's what I focus on. I don't waste my time. And people spend their time talking about who did what, it's just something I don't do.

CBSNews.com: But you're chairman of the campaign. Do you worry that so many of your aides seem to be pointing daggers? And the daggers are almost all pointing at your chief strategist, Mark Penn.

Terry McAuliffe: Well, I have conveyed to the campaign manager here, Maggie Williams, that she needs to make it clear--which she has to everybody--that if you're going to talk to the press, talk to them about Hillary Clinton and what we have to do to be competitive. And talk about why Hillary Clinton has to win the election. And talking to reporters about who did what in the campaign is a total waste of time. And Maggie Williams has conveyed that message to the entire staff.

CBSNews.com: Will voters get the impression if Senator Clinton can't manage the campaign, how can she manage the White House?

Terry McAuliffe: As I say, I haven't read the article. I'm not wasting my time reading the article. I know where we are. We've got a big fight coming up in Pennsylvania. People want to know who'd be the best commander-in-chief, who would keep us safe, and who would be a great steward of the economy. And that's what I spend my time on.

CBSNews.com: Senator Clinton made a comment Wednesday on the CBS Early Show, saying that a Clinton/Obama or an Obama/Clinton ticket might be where this is headed. Is that supposed to convey the impression to voters that they can still vote for Senator Clinton, but not lose Senator Obama because he's going to be on the ticket later?

Terry McAuliffe: I get asked this question every day on the campaign trail myself. I think both of these candidates have tremendous assets. And I think they'd bring a lot to the Democratic Party. But, let's be honest, we're in a healthy primary debate fight over winning the nomination.

No matter what happens, it is so close. As I say, both candidates have brought 13.5 million each to get them to vote for them. And we'll see where we go at the end. Hillary's message is, Barack Obama is a very distinguished individual.

Our point is Hillary Clinton would be the best because of her experience dealing with the issues. That's why, [yesterday], she met with 30 generals and admirals. That's why General Shelton just endorsed her the other day. The former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Her leadership on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Her leadership, obviously, in New York after 9/11. On all those issues, people know that Hillary Clinton will keep them strong and safe. As well as her leadership on health care, on dealing with the home mortgage issue, the credit crisis, the battered economy.

Our point is this is why Hillary Clinton would be the best commander in chief. And we'll see where we go. We got a long way to go. There are 12 contests left. We have at least, we estimate, five million people more to vote. So we're focused on winning the nomination.

CBSNews.com: And also this week, the governors of Florida and Michigan came out and seemed open to a revote in those states for their delegations to count at the Democratic convention. What is the position of your campaign on a possible revote?

Terry McAuliffe: Well, what we have said is that these folks have already voted. I mean, people talk about a revote. But there is no appetite in Florida or Michigan by the state legislatures. I mean, there's no money. Who is going to pay the tens of millions of dollars to do this?

I've been informed that the Florida legislature, under no circumstances, would pay to have the Democrats redo it. So I agree with what has been said. The governors of both states have kept saying that the state parties in these two states need to work with the national party and come to some resolution of this matter. We just can't leave 2.3 million voters, 1.75 million in Florida, and over 600,000 in Michigan, who went in and voted. They've already voted. And we just need to count the votes.

CBSNews.com: One proposal I heard was for a Jefferson/Jackson party fundraiser in each state headlined by the two candidates that would raise the money to pay for the primaries. Are you ruling that out?

Terry McAuliffe: I doubt they could raise that kind of money. They've already voted. No reason they have to go back and vote again. And to spend anywhere from 15 to 30 million dollars, money that could be much better spent getting ourselves ready to beat John McCain.

CBSNews.com: So you're ruling out the Clinton campaign ever supporting a revote?

Terry McAuliffe: I'm saying they've already voted, let's count the votes. I’m saying that the state parties in those states need to work with the national party and figure out how we count the votes that have already been voted.

CBSNews.com: What's been the most surprising part of this year on the campaign trail for you? Some parts of it have obviously happened differently than you planned. What are the lessons you've learned?

Terry McAuliffe: Well, I can say personally we have been on this thing going on close to our fourteenth month. This has been a very long campaign season. I think you have seen tremendous interest. I think we've had five and a half million more voters who have voted in the Democratic contest than the Republican contest.

I just think there is such an appetite out there, such enthusiasm, excitement from the Democrats to get us ready for the general election. We're all going to come together at the end. We're going to be a unified party. I remind everybody that Bill Clinton did not win the nomination until June of 1992.

But nothing in particular has surprised me on this campaign. I said, from the start, 14 months ago, this is going to be a long process. We got two great candidates now. We've got great ideas. And what I focus on now is explaining why Hillary Clinton would be the best commander in chief of the United States of America.

CBSNews.com: So you see June as the end date of this contest?

Terry McAuliffe: Well, obviously, Puerto Rico is June 7th [Puerto Rico has since voted to hold their primary on June 1st]. I believe there are hundreds of automatic delegates who will begin to make up their mind after June 7th. Speaker Pelosi told everybody, "Let's let everybody vote. Let these five million people vote first." It is clear that both Senator Obama and Senator Clinton, both of these candidates are going to need some combination of automatic delegates in order to secure the nomination.

---

Terry McAuliffe is chairman of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. From 2001 to 2005, he served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, where he raised a record $535 million over four years--outraising the Republican National Committee. He oversaw the construction of a new party headquarters and a new voter ID list, with 170 million names, called Demzilla. He has also served as finance director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, finance chairman for Dick Gephardt's 1988 presidential campaign and the Clinton/Gore re-election campaign in 1996. He chaired both the 1997 presidential inaugural and the 2000 Democratic convention in Los Angeles. McAuliffe is a lawyer and investor, and is a graduate of Catholic University and the Georgetown Law Center. He is married with five children.

[notopennshut]

McAuliffe, we are not a banana republic where you can have just one candidate on a ballot for an election and which incidently is not approved by the DNC and still call it a VICTORY! What country do you think you are in?? Seat our MI delegates ONLY if there is another fair election.

[jed1234561]

Let%u2019s talk about Hillary Clinton%u2019s tactics over the past couple of weeks.

First of all, her main argument for why she is more qualified than Obama is that she has more experience than he does. I guess she believes that being married to a president makes you qualified to be one because she doesn%u2019t really have much experience in any position other than First Lady; if that makes you qualified to run the country than I guess her argument holds true.

Second, Hillary had slammed Obama for his supposed contact with Canada to reassure the Canadian Government that he did not really dislike NAFTA; he was just saying he did for political gain in the presidential race and he would then go back to supporting NAFTA after the election.
Then we come to find out it was ACTUALLY HILLARY CLINTON who had contacted the Canadian government to ensure them that she would not change the trade deals the US has with Canada but she needed to be critical of NAFTA for the short run because her opponent had been making headway by not supporting NAFTA in REAL POLICY.

Third, Clinton blasted Obama for his implied connection to Rezno, who has been investigated for fraud and Hillary has cried corruption and lamented about ethics.
HELLO%u2026DOES ANYONE REMEMBER A LITTLE THING CALLED WHITEWATER!!

[fnewton1]

Kosovo refugees, unsubstantial claims about being part of negotiations for peace in Northern Ireland, giving a speech for women''s rights in China, visiting 80 countries or having a discussion with a king do not qualify for foreign policy experience that Mrs. Clinton claims to have. Then she claims to have the experience to be a commander in chief. What kind of experience does she really have? Being wrong on the war in Iraq, being wrong on the road to war with Iran, changing and contradicting her clear early support of NAFTA, giving praise to the Republican nominee despite claiming to attack many of his policies and the current president policies, claiming that the candidate with the most delegates, with the most votes so far in the democratic nomination is not up to the test, and her ridiculous claims of victory in the uncontested primaries in Florida and Michigan certainly all prove that she does not have what it takes to be president. Her argument regarding the last item is totally flawed. She pretends to ignore that one of the basic principles in democracy is the right for candidates to campaign. The roles and the campaign calendar for the Democratic primaries and caucuses set by the national Democratic party were very clear from the beginning. This fuels the strong perception that she would or may do anything to get elected. In the process, she seems not to realize how divisive she has become.

[gkc99]

"Our point is this is why Hillary Clinton would be the best commander in chief. "

So what if we''ve had it with "commander in chief" like the smirking chimp and would like to have a President again?

Obama. Not a rehashed Arkansas Hillybillies show again.

[windblower]

What irks me is that there should be a law preventing wives of x-presidents running for the presidency, because this amount to a third term for Bill Clinton. It''s obvious he''s going to be in control.

[xlib]

"the way forward", "moving forward" this party has nothing to offer but platitudes and slogans. This guy is as nasty as they come. This guy and penn & ickes are more like pit bulls than Rove would ever be on his best day.

[p-syrus]

Either:

A. Hold new elections in Florida & Michigan.

The democratic party won''t pay the necessary tens of millions of dollars because they have better uses for the money.

The states won''t pay, nor should they as it is a clear waste of taxpayer money.

The Clinton campaign won''t pay because they shouldn''t have to pay. They already won the elections fairly.

But the Obama campaign wants it so they try to waste someone else''s money to get what they want.

Doesn''t sound like "change" to me.


B. Seat the delegates according to the existing election results.

------

Guess which is the low cost & rational option? Guess why Obama doesn''t want it.

[kenbomc]

Hillary''s camp can twist it all they want -Obama is still the front runner and will win the nomination. Hillary needs to drop out.

[gdmoore2]

Going into the general election, I do not want half of my fellow Democrats feeling as though they are not represented on the ticket. We need a Unity Ticket. Trying to compete on the shade of a difference between these two candidates is too devisive. One or both of these candidates needs to stand up, have some leadership and courage, extend a hand, and call for a unified Democratic ticket. The negativity is silly; save it for the Republicans.

[keithepike]

Obama wasn''t on Michigans ballot because he knew the out come would be. But he was on the Florida ballot and was trounced. He says he did''nt campaine in Florida, well Hillary did''nt either. As for the rest of you rebel rousers Quit making things up and try to show a little class.

[user168-2009]

At least half of the nation does not like Hillary, either because they are scared of her pocket calculator, or they fear her absolute insincerity. No way she can come close to McCain. Do the math. Hillary has said her "words are cheap" and that only a liar knows there are "false hopes". She has made it very clear that this sort of stupidity is destructive and shouldn''t be trusted.

[adastra8]

Michigan and Florida have NOT voted! The voters of Michigan and Florida, who were not given a fair chance to evaluate the candidates, who were told that their votes would not count, and who (in Michigan) couldn''t vote for Obama at all, would be more screwed by having their "votes" counted than by having them ignored. This is banana republic stuff! Which part of "this is completely f-ed up" does McAuliffe not understand?

[kesac4650]

Terry McAuliffe, personally lead our last Democratic Contender to defeat. He has the demeanor of a spoiled 14 yr. old, and the worst win-loss record in politics.
Why is anyone listening to this guy?

[johnsmithp]

As president, Bill Clinton pardoned Viktor Bout''s partner Marc Rich before he left the office.

Will Hillary Clinton "reject" any pardon request for the merchant of death Viktor Bout if she becomes president?

[pepperwood2]

Looking forward to delivering the same polictics of personal destruction message. By now, you would think that we the people, deserve better than the deceit & dishonesty that The Clinton poured out on the RWANDANS in their time of need.

Something, that doesn''t make me feel good. Then again, maybe as Terry, Mr. Ed, The Press, DNC, Hillary & Bill would say. That''s Polictics as Usual. Maybe I''m missing something???

I you use your intelligence, you''''ll soon realize that Bill was a Lowly Governor of a corrupt administration in the State of Arkansas. That was the extend of his resume. He was able with the right band of PR, Press, & Spin to get The People convinced to vote for him.

No he had no prior experience compared to Hillary phoney Spin resume. The real truth is that in the 35 years that she keeps spinning she''''s an authority on how to run a corrupt administration in Arkansas & Washington. What you see is what Mr. & Mrs. America will get from the Clintons.

Upon Fleeing they took with them, the whitewater records, Sandy Berger & all their fiends in low places to start all over again in Washington.

We, the people can change all that. Unless were content with the Clinton Politics of Deceit & Dishonesty.

[clifden6]

This sounds like a Bill Clinton 3rd term, chaos!! Dubya in Florida with his reading of "My Pet Goat" on the morning of 9/11 would be a study in decisiveness. Here we have Hillary and the crew starting out with tons of cash earlier than Obama as the heir apparent of the Democratic Party, being upstaged by a junior senator from Illinois because of his campaign''s superior organization. Then we have John McCain who with far less staff and funds, and being counted out now the Republican nominee, because of his campaign''s superior organization. One of the 9 Principles of War from Clausewitz is Unity of Command, which apparently Hillary doesn''t understand. Studying Obama''s campaign is like studying classic Clausewitz: Unity of Command, Simplicity = focus on delegates, Economy of Force = place your efforts for the greatest benefit=South Carolina, Maneuver=focusing on states to achieve the greatest benefit, Texas where he placed his resources for the greatest benefit versus Ohio which is not representative of the US anymore. Hillary lacks the organizational skills and the concepts needed to implement an effective organization. She would be a good US senator, but president of the US, very doubtful.

CBSNews.com: Washington Post [on Thursday]. The headline says, "Even in victory, Clinton team is battling itself."

[popstom1]

After nov. a lot of republican will be looking for a
job like a lot of you.

[popstom1]

Do you Obama Butt lickers know any thing
History Bill Clinton appproval 65%
Acquitted by the Senate
Debt 0
unemploymemt 2.35
Ken star spened 70 million to prove Clinton''s dishonest so he got a bj JFK banged every thing .

[clifden6]

21 May 2007 ... Charlie Crist signed a bill Monday moving Florida%u2019s 2008 presidential primary up to Jan. 29, leapfrogging several other states in a change ...

Florida''s Republicans deliberately created the problem knowing at the time that Hillary on May 21st, 2007 was the presumed Democratic nominee and knowing she was beatable. Which is confirmed almost a year later on March 5th, 2008 with a Washington Poat/ABC Poll:Illinois Sen. Obama leads McCain by 12 percentage points -- 52 percent to 40 percent; New York Sen. Clinton leads McCain by 6 points -- 50 percent to 44 percent, the poll found.

From Karl Rove''s own lips on Nov 26, 2007 Issue
How to Beat Hillary (Next) November

"The conventional wisdom now is that Hillary Clinton will be the next president. In reality, she''s eminently beatable. Her contentious history evokes unpleasant memories. She lacks her husband''s political gifts and rejects much of the centrism he championed. The health-care fiasco showed her style and ideology. All of which helps explain why, for a front runner in an open race for the presidency, she has the highest negatives in history."

Rove, former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff for President Bush, is a NEWSWEEK contributor.
So from karl Rove''s comments on November 2007 to a poll on March 5, 2008, what has changed for Hillary??

[pepperwood2]

WORDS THAT SAY IT ALL. The former head of the DNC, Clinton protege & supporter suggest to the press Their true feelings concerning African Americas. Many blatant, superior, bias & bigoted feelings surface.

These are very troubling remarks he made concerning Lynn Swan. It would also be troubling if made concerning anyone else on the opposite ticket. Whether, Latino, Black, White, Polish, Slovak, Ukranian, Red, etc. Clearly showns that Mr. Ed & Company lack leadership an inability to bring the people of Pa & Our Country together.

There is just no excuse for this for this kind of demeaning behavior. As a Pa. I am deeply troubled & embarrassed by Mr. Ed''s comments. This is no time to Polka.

To buttress his point, Rendell cited his 2006 re-election campaign, in which he defeated Republican challenger Lynn Swann, the former Pittsburgh Steelers star, by a margin of more than 60 percent to less than 40 percent.

"I believe, looking at the returns in my election, that had Lynn Swann been the identical candidate that he was %u2014 well-spoken, charismatic, good-looking %u2014 but white instead of black, instead of winning by 22 points, I would have won by 17 or so," he said. "And that (attitude) exists." Attitude exists confirms what Clinton Camp has been trying to hide from the Voters.

Rendell, chairman of the Democratic National Committee in 2000 and previously Philadelphia''s mayor, endorsed Clinton on Jan. 23.

[pepperwood2]

WORDS THAT SAY IT ALL. The former head of the DNC, Clinton protege & supporter suggest to the press Their true feelings concerning African Americas. Many blatant, superior, bias & bigoted feelings surface.

These are very troubling remarks he made concerning Lynn Swan. It would also be troubling if made concerning anyone else on the opposite ticket. Whether, Latino, Black, White, Polish, Slovak, Ukranian, Red, etc. Clearly showns that Mr. Ed & Company lack leadership an inability to bring the people of Pa & Our Country together.

There is just no excuse for this for this kind of demeaning behavior. As a Pa. I am deeply troubled & embarrassed by Mr. Ed''s comments. This is no time to Polka.

To buttress his point, Rendell cited his 2006 re-election campaign, in which he defeated Republican challenger Lynn Swann, the former Pittsburgh Steelers star, by a margin of more than 60 percent to less than 40 percent.

"I believe, looking at the returns in my election, that had Lynn Swann been the identical candidate that he was %u2014 well-spoken, charismatic, good-looking %u2014 but white instead of black, instead of winning by 22 points, I would have won by 17 or so," he said. "And that (attitude) exists." Attitude exists confirms what Clinton Camp has been trying to hide from the Voters.

Rendell, chairman of the Democratic National Committee in 2000 and previously Philadelphia''s mayor, endorsed Clinton on Jan. 23.

[clifden6]

Tell this to Al Gore who had to run on Bill''s legacy and lost. Would the 2000 Election have been close if it wasn''t for a Bill Clinton who exercised poor judgement and brought with him his extramarital habits from the Arkansas Governor''s Mansion to the White House. He is the only US president in history whose face appeared on a major world publication The Economist with the caption "Just Go". His exercise in poor judgement with Monica Lewinsky made the American presidency a joke around the planet. I personally witnessed two police officers in another country trading jokes about Bill and his escapades. To quote Hillary will she "keep that dog at home"?? This a post 9/11 world, and the US needs the goodwill of other countries more than ever, or do we want to hear an Osama bin Ladin tape with more Bill jokes?

Do you Obama Butt lickers know any thing
History Bill Clinton appproval 65%
Acquitted by the Senate
Debt 0
unemploymemt 2.35
Ken star spened 70 million to prove Clinton''''s dishonest so he got a bj JFK banged every thing .

[clifden6]

Thank you for your comment. I didn''t realize that the Ku Klux Klan was still a political force, especially in Pennsylvania and in the City of Brotherly Love.

To buttress his point, Rendell cited his 2006 re-election campaign, in which he defeated Republican challenger Lynn Swann, the former Pittsburgh Steelers star, by a margin of more than 60 percent to less than 40 percent.

"I believe, looking at the returns in my election, that had Lynn Swann been the identical candidate that he was %u2014 well-spoken, charismatic, good-looking %u2014 but white instead of black, instead of winning by 22 points, I would have won by 17 or so," he said. "And that (attitude) exists." Attitude exists confirms what Clinton Camp has been trying to hide from the Voters.

Rendell, chairman of the Democratic National Committee in 2000 and previously Philadelphia''''s mayor, endorsed Clinton on Jan. 23. Posted by pepperwood2

[gretagreen]

I''m sorry, but he is just sleazy for saying there is no reason for a real vote to take place in Florida and Michigan. I will not stand for theft of those delegates. Only Hillary was on the ballot in Michigan, and he wants that non-election to count! That''s . . . like cheating.

[boatdocster]

"I doubt they could raise that kind of money. They''ve already voted. No reason they have to go back and vote again. And to spend anywhere from 15 to 30 million dollars, money that could be much better spent getting ourselves ready to beat John McCain."

Funny, this sleaze bag agreed to the forfeit those Michigan and Florida delegates like everyone else, but now that Hillary is losing he suddenly wants them to count, even when the other candidates followed the rules and did not campaign there.

Wake up folks - this is just the tip of the iceberg if we go with Hillary and her Bush equivalent cronies...

[clifden6]

Kirk: Clinton Wouldn''t Be Able to Govern.

Ron Kirk, the former mayor of Dallas, Texas is to be complimented for his generous remarks about Hillary''s ability to govern. But to be realistic really, chaos would have been a better description, like her management of her campaign. I would hate to think what would happen if the wife of Bill Clinton was answering the phone at 3:00 AM. In the 9/11 Commission Report on page 128 is: a copy of the Presidential Daily Brief received by President William J. Clinton on December 4, 1998 Subject: Bin Ladin Preparing to Hijack US Aircraft and Other Attacks

[samthetvcat]

New York Times: 8/17/2000

"If he says he can release them in 15 minutes, why doesn''t he?" Howard Wolfson asked reporters as he stood near a Democratic Party operative dressed as Uncle Sam and shouted for Mr. Lazio to release his tax return. Mr. Lazio has said repeatedly he will do so this month. "The people of New York have a right to know what he''s hiding. Rick Lazio''s 15 minutes are up -- he should stop making excuses and come clean with New Yorkers."

Clinton herself also criticized Lazio; on at least two occasions during the campaign she called his delay "frankly disturbing."

Who here really believes the Clinton''s aren''t lying about releasing their tax returns in April?

[popstom1]

mutmee FACT 1998 Bill Clinton signed executive order
to arrest or ASSASSINATION on Osama Bin Laden freze all assets linked to Binladen. go to youtube and watch
Bill Clinton kick the $hit out o fox news now mut
Don''t run your mouth when you don''t know $hit
and that report was writen by Richard Clarke ahd they
left the play book AND DUMMY BUSH drop the ball reseach.

[popstom1]

mut did binladen tell you the jokes himself

[chuegevera]

The clinton answered the phone at 3:00 when algaida blew up our embassies in Tanzania and kenya. Where is the proof of good decision?

[popstom1]

He shot a misile up binladen A$$ that way he was in
Afghanistan

[chuegevera]

The clinton answered the phone at 3:00 when algaida blew up our embassies in Tanzania and kenya. Where is the proof of good decision?

[fnewton1]

A Reader made the following comment:

"Obama wasn''''t on Michigans ballot because he knew the out come would be. But he was on the Florida ballot and was trounced. .... try to show a little class"

Here are some comments:
(1) Mr. Obama and all the rest of candidates, except Mrs. Clinton and the congressman from Ohio, were not on the ballot because they were following the rules set by the National Democratic part for the national campaign to select the national nominee. The 2 rouge states decided to violate the rules. They were clearly warned that if they violated the schedule, they would be stripped from their delegates.
(2) Mr. Obama and the all the other candidates were on the ballot in Florida because they had no way to remove their names. The legislature in Florida forced this move.
(3) One of the basic principles in democracy is the right for candidates to campaign. Mrs. Clinton had the early advantage of being the most recognized name among the candidates. The other candidates should be allowed to make their case to the voters. The other candidates complied with the rules set by the national democratic party. Electing a president should be regarded very seriously. The candidates must explain their case. Electing a nominee for president is a national issue rather than a state issue. Consequently, the national democratic party has the higher authority in this matter.
(4) Showing a class would be to demonstrate the ability to win fairly and not by stealing the election.

[fnewton1]

A Reader made the following comment:

"Obama wasn''''''''t on Michigans ballot because he knew the out come would be. But he was on the Florida ballot and was trounced. .... try to show a little class"

Here are some comments:
(1) Mr. Obama and all the rest of candidates, except Mrs. Clinton and the congressman from Ohio, were not on the ballot because they were following the rules set by the National Democratic party for the national campaign to select the national nominee. The 2 rouge states decided to violate the rules. They were clearly warned that if they violated the schedule, they would be stripped from their delegates.
(2) Mr. Obama and the the other candidates were on the ballot in Florida because they had no way to remove their names. The legislature in Florida forced this move.
(3) One of the basic principles in democracy is the right for candidates to campaign. Mrs. Clinton had the early advantage of being the most recognized name among the candidates. The other candidates should be allowed to make their case to the voters. The other candidates complied with the rules set by the national democratic party. Electing a president should be regarded very seriously. The candidates must explain their case. Electing a nominee for president is a national issue rather than a state issue. Consequently, the national democratic party has the higher authority in this matter.
(4) Showing a class would be to demonstrate the ability to win fairly and not by stealing the election.

[jsilver2th]

This guy alone should make you vote for Obama...

Here''s what Howard Dean should do with Michigan and Florida:

Seat the Delegations but don''t let them vote in the Presidential race.

Clinton''s trying to steal the nomination by force now.

[jsilver2th]

What Terry dreams about at night- the Glory Years

http://image.pathfinder.com/time/daily/2001/0101/clinton0128.jpg

Really if this is what the Democratic Party is about-
If they steal the nomination they deserve to loose

[goldesprit]

oBAMA in fact removed his name after it was on the Michigan ballot. He did this at the behest of ...hand picked (by him) advisers!
This was no "forced" action--and the prood is that Clinton did not have to take her name off the ballot.

You can easily see from this that Barak would be in a similar boat to the current President--

Wanting to point at advisers when his own experience falls short.

He knew he would lose Michigan--thats why he skipped even finding out what Michigan voters thought--by simply leaving his name available to those voters!

[vet_sk]

Experience? Let''s see. Hillary voted for the war even though the head of the intelligence committee she sat on voted against it.

So, can anyone tell me what wonderful experience Hillary has? She served tea in the Whitehouse where she did not hold a security clearance.

And then she claims we should not be talking to dictators, yet she talks like Marsharef and hte Chairman of China are her best buds. Meanwhile Obama wants to talk to world leaders he does not agree with so that there are no 3:00am calls; having to take care of all the problems after they get critical seems rediculous to me.

The world also needs to know that the US wants to be a country who plays by the rules and doesn''t uncessessarily engage in war. McCain and H. Clinton can''t claim that.

[nler1]

http://aycu06.webshots.com/image/46245/2000341820132963738_rs.jpg

a hard Clinton fact, the so called ''good guy''...

[nler1]

http://tinyurl.com/yu7rca

a hard Clinton fact, the so called ''''good guy''''...

[vet_sk]

You have to wonder about the judgement of some of these people backing H. Clinton. She''s 153 points behind in the delegates and expect to win by Supers.

No matter what side you sit on folks, can you imagine what would happen if the will of the people was not followed? What percentage of the Obama supporters would support Hillary in the General Election? Not many.

The exit polls also showed that 8% of Hillary''s vote in Texas were Rush Limbaough Ditto-Heads (apparently like being called ditto-heads!) voting against Obama. Sorry but it is true. Obama will win against McCain and H has a much slimmer chance.

[forthepeopl1]

IF OBAMA HAS ANY BALLS HE WOULD COME OUT AGAINST THIS IN A BIG WAY..
HE SHOULD COME OUT AND SAY SHE IS IN OZ IF SHE THINK I WOULD CHOSE HER.
HE NEEDS TO COME OUT AND SAY TO AMERICA IF YOU WANT BUSH 2 (MCCAIN) IN OFFICE THEN HAVEING CLINTON ON ANY TICKET WOULD DO THAT.
THATS WHY I CHOSE JOHN EDWARDS AS MY V.P.

THEN SHE WOULD LOSE ALL THE REMAINING STATES BY TRIPPLE DIGGET...
REMEMBER THE REPS WANT CLINTON BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY WILL BEAT HER IN A NATIONAL VOTE. I WOULD AND MANY OTHER IND/DEMS WOULD VOTE MCAIN INSTEAD OF HAVEING HER IN ANY PART OF THE WHITEHOUSE.

[nler1]

I think that 10% of the Obama-votes will go to Nader, when Clinton will be the ''selected candidate''

[gkc99]

"CBSNews.com: So you''re ruling out the Clinton campaign ever supporting a revote?
Terry McAuliffe: I''m saying they''ve already voted, let''s count the votes. I%u2019m saying that the state parties in those states need to work with the national party and figure out how we count the votes that have already been voted. "



Sounds like the Clintonistas are every bit as contemptuous of laws they don''t like as the Bushits.

The primaries in Mi and FL were held full well knowing that delegates wouldn''t be counted.

Clinton had no problem with that.

Now Clinton opposes a fair vote in those two states to correct the problem. Any slimy tactic is OK with Clinton if she wins.

And if she is nominated on this basis, independents will either not vote, or will leave the Dem party in droves.

Think, Clinton, think! Is your victory really worth destroying the Democratic party for?

If you think Barack Obama with little or no experience would be better than Hillary Clinton with 35 years experience.

You Might Be An Idiot!
Posted by herfan
-------
Just exactly what 35 years experience might you be talkin''about??

[pepperwood2]

YOU MIGHT BE AN IDIOT:-)

If you think Barack Obama with little or no experience would be better than Hillary Clinton with 35 years experience.

With all due respect Man - M''am A spin, scheme, or gimmick is made up to temporarily confuse or mislead a potential voter usually released just before an election. If the voter takes it in hook, line & sinker and it achieves the affect or result that the Candidate is looking for, it will be used over & over again until joe six pack realizes that he''s been lied to, manipulated, & mislead into believing.

You''ll soon discover that Bill was a Lowly Governor of a corrupt administration in the State of Arkansas. That was the extend of his resume. He was able with the right band of PR, Press, & Spin to get The People convinced to vote for him.

No he had no prior experience compared to Hillary phoney Spin resume. The real truth is that in the 35 years that she keeps spinning she''s only an authority on how to run a corrupt administration in Arkansas & Washington. What you see is what Mr. & Mrs. America will get from the Clintons.

The Facts are such. Don''t take my word for it. You seem like a very intelligent person. Don''t be an idiot:-)

[realpatriot1]

herfan,

You might be an idiot if you think 35 years of making bad decisions prepares someone to finally begin making the right decisions.

She spent most of the 35 years working for a corporate law firm. Being First Lady of Arkansas isn''t preparation either.

What you all are really pointing to is her 8 years in the White House when she mismanaged the fight for heathcare reform and created undue drama by attempting to fire public employees at the White House travel office and pilfering the FBI files of private citizens who happened to be her political opponents.

The woman gives an entirely new meaning to the term ethically challenged.

She does have one bit of truly unique experience; she''s the only U.S. Senator to be cited for filing false financial disclosures 5 times and her maiden Senate Campaign was the subject of the largest campaign finance fraud case ever brought by the Federal Elections Commission.

It makes one wonder exactly what she''s ready for on Day 1.

[laurenbrillante]

I almost vomited yesterday when I watched the video of the staged media event with Hillary and the retired generals yesterday. The generals read from scripts and she praised John McCain, claimed to have experience that she doesn''t have and then claim that she had ''met the threshhold and proven that she is ready to be commander and chief''....she is delusional... Seems to me she keeps putting out what she wants us to believe as if she is trying to use mind control or the power of suggestion to make something a reality. I have gone beyond losing all respect for her.

Having her on any ticket will unite the fractured republican party and they will do everything to keep the Clintons out of the white house.

I am grateful for Senator Obama''s ethics, wisdom, and judgement. I would love to see an Obama/Edwards ticket in the fall. I think they would work well together to bring much needed change in Washington.

Obama/Edwards 08'' Yes We Can!

[grazinggoat]

Why are Libs reuluctant to discuss that editorial columns in Arab newspapers around the world are endorsing Barack?

*H*U*S*S*E*I*N
Posted by T-racyMorgan at 01:34 PM : Mar 08, 2008

-TrashyMorgan, Since you seem to read Arabic, why don''t YOU tell us?

[grazinggoat]

CBSNews.com: But you''re chairman of the campaign. Do you worry that so many of your aides seem to be pointing daggers? And the daggers are almost all pointing at your chief strategist, Mark Penn.

-Thanks CBS News.com for asking this question. If it''s not revolt, what should this be called? Unsubordination for street people not to understand what it means?