Top Clinton Donors Lash Out At Pelosi

Send Letter To House Speaker After She Said Superdelegates Should Back Candidate With Most Pledged Delegates

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Dan Balz and Perry Bacon Jr..

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Top fundraisers for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign upbraided House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) yesterday for suggesting that Democratic superdelegates should back the candidate with the most pledged delegates and urged her to respect the right of those delegates to back whomever they choose at the end of the primary season.

The criticism represented the latest effort by Clinton's campaign and its allies to beat back talk that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has amassed enough of a lead in pledged delegates that she will not be able to overtake him, and arguments that a continuation of the conflict between the two candidates will hurt the party in November.

"You suggested [in a recent television interview] superdelegates have an obligation to support the candidate who leads in the pledged delegate count as of June 3rd, whether that lead be by 500 delegates or 2," the Clinton backers wrote. "This is an untenable position that runs counter to the party's intent in establishing super-delegates in 1984."

Arguing that neither Obama nor Clinton (D-N.Y.) will have amassed the 2,024 delegates needed to win the nomination by time the primary season ends in June, the fundraisers urged Pelosi "to clarify your position on superdelegates and reflect in your comments a more open view to the optional independent actions of each of the delegates at the national convention in August."

Clinton, in an interview with Time magazine published yesterday, accused the Obama campaign of trying "to shut this race down" and noted that even pledged delegates are not legally bound to support the candidate to whom they are pledged. "We talk a lot about so-called pledged delegates, but every delegate is expected to exercise independent judgment," she said.

Pelosi has not endorsed either candidate. Brendan Daly, her spokesman, said that the speaker recognizes that superdelegates will choose between the candidates but that she "believes it would do great harm to the Democratic Party if superdelegates are perceived to overturn the will of the voters. This has been her position throughout this primary season, regardless of who was ahead at any particular point in delegates or votes."

Obama spokesman Bill Burton in an e-mail criticized what he saw as an implied threat by the group to withhold funds from Democratic Party campaign committees.

Robert L. Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television and one of the organizers of the letter to Pelosi, said in an interview that there would be "no effect" on contributions to the party among the signers of the letter. "This is just fair play," he said.

Johnson added that he and the others want to make certain the nomination battle is not declared over prematurely. "It's not the role of the leadership to say 'Vote only the way the pledged delegates go,'" he said.

But the letter made it clear that the fundraisers believe their voice should carry real weight with the speaker. Noting their past financial support, they wrote, "We . . . hope you will be responsive to some of your major enthusiastic supporters."

Clinton, accompanied by daughter Chelsea Clinton, was in Washington yesterday for a pair of fundraising events. Obama is holding four events in New York City. The first of those, at the Madison Avenue offices of Credit Suisse, a financial services giant, will include a "campaign briefing," according to the invitation. Guests will be charged a minimum of $1,000 to attend.

Clinton raised $35 million last month, all but $5 million online, but her campaign supporters concede that she still relies on a traditional model of fundraising.

"The Obama campaign has found a model that works for them, that has enabled them to raise vast amounts of money online," said Steve Grossman, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and a member of Clinton's finance team. "The Clintons, both Hillary and the president, have a virtually inexhaustible treasure trove of relationships they have developed over the years, and they reached out time and time again to those people."

Chelsea Clinton's appearance came a day after she rebuked a student at Butler University in Indianapolis on Tuesday who asked whether her mother's credibility had been hurt during the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

"Wow, you're the first person actually that's ever asked me that question in the, I don't know, maybe 70 college campuses I've now been to, and I do not think that is any of your business," Clinton said, getting loud applause from the audience, according to the Associated Press.

[tucano2]

It appears to me Mrs. Clinton is made of sterner stuff than her husband, and certainly the scrambling, fighting, "never give up" attitude is 100 percent American. I like that attitude. Mr. Obama comes across as an "Empty Suit" who learned most, but not all, of what the actor Robert Redford''s character in "The Candidate" learned, or not, in that movie, asking his handlers after a victorious vote "What do I do now?". Harry Truman had the "right stuff", and it seems to me Mrs. Clinton learned a lot from him, rather than from a character in a movie.

[blkpresident]

We are at war in two hotspots around the world, so the last thing America needs is a lil'' woman defending our nation, especially when her idea of foreign policy is donning an apron to bake a batch of brownies for our terroist enemies. America needs a MAN with a strong and steady hand, not a soccer mom.

[iamthequeen-]

"House Speaker Nancy Pelosi drew objections from Clinton backers when she approached the issue by saying she shared Obama''s view that superdelegates should be guided by the vote for pledged delegates". Pelosi must have been too busy trying to end the Iraq war or gain democracy for Tibet to notice that Kerry and Kennedy of MA and Richardson of NM pledged to Obama even though Clinton WON those states. I guess to make this logic work, these bozos need to switch their support to Clinton so that the rest of use dim-witted Democrats won''t get confused.

[lottobee]

We need SMART and we need someone who will get us out of this war properly without making more of a mess. We need someone smart enough to restart our economy and get us out of debt. We need someone who will revitalize our industries and get these major corporations to put America first. Hillary is tough and she''s smart as a whip. Think about your country and think about the futures of your children. We owe it to them to vote smart this time. Think about who will put the American People first and has the smarts to restore the Greatness of America and restore Prosperity to our People. The woman has a gift and rather than use it to accumulate wealth for herself ---- she wants to dedicate her energies to America and to the American People. She is the once in a lifetime leader who can heal this country and restore HOPE. You don''t have to like her. Think of her as the medicine that will cure your ills but is unpleasant to take. Vote for her and we will all have a chance to feel better later when the stock market goes up and our industry is revitalized and our military is restored and our national debt is under control and the interest payments for foreign loans are no longer larger than our national budget. She may be a bitter pill for some of you but if she can put money in your pocket by restoring PROSPERITY ---- you need to vote for her --- FOR YOUR OWN SAKE AND FOR YOUR FAMILY.

[ksh1022]

Pelosi and other far left democrats are pushing Obama. It is this wing of the party who gave us Kerry, Mondale, and Dukakis. Are we really going to let them screw up again?

[blkpresident]

y2kprecious,

Hope you''ll reconsider and give Obama another chance. Please don''t believe everything you hear over at "FORBIASEDNews"

[l00ker]

It''s really gotten bad for the Clinton swamp these days, they''ve now gone out and put the muscle to dear ole Pelosi. Hoh man.

I HOPE THE MEDIA AND THE SUPER DELEGATES WILL STOP AND THINK BEFORE DOING ANY THING WRONG. FOR THE LIFE OF ME I CAN NOT SEE ANY GOOD IN OBAMA . HE IS TWO FACED A LIAR AND NOT THE CHRISTIAN IAM USED TO. WE REALLY DO NOT NEED ANOTHER BUSH IN HE WILL BE WORST THAN BUSH. I WILL NOT VOTE FOR SOMEONE LIKE HIM HE IS A RACIST AND THINKS ONLY OF HIMSELF THAT WIFE OF HIS IS NO BETTER. I HATE TO THINK HOW THE CHILDREN ARE BEING RAISED.GOD BLESS ALL WE WILL ALL NEED IT IF HE GETS IN

[webama]

Enough with treath, pressure and Fiction politics. The hole world gonna see the real face of Hillary.

[mjvw2]

Yep. I was in Ireland myself in 1994 and again in 1999, besides visiting a lot of sites and strolling through some parks, I can''''''''t claim much else...say--wait a minute!! I bought lots of souvineers while I was there. I think I will claim that I helped to make Ireland economically solvent and helped to end their recession. Yep. LMAO


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Posted by b-easy63

But you didn''t land in a blaze of sniper fire.

[b-easy63]

n an interview on CNN''''s American Morning on March 5, 2008, Clinton said, "I helped to bring peace to Northern Ireland. I negotiated open borders to let fleeing refugees into safety from Kosovo. I''''ve been standing up against ... the Chinese government over women''''s rights and standing up for human rights." http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/
statements/392/

Yep. I was in Ireland myself in 1994 and again in 1999, besides visiting a lot of sites and strolling through some parks, I can''''t claim much else...say--wait a minute!! I bought lots of souvineers while I was there. I think I will claim that I helped to make Ireland economically solvent and helped to end their recession. Yep. LMAO

[libra127]

The same when she was asked if she thought Obama was a Muslim. She should have taken the high road and stood up for Obama,

Posted by chitown639 at 12:17 AM : Mar 28, 2008

She said "no, no, no!" in every possible way. Over and over again she denied that he was a Muslin. The reporter asked her several times, so she had to keep rephrasing her denial to get him off her back. If you watch the video of the exchange, it is clear even from the tone of her voice and her body language that she thought the question was ridiculous. There is something else going on here that her answer(s) are used to attack her.

[libra127]

Even if she can''t bring herself to say anything good,she would be better off saying nothing.

Posted by jesterbelle at 12:23 AM : Mar 28, 2008

Nah, then there''d be a headline saying "Clinton Refuses to Answer Question About Rev. Wright". The Hillary-haters would have a field day claiming her "weakness" and therefore unsuitability to be President. I can see it now, "Will Hillary refuse to answer questions asked by foreign leaders?" She''s damned no matter what she says. I, and many others, respect her more for telling the truth about her opinion of Wright. In fact, she stated it in a pretty reserved and gentle way, making clear that it was an opinion as applied to herself. Brava, Hillary!

[b-easy63]

HILLARY CAUGHT "EMBELLISHING AGAIN"

"I think for anyone to try to question the Clintons'' huge support (for Ireland) and start trying to nitpick and saying, ''But she wasn''t sitting down at the negotiation table'' _ sure, we know she wasn''t sitting down at the negotiation table," Ahern said.

After suffering criticism from rival Obama''s campaign and Protestant politicians in Northern Ireland, Clinton this month backed off language that suggested she was ever involved in the 22 months of negotiations that preceded the Good Friday pact.

But Clinton still suggests that she wielded a hidden hand over the diplomatic triumph.

"I wasn''t sitting at the negotiating table, but the role I played was instrumental," she said in a March 13 interview with National Public Radio.

catch the full article here:



http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/28/ap/politics/main3976527.shtml

[hillbest1]

The CBS pundants are clearly being supported by the Obama group. If Obama wins the nomination, my friends will vote for McCain. that would be much better than Obama. Shame on Pelosi, is she getting overly intimidated by Hillary? What is her agenda? Curious, isn''t it?

[rowdytexan2]

Nancy Pelosi tried to fake out voters as to the very obvious roles of the superdelegates.

It''s their job to make sure that their candidate is not a person who got more delegates with marginal wins in big districts with a lot of delegates.

It''s their job to take into account the voice of the people.

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by b-easy63 at 09:03 AM : Mar 28, 2008

Actually, the most consistent liar on these boards is B-easy, who swills her own hate and unhappiness and evidently rolls in it.

[blkpresident]

To the poster who wrote Obama''s delegate lead is "down" to 118, please rephrase that and say what the truth really is: Obama is UP by 118; where''s lil'' missy? Oh, trailing behind. After PA. votes she''ll get the message. Somewhere in NY a lonely kitchen stove is missing a woman''s touch.

[b-easy63]

Hillary finally admits she did NOT help negotiate peace after the PM of Ireland said she was not at any negotiations tables. Sorry, I don''t want a leader who lies sooo much, we have to wait for others to catch on or eventually tell us what really happened to know what they have been up to.

The real question is--NOT Hillary''s 35 years of fake experience--but what has she NOT lied about or embellished in the past 35 years. Given she appears to be a pathological liar--I think the answer will be--NOT MUCH


http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/28/ap/politics/main3976527.shtml

[b-easy63]

sn''''t the focus of DNS electability? Admire what Peloci did with her life, but getting tired of fumbles she is making. So far what I am hearing two candidates is ''''words'''' vs. ''''action''''. I''''d rather choose ''''action'''' since it is such a rare commodity these days.

Posted by truthfinder1 at 01:05 AM : Mar 28, 2008

the most consistent "action" we are finding out about Hillary is that she consistently lies about everything she has done for the past 35 years --from her huge mistakes such as pushing NAFTA and voting for war in Iraq, to her lies about being a part of the Ireland peace process (she has finally admitted NOT being a part of the negotiation process) and to lying about Sniper fire and running in Bosnia, then lying about why she lied...on and on--she''s got action already--she actively LIES whether she needs to or not.

given that, we can trust her about as far as we can trust our other lying CIC--George Bush Jr.