Dean: Superdelegates Should Pick By July 1

Democratic Party Chief Tells CBS News That Dems Need To Unite, Avoid A Brokered Convention

(CBS/AP)  Democratic Party chief Howard Dean said in an interview with CBS News' The Early Show that he wants all Democratic superdelegates to make their choice before July 1 to avoid a contested convention.

Superdelegates are the nearly 800 party and elected officials who can support whomever they choose at the Democratic National Convention, regardless of what happens in the primaries.

"There's 800 of them and 450 of them have already said who they're for," Dean told co-anchor Harry Smith. "I'd like the other 350 to say who they're on between now and the 1st of July so we don't have to take this into convention." (Watch the video of Dean's interview.)

Dean also tried to tone down the ill will that is growing among supporters of Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"I think the candidates have got to understand that they have an obligation to our country to unify," he said. "Somebody's going to lose this race with 49.8% of the vote. And that person has got to pull their supporters in behind the nominee."

Dean also talked with The Associated Press, saying the charges and countercharges between Clinton and Obama have gotten too personal at times. He declined to say how they have crossed the line, but he said he's made it clear privately when it has happened.

"You do not want to demoralize the base of the Democratic Party by having the Democrats attack each other," he said Thursday during the interview in his office at Democratic National Committee headquarters. "Let the media and the Republicans and the talking heads on cable television attack and carry on, fulminate at the mouth. The supporters should keep their mouths shut about this stuff on both sides because that is harmful to the potential victory of a Democrat."

"Because in the end this is not about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, it's about our country," Dean said on the The Early Show. "I want to make sure this campaign stays on the high ground."

"There is no point in waiting," he said. The Democratic political organization "is as good or better as the Republicans', and we haven't been able to say that for about 30 years. But that all doesn't make any difference if people are really disenchanted or demoralized by a convention that's really ugly and nasty."

Dean, the former governor of Vermont and 2004 presidential candidate, said he knows his critics say he should take a bigger leadership role in resolving some of these disputes. But he said that's not his role. Rather, he thinks of himself as a referee who enforces the rules in a close basketball game.

"Somebody is going to lose," Dean said. "My job is to make sure the person who loses feels like they have been treated fairly so that their supporters will support the winner."

Dean said the massive numbers of people showing up to participate in Democratic nominating contests across the country gives him encouragement that the eventual nominee will be well positioned to win the White House.

He said it is good for the candidates to debate controversies like the incendiary sermons by Obama's pastor and Clinton's different accounts of danger on a trip to Bosnia as first lady. If Democrats didn't deal with them now, he said Republicans will surely make use of them in the fall.

Dean also reflected the concerns of many Democrats who worry about Obama and Clinton tearing each other down.

"What I don't want to do is have the Democrats make a stupid mistake in April and then be sorry they said that in October and end up with some more right-wing extremists on the Supreme Court," he said.

Dean's supporters say he's working behind the scenes to resolve some of the issues. He's been consulting with party stalwarts about how to wrap up the nomination quickly after the voting ends in June, including former Vice President Al Gore, former presidential candidate John Edwards, former Sen. George Mitchell, former president Jimmy Carter, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, civil rights activist Jesse Jackson and former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo.

"There'll be some nasty fights if it goes to convention, and people will walk out," Dean said. "But I've also been talking to a fairly significant number of, by and large, nonaligned people about how we might resolve this."

Dean said he will not encourage any delegate to vote one way or another.

"I am going to stand up for the rules, and I know I'm doing the right thing most of the time because I've got both Clinton people and Obama people mad at me," he said.

For instance, while Obama's campaign has been encouraging superdelegates to support the candidate with the most pledged delegates - which almost certainly will be Obama - Dean says the rules don't require that and superdelegates are free to chose who they want.

On the other side, Clinton has been arguing lately that even pledged delegates - awarded to a candidate based on the outcome of state contests - aren't bound to vote for that candidate at the convention. Dean called that "a very technical argument."

"You aren't going to get pledged delegates to move unless something really shocking happens," he said. And he thinks it unlikely the superdelegates would support a candidate who did not have the most pledged delegates.

Dean also said the Michigan and Florida delegates will be seated at the convention. But he won't force a resolution because he said there's nothing the Obama and Clinton campaigns can support at this point.

"You bring both sides together and say, `Don't you think it's time that the two campaigns made a deal on how we're going to do this?"' Dean said. "Let me just say that the campaigns believe that kind of a deal is premature right now."

[alexandrap1]

HILLARY''S POOR JUDGMENT leaves AMERICANS FOOTING THE BILL

THE WAR IN IRAQ IS HAVING SERIOUS NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON OUR ECONOMY and those who voted for the war (i.e. hillary) should be to blame, in part, for the state of the US economy.

Look how the WAR IN IRAQ is affecting the US economy...

$3,000,000,000%u2026 3 billion dollars PER WEEK! That is the amount America is paying for the Iraq War PER WEEK, money that should have been used here, at home.

Add to this:

Interest. We are financing the war with borrowed money (e.g. treasuries) that carries interest; so in actuality, the war is costing the United States MORE THAN 3 billion dollars PER WEEK.

Higher oil and energy prices. Instability in Iraq is adding roughly 30 dollars per barrel as a premium.

High oil prices mean high utility bills. Due to high oil prices, demand shifts to other sources of energy - gas, coal, etc. - and greater demand will raise the equilibrium price of all sources of energy -- Can you say high energy bills?

Higher oil prices mean higher prices of goods and services -- Can you say INFLATION?

Higher oil prices mean a higher trade deficit

Lastly, how do you think the world views our country since the argument was made for war? The evidence was weak and circumstantial, yet we rushed into war with Iraq thanks to hillary%u2019s authorization.

[ksh1022]

I can see the Republican commercials now: Obama and Wright with their arms around each other. Wrights sermon is playing in the background saying "God *** America". Obama will loose. McCain will win. Obamas racist America hating church and minister will be his downfall. Is this what we want Democrats?

[zavatchen]

Howard Dean is basically trying to keep his lack of leadership (not doing anything about MI and FLA votes) from caving in to disenfranchising those voters. To late, he and the the DNC leadership are displaying how sexist they truly are as a party.

[jack3213]

Clinton & Obama are two peas in a pod. They try to appease the public with outlandish promises and gifts, flip flop from one day to the next, speak to the heart string of America, know very little about cause and effect, and lie to your face.Haven''t you all had enough?!

[chitown639]

(((gorgeousm)))

Still relying on the fear mongering to get by, huh? Wow, you actually use Obamas middle name, oh, I am so scared!!! Come up with some better material concerning the issues beside the simple-minded terrorist-in-the-white-house-scam!!!

[gorgeousm]

Well worth repeating,

DIRE WARNING TO AMERICAN VOTERS

... Hussein Obama''s questionable and unsavory connections to anti-American, and Moslem influence, as well as the Obama mind being cultivated by his hostile-to-America MENTORS THAT IS OF GRAVE CONCERN.

...Obama is a hypocritical, over-ambitious politician who possesses the know how to dupe the American voter via his charming speeches. However, while claiming that he will eliminate special interest influence, Obama has HIS OWN SPECIAL INTERESTS IN MIND.

Husein Obama and his mentors are working in ANYTHING BUT America''s best interests!

Obama''s intentions are most certainly to supplant other peoples'' influence or interests with OBAMA''S AND HIS ANTI-AMERICA MENTORS'' OWN SPECIAL INTERESTS. By now, THAT should be rather obvious.

Based on what is already known, and what is YET TO COME OUT about Hussein Obama and his mentors, the risk of any acceptance of Obama is JUST too great! There are just too many indications that Hussein Obama''s and his mentors'' SECRET AGENDA would DESTROY AMERICA!

''strangepols'',
you are pretty on target about Obama''s intending to replace other Americans interests with those of his OWN and the interests of his mentors, many of who are evil.

He (and they)should not be entrusted with America''s destiny. In fact I agree that they do have some or other personal ''secret agenda'' that would indeed be against our and America''s best interests!

[jesterbelle]

OBAMA PEOPLE,LET HILLARY HAVE HER WAY.HERE''S WHY.


I''''m beginning to think Rowdy and the other Clinton people are right about Hillary needing to stay in the race.In fact,it could end up being one of the best things that ever happened to the democratic party.To get rid of the Clintons once and for all.She is already losing on every front that counts inspite of what some people say.The longer she stays in,the more it distracts attention from Obamas'''' so called racism/anti-americanism,the more people get fed up with her,and there''''s a better than 50/50 chance that she or Bill will end up making more blunders,since neither one of them can keep their mouths shut.Obama has more than proven that he can handle her attacks,and even beat her at her own game.If it goes through the whole process,and Obama wins,the Hillary Krishnas have nothing to whine about,and most will still vote for Obama.The rest that threaten to vote for McCain will be insignificant,and shouldn''''t make any difference in the outcome.-----Continued below.

[jesterbelle]

Continued from above.

Hillary will look like the stupidest person in history to everyone if it goes all the way to the convention and she loses,although most of us already know she is stupid,LOL.She is already perceived as being harmful to the party,and when you total it all up,it could very well end her career,and we''''d never have to put up with her again.Me,I''''m pulling for Hillary now.I want her to keep on with her blundering and take it all the way to the convention.Lose,lose,lose,and keep on with your idiotic persistance.Ruin your chance for ever being president,and make yourself so much of a laughingstock that New York is ashamed of you,LOL!Go Hillary!On to your ultimate destruction and political ruin!Hillary in...well,never.LOL!

[blkpresident]

Terrorist1: I hope the lil'' woman wins. She will coddle us and bake us a batch of brownies instead of recognizing our potential threat to America.

Terrorist2: I hope the OLD man wins, because he is at risk to nap through critical intelligence briefings.

Terrorist3: We win either way if either of those two candidates win. A win for them is a win for us. The lil'' woman has no foreign policy experience and the OLD man will nap while we make our plans.

[demwatcher]

Dumocrats prepare to see that your party has had the fix in for YEARS.

Your corrupt system with the ''super-delegates'' is about to expose itself for the WHOLE WORLD to see.

[demwatcher]

Posted by MOVIE-STAR-1 at 09:10 PM : Mar 29, 2008

Hillary siding with Republicans?

How much did you pay for the drugs you''re on?

[blkpresident]

Somewhere in NY a lonely kitchen stove needs a woman''s touch.

[obama8years]

OBAMA TIES TO HAMAS TERROR

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency today reports that the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Jr., long-time pastor of Barak Obama, published an op-ed piece signed by a Hamas leader. The item appeared in the July 22, 2007 edition of his Trinity United Church newspaper on the "Pastors Page." The op-ed piece justifies attacks on Israeli civilians, and carries a supporting introduction by Mr. Wright.

Barak Obama issued a statement strongly condemning these views of his pastor. "I certainly wasn%u2019t in church when that outrageously wrong [Hamas] piece was re-printed in the bulletin,%u201D Obama added.


Obama is a long-time member of Trinity United, and his financial contributions to his church are reported to be substantial ("All told, the [Obama] couple gave $27,500 to [Trinity United] in 2005 and 2006," according to the New York Times of March 26). His moral support to the church has been unwavering. As more and more and more details of the extremist political positions of the church are revealed, Obama''''''''''''''''s response has been to distance himself from these, but also to repeat, over and over, that he didn''t know, that he wasn''t there.

I find it very difficult to believe that an intelligent, energetic, and very political man like Obama is perpetually ignorant about what goes on in the church to which he devotes so many of his resources. If he does get to the White House, will he be in similar ignorance about the goings on of his administration ?

[tucano2]

Dean and Obama share one trait - they are both empty suits.

[b-easy63]

The antics in this Dem campaign has opened the door for blacks to once again be the political bogey man and have their color and culture lampooned in an effort to get votes. Any black, or any other minority and any white who deeply cares about civil rights must say NO to this type of campaigning normally associated with the Republican party. For me, and the groups I influence, we have vowed to NEVER vote for Hillary Clinton or any Clinton, lest they come to believe this type of dividing campaign is validated and then blacks will have taken a step back--and will be the butts of both campaigns anytime a black runs for any significant office.

The Democratic party has turned out to be as divisive and racist as the Republican party--they just hid it better until now. Blacks should all become Independents, joining and maintaining loyalty to NEITHER party. As long as their votes are perceived as a loyal voting block--it will just make money for so called leaders but will always come with the assumption that no matter how blacks are treated--they will still vote a certain way. If Hillary ends up being the nominee--it is will be time for Blacks to make a hard choice. If they make the wrong choice of supporting Hillary, look for more black face, Geraldine Ferraro, Willie Horton and Tennessee Wink politics now to come from the Democrats as well as the GOP. If some want to play the race game using blacks--then blacks should ensure they know the cost of that.

[obama8years]

Obama refused to vote for a bill in the Illinois State Senate that would have increased penalties for drug traffickers.

Obama voted against a bill that would have delivered the death penalty to gang members who murder first responders.

He sponsors the Illinois Senate Bill 750 creating the %u201CHalal Food Act,%u201D providing for inspections by the Department of Agriculture to ensure that all food labeled Halal is prepared according to Islamic law.

The most horrifying thing out of all this is his child hatred. He not only supports abortion; he supports partial birth abortion. He supports leaving a surviving baby to his/her death if he or she fights for life after being subjected to the atrocities of the abortion clinic.

Of course it%u2019s all bad and there%u2019s lots more at the source.

This is an incredibly bad person with a smile like an angel. BEWARE.

[obama8years]

OBAMA TIES TO HAMAS TERROR

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency today reports that the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Jr., long-time pastor of Barak Obama, published an op-ed piece signed by a Hamas leader. The item appeared in the July 22, 2007 edition of his Trinity United Church newspaper on the "Pastor''''''''s Page." The op-ed piece justifies attacks on Israeli civilians, and carries a supporting introduction by Mr. Wright.

Barak Obama issued a statement strongly condemning these views of his pastor. "I certainly wasn%u2019t in church when that outrageously wrong [Hamas] piece was re-printed in the bulletin,%u201D Obama added.


Obama is a long-time member of Trinity United, and his financial contributions to his church are reported to be substantial ("All told, the [Obama] couple gave $27,500 to [Trinity United] in 2005 and 2006," according to the New York Times of March 26). His moral support to the church has been unwavering. As more and more and more details of the extremist political positions of the church are revealed, Obama''''''''s response has been to distance himself from these, but also to repeat, over and over, that he didn''''''''t know, that he wasn''''''''t there.

I find it very difficult to believe that an intelligent, energetic, and very political man like Obama is perpetually ignorant about what goes on in the church to which he devotes so many of his resources. If he does get to the White House, will he be in similar ignorance about the goings on of his administration ?

[jesterbelle]

OBAMA PEOPLE,BACK OFF THE HILLARY KRISHNAS.HERE''''S WHY.


I''''m beginning to think Rowdy and the other Clinton people are right about Hillary needing to stay in the race.In fact,it could end up being one of the best things that ever happened to the democratic party.To get rid of the Clintons once and for all.She is already losing on every front that counts inspite of what some people say.The longer she stays in,the more it distracts attention from Obamas'''' so called racism/anti-americanism,the more people get fed up with her,and there''''s a better than 50/50 chance that she or Bill will end up making more blunders,since neither one of them can keep their mouths shut.Obama has more than proven that he can handle her attacks,and even beat her at her own game.If it goes through the whole process,and Obama wins,the Hillary Krishnas have nothing to whine about,and most will still vote for Obama.The rest that threaten to vote for McCain will be insignificant,and shouldn''''t make any difference in the outcome.-----Continued below.

[jesterbelle]

Continued from above.

Hillary will look like the stupidest person in history to everyone if it goes all the way to the convention and she loses,although most of us already know she is stupid,LOL.She is already perceived as being harmful to the party,and when you total it all up,it could very well end her career,and we''''d never have to put up with her again.Me,I''''m pulling for Hillary now.I want her to keep on with her blundering and take it all the way to the convention.Lose,lose,lose,and keep on with your idiotic persistance.Ruin your chance for ever being president,and make yourself so much of a laughingstock that New York is ashamed of you,LOL!Go Hillary!On to your ultimate destruction and political ruin!Hillary in...well,never.LOL!

[ewnnrj]

October, 2006: "We must trust the president and hope the strategy works out for the best." - Hillary Clinton
March, 2008: ''We have given them [the Iraqis] the precious gift of freedom." - Hillary Clinton
As of March 2008: 4000 US personnell dead
1 million Iraqis dead (including approx. 300,000 children 11 and under).