Days Are Numbered In Democratic Race

(CBS)  A "fixed finish line" is in place for the determination of the Democratic Party nominee, says Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., who feels it is unlikely Sen. Hillary Clinton will remain in the race all the way to the convention.

"Until she decides that she can't win at the convention and makes a decision, it's going to stay open," Levin said on CBS's Face The Nation. "However, I think it's more than likely that within a week or two that Senator [Barack] Obama will have enough votes to claim that he's going to be the nominee."

However, with yesterday's ruling by Democratic Party officials over the disputed delegates from Florida and Michigan, Clinton advisor Mandy Grunwald said that Clinton still has a very strong case to make for the support of the party's superdelegates who will be the ultimate deciding factor.

"Over 17 million people have now voted for Hillary Clinton," Grunwald said, representing the "deepest and broadest coalition" needed to win in November.

She also warned of the sentiment voiced by some Hillary supporters at the outset of yesterday's meeting: "If a female candidate, the first successful one in history, goes into the convention leading in the popular vote and it's taken away from her, how do you think women are going to feel, heading into the November election?"

Avoiding an ugly convention battle, or a divisive general election turnout, is the main objective, said Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who believes Clinton will "do the right thing, because the stakes are way too high for America.

"I have great confidence that Hillary Clinton will do what's right for our party and for our nation and for all those people out there that are hurting - and are going to keep hurting if we let four more years of George Bush in the White House. That's what we'd get with John McCain."

Gov. Ed Rendell, D-Pa,, concurs that Clinton would not jeopardize the party, but continued to back her as the candidate best able to succeed in the key battleground states in November.

"The polls make it clear that on the states that are necessary for us to win the Electoral College, Hillary Clinton is by far our strongest candidate in the fall," Rendell said. "What are we doing nominating the weaker of our two fine candidates? It makes no sense to me."

Nonetheless, Rendell thinks a joint ticket would "sweep the country," but it will only come about by Clinton and Obama coming together themselves.

"No politicians are going to be able to broker it," he told host Bob Schieffer. "The staffs, who have a little bit of animosity, as always is the case, can't be involved. I think Senator Clinton and Senator Obama have to sit down together and talk about the future of this country and talk about whether that is a viable option. It's up to the two of them."

---

Read the full "Face the Nation" transcript here.

[hhkeller]

Con artists come in all colors.
Look like we''ll be getting two in a row.

[bristolm99]

Today%u2019s Democratic Party is continuing to demonstrate a woeful inability -- first noticed in the late 70s and continuing through the early 90s -- to organize and lead at the national level.

The performance of the party and its leadership over the past 18 months, especially during this primary election period, has left me and a growing number of Democrats feeling we have become a national embarrassment. Illustrating the point, at least in part, is the fact that after regaining control of the US House and boasting to the nation we were going to bring about significant change, we have instead:

1)Produced in Pelosi and Reid the two most inept and unproductive congressional leaders I have seen in my 40-plus years as a Democrat.

2)Drafted primary election rules granting party elites super delegate status so they retain a greater say in selecting our presidential nominee. So much for party of the people.

3)Virtually disenfranchised voters in Florida and Michigan through the sheer stupidity of a state primary process decision that never should have had to be handed down by national party leaders.

4)Conducted a primary election campaign that featured almost daily doses of embarrassment over issues of race and gender, of all things.

Indeed, based on this recent performance, can there be any wonder that voters are questioning the ability of this generation of Democrats to be entrusted with the reins of the nation%u2019s government?

[o_nolan1]

I can easily predict that when nothing goes as promissed the Democratic president will blame their impotence on what they inherited.

Posted by payasyougo

This is the status quo that most Americans are sick to death of seeing as well as citizens of other democracies. The problem is, there are only two parties. It doesn''t leave alot of options when both are in cohorts with each other.

[o_nolan1]

Obama:"I will get you lower premiums!" and
"My health care plan isn''''''''t what it used to be--but thats just politics."

Hillary Clinton: "Truly universal health care for all."

The 2 candidates do not agree at all on health care-- don''''t believe the idiots that tell you "lower premiums" = universal health care!



Posted by realtime09

Both candidates have been bought and paid for by the private insurance lobby. I will bet my house that you will not see universal health care from either candidate. They are the two biggest money takers on this issue in the campaign.

[libra127]

They both care about one issue, and one issue only - power.

Posted by SharnCedar at 11:27 PM : Jun 02, 2008

But what is "power" except the ability to actually get something done ? No one would want power unless there is something they want to do.

[payasyougo]

I can''t predict what actions a Democratic White House will really take if they win.

Is Clinton or Obama really going to just rip the troops out of Iraq, talk the nukes out of North Koria or tax the oil companies into lower prices at the pump? Does that really make sense to half the population or do they just hate the other side enough to ignore common sense?

But then, on the conservative side didn''t the Republicans just vote for this so called farm bill? I took the time to look at this "farm bill" - it''s a disgrace. If there had been only one dollar allocated to feed the poor it would have been called the "feed the poor" bill. Guess they didn''t think of that.

Both sides of the political system need to get flushed. I think we are all being duped into sparring with the other side while congress, both sides, steal us blind.

I can easily predict that when nothing goes as promissed the Democratic president will blame their impotence on what they inherited.

[sharncedar]

"These two candidates still agree on almost every issue."


They are among the 100 most powerful people in the world. Their party is a majority in Congress. What have they done about "Health Care" or blah blah blah the Democratic talking point issues? Or is the argument just make them president and then they''ll do something, it wasn''t enough to be one of the 100 most powerful people in the US, that wasn''t enough, but hey, if you make one of these crackheads president, then he/she will FINALLY actual spend a little political capital doing something, anything, regarding the "issues" blah blah blah they talk about Democratic talking points?

Yeah right. Right after they finish gutting Social Security, opening the borders, opening the H-1 visas to unlimited issue, and the other little jobs they need to do for the super-rich.

[realtime09]

Obama:"I will get you lower premiums!" and
"My health care plan isn''''t what it used to be--but thats just politics."

Hillary Clinton: "Truly universal health care for all."

The 2 candidates do not agree at all on health care-- don''t believe the idiots that tell you "lower premiums" = universal health care!

[sharncedar]

"The party of Barack Obama is still the party of Hillary Clinton. These two candidates still agree on almost every issue."

Do you think Hillary or Obama actually care about the "issues" they spout like health care blah blah blah? Are you on crack too?

They both care about one issue, and one issue only - power. Both of these F#c=kers have had years and years in power, they are Senators among the 100 most powerful politicians in the US, and they have done NOTHING about those "issues". They are big fat liars, they care NOTHING about those issues, they both have had years and years to do something if they really cared.

There is one issue and only one issue that crackhead Obama and crackhead Hillary care about, it is all they have ever cared about -power and fame for themselves.

And on that issue, my dumb Democrat friend, unfortunately they disageree a whole lot.

[realtime09]

The 2 candidates do not agree at all on health care:

Obama:"I will get you lower premiums!" and
"My health care plan isn''t what it used to be--but thats just politics."

Hillary Clinton: "Truly universal health care for all."