Posted on 02/12/2008 12:48:28 PM PST by SmithL
WASHINGTON — A prominent civil rights leader has told the Democratic National Committee that refusing to seat delegates from Florida and Michigan would disenfranchise both states' minority communities.
In a Feb. 8 letter to DNC Chairman Howard Dean, NAACP chairman Julian Bond expressed "great concern at the prospect that million of voters in Michigan and Florida could ultimately have their votes completely discounted." Refusing to seat the states' delegations could remind voters of the "sordid history of racially discriminatory primaries," he said.
The DNC penalized Michigan and Florida for moving their primaries to earlier dates in violation of party rules. Both states were stripped of their delegates, and the party's presidential candidates signed a pledge not to campaign in either state. Florida lost 185 delegates; Michigan, 128.
Since then, facing the prospect of a drawn-out delegate battle with Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign has pushed hard for both states' delegations to be seated. Clinton won Florida's primary Jan. 29 and Michigan's Jan. 15, but was the only candidate to appear on the Michigan ballot after the other candidates removed their names.
In an interview, Bond said the NAACP had taken no position in the race between Clinton and Obama and would not endorse either candidate. He sent the letter on behalf of the voters in Michigan and especially Florida, where the Republican-controlled legislature and governor changed the state's primary date.
"It struck me as making the voters, including minority voters in Florida particularly, victims of the Republican legislature . . .
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Looks like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People isn’t.
NAALCP once again, prostituting itself for the Clintons.
You just can’t make this crap up. The dems are really showing their socialists selves for all to see.
How can they fairly apportion these delegates, when the candidates were instructed to not campaign in these states? It seems that since Hillary Clinton violated that instruction, that she should forfeit any rights to such delegates.
well, get popcorn.
Maybe somehow he has a point if Florida’s Republican governor changed the date. But what about the Dems. in Michigan, why did they move their date up like that? There’s a Dem. governor in Michigan.
I think any change would be called “rigging the election”.
Why isn't Julian Bond talking about how the primary in that state disinfranchised minority (and other) voters??
Funny how Bond characterizes it as so much worse when done by the state with a Republican legislature than the state with the Democratic one.
How could the decision to disqualify these delegates affect minorities any more than "non-minorities"?
And so it begins.
Hillary is going to get those pilgrims seated. This is going to backfire on her.
If the Michigan and Florida delegations are seated, you know that the fix is well and truly in. Hillary’s name was the only one on the Michigan ballot, and she still almost lost. For this, she is entitled to the delegates?
There are no delegates from Florida or Michigan. There were no primaries therefore no delegates.
The elections held are meaningless since they did not comply with DNC rules.
Yep, Julian Bond doesn’t want to remind voters about the history of racially discriminatory primaries that occurred in the days of the Democrats ruling the southern states.
And the Wench was the only one on the ballot.
Sleaze extreme.
“A prominent civil rights leader has told the Democratic National Committee that refusing to seat delegates from Florida and Michigan would disenfranchise both states’ minority communities.”
I was wondering how long the DNC was going to get a ‘pass’ on this decision. Apparently today’s Democrats aren’t too big on democracy.
That’s what I’m thinking. Maybe they should hold the primary again. Wonder if that beast would feel the same way if the outcome was just a little bit different?
National Association for the Advancement of Clinton to the Presidency.
Julian Bond blaming Republicans again. The NAACP is trying to give cover for Hillary should she win by the Super Delegates.
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