Posted on 06/04/2008 5:18:54 AM PDT by COUNTrecount
With the final primary concluded barely hours before, top Democratic Party leaders in Washington early this morning ratcheted up the pressure to force all remaining uncommitted superdelegates to make their choice of candidate known by Friday The joint statement was obviously pre-planned and timed for issue shortly after Clinton refused to concede the presidential nomination's victory to Barack Obama, who's gained sufficient delegates to clinch the party's nomination.
Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin, chairman of the Democratic Governors Assn., issued the brief statement for unity just minutes ago:
"The voters have spoken," they said, adding later, "Democrats must now turn our full attention to the general election. To that end, we are urging all remaining uncommitted super delegates to make their decisions known by Friday of this week, so that our party can stand united."
The carefully-worded statement, which does not urge the superdelegates to go one way or the other, is a clear step to force an end to the effort by Clinton, who said Tuesday she would take a few days to consider her options and protect the voices of the nearly 18 million voters who cast ballots for her in recent months. Her hand is now being forced by the Friday deadline.
The move is also a sly one politically, since it leaves Obama free of any appearance of forcing Clinton to quit and, thus, alienating her millions of supporters that the Illinois senator will badly need in the general election come Nov. 4.
In exit polls throughout the just-concluded primary season, an unusually high number of Clinton voters indicated they were likely to reject Obama and vote for the Republican Party's presumptive nominee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimesblogs.latimes.com ...
Then we’ll really know for sure....
Hillary is perhaps banking on that “tape” before Friday... the only thing that can save her... /evil laugh
“But...but...I see what’s happening to this country...and I have all the answers...but you people won’t listen....WWWWAAAAAHHHHHH!”
Dean, Pelosi, Reid.... just reading those three names together almost made me upchuck my morning coffee.
This is a bad idea. But I like it. It makes the Hillary voters even more upset.
On the other hand, I don't think Pelosi, Reed, or Dean have declared yet. Have they?
“Dean, Pelosi, Reid....”
The Treasonous Troika.
Why not? These three have made Americans miserable ever since we heard their names.
Add Obama and you have the superfecta of incompetency. Of course, the Republicans have obviously screwed up huge to get us to the point where these communists will be calling the shots.
But they didn't get to choose the nominee. More voters voted for Hillary. B. Husein Obama was chosen by the party hack super-delegates.
Selected, not elected!
“Selected, not elected!”
Wasn’t that their battle cry (rather whine) when Bush won in 2000?
The hypocrisy boomerang strikes again.
They support a weak Obama from whom they will usurp the Presidential power. The Speaker will become the defacto leader. Pelosi will rule Obama
Dean, Pelosi, Reid..........the Asses of Evil.............
IOW, isn't the deal already sealed, per the party? So get on with the unity. There is NOTHING holding them back as of now, correct?
My vote, either way, can't make a difference in outcome.
What do the Rules say? Since the Democrats are such sticklers for rules, I am ceratin they will follow them. The rules must state when a super-delegate must declare his or her final vote.
So, we know Hillary has more guts than these three combined... but does she have the guts to laugh right in their faces? I think she does.
I don’t think these self-important nimrods understand how dangerous it is to try cornering a Clinton. If she does gain the upper hand (via a whitey tape becoming available, for example) everyone who opposed her is in deep, deep crap. I would love to see the look on Pelosi’s face were that to happen.
The Superdelegates will not vote until the Convention, no matter what Dean, Pelosi and Reid say. They can make whatever statements they want to make now, but nobody will be bound by them.
If Obama becomes suddenly radioactive for some reason yet to be discovered (or disclosed), the Superdelegates can vote for Mrs. Clinton instead.
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