http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/19/colin.powell/index.html
Colin Powell endorses Obama
Story Highlights
NEW: Obama praises Powell at rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina
Ex-Secretary of State Colin Powell voting for Barack Obama
Powell makes announcement on "Meet the Press" Sunday
John McCain says announcement does not come as a surprise
(CNN) -- Former Secretary of State Colin Powell announced Sunday that he will be voting for Sen. Barack Obama, citing the Democrat's "ability to inspire" and the "inclusive nature of his campaign."
"I think he is a transformational figure, he is a new generation coming onto the world stage, onto the American stage, and for that reason I'll be voting for Sen. Barack Obama," Powell said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
Powell said he was concerned about what he characterized as a recent negative turn of Republican candidate Sen. John McCain's campaign, such as the campaign's attempts to tie Obama to former 1960s radical Bill Ayers.
"I think that's inappropriate. I understand what politics is about -- I know how you can go after one another, and that's good. But I think this goes too far, and I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It's not what the American people are looking for," he said.
Powell, a retired U.S. general and a Republican, was once seen as a possible presidential candidate himself.
Powell said he has some concerns about the direction of the Republican Party, adding that it has "moved more to the right than I would like to see it." Read a transcript of Powell's remarks
In regard to the financial crisis, which Powell called the candidates' "final exam," Powell said McCain appeared unsteady in dealing with it, while Obama had excelled in handling the situation.
"Obama displayed a steadiness, an intellectual curiosity, a depth of knowledge," Powell said.
"He has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president," he said.
Obama praised Powell at a campaign event in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Sunday, calling him "a great soldier, a great statesman, and a great American."
"I have been honored to have the benefit of his wisdom and counsel from time to time over the last few years, but today, I am beyond honored and deeply humbled to have the support of General Colin Powell," Obama said.
Obama called Powell earlier Sunday and thanked him for his endorsement, communications director Robert Gibbs said.
In their 10-minute conversation, Obama said he looked forward to taking advantage of Powell's advice in the next two weeks and hopefully over the next four years, Gibbs said.
During the campaign, Powell has met with both candidates and said he has a lot of respect for McCain. He said Sunday that he thinks both candidates are qualified to be president.
"It isn't easy for me to disappoint Sen. McCain in the way that I have this morning, and I regret that," Powell said.
Speaking on Fox News Sunday, McCain said he respects and admires Powell, and the announcement "doesn't come as a surprise."
"I'm also very pleased to have the endorsement of four former secretaries of state -- Secretaries [Henry] Kissinger, [James] Baker, [Lawrence] Eagleburger, and [Alexander] Haig -- and I'm proud to have the endorsement of well over 200 retired Army generals and admirals," McCain said.
Powell served as Secretary of State under President Bush from 2001 to 2005.
The possibility of a Powell endorsement has been rumored for several months.
On August 13, Powell's office denied a report on Fox News by commentator Bill Kristol that Powell had decided to publicly back Obama at the Democratic National Convention.
Powell himself brushed off queries on any potential presidential nod but told ABC News in August that he would not be going to Denver, Colorado, for the convention.
Back in February, Powell told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that he was weighing an endorsement of a Democratic or independent candidate.
Powell has offered praise for Obama, calling him an "exciting person on the political stage."
"He has energized a lot of people in America," said Powell. "He has energized a lot of people around the world. And so I think he is worth listening to and seeing what he stands for."
The former general, who has largely steered clear of politics since leaving the Bush administration, noted that the next president will need to work to restore America's standing in the world.
Powell gave the keynote address at the Republican National Convention in support of George W. Bush in 2000.
Powell said Sunday that he has no plans to campaign for Obama.
Colin Powell • Barack Obama • John McCain • Democratic National Committee
Showing posts with label Democratic National Committee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Democratic National Committee. Show all posts
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Obama Raises More Than $150 Million
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/20/us/politics/20donate.html
October 20, 2008
Obama Raises More Than $150 Million in September
By MICHAEL LUO
Senator Barack Obama’s campaign announced on Sunday that it had raised more than $150 million in September, a record-shattering amount underscoring again the unprecedented amounts of money he has attracted.
Mr. Obama’s contributions in September more than doubled the $66 million he had collected in August, which had already far exceeded what previous presidential campaigns had raised in a single month.
In a videotaped message included in an e-mail to supporters, David Plouffe, the Obama campaign manager, said that Mr. Obama had added 632,000 new donors in September, bringing the campaign’s total to 3.1 million. The average contribution, Mr. Plouffe said, was $86.
Mr. Plouffe said the money has enabled the campaign to expand to traditional Republican strongholds, noting it had begun to pour resources into West Virginia. He also sought to portray the campaign’s fund-raising success as evidence of Mr. Obama’s grassroots support.
“The two groups that have given us the most contributions are retirees and students, which shows how Barack’s call for change has spanned the generations,” Mr. Plouffe said. “Nurses, teachers, small business owners. It really is the fabric of America that has built this campaign.”
The full details of how the Obama campaign raised its money in September will not be available until Monday, when it files its official report with the Federal Election Commission. But a separate filing by the campaign’s joint fund-raising committee with the Democratic National Committee, the Obama Victory Fund, underscores that Mr. Obama has also been powered by major donors as well.
Mr. Obama’s joint fund-raising committee, which can take in checks of more than $30,000 that is divvied up between the campaign and the D.N.C., collected $69 million in September. The fund funneled $32 million in September to the Obama campaign’s coffers and $26.5 million to the D.N.C.
The D.N.C., which can spend money on Mr. Obama’s behalf under certain restrictions, announced this morning it collected nearly $50 million in September and had $27.4 million in cash on hand at the end of the month.
The Republican National Committee announced earlier this month it had raised $66 million in September, which had exceeded fundraisers’ expectations, and finished the month with about $77 million in the bank.
Mr. Obama’s fund-raising success comes in the wake of his decision to back away from an earlier pledge to accept public financing for the general election if his opponent did as well, a move the McCain campaign has sought to use against him.
McCain finance officials and other campaign-finance experts had anticipated that the R.N.C.’s stockpile of cash and strong fund-raising, along with the $84 million Mr. McCain received in public financing, would be enough to at least stay within range of the Obama fund-raising juggernaut. The R.N.C. finished August with $76 million in the bank, along with another $18 million transferred to it by the McCain campaign. But the Obama campaign has been outspending the McCain campaign by 4 to 1 on television, according to Campaign Media Analysis Group, which analyzes ad spending. The R.N.C. is limited to spending about $19 million in coordination with the McCain campaign but can spend unlimited amounts independently. Even with the R.N.C.’s independent expenditures factored in, the Obama campaign is still outspending Mr. McCain by 3 ½ to 1, according to CMAG.
Coupled with his appeals over the Internet, Mr. Obama has maintained an aggressive high-dollar fund-raising schedule. Just last week, 10 hours after he left the stage of the final presidential debate, he arrived at a morning fund-raiser at the Metropolitan Club in New York in which more than 120 people paid $30,800 each to hear him speak.
More than 600 people wrote checks of $25,000 or more to the Obama Victory Fund in September, including the actresses Melanie Griffith and Rita Wilson; Orlando Magic basketball star Dwight Howard; Andrea Jung, the chief executive of Avon; Gregory Brown, the president of the telecommunications giant Motorola; and Charles E. Phillips Jr., the president of the software company Oracle.
Mr. Obama has now raised more than $600 million since his campaign began, easily another record. Putting that figure in perspective, in 2004, Democratic and Republican presidential candidates together raised a record $684 million by the time of their conventions. (Both Senator John F. Kerry and President Bush later opted for public financing for the general election). That was nearly double the $350 million the candidates raised in 2000.
Before the Obama campaign, the record for the single biggest monthly fund-raising month was held by Senator John F. Kerry, when he collected $44 million in March 2004 after clinching the Democratic nomination. Mr. Obama exceeded that total last February, when he raised $55 million while competing against Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
October 20, 2008
Obama Raises More Than $150 Million in September
By MICHAEL LUO
Senator Barack Obama’s campaign announced on Sunday that it had raised more than $150 million in September, a record-shattering amount underscoring again the unprecedented amounts of money he has attracted.
Mr. Obama’s contributions in September more than doubled the $66 million he had collected in August, which had already far exceeded what previous presidential campaigns had raised in a single month.
In a videotaped message included in an e-mail to supporters, David Plouffe, the Obama campaign manager, said that Mr. Obama had added 632,000 new donors in September, bringing the campaign’s total to 3.1 million. The average contribution, Mr. Plouffe said, was $86.
Mr. Plouffe said the money has enabled the campaign to expand to traditional Republican strongholds, noting it had begun to pour resources into West Virginia. He also sought to portray the campaign’s fund-raising success as evidence of Mr. Obama’s grassroots support.
“The two groups that have given us the most contributions are retirees and students, which shows how Barack’s call for change has spanned the generations,” Mr. Plouffe said. “Nurses, teachers, small business owners. It really is the fabric of America that has built this campaign.”
The full details of how the Obama campaign raised its money in September will not be available until Monday, when it files its official report with the Federal Election Commission. But a separate filing by the campaign’s joint fund-raising committee with the Democratic National Committee, the Obama Victory Fund, underscores that Mr. Obama has also been powered by major donors as well.
Mr. Obama’s joint fund-raising committee, which can take in checks of more than $30,000 that is divvied up between the campaign and the D.N.C., collected $69 million in September. The fund funneled $32 million in September to the Obama campaign’s coffers and $26.5 million to the D.N.C.
The D.N.C., which can spend money on Mr. Obama’s behalf under certain restrictions, announced this morning it collected nearly $50 million in September and had $27.4 million in cash on hand at the end of the month.
The Republican National Committee announced earlier this month it had raised $66 million in September, which had exceeded fundraisers’ expectations, and finished the month with about $77 million in the bank.
Mr. Obama’s fund-raising success comes in the wake of his decision to back away from an earlier pledge to accept public financing for the general election if his opponent did as well, a move the McCain campaign has sought to use against him.
McCain finance officials and other campaign-finance experts had anticipated that the R.N.C.’s stockpile of cash and strong fund-raising, along with the $84 million Mr. McCain received in public financing, would be enough to at least stay within range of the Obama fund-raising juggernaut. The R.N.C. finished August with $76 million in the bank, along with another $18 million transferred to it by the McCain campaign. But the Obama campaign has been outspending the McCain campaign by 4 to 1 on television, according to Campaign Media Analysis Group, which analyzes ad spending. The R.N.C. is limited to spending about $19 million in coordination with the McCain campaign but can spend unlimited amounts independently. Even with the R.N.C.’s independent expenditures factored in, the Obama campaign is still outspending Mr. McCain by 3 ½ to 1, according to CMAG.
Coupled with his appeals over the Internet, Mr. Obama has maintained an aggressive high-dollar fund-raising schedule. Just last week, 10 hours after he left the stage of the final presidential debate, he arrived at a morning fund-raiser at the Metropolitan Club in New York in which more than 120 people paid $30,800 each to hear him speak.
More than 600 people wrote checks of $25,000 or more to the Obama Victory Fund in September, including the actresses Melanie Griffith and Rita Wilson; Orlando Magic basketball star Dwight Howard; Andrea Jung, the chief executive of Avon; Gregory Brown, the president of the telecommunications giant Motorola; and Charles E. Phillips Jr., the president of the software company Oracle.
Mr. Obama has now raised more than $600 million since his campaign began, easily another record. Putting that figure in perspective, in 2004, Democratic and Republican presidential candidates together raised a record $684 million by the time of their conventions. (Both Senator John F. Kerry and President Bush later opted for public financing for the general election). That was nearly double the $350 million the candidates raised in 2000.
Before the Obama campaign, the record for the single biggest monthly fund-raising month was held by Senator John F. Kerry, when he collected $44 million in March 2004 after clinching the Democratic nomination. Mr. Obama exceeded that total last February, when he raised $55 million while competing against Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Friday, March 28, 2008
McCain Warns Against Hasty Mortgage Bailout
Robalini's Note: Here is what is important to note in this article:
McCain's proposed total relief offer so far: $0
Obama's proposed relief offer: $10 billion
Hillary's proposed relief offer (described as"aggressive federal intervention"): $30 billion
Amount Fed has proposed to prop up banks (so far): $400 billion
(Presumably, the $400 billion is okay by McCain, as it would be used for "preventing systemic risk that would endanger the entire financial system and the economy.”)
So the most "left-wing" proposal of the three remaining candidates for prez pays the bankers over the working and middle class 13 1/3 to one. And Obama has the spread 40 to one.
There's a term for this: class warfare.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/us/politics/25cnd-mccain.html
March 25, 2008
McCain Warns Against Hasty Mortgage Bailout
By JOHN SULLIVAN
Drawing a sharp distinction with the Democratic presidential candidates, Senator John McCain, warned Tuesday against hasty government action to solve the mortgage crisis, saying “it is not the duty of government to bail out and reward those who act irresponsibly, whether they are big banks or small borrowers.”
In an address focusing on domestic issues following his visit to the Middle East, Mr. McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, did not propose any government bailout.
“Government assistance to the banking system should be based solely on preventing systemic risk that would endanger the entire financial system and the economy,” Mr. McCain said, speaking before a business group in Santa Ana, Calif.
His comments came a day after Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton called for aggressive federal intervention to help troubled homeowners, including directing $30 billion to states to help homeowners at risk of foreclosure. Mrs. Clinton’s Democratic opponent, Senator Barack Obama, has similarly called for active federal intervention, including a $10 billion relief package to prevent foreclosures.
As the mortgage crisis has rippled through the economy, it has thrust itself to the forefront of the presidential race. But Mr. McCain’s remarks on Tuesday represented a stark tonal shift from the increasing calls for helping homeowners, as he faulted not only borrowers who engaged in risky lending, but suggested that some homeowners engaged in dangerous financial practices.
“Some Americans bought homes they couldn’t afford, betting that rising prices would make it easier to refinance later at more affordable rates,” he said.
Mr. McCain argued that even during the ongoing crisis, the vast majority of mortgage holders continued to make their payments.
“Of those 80 million homeowners, only 55 million have a mortgage at all, and 51 million homeowners are doing what is necessary — working a second job, skipping a vacation and managing their budgets to make their payments on time,” he said. “That leaves us with a puzzling situation: how could 4 million mortgages cause this much trouble for us all?”
Mr. McCain split the blame between the rising housing bubble and the use of confusing and complex financial arrangements, which he said were badly understood even by financial managers. He said initial losses, coupled with the lack of transparency, has caused a “crisis of confidence in the markets.”
“Capital markets work best when there is both accountability and transparency,” he said. “In the case of our current crisis, both were lacking.”
Any government assistance must be accompanied by measures to ensure the problems are not repeated, Mr. McCain said. He said homeowners and lenders must be clear from the outset about the terms and obligations of any mortgage.
“We must have greater transparency in the lending process so that every borrower knows exactly what he is agreeing to and where every lender is required to meet the highest standards of ethical behavior,” he said.
Mr. McCain did not rule out a bailout, instead saying any such aid should be temporary and “no assistance should be given to speculators.”
“Any assistance for borrowers should be focused solely on homeowners, not people who bought houses for speculative purposes, to rent or as second homes,” he said.
Democrats criticized Mr. McCain’s approach, arguing that it would not do enough to address the financial problems facing Americans.
“Instead of offering a concrete plan to address the crisis at all levels, McCain promised to take the same hands off approach that President Bush used to lead us into this crisis,” Howard Dean, the Democratic National Committee chairman, said in a statement. In his speech, Mr. McCain did not provide specifics about any immediate plans to deal with the crisis, saying he was “prepared to examine new proposals and evaluate them based on these principals.”
He also called for a meeting of the nation’s top mortgage lenders, asking them to pledge support for customers and homeowners.
“Working together, they should pledge to provide maximum support and help to their cash-strapped but credit-worthy customers,” he said. “They should pledge to do everything possible to keep families in their homes and businesses growing.”
McCain's proposed total relief offer so far: $0
Obama's proposed relief offer: $10 billion
Hillary's proposed relief offer (described as"aggressive federal intervention"): $30 billion
Amount Fed has proposed to prop up banks (so far): $400 billion
(Presumably, the $400 billion is okay by McCain, as it would be used for "preventing systemic risk that would endanger the entire financial system and the economy.”)
So the most "left-wing" proposal of the three remaining candidates for prez pays the bankers over the working and middle class 13 1/3 to one. And Obama has the spread 40 to one.
There's a term for this: class warfare.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/us/politics/25cnd-mccain.html
March 25, 2008
McCain Warns Against Hasty Mortgage Bailout
By JOHN SULLIVAN
Drawing a sharp distinction with the Democratic presidential candidates, Senator John McCain, warned Tuesday against hasty government action to solve the mortgage crisis, saying “it is not the duty of government to bail out and reward those who act irresponsibly, whether they are big banks or small borrowers.”
In an address focusing on domestic issues following his visit to the Middle East, Mr. McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, did not propose any government bailout.
“Government assistance to the banking system should be based solely on preventing systemic risk that would endanger the entire financial system and the economy,” Mr. McCain said, speaking before a business group in Santa Ana, Calif.
His comments came a day after Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton called for aggressive federal intervention to help troubled homeowners, including directing $30 billion to states to help homeowners at risk of foreclosure. Mrs. Clinton’s Democratic opponent, Senator Barack Obama, has similarly called for active federal intervention, including a $10 billion relief package to prevent foreclosures.
As the mortgage crisis has rippled through the economy, it has thrust itself to the forefront of the presidential race. But Mr. McCain’s remarks on Tuesday represented a stark tonal shift from the increasing calls for helping homeowners, as he faulted not only borrowers who engaged in risky lending, but suggested that some homeowners engaged in dangerous financial practices.
“Some Americans bought homes they couldn’t afford, betting that rising prices would make it easier to refinance later at more affordable rates,” he said.
Mr. McCain argued that even during the ongoing crisis, the vast majority of mortgage holders continued to make their payments.
“Of those 80 million homeowners, only 55 million have a mortgage at all, and 51 million homeowners are doing what is necessary — working a second job, skipping a vacation and managing their budgets to make their payments on time,” he said. “That leaves us with a puzzling situation: how could 4 million mortgages cause this much trouble for us all?”
Mr. McCain split the blame between the rising housing bubble and the use of confusing and complex financial arrangements, which he said were badly understood even by financial managers. He said initial losses, coupled with the lack of transparency, has caused a “crisis of confidence in the markets.”
“Capital markets work best when there is both accountability and transparency,” he said. “In the case of our current crisis, both were lacking.”
Any government assistance must be accompanied by measures to ensure the problems are not repeated, Mr. McCain said. He said homeowners and lenders must be clear from the outset about the terms and obligations of any mortgage.
“We must have greater transparency in the lending process so that every borrower knows exactly what he is agreeing to and where every lender is required to meet the highest standards of ethical behavior,” he said.
Mr. McCain did not rule out a bailout, instead saying any such aid should be temporary and “no assistance should be given to speculators.”
“Any assistance for borrowers should be focused solely on homeowners, not people who bought houses for speculative purposes, to rent or as second homes,” he said.
Democrats criticized Mr. McCain’s approach, arguing that it would not do enough to address the financial problems facing Americans.
“Instead of offering a concrete plan to address the crisis at all levels, McCain promised to take the same hands off approach that President Bush used to lead us into this crisis,” Howard Dean, the Democratic National Committee chairman, said in a statement. In his speech, Mr. McCain did not provide specifics about any immediate plans to deal with the crisis, saying he was “prepared to examine new proposals and evaluate them based on these principals.”
He also called for a meeting of the nation’s top mortgage lenders, asking them to pledge support for customers and homeowners.
“Working together, they should pledge to provide maximum support and help to their cash-strapped but credit-worthy customers,” he said. “They should pledge to do everything possible to keep families in their homes and businesses growing.”
Friday, March 21, 2008
Florida to Democrats: Count us or lose support
http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed1/idUSN1824538520080318
Florida to Democrats: Count us or lose support
Tue Mar 18, 2008
MIAMI (Reuters) - One in four Florida Democrats said they would be less likely to support the party's nominee in the November presidential election if the state's primary election results are ignored, according to a poll released on Tuesday.
In the poll of 600 registered and frequent Democratic voters, 89 percent said it was important Florida's delegates count in the party's presidential nominating convention. Twenty-four percent said they would be less likely to vote for the Democratic nominee if Florida delegates are not seated.
The Democratic National Committee stripped Florida and Michigan of their delegates because the two states violated party rules and held their primary elections early in order to exercise more clout in the selection process.
The poll was conducted Saturday through Monday by Schroth, Eldon & Associates for The Miami Herald, the St. Petersburg Times and the Bay News 9 television station. It has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.
More than 1.7 million Florida Democrats voted in the state's January 29 primary, setting a record in the state that decided the 2000 presidential election by 537 votes and put Republican President George W. Bush into the White House.
Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton won in both Florida and Michigan and has called for seating the delegates from both states. Rival Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, who leads the delegate count in the race to run against Republican John McCain in November, has said he hopes a fair resolution can be reached.
The Florida Democratic Party ruled out a re-vote on Monday and was still trying to work out an agreement with the national party.
(Reporting by Jane Sutton, editing by Todd Eastham)
Florida to Democrats: Count us or lose support
Tue Mar 18, 2008
MIAMI (Reuters) - One in four Florida Democrats said they would be less likely to support the party's nominee in the November presidential election if the state's primary election results are ignored, according to a poll released on Tuesday.
In the poll of 600 registered and frequent Democratic voters, 89 percent said it was important Florida's delegates count in the party's presidential nominating convention. Twenty-four percent said they would be less likely to vote for the Democratic nominee if Florida delegates are not seated.
The Democratic National Committee stripped Florida and Michigan of their delegates because the two states violated party rules and held their primary elections early in order to exercise more clout in the selection process.
The poll was conducted Saturday through Monday by Schroth, Eldon & Associates for The Miami Herald, the St. Petersburg Times and the Bay News 9 television station. It has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.
More than 1.7 million Florida Democrats voted in the state's January 29 primary, setting a record in the state that decided the 2000 presidential election by 537 votes and put Republican President George W. Bush into the White House.
Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton won in both Florida and Michigan and has called for seating the delegates from both states. Rival Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, who leads the delegate count in the race to run against Republican John McCain in November, has said he hopes a fair resolution can be reached.
The Florida Democratic Party ruled out a re-vote on Monday and was still trying to work out an agreement with the national party.
(Reporting by Jane Sutton, editing by Todd Eastham)
Friday, March 14, 2008
Fla. presidential primary re-do unlikely
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080313/ap_on_el_pr/primary_scramble
Fla. presidential primary re-do unlikely
By BRENDAN FARRINGTON, Associated Press Writer
3-13-8
Florida Democrats on Thursday proposed a vote-by-mail presidential primary to solve the high-stakes delegate dispute while acknowledging the plan's chances are slim.
Democrats in Florida and Michigan have been struggling to come up with an alternative to ensure their delegates are seated at the national convention this summer after the party punished them for holding early primaries. The pressure to resolve the issue has increased amid the protracted fight for every delegate between Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.
Karen Thurman, chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, offered a mail-in/in person proposal for voting and urged state leaders, the national party and the presidential candidates to sign on. Under the plan, all of Florida's 4.1 million Democrats would be mailed a ballot. They could send it back, or cast a ballot in one of 50 regional voting centers that would be set up. The election would end June 3, a week before a Democratic National Committee deadline to name delegates.
The estimated cost is $10 million to $12 million.
Asked if the plan will be implemented, Thurman said, "I have a feeling that this is probably closer to not, than yes."
Members of Florida's congressional delegation reiterated their opposition to the plan, saying, "We do not believe that this is a realistic option at this time and remain opposed to a mail-in ballot election or any new primary election in Florida of any kind."
Thurman will review comments from Democratic leaders and make a decision by Monday on whether to proceed with the re-vote. But she acknowledged that Obama has had concerns and the Democratic National Committee won't support a proposal unless both candidates also back it. She said there's a serious question over whether the state could legally verify the signatures of a privately run election.
"If this becomes something that we can't do, then we can't do it," Thurman said.
The Democratic Party is talking with the secretary of state's office about whether elections officials would be able to verify ballot signatures, but Republicans, who control the legislature, have opposed any state involvement and legal questions have been raised.
"The state of Florida should not be involved in certifying or mediating intraparty squabbles," said House Speaker Marco Rubio.
Republican Gov. Charlie Crist, however, has said he isn't opposed to the state helping verify signatures as long as no taxpayer money is spent and state and national parties haven't already worked out another solution.
The Justice Department would have to pre-approve any plan for a re-vote in Michigan or Florida to ensure that voting rights aren't being denied because of race or an inability to speak English. The department has 60 days to make a determination, but Justice spokesman Peter Carr said they provide expedited review whenever possible.
Officials at the Democratic National Committee said they don't foresee any problem with the Bush administration reviewing the Democratic plans. The Florida Democratic Party also expressed confidence that it won't be a significant hurdle to its vote-by-mail proposal.
"Fortunately, this is a very inclusive process, and we will file the appropriate paperwork," the party said in a statement, also noting that ballots in Florida will be printed in English, Spanish and Creole.
Clinton won Florida and Michigan, although she was the only major candidate on the ballot in Michigan.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean told CNN that he was in Florida Wednesday and has been calling members of the congressional delegation to encourage them to cooperate. He said he'd like to find a way to seat the Florida and Michigan delegates and not leave the issue until the convention.
"The best option is whatever we can get the candidates to agree with, which puts a vote back in the hands of the people of Florida and Michigan. And that's going to be not so easy to do," Dean said.
Obama told reporters traveling on his campaign plane Thursday that although he has concerns about mail-in voting, "we're going to abide by whatever the DNC decides."
"We're not gonna make the final decision on it, and I'll abide by whatever rules the DNC lays out," he said.
Obama's national co-chairman, former Sen. Tom Daschle, said it wasn't a good idea.
"For a lot of reasons, I think that it's not going to be a plan that will be adopted," Daschle said in an interview with The Associated Press.
The Clinton campaign made it clear that it strongly prefers a state-run primary to mail-in voting during a meeting with Michigan Democrats Thursday, according to a campaign official speaking anonymously about the private talks. People involved in the private meeting said the Clinton advisers favor the state-run primary because there would be less likelihood of problems such as fraud and ballot counting than with a mail-in vote.
Four Michigan Democratic leaders uncommitted to either candidate discussed options for a do-over Thursday with both the Clinton and Obama campaign leaders. Democratic National Committee member Debbie Dingell, Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, Sen. Carl Levin and United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger are in that group trying to develop a new plan with input from both sides.
___
Associated Press Writers Nedra Pickler and Charles Babington in Washington and Dennis Gale in Sioux Falls, S.D., contributed to this report.
Fla. presidential primary re-do unlikely
By BRENDAN FARRINGTON, Associated Press Writer
3-13-8
Florida Democrats on Thursday proposed a vote-by-mail presidential primary to solve the high-stakes delegate dispute while acknowledging the plan's chances are slim.
Democrats in Florida and Michigan have been struggling to come up with an alternative to ensure their delegates are seated at the national convention this summer after the party punished them for holding early primaries. The pressure to resolve the issue has increased amid the protracted fight for every delegate between Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.
Karen Thurman, chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, offered a mail-in/in person proposal for voting and urged state leaders, the national party and the presidential candidates to sign on. Under the plan, all of Florida's 4.1 million Democrats would be mailed a ballot. They could send it back, or cast a ballot in one of 50 regional voting centers that would be set up. The election would end June 3, a week before a Democratic National Committee deadline to name delegates.
The estimated cost is $10 million to $12 million.
Asked if the plan will be implemented, Thurman said, "I have a feeling that this is probably closer to not, than yes."
Members of Florida's congressional delegation reiterated their opposition to the plan, saying, "We do not believe that this is a realistic option at this time and remain opposed to a mail-in ballot election or any new primary election in Florida of any kind."
Thurman will review comments from Democratic leaders and make a decision by Monday on whether to proceed with the re-vote. But she acknowledged that Obama has had concerns and the Democratic National Committee won't support a proposal unless both candidates also back it. She said there's a serious question over whether the state could legally verify the signatures of a privately run election.
"If this becomes something that we can't do, then we can't do it," Thurman said.
The Democratic Party is talking with the secretary of state's office about whether elections officials would be able to verify ballot signatures, but Republicans, who control the legislature, have opposed any state involvement and legal questions have been raised.
"The state of Florida should not be involved in certifying or mediating intraparty squabbles," said House Speaker Marco Rubio.
Republican Gov. Charlie Crist, however, has said he isn't opposed to the state helping verify signatures as long as no taxpayer money is spent and state and national parties haven't already worked out another solution.
The Justice Department would have to pre-approve any plan for a re-vote in Michigan or Florida to ensure that voting rights aren't being denied because of race or an inability to speak English. The department has 60 days to make a determination, but Justice spokesman Peter Carr said they provide expedited review whenever possible.
Officials at the Democratic National Committee said they don't foresee any problem with the Bush administration reviewing the Democratic plans. The Florida Democratic Party also expressed confidence that it won't be a significant hurdle to its vote-by-mail proposal.
"Fortunately, this is a very inclusive process, and we will file the appropriate paperwork," the party said in a statement, also noting that ballots in Florida will be printed in English, Spanish and Creole.
Clinton won Florida and Michigan, although she was the only major candidate on the ballot in Michigan.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean told CNN that he was in Florida Wednesday and has been calling members of the congressional delegation to encourage them to cooperate. He said he'd like to find a way to seat the Florida and Michigan delegates and not leave the issue until the convention.
"The best option is whatever we can get the candidates to agree with, which puts a vote back in the hands of the people of Florida and Michigan. And that's going to be not so easy to do," Dean said.
Obama told reporters traveling on his campaign plane Thursday that although he has concerns about mail-in voting, "we're going to abide by whatever the DNC decides."
"We're not gonna make the final decision on it, and I'll abide by whatever rules the DNC lays out," he said.
Obama's national co-chairman, former Sen. Tom Daschle, said it wasn't a good idea.
"For a lot of reasons, I think that it's not going to be a plan that will be adopted," Daschle said in an interview with The Associated Press.
The Clinton campaign made it clear that it strongly prefers a state-run primary to mail-in voting during a meeting with Michigan Democrats Thursday, according to a campaign official speaking anonymously about the private talks. People involved in the private meeting said the Clinton advisers favor the state-run primary because there would be less likelihood of problems such as fraud and ballot counting than with a mail-in vote.
Four Michigan Democratic leaders uncommitted to either candidate discussed options for a do-over Thursday with both the Clinton and Obama campaign leaders. Democratic National Committee member Debbie Dingell, Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, Sen. Carl Levin and United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger are in that group trying to develop a new plan with input from both sides.
___
Associated Press Writers Nedra Pickler and Charles Babington in Washington and Dennis Gale in Sioux Falls, S.D., contributed to this report.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Dean Urges Do-Over Voting in Fla., Mich.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5igrYLRrHG3P6lIbs2E7pSH0bxhvgD8V8AKUO0
Dean Urges Do-Over Voting in Fla., Mich.
By JOAN LOWY
3-6-8
WASHINGTON (AP) — The former head of the Democratic National Committee doubted Thursday whether chairman Howard Dean would be able to get approval for do-over presidential nomination contests in Florida and Michigan.
"It'll be a hellacious battle," said Don Fowler, a former DNC chairman who sits on the party's rule-making committee.
Before the primaries started, "Howard Dean had enough votes to get most everything he wanted. Now that this thing has gone as far as it has and the lines have formed according to candidates, I'm not sure how that vote would shake out now," said Fowler, who has endorsed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Nonetheless, Fowler said, something has to be done, "the rules be damned," to seat delegates from states Democrats have to and can win in the general election. "We're going to forfeit those two big states? What kind of fools would we be," he said.
Officials in Michigan and Florida have shown renewed interest in holding repeat nominating contests, and Dean has urged party officials in both states to come up with plans for how that can be done so their delegates can be counted at the national convention in late August.
"All they have to do is come before us with rules that fit into what they agreed to a year and a half ago, and then they'll be seated," Dean said Thursday during interviews on network and cable TV news programs.
Dean said the parties will have to pay for new contests.
"We can't afford to do that. That's not our problem. We need our money to win the presidential race," he said. The DNC offered to pay for an alternative contest in Florida last summer but was turned down, officials at the party say.
Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, another of Clinton's supporters, also called for a new Florida primary, but paid for by the national party. Nelson and Dean spoke by telephone Thursday evening and Dean reiterated that the DNC will not pay for a new primary.
Cost may be a barrier. During a meeting Wednesday night among House Democrats from Florida and Michigan, Rep. Alcee Hastings of Florida relayed estimates that another primary would cost the state between $22 million and $24 million, a vote-by-mail contest would cost at least $8 million and the bill for a caucus would be about $4 million, said Hastings spokesman David Goldenberg.
In Michigan, the cost could be as high as $10 million, depending on the type of contest, according to Democratic officials. Liz Boyd, a spokeswoman for Democratic Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, said Thursday evening that nothing had been ruled out but it was beginning to appear as if the cost and logistics may be insurmountable.
Republican Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said Thursday he would sign a bill for a new Democratic primary — legislative approval is required — but only if it was a last resort and only if the national party pays for it. But that seems unlikely, given Dean's insistence that he won't pay.
Top officials in Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign and Florida's state party chair all now say they would consider holding a sort of do-over contest by June. Officials in both states previously had insisted that the primaries held in January should determine how their delegates are allocated.
Clinton said she'd wait to see what proposals are put forward.
She won both contests, but no delegates. The results were meaningless since the elections violated national party rules. The DNC stripped both states of their delegates for holding the primaries too early, and all Democratic candidates — including Clinton and rival Barack Obama — agreed not to campaign in either state. Obama's name wasn't even on the Michigan ballot.
"I think it would be a grave disservice to the voters of Florida and Michigan to adopt any process that would disenfranchise anyone," Clinton said at a news conference Thursday. "Therefore I am still committed to seating their delegations, and I know they are working with the Democratic Party to determine how best to proceed."
She said it would be especially unfair to punish the 1.7 million Floridians who voted in the Democratic primary since the Republican-controlled Legislature and the state's Republican governor changed the date.
"They clearly believed that their votes would count, and I think that there has to be a way to make them count," Clinton said.
Obama said Thursday that the DNC should decide how to settle the dispute.
"I think it's important to make sure that people of Michigan and Florida feel as if they're part of this process and that they're heard. And we've just decided that we're going to play by whatever the rules the DNC has set forth," he told ABC News. "That's what we've done from the start.
"And I'll leave it up to the Democratic National Committee to make a decision about how to resolve it. But I certainly want to make sure that we've got Michigan and Florida delegates at the convention in some fashion," Obama said.
He said the DNC also should decide how to pay for any new contest.
Florida and Michigan moved up their contests to protest the party's decision to allow Iowa and New Hampshire to go first, followed by South Carolina and Nevada.
"The rules were set a year and a half ago," Dean said. "Florida and Michigan voted for them, then decided that they didn't need to abide by the rules. Well, when you are in a contest you do need to abide by the rules. Everybody has to play by the rules out of respect for both campaigns and the other 48 states."
Associated Press writers Jim Davenport in Columbia, S.C., Tim Martin in Lansing, Mich., and Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee, Fla., contributed to this report.
Dean Urges Do-Over Voting in Fla., Mich.
By JOAN LOWY
3-6-8
WASHINGTON (AP) — The former head of the Democratic National Committee doubted Thursday whether chairman Howard Dean would be able to get approval for do-over presidential nomination contests in Florida and Michigan.
"It'll be a hellacious battle," said Don Fowler, a former DNC chairman who sits on the party's rule-making committee.
Before the primaries started, "Howard Dean had enough votes to get most everything he wanted. Now that this thing has gone as far as it has and the lines have formed according to candidates, I'm not sure how that vote would shake out now," said Fowler, who has endorsed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Nonetheless, Fowler said, something has to be done, "the rules be damned," to seat delegates from states Democrats have to and can win in the general election. "We're going to forfeit those two big states? What kind of fools would we be," he said.
Officials in Michigan and Florida have shown renewed interest in holding repeat nominating contests, and Dean has urged party officials in both states to come up with plans for how that can be done so their delegates can be counted at the national convention in late August.
"All they have to do is come before us with rules that fit into what they agreed to a year and a half ago, and then they'll be seated," Dean said Thursday during interviews on network and cable TV news programs.
Dean said the parties will have to pay for new contests.
"We can't afford to do that. That's not our problem. We need our money to win the presidential race," he said. The DNC offered to pay for an alternative contest in Florida last summer but was turned down, officials at the party say.
Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, another of Clinton's supporters, also called for a new Florida primary, but paid for by the national party. Nelson and Dean spoke by telephone Thursday evening and Dean reiterated that the DNC will not pay for a new primary.
Cost may be a barrier. During a meeting Wednesday night among House Democrats from Florida and Michigan, Rep. Alcee Hastings of Florida relayed estimates that another primary would cost the state between $22 million and $24 million, a vote-by-mail contest would cost at least $8 million and the bill for a caucus would be about $4 million, said Hastings spokesman David Goldenberg.
In Michigan, the cost could be as high as $10 million, depending on the type of contest, according to Democratic officials. Liz Boyd, a spokeswoman for Democratic Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, said Thursday evening that nothing had been ruled out but it was beginning to appear as if the cost and logistics may be insurmountable.
Republican Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said Thursday he would sign a bill for a new Democratic primary — legislative approval is required — but only if it was a last resort and only if the national party pays for it. But that seems unlikely, given Dean's insistence that he won't pay.
Top officials in Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign and Florida's state party chair all now say they would consider holding a sort of do-over contest by June. Officials in both states previously had insisted that the primaries held in January should determine how their delegates are allocated.
Clinton said she'd wait to see what proposals are put forward.
She won both contests, but no delegates. The results were meaningless since the elections violated national party rules. The DNC stripped both states of their delegates for holding the primaries too early, and all Democratic candidates — including Clinton and rival Barack Obama — agreed not to campaign in either state. Obama's name wasn't even on the Michigan ballot.
"I think it would be a grave disservice to the voters of Florida and Michigan to adopt any process that would disenfranchise anyone," Clinton said at a news conference Thursday. "Therefore I am still committed to seating their delegations, and I know they are working with the Democratic Party to determine how best to proceed."
She said it would be especially unfair to punish the 1.7 million Floridians who voted in the Democratic primary since the Republican-controlled Legislature and the state's Republican governor changed the date.
"They clearly believed that their votes would count, and I think that there has to be a way to make them count," Clinton said.
Obama said Thursday that the DNC should decide how to settle the dispute.
"I think it's important to make sure that people of Michigan and Florida feel as if they're part of this process and that they're heard. And we've just decided that we're going to play by whatever the rules the DNC has set forth," he told ABC News. "That's what we've done from the start.
"And I'll leave it up to the Democratic National Committee to make a decision about how to resolve it. But I certainly want to make sure that we've got Michigan and Florida delegates at the convention in some fashion," Obama said.
He said the DNC also should decide how to pay for any new contest.
Florida and Michigan moved up their contests to protest the party's decision to allow Iowa and New Hampshire to go first, followed by South Carolina and Nevada.
"The rules were set a year and a half ago," Dean said. "Florida and Michigan voted for them, then decided that they didn't need to abide by the rules. Well, when you are in a contest you do need to abide by the rules. Everybody has to play by the rules out of respect for both campaigns and the other 48 states."
Associated Press writers Jim Davenport in Columbia, S.C., Tim Martin in Lansing, Mich., and Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee, Fla., contributed to this report.
Democrats Need to Hear From Florida and Michigan
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julian-e-zelizer/democrats-need-to-hear-fr_b_90335.html
Julian E. Zelizer
Democrats Need to Hear From Florida and Michigan
Posted March 6, 2008
Read More: 2008 Election, Democrats, Dnc, Florida, Howard Dean, Michigan, Breaking Politics News
Democrats have a big problem on their hands. As a result, they need to redo the Florida and Michigan primaries. Today, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said that party leaders in both states need to design proposals for holding new nominating contests.
The Democratic National Committee stripped both states of their delegates when they moved their votes earlier in the schedule. Senator Clinton won in both states. But most of the Democratic candidates -- including Senator Obama -- had withdrawn their name from the ballot in Michigan. Based on a pledge, none of the candidates conducted campaigns in Florida, although some of Clinton's opponents claim that she violated the agreement by making a few appearances in the Sunshine State before the day of the vote.
Now the context has changed. Super Tuesday did not decide the contest. Democrats are facing a brutal contest that will last into the summer convention. Senator John McCain is grinning as he watches the Democratic bloodbath. The irony that an embattled Republican Party managed to unite around a candidate relatively quickly and Democrats are fighting each other tooth and nail is hard to ignore.
Neither faction in the Democratic Party can argue that the primaries will produce a decisive winner. To be sure, the delegate count favors Obama. He has done extraordinarily well in small states, especially those that depend on caucuses, as well as in several battle ground states like Missouri. At the same time, Clinton won the popular vote in almost all of the large states: California, New York, New Jersey, Ohio and Texas.
The situation won't be clarified in the months ahead. Obama will likely win in Wyoming and Mississippi while Clinton has an excellent chance of taking Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico.
This is why a new vote in Florida and Michigan is essential. Democrats have no choice. Obama's supporters sometimes complain that holding a new vote in those states would be akin to changing the rules in middle of the game. Yet the decision of the Democratic Party was a poor one, and bad rules sometimes need to be corrected. Obama supporters have themselves made this argument when warning against having "superdelegates" decide this contest. The rules, as created in the 1980s, empower superdelegates to make this kind of choice. Moreover, it seems odd that a candidate whose campaign has promised to create a better political system would be happy if voters in Florida and Michigan were silenced.
At the same time, counting the votes that already took place would not be fair. Obama did not have his name on the ballot in Michigan and he did not campaign in Florida. The results simply do not reflect a genuine contest. If Clinton wins this campaign by relying on the votes that took place, the selection would cause just as much bitterness as if those voters are left out. Democrats should also stick to the conventional process in those states to avoid any claims that the process was changed to favor one or the other candidate.
Democrats have two excellent candidates to choose from. Even though the contest has been rough and Republicans quickly united behind a formidable candidate, there is still reason to believe that the high enthusiasm for both candidates bodes well for the party. All the more reason to get this decision right. And if the contest does come down to superdelegates, they need to at least see what voters in Michigan and Florida are thinking before making their decision.
Democrats can't afford to let votes not be counted. After all, Democrats were the party burned in the 2000 election when the Supreme Court stopped recounts from taking place in Florida. The bitterness that resulted from that decision remains with the party until this day.
For all these reasons, let's bring Florida and Michigan back into the picture. That should be something that all Democrats should be able to unite on.
Julian E. Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. He is the co-editor of "Rightward Bound: Making America Conservative in the 1970s," which will be published this spring by Harvard University Press.
Julian E. Zelizer
Democrats Need to Hear From Florida and Michigan
Posted March 6, 2008
Read More: 2008 Election, Democrats, Dnc, Florida, Howard Dean, Michigan, Breaking Politics News
Democrats have a big problem on their hands. As a result, they need to redo the Florida and Michigan primaries. Today, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said that party leaders in both states need to design proposals for holding new nominating contests.
The Democratic National Committee stripped both states of their delegates when they moved their votes earlier in the schedule. Senator Clinton won in both states. But most of the Democratic candidates -- including Senator Obama -- had withdrawn their name from the ballot in Michigan. Based on a pledge, none of the candidates conducted campaigns in Florida, although some of Clinton's opponents claim that she violated the agreement by making a few appearances in the Sunshine State before the day of the vote.
Now the context has changed. Super Tuesday did not decide the contest. Democrats are facing a brutal contest that will last into the summer convention. Senator John McCain is grinning as he watches the Democratic bloodbath. The irony that an embattled Republican Party managed to unite around a candidate relatively quickly and Democrats are fighting each other tooth and nail is hard to ignore.
Neither faction in the Democratic Party can argue that the primaries will produce a decisive winner. To be sure, the delegate count favors Obama. He has done extraordinarily well in small states, especially those that depend on caucuses, as well as in several battle ground states like Missouri. At the same time, Clinton won the popular vote in almost all of the large states: California, New York, New Jersey, Ohio and Texas.
The situation won't be clarified in the months ahead. Obama will likely win in Wyoming and Mississippi while Clinton has an excellent chance of taking Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico.
This is why a new vote in Florida and Michigan is essential. Democrats have no choice. Obama's supporters sometimes complain that holding a new vote in those states would be akin to changing the rules in middle of the game. Yet the decision of the Democratic Party was a poor one, and bad rules sometimes need to be corrected. Obama supporters have themselves made this argument when warning against having "superdelegates" decide this contest. The rules, as created in the 1980s, empower superdelegates to make this kind of choice. Moreover, it seems odd that a candidate whose campaign has promised to create a better political system would be happy if voters in Florida and Michigan were silenced.
At the same time, counting the votes that already took place would not be fair. Obama did not have his name on the ballot in Michigan and he did not campaign in Florida. The results simply do not reflect a genuine contest. If Clinton wins this campaign by relying on the votes that took place, the selection would cause just as much bitterness as if those voters are left out. Democrats should also stick to the conventional process in those states to avoid any claims that the process was changed to favor one or the other candidate.
Democrats have two excellent candidates to choose from. Even though the contest has been rough and Republicans quickly united behind a formidable candidate, there is still reason to believe that the high enthusiasm for both candidates bodes well for the party. All the more reason to get this decision right. And if the contest does come down to superdelegates, they need to at least see what voters in Michigan and Florida are thinking before making their decision.
Democrats can't afford to let votes not be counted. After all, Democrats were the party burned in the 2000 election when the Supreme Court stopped recounts from taking place in Florida. The bitterness that resulted from that decision remains with the party until this day.
For all these reasons, let's bring Florida and Michigan back into the picture. That should be something that all Democrats should be able to unite on.
Julian E. Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. He is the co-editor of "Rightward Bound: Making America Conservative in the 1970s," which will be published this spring by Harvard University Press.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Florida Dems could lose say in 2008 race
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070825/ap_on_el_pr/primary_scramble
Florida Dems could lose say in 2008 race
By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer
8-25-7
Democrats decided Saturday to strip Florida of all its presidential convention delegates unless the state holds its primary later in the 2008 election calendar. The punishment would leave the fourth largest state without a vote for the nominee.
The state party has 30 days to comply by moving its contest back at least seven days from the current Jan. 29 plan or lose its 210 delegates to the nominating convention in Denver next summer.
The state party chairwoman, Karen Thurman, said she would confer with officials about the ultimatum. Elected officials in Florida have said they would consider legal action and a protest at the convention if the national party barred the state's delegates.
Florida party officials said they originally opposed the early primary date, which covers both the Democratic and Republican primaries. The Republican-controlled Legislature passed the change and the GOP governor signed it into law in an effort to give the state a more prominent voice in national politics.
But Florida Democratic leaders now are committed to the state-run election because voter participation would drop drastically if Democrats held an alternative contest after Jan. 29.
Members of the Democratic National Committee's rules panel expressed skepticism that Florida Democrats did enough to stop the change and they approved the harshest penalty. Every member voted against Florida except for the state's representative on the panel, Allan Katz.
Refusing to seat the delegates would set a "terrible situation for Florida and a very bad situation for the Democratic Party," Katz said.
Party rules say states cannot hold their 2008 primary contests before Feb. 5, except for Iowa on Jan. 14, Nevada on Jan. 19, New Hampshire on Jan. 22 and South Carolina on Jan. 29.
The calendar was designed to preserve the traditional role that Iowa and New Hampshire have played in selecting the nominee, while adding two states with more racial and geographic diversity to influential early slots.
Several DNC officials said before the vote that they wanted to take the strong action against Florida to discourage Michigan, New Hampshire and other states that were considering advancing their contests in violation of party rules.
Garry Shay, a rules committee member from California, said allowing Florida to move forward "would open the door to chaos."
DNC committee member Donna Brazile also argued for a strong penalty, saying, "I hesitate to see what happens if we show somehow some wiggle room in our process."
The shifting dates have added uncertainty to the presidential candidates' campaign plans with the first votes to be cast in less than five months.
Advisers to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has a wide lead in Florida polls, said she will go wherever elections are held. Other candidates are waiting to see how the dispute shakes out.
Sen. Barack Obama's schedule had him raising money in Florida on Saturday and returning at month's end. But his campaign said the Illinois senator might not come back often during the primary season.
Florida's congressional delegation has raised the possibility of a voting rights investigation in response to the punishment.
National Democratic officials insist there is no legal basis to force the party to seat delegates in violation of its rules. Florida officials could not say what law the DNC would have violated or where the case could be pursued.
Jon Ausman, a DNC member from Florida, pleaded for a role in what could turn out to be a historic election, with the potential of the first woman, black or Hispanic nominee, even if the state were the "black sheep" of the primary season.
"We're asking you for mercy, not judgment," he told the rules committee meeting in a hotel conference room.
The party's action comes seven years after Florida was at the center of an unprecedented dispute over presidential vote counting. In 2000, the election between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore was held up for a recount in Florida. The Supreme Court stopped the recount, and Bush won the state by 537 votes.
Terrie Brady, a DNC member who helped present Florida's case, said the party's denial of delegates disenfranchises Florida voters. Rules committee members objected to the term, saying Florida's votes would be counted if they followed the rules.
"I find your use of the word disenfranchisement to be an overstatement," said committee member David McDonald, who is from Washington state.
Michigan's Legislature has taken up a bill that would move its contest to Jan. 15, but the state party submitted a proposal that for now describes a caucus on Feb. 9. New Hampshire's secretary of state says he may move up the state's primary, but for now the party has submitted a plan for Jan. 22, with the notation that the date is subject to change.
___
On the Net:
Democratic National Committee: http://www.dnc.org/
Florida Dems could lose say in 2008 race
By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer
8-25-7
Democrats decided Saturday to strip Florida of all its presidential convention delegates unless the state holds its primary later in the 2008 election calendar. The punishment would leave the fourth largest state without a vote for the nominee.
The state party has 30 days to comply by moving its contest back at least seven days from the current Jan. 29 plan or lose its 210 delegates to the nominating convention in Denver next summer.
The state party chairwoman, Karen Thurman, said she would confer with officials about the ultimatum. Elected officials in Florida have said they would consider legal action and a protest at the convention if the national party barred the state's delegates.
Florida party officials said they originally opposed the early primary date, which covers both the Democratic and Republican primaries. The Republican-controlled Legislature passed the change and the GOP governor signed it into law in an effort to give the state a more prominent voice in national politics.
But Florida Democratic leaders now are committed to the state-run election because voter participation would drop drastically if Democrats held an alternative contest after Jan. 29.
Members of the Democratic National Committee's rules panel expressed skepticism that Florida Democrats did enough to stop the change and they approved the harshest penalty. Every member voted against Florida except for the state's representative on the panel, Allan Katz.
Refusing to seat the delegates would set a "terrible situation for Florida and a very bad situation for the Democratic Party," Katz said.
Party rules say states cannot hold their 2008 primary contests before Feb. 5, except for Iowa on Jan. 14, Nevada on Jan. 19, New Hampshire on Jan. 22 and South Carolina on Jan. 29.
The calendar was designed to preserve the traditional role that Iowa and New Hampshire have played in selecting the nominee, while adding two states with more racial and geographic diversity to influential early slots.
Several DNC officials said before the vote that they wanted to take the strong action against Florida to discourage Michigan, New Hampshire and other states that were considering advancing their contests in violation of party rules.
Garry Shay, a rules committee member from California, said allowing Florida to move forward "would open the door to chaos."
DNC committee member Donna Brazile also argued for a strong penalty, saying, "I hesitate to see what happens if we show somehow some wiggle room in our process."
The shifting dates have added uncertainty to the presidential candidates' campaign plans with the first votes to be cast in less than five months.
Advisers to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has a wide lead in Florida polls, said she will go wherever elections are held. Other candidates are waiting to see how the dispute shakes out.
Sen. Barack Obama's schedule had him raising money in Florida on Saturday and returning at month's end. But his campaign said the Illinois senator might not come back often during the primary season.
Florida's congressional delegation has raised the possibility of a voting rights investigation in response to the punishment.
National Democratic officials insist there is no legal basis to force the party to seat delegates in violation of its rules. Florida officials could not say what law the DNC would have violated or where the case could be pursued.
Jon Ausman, a DNC member from Florida, pleaded for a role in what could turn out to be a historic election, with the potential of the first woman, black or Hispanic nominee, even if the state were the "black sheep" of the primary season.
"We're asking you for mercy, not judgment," he told the rules committee meeting in a hotel conference room.
The party's action comes seven years after Florida was at the center of an unprecedented dispute over presidential vote counting. In 2000, the election between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore was held up for a recount in Florida. The Supreme Court stopped the recount, and Bush won the state by 537 votes.
Terrie Brady, a DNC member who helped present Florida's case, said the party's denial of delegates disenfranchises Florida voters. Rules committee members objected to the term, saying Florida's votes would be counted if they followed the rules.
"I find your use of the word disenfranchisement to be an overstatement," said committee member David McDonald, who is from Washington state.
Michigan's Legislature has taken up a bill that would move its contest to Jan. 15, but the state party submitted a proposal that for now describes a caucus on Feb. 9. New Hampshire's secretary of state says he may move up the state's primary, but for now the party has submitted a plan for Jan. 22, with the notation that the date is subject to change.
___
On the Net:
Democratic National Committee: http://www.dnc.org/
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