Update on the Florida and Michigan situation

John Riley/Medill News Service

Hundreds of angry Hillary Clinton supporters and voters from Florida and Michigan swamped the entrance to Washington’s Marriott-Wardman hotel Saturday during a meeting of the Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee.

The committee met to discuss the seating of the Florida and Michigan delegations. Both states had been stripped of all their delegates after they moved their primaries before “Super Tuesday” on Feb. 5 without gaining the permission of the DNC.

The demonstrators were angry about the decision to strip the two states of their delegates and proposals to seat half the delegation or give all delegates half-votes, which would make it more difficult for Clinton to clinch the Democratic nomination. Some protesters also said they wanted to protest the DNC’s complicity in allowing media pundits to disparage Clinton using sexist language.

The Rules and Bylaws Committee decided to seat all the delegates from Florida by giving them half a vote each. This means that all delegates and superdelegates from the state will be at the convention. The number of delegates is based on the results of the Jan. 29 primary.

Numerically, that means the following for pledged delegates:

• Hillary Clinton will get 105 delegates, with half a vote each, for a total of 52.5 votes.
• Barack Obama will get 67 delegates, with half a vote each, for a total of 33.5 votes
• John Edwards will be awarded 13 delegates, with half a vote each, for a total of 6.5 votes.

The remaining pledged delegates will be able to cast their half votes at the convention for whomever they wish.

For Michigan, the Rules and Bylaws Committee accepted a proposal from the Michigan Democratic Party that awards the delegates representing those who voted “uncommitted” to Obama. The remaining delegates will be allowed to cast votes at the convention. Similar to Florida, all the delegates will be seated, but given half-votes.

As part of the solution, Clinton will be awarded 69 delegates, with half a vote each, for a total of 34.5 votes. Obama will be awarded 59 delegates, with half a vote each, for a total of 29.5 votes.

Clinton supporters say this solution is unfair because it awards uncommitted votes to Obama when his name was not even on the ballot, and strips delegates from Clinton. Clinton won 55 percent in the Jan. 15 primary, with 40 percent voting “uncommitted” and the remaining 5 percent for other candidates like Chris Dodd, Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel.

In both cases, superdelegates from both states are also penalized and able to cast one-half vote for the candidate of their choice.

But Harold Ickes, a Clinton advisor and member of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee, said the Clinton campaign reserved the right to take Saturday’s decision before the DNC’s Credentials Committee in July.

By John Riley

 

Vermont superdelegate talks change

Courtesy of Vermont Democratic Party

Vermont superdelegate Judy Bevans, 67, recently backed presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Bevans is a first-time superdelegate, and said she’s excited about attending the Democratic National Convention this summer, calling it the opportunity of a lifetime. “I’m expecting to enjoy it and be a part of it, and that’s what we’re supposed to do as responsible citizens,” she said. “That my voice, however loud, it’s been heard.”

  Bevans on change

  Bevans talks about what role experience should play in the presidential nominee

  Hear why Bevans backs presidential hopeful Barack Obama

  Hear Bevans discuss presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton

 

Got a lawyer?: The legal woes of some superdelegates

While elected officials are expected to conduct themselves according to the highest ethical standards, they are human and a few fall short of the mark. The Democratic Party has its share of people who have gotten into hot water —or, in some cases, on thin ice.

But those kinds of party members may find their superdelegate status and seat at the Democratic National Convention threatened if they are found guilty of the crimes for which they have been indicted.

One such superdelegate is Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who was indicted for perjury, conspiracy and obstruction of justice for lying under oath about an affair he had with his former chief of staff, Christine Beatty.

The affair came to light after two police officers, including Kilpatrick’s former bodyguard, sued the mayor, claiming he had fired them because of a probe of into his personal life.

On May 13, the Detroit City Council voted to impeach Kilpatrick on a 5-4 vote and asked Gov. Jennifer Granholm (a fellow superdelegate) to remove Kilpatrick from office if impeachment fails.

Another superdelegate with his own brand of legal trouble is Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., who was indicted on charges of racketeering, soliciting bribes, money laundering and obstruction of justice.

Jefferson was charged after the FBI raided his congressional office in 2006, and found $90,000 in his apartment freezer, as part of a 14-month investigation for allegedly accepting bribes for promoting business ventures in Africa. Jefferson has served as co-chair of the Africa Trade and Investment Caucus and the Congressional Caucuses on Brazil and Nigeria.

On June 8, 2007, Jefferson pled not guilty to the charges against him.

If Kilpatrick and Jefferson are not found guilty, they will likely retain their superdelegate status. As for political redemption, they could always learn a lesson from Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla.

Hastings has weathered his own share of legal troubles. In 1981, Hastings, a Florida federal judge, was indicted on charges of conspiring to solicit a bribe from defendants awaiting sentencing in Hastings’ court.

Hastings was later acquitted of the charges, although the House Judiciary Committee brought 17 impeachment articles against him and the Senate convicted him on eight of the articles. He lost his judgeship but was subsequently elected to Congress.

By John Riley

 

Sophie Masloff, 90, made political history in Pittsburgh

Sophie Masloff, 90, is a mainstay of Pittsburgh politics, where she served as president of the City Council back in the late 70s and early 80s. When Mayor Richard Caliguiri died in office in 1988, she took the helm, finishing his term, and was successfully reelected for another.

She was the first Jewish person and remains the only woman to ever hold the title.

And Masloff, a superdelegate, recently had the opportunity to back the first woman to run for president, Sen. Hillary Clinton.

And she did. Masloff recently pledged that her support will go to Clinton, come time for the Democratic National Convention.

Masloff is a well-liked figure in Pittsburgh. Born in 1917 to Jewish Romanian parents, she spoke only Yiddish until she went to elementary school. Recently, the city of Pittsburgh named a street in Masloff’s honor. Click on the video screen below to watch the unveiling.

By Melissa Schmitt

 

Rush to Judgment

Sen.  Barack Obama “went to Harvard and became an educated fool.”  On the surface, it would seem such vitriol directed at the likely 2008 Democratic presidential nominee would originate from Rush Limbaugh or a similarly aligned right-wing blog site. 

 

However, the source of this broadside was none other than Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., during the 2000 Illinois congressional primary.  The incumbent, Rush, a former Black Panther, disdainfully referred to the young upstart state senator as an “elite.”

 

Now, in what can be described as the vagaries of politics, the congressman and superdelegate has endorsed Obama.  Rush is recuperating from cancer surgery and is currently unavailable to comment.  But a spokeswoman for Rush said that the lawmaker is firmly behind Obama.  “The bottom line is that [Rush] is looking forward to [Obama] being the next president of the United States. “

 

According to the spokeswoman, the 2000 Illinois primary was just a case of Obama’s ambition vs. Rush’s legacy.  She further dismissed any notions of hard feelings by noting that when Rush’s son died in gun violence in October of 1999, he received an outpouring of sympathy from Obama. 

 

Rush would eventually prevail over Obama in 2000, retaining his congressional seat.  Regarding that victory, Rush’s aide added a tidbit that indicates how the loss served as a springboard for Obama.  “[Rush] was probably the last person to beat [Obama] at anything.”

 

by Sri Raman

 

 

Democratic governors: The leader of the pack?

Democratic Governors: The leader of the pack?

Governors play a big role on the national scene especially when it comes to their endorsements of presidential candidates. In the Democratic primary race, it is no exception. Some say the governors endorsements are golden since all 28 Democratic governors have votes as superdelegates, and many state Democrats may follow their lead.

However, only 13 governors have been in line with how their state voted. The other 15 are either undeclared or have gone against state voters. The question is who is following who? The numbers really don’t give an answer.

State                      Governor                  State went for              They went for
Arizona                  Napolitano                Clinton                          Obama
Delaware               Minner                        Obama                           Clinton
Massachusetts      Patrick                        Clinton                          Obama
Maryland                O’Malley                    Obama                           Clinton
Maine                     Baldacci                     Obama                           Clinton
North Carolina       Easley                        Obama                           Clinton
New Mexico           Richardson                Clinton                           Obama
Oklahoma              Henry                         Clinton                          Obama
Oregon                   Kulongoski               Obama                           Clinton

Of the six governors who are undeclared four are in a Hillary Clinton supported state. Overall, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both have 11 governors who support them.

.

Governors are undeclared:

State	Governor	State went for
Colorado	Ritter	Obama
West Virginia	Manchin	Clinton
Montana	Schweitzer	Primary June 3
Tennessee	Bredesen	Clinton
New Hampshire	Lynch	Clinton
Kentucky	Beshear	Clinton

 

 

 

Superdelegate Interview: A Texan supporting Obama

Interview with Al Edwards, Texas Superdelegate, Minister and Real Estate agent in Houston

by Jonathan Rubin

May 16, 2008

Comments have been edited for length and clarity.

Q. You picked Obama as your candidate. Do you think he can make it to the presidency?
A. I really think he will make it. I think at some point, the Democrats will come together and stop the bloodletting, so to speak… I’m a firm believer that Americans are not going to be stupid enough and blindfolded to go back and elect a Republican president.

Q. What are your personal feelings about Obama?
A. It a disgrace how Americans have to live today. The economy is horrible. We have lost the value of our dollar around the world. We are a debter nation, rather than someone who did all the lending, as before. Our jobs are just vastly going abroad. We’ve got senior citizens having to choose medicine over food, or vice versa. I like that Obama is going to do a national health program. We need some leadership… someone who is going to take care of homeland security… I think he’s sincere about really making changes in this nation. I think he’s going to be a worker and that he’s going to get things done. He’s going to work for all the people – not just blacks or whites or browns or blues.

Q. Has your life changed since becoming a super delegate?
A: It keeps you in tune to the news. It’s a matter of keeping up so you can give an intelligent response, and personally knowing what they (candidates) are doing.